Ellena shook her head, clearing her mind of all manner of wickedness that came after that wonderful assessment. “I think you misunderstood. I was joking about the husband part. The apartment, time share or whatever you call them here, that’s all I really want.”

  “You will have both,” the Sheikh commanded with a nod of finality no one would dare to question. “A husband and a place here. My son needs a wife and you mentioned you do not have a husband. Problem solved.”

  “But doesn’t he have to give you heirs or something?” She instinctively brought her hands near her belly. “My eggs are old enough to be married and have children of their own by now.”

  First, a roar of laughter went up from him. A few moments later, it was mirrored by everyone standing around her. Yes, that line was funny, but the one thing she understood was the unfairness of the situation. At least for Kamran. And that was no laughing matter.

  The Sheikh waved away that thought. “That will not be a concern. He is unable to give you or any woman children. And a woman of African descent will never sit on the Durabian throne. We are safe on that score.”

  A shadow of sadness flickered in Kamran’s eyes and his skin flushed a shade darker. Ellena tried to read a deeper meaning into his father’s words. She still came up with unfair. “So, you just throw him to a random woman because he can’t give you an heir? He is still a man. He still has value,” she insisted. “A brain, intelligence, and a purpose.” She inhaled, trying to tamp down on her anger. “The apartment is fine, Sheikh. Thank you, but I will not be foisted on a man who has no say in the matter. That’s downright cruel.”

  A gasp came from the core of people around them before silence descended in the room. Even Kamran flinched.

  The Sheikh’s face darkened with anger as he slowly came to his feet. “Are you refusing—”

  “Give me nine days—”

  All eyes focused on the handsome man, who left his father’s side and moseyed toward her like some type of Arabian cowboy. All swagger, no gun necessary.

  “Give me nine days,” he repeated and moved across the expensive Persian carpet until he stood in front of her, towering over her near six-foot height by three inches of his own. “Nine days for me to show you Durabia, to answer any questions you may have. To let you explore the place, the people, the culture. Then you decide.”

  Ellena found it hard to catch her breath. The man was so virile she felt warm all the way to her follicles. “Nine days? I have to go home. I have a job back there. I used all of my vacation and two of my sick days for this trip.”

  “Your job?” he asked, frowning as though he couldn’t fathom what the word meant.

  “Yes. A job. Nine to five. Benefits. All of that. You know, what regular folks do to keep an address.”

  Kamran remained silent for a few moments as he peered at her. “How much do they pay you?”

  She winced, then flickered a gaze to his right and felt the intensity of everyone’s attention. “It doesn’t matter.”

  “How much?” He beckoned for her to come nearer. “Whisper it to me.”

  Ellena hesitated a moment, then complied, moving so close she inhaled the intoxicating scent of sandalwood. She managed to whisper an answer, then inched back to put a little distance between them.

  “For the rest of your life?” he asked, his tone and wide eyes reflecting the incredulity registered in his facial expression.

  “Until I’m sixty-seven and retire,” she replied, daunted by his tone. “But there’s also health benefits and other factors that I can’t put a number on.”

  Kamran blinked as though doing a set of mental calculations and coming up with what probably amounted to simple interest on his bank account. “Give me the particulars and I will wire the money into your account.”

  She parted her lips to protest but he held up a hand. “Saying yes to taking me as your husband is still your choice. With this, I am simply ensuring your peace of mind. And as a gift for your kindness, your selflessness in saving a child who was a stranger to you.”

  Ellena let out a long, slow breath, because staying here permanently, marrying him, would be a lost cause. She loved her job as a personal assistant at Vantage Point. Alejandro Reyes, a “Fixer” of everything from political and corporate espionage, to terrorist attacks, was the absolute best person to work for. And she loved the predictability of her life. Traveling overseas was the most adventurous event in her life. Still, curiosity won out over common sense and she said, “All right. Thank you.”

  “Now we go about the business of getting to know one another,” he said, smiling as though her consent brought him much pleasure. Evidently, he wanted this to happen and the intensity of his gaze bore into her soul. “So that you can make an informed decision, yes?”

  She glanced over his shoulder, taking in some of the envious looks a few of the women tried to hide. “Why are you doing this?” she asked him. “Why are you allowing them to serve you up to some foreign woman as if you do not have value?”

  “Because I recognize this is God’s will,” he answered. “And who am I to leave a precious gift unwrapped?”

  Her eyebrows drew in, as she tried to decipher the hidden meaning behind his words. The man had a peaceful, confident air but also a playful vibe about him.

  “Yes, that was a double entendre.” His smile widened and she could swear the heavens opened up and smiled with him.

  Good Lord, I’m in trouble.

  KNIGHT OF SOUTH HOLLAND

  “What are you doing here?” Calvin stared at the blond stocky man who was sitting across from his parents having drinks and appetizers. His crew cut was as tight and severe as his attitude.

  “Don't be rude.” His mom swatted his hand as if he was still a child. He was glad Mia was running late. She would not be happy with his parents right now.

  Calvin had walked straight into his favorite lunch joint and right into an ambush. Janine and Bruce had been disappointed when they found out that his most daring invention to date had not been commissioned for Gabriel London's team to use. At the Stepper’s Set, his mother mentioned that they wanted to discuss something important with him, but he hadn’t expected them to invite Gabriel London to lunch.

  “Gabriel was telling us a bit about the project that he wanted you to consult on.” Bruce nodded toward the man to his right.

  “We heard your Emperor's Suit is currently in an exclusive contract with some other organization, which was disappointing.” Gabriel shifted in his chair. His long limbs stretched into the aisle in such a way to inconvenience anyone trying to walk past.

  The devil seems to have a name. Gabriel London.

  Calvin could feel the money lust rolling off the man like an overflowing washbasin. The one thing he learned the hard way was that people tended to play both sides of the fence. Some for money, others for what they believed to be a higher calling. Some days he had to admit that those lucrative offers made him want to accept them at face value. Then after the ordeal that brought Mia into his life, he realized the lengths to which greed would drive people.

  Now that he was in line with Daron and The Kings of the Castle, he didn’t have to wonder about motives. This meant that Calvin could maintain his purpose, which was to help people and not profit off their pain. Enough people in the world were doing just that.

  “He wanted an opportunity to speak more about having you consult on a new project that would help your brother's old team,” Janine explained smiling, totally oblivious of the things she was putting into play.

  Calvin frowned at his parents as Gabriel’s gaze shifted to a table close to them where two men sat who seemed totally out of place for such a casual eatery. “And I thought you two wanted to spend time with your son.”

  This was not how he expected an enjoyable Saturday afternoon to go. They could have at least given him a heads up. But then again, they knew how he felt about Gabriel, so they knew not mentioning him was the best way to ensure he’d show up.

  “We do, but we also know you may have lost focus on the goal of creating devices to help people like your brother,” Bruce countered, popping a slider into his mouth. “Ones that would increase the number of them that come home.”

  “I'm sorry that I was so optimistic when I said that, not thinking about who could be in power and in control of my device.” Calvin watched as Gabriel silently took in the exchange between them. “I'm no longer confident that the American government is out to use it to change the world.”

  “I beg to differ,” Gabriel said, waving off the red-haired waitress as she approached then had to adjust because he wouldn’t shift to accommodate the fact she needed to get past. His parents would have chided him up one side of the earth and rattled his cage down the other if he had done something so inconsiderate. Why couldn’t they see the real Gabriel.

  “You would.” Calvin didn't miss that Gabriel had his parents doing most of the talking. Possibly believing that they would sway him. He was wrong.

  “Calvin, at least hear him out,” Janine pleaded.

  “We have a product that could be beneficial to soldiers, but we’re having trouble with certain aspects of the design.” Gabriel’s phone rang. He silenced it without checking the screen. “Your experience could be essential to making this a reality.”

  “What is the product?” Calvin noticed Gabriel had no paperwork with him, so this discussion was slated to end in a continuance of some sort.

  “Unfortunately, that can't be revealed until you’re contracted as a consultant,” Gabriel answered. His smile was alarming, because it was insincere.

  “That's not going to work, I need to know what it is before I dive-in. You put me under contract for one thing, and suddenly the scope changes and I’m on the hook for doing something else entirely.” Calvin glanced in the direction that Gabriel’s eyes kept straying. A table full of men who appeared to be military. Maybe they were listening in somehow.

  Gabriel tossed the rest of his drink down and placed the tumbler on the table. “I’ll have a confidentiality agreement drawn up so that we can further discuss it.”

  “It's a start.” Calvin noticed his parents sharing a knowing glance and wondered how long Gabriel had been there talking with them before he’d arrived. Either way, he wanted him gone before Mia arrived. She would pick up on the nuances that his parents certainly hadn’t.

  “I’ll let you enjoy your lunch. We can arrange another time when the paperwork is in place.” Gabriel stood, shaking hands with Bruce and Janine. “Thanks. I’ll be in touch.”

  A few minutes later, the men at the table across from them left the restaurant. Calvin didn’t miss that Gabriel hadn’t bothered to exchange any information with either of his parents—his entire conversation was directed towards Calvin.

  “Mom and Dad, I love you, but you cannot do things like this.” Calvin tried to keep the anger out of his voice. “You don't understand how dangerous some of these people are.”

  “We've known Gabriel since your brother enlisted,” Janine huffed, her gaze sharp and as intense as her voice had been.

  “You don't know if fighting has changed him,” Calvin said, leveling a hard look her way. “Shawn is no longer here to keep us informed.”

  Calvin needed his parents to understand the importance of letting this go. His trust level for the government and for the military was at an all-time low. Instead of waiting for him to complete that first project, they sent in a team to kill him and take it. Then they would own it and wouldn’t have to pay him the millions they promised. Soon, Mia was fending off foreign and domestic enemies until Calvin could put the device in the hands of the right people. The fact that Gabriel was here saying he represented the very same government that Calvin swore never to work for again, spoke volumes.

  “We've stayed in touch,” Janine admitted, and those words were startling. How much had they told Gabriel about his line of work? How much ammunition had they given him? His parents were patriots through and through, and Calvin never wanted to disillusion them by sharing the facts behind his near brush with death.

  A large group came near and were seated after the waiters put several tables together.

  “Did you forget why the Emperor's Suit didn't end up being used by soldiers.” Calvin still didn't want to get into the full details on the attempt to steal the device that led him to decide against giving it to the government. The first good thing that came out of it is his relationship with Mia. The second good thing is that he could no longer work with the understanding that even his own government would play fair. Good and evil existed in all factions of life, but he would be damned if he didn’t figure out where he, and his inventions, fit into the scheme of things. The third good thing was a renewed sense of purpose.

  “We didn't forget, but we don't want you to completely rule out the possibility.” Bruce took Janine’s hand in his and she gave him a look so filled with love that it made Calvin smile.

  “Why is this so important to you?” Calvin asked after giving them a moment.

  Janine leaned toward him, trying to make sure her voice was heard over the hum of conversation. “It would keep your brother’s memory alive, and help the men he cared so much about.”

  “We do that by not allowing monsters to abuse and profit off a device meant to protect people who are willing to put their lives at risk to help others.” He glanced up in time to see Mia enter and weave her way through the aisles of wooden tables. She wore a simple pink blouse and black slacks, but even the way those fit on her was sexy—understated elegance. Those heels, though. Killer. Work was definitely going to take a back seat today. They were going to have an impromptu date with a yacht trip on Lake Michigan. She would love that.

  Calvin stood, pulling out Mia’s seat and kissing her before she lowered herself into the chair. “Hey beautiful,” he whispered so only she could hear.

  “I'm sorry I'm late.” Mia put her eyes on Calvin, staring for a moment, as if she could feel the tension in the air. “Traffic was terrible.”

  “You're right on time.” Calvin handed her a menu and tapped on the blueberry pancakes which happened to be a favorite.

  “Yes, because now we can talk about why you two aren't married already.” Janine reached into the oversized tote hanging on the back of her chair and pulled out several wedding books and dropped them dramatically on the table.

  Janine Atwood was swinging for the fences today. As if inviting Gabriel here wasn’t enough. “Really, Mom?” Calvin stared at his mother, while ignoring his father’s attempt at stifling a laugh. She had been pushy, but never this adamant. “Is this what we’re doing today?”

  “I'm ready for grandchildren,” Janine protested, pinning him with a look that said That issue with Gordon was out of my wheelhouse. But this right here … no, my brother, I’m not going to drop this one. “If Mia can get you to slow down enough to dance, I realized that you might actually slow down enough to become a father.”

  Even Mia flinched at that one. “Mrs. Atwood, I tried for us to get married at City Hall, since his schedule didn't seem to allow us to nail down the date, but he is insisting on a full wedding.” Mia turned and smiled at him sweetly.

  Calvin couldn't believe his future wife would throw him into the lion's den with a rare steak nailed to his forehead! What the hell was going on today?

  Maybe this was her way of getting back at him for working late last night and leaving out too early to say a proper good morning. He refrained from reminding Mia that they had selected a date. Diana’s unexpected death was the reason Mia couldn’t finalize the contract on the space. With her maid of honor gone, celebrating their union was the last thing on her mind. “Am I wrong to want to see my beautiful bride being walked down the aisle by her father? Who, by the way, is only too happy to do so.”

  “No, but sometimes you have to amend your vision to fit your reality,” Bruce fired back, passing Calvin a copy of Brides Noir. “While we'd love to celebrate your love with a fancy wedding and all that, the most important thing is for you and Mia to officially become a family.”

  “Your father's right,” Janine co-signed, but her tone said otherwise.

  Calvin was glad to see the waitress approaching the table. He hadn't been expecting that response, especially from his mother, who had, for all her earlier protestations that year, been looking forward to wedding preparations and every ounce of fanfare. This was an entire one-eighty.

  Janine pulled out a calendar. “Let’s pick a date.”

  “Mom, Enough,” Calvin warned, causing the waitress to freeze, then swivel in the direction of another table. “No more harassing us about wedding date. We’ll get married. You’ll be invited, and that’s that.”

  His mom’s jaw dropped and her eyes widened. He was done coddling his parents. First that whole push with Gabriel, then the wedding issue. His life, and he wanted them to be a part of things, but they were not going to dictate things this way.

  “Calvin has to go back to work after this, but maybe I can take the two of you to our top three venues.” Mia placed a hand on Calvin’s thigh; a subtle move that was supposed to reassure him that she had everything under control. She didn’t know Janine Atwood well enough to realize that control was lost the moment she walked through the door. But Mia was a woman who could handle her business, and he didn’t need to fight her battles. “They probably have events going on so we may only be able to peek in.”

  “I'd love that,” Janine exclaimed, her smile firmly back in place but with a quick stink eye at Calvin.

  The rest of the lunch was more relaxed, with them talking about some of the family members his parents had visited on Friday. He listened, but his thoughts panned to Gabriel once again, wondering what his second attack would be. Parents were the first line to sink in a hook. Men like Gabriel did not give up.