The Sheik and the Bought Bride (16 page)

“Shut up,” Fuad told her. “Stop talking at once.”

“So you can kill me? Big Fuad kills a girl. That will make you proud.”

There was activity going on behind her, but she didn’t dare look. She could only hope they could save Kateb.

Fuad jabbed her arm with the sword. The point broke the skin and forced her back a few feet. Blood trickled down her arm and the wound hurt way more than she would have thought.

“You want to fight me,” he jeered. “Fight me, sacrifice. If you are so eager to die, you will see death this day.”

The fear was as real as the hatred burning in his eyes. Victoria didn’t want to do this. She didn’t want this to be her last day, her last breath. But there wasn’t any choice.

“Pick up the sword,” Fuad told her.

“You’ve got to be kidding. Do you know how much that weighs? I’m not picking it up. And even if I did, we both know I haven’t got a clue what to do with it.”

She sucked in a breath. “Okay, Fuad. Just do it. I’m going to stand here. I don’t know what works best. Through the heart, I guess. But don’t screw up. I’m not big on suffering. I’m a screamer and that’s not how I want to go. So get it right the first time.”

He blinked at her. “I will not kill an unarmed woman.”

“Why not? You poisoned Kateb. What’s the difference?”

He lowered his sword. “Why are you doing this? This is man’s work.”

“Dying? It think death is a universal experience. Everyone dies.”

He glared at her. “Why are
you
doing this?” he asked again. “Why are
you
the sacrifice?”

“Because I love him too much to watch him die. He’s my world. He’s the only man I’ve ever loved.” She fought to hold back tears. “Do you like torturing me? Is this fun for you?”

“I can’t kill a woman.”

“Why not? You were happy to do it a second ago.” She stepped toward him. “I’m sorry about your dad. I lost my mom and it was really hard. My dad is a total loser. He gambles and he was never there when I was growing up. But my mom loved him and I never understood why—until now. Kateb isn’t perfect, but he’s a good man. He tries to do what’s right. He’ll lead the people into greatness. I believe that. But I’m still sorry about your dad.”

Fuad started to shake. The sword slipped from his hands and fell to the dirt.

“No one has ever said that,” he whispered, and began to cry. Victoria went to him and put her arms around him.

His sobs cut through her. For all his height and strength, he was still that small boy who had lost his father so many years ago.

“How do we end this?” she asked, still hugging him tight.

He raised his tear-streaked face and looked into her eyes. “Mercy,” he whispered.

The guard led Fuad away. Victoria ran back to the elders’ chambers and found Kateb lying on a makeshift bed. He was pale, but breathing.

“What happened?” she demanded, pushing her way to him. She dropped on her knees next to a man with a stethoscope around his neck. “Is he all right?”

“He will recover,” the doctor told her. “The poison is
ancient and powerful, but easily reversed. In a few hours, Kateb will be back to normal.”

“Thank God,” she breathed, bent down and kissed him.

He opened his eyes.

“You make me insane,” she said, not caring about the people around him. “I swear, I’d kill you myself if I thought it would make a difference. You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

He smiled weakly. “You would kill me to teach me a lesson?”

“You know what I mean. Don’t do that again.”

“I will not.” His gaze narrowed. “Why is there blood on your arm?”

“It’s nothing.”

He frowned. “I don’t remember everything that happened, but I heard something about a sacrifice. Was that you?” He managed to sit up and look fairly intimidating, despite his weakened condition. “Is that true?” he demanded. “Were you the sacrifice?”

“Technically,” she began.

He cut her off with a roar. “Who allowed this? Who accepted a woman as a sacrifice?”

“Hey,” she said, poking him in the chest. “There’s nothing that says a woman can’t be the sacrifice. I looked it up.”

“You don’t read the ancient language.”

“I had help. So what? You’re not dead, I’m not dead. Fuad wants mercy. It’s a good day.”

“He needs to rest,” the doctor said. “He must sleep for a few hours.”

Victoria found herself being pulled away. She wanted to go with Kateb, but suddenly wasn’t sure of her place. She’d told him she was leaving after the ceremony. He was fine, so shouldn’t she go?

But leaving didn’t seem so easy, all of a sudden. Life
without Kateb was impossible to imagine. She wanted more. She wanted a miracle.

Yusra led her into a side room. “That stupid boy,” she murmured as she closed the door, then collected a bowl of water and began washing Victoria’s still-stinging wound.

“What? He’s fine. Mercy’s allowed. You told me that.”

“He tried to poison Kateb. Mercy only helps with the challenge. Attempted murder is a serious crime.”

Victoria’s stomach clenched. “Are you kidding? I know what he did was wrong, but there are reasons. His father dying. He was abandoned for years. It’s surprising he managed to survive this long. So he’s going to punished for all that?”

“The law requires it. Wouldn’t your law insist he be punished?”

“Yes, but it’s not completely his fault.” So much for this being a good day. “What happens to him now?”

“There is a hearing. Today. Before sundown.”

Victoria no longer felt the sting on her arm. “That fast?”

“Yes. There are thousands of witnesses. He will be convicted and sentenced.”

She didn’t want to know. “To what?”

“Death by the same poison he gave to Kateb. Fuad will die before sundown.”

Still feeling the effects of the poison, Kateb made his way to the main hall in the palace. His doctor had given him something to sleep so his body could heal, and while Kateb appreciated the effort, he hadn’t wanted to lose the day. There was too much to be done.

He knew the law, knew what would happen to Fuad. This was more pointless than the challenge, he thought grimly. An angry young man put to death. What would that solve? Any chance at reprieve was gone. He knew—he had
sent for Victoria the moment he awoke and had been told she could not be found.

She had left, as she had told him she would. And he’d been the fool who let her go.

Zayd and the other elders walked into the hall ahead of him. They would proclaim him leader, then step aside so his first act would be to put Fuad to his death. Not a legacy that pleased Kateb.

Kateb walked to Zayd and knelt before him. The words were spoken and the crown of leadership placed on his head. At that moment he ceased to be what he had been before. He rose to the cheers of his people.

This was his destiny. He knew that—knew he was where he belonged. But nothing about this day was what he had expected. He had let Victoria go because he hadn’t been willing to accept his own weakness. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust her—he didn’t trust himself to survive her loss. He had loved Cantara and always would, but Victoria had touched him in a way no one ever had. She could see into his soul. She knew his flaws, his darkness and still she loved him. He was a better man for knowing her.

He must save Fuad. He saw that now. If he saved the boy, he would be worthy of the woman. But how? There was only one way and who would speak for a stranger who tried to commit murder?

Kateb walked to throne and called for Fuad to be brought to him.

The teenager was led in by guards. He was no longer defiant. Instead he appeared very young and very afraid.

Kateb waited until the room went quiet, then spoke. He read the charges and offered the petition signed by those who had witnessed the crime. Then he read the punishment—death by the same poison, to be administered before sundown.

Fuad bowed his head and sobbed.

“Is there one who will speak for the boy?” Kateb asked, scanning the crowd.

Only one was required. Someone who wasn’t a member of Fuad’s family or Kateb’s. A single person to stand up to the accusers and say the boy was worth saving.

No one could be asked to speak for another. The responsibility lasted a lifetime. Should Fuad commit the same kind of crime ever again, the speaker would bear some of the blame.

Silence filled the large room. Defeat weighed on Kateb. Were he allowed to speak for Fuad, he would. But the law was clear. There had to be—

“I will speak for him,” a voice called.

Kateb leaned forward as Victoria made her way to the front of the room.

She hadn’t left. Relief lightened his heart and made him want to go to her. She was still here and someone had told her how to save Fuad.

She stepped next to Fuad and shooed away the guard. Then she took the boy’s hand in hers and stared into his eyes.

“Tell me the truth,” she said. “Do you want to die?”

He shook his head. “No. I thought…You’re right. Revenge won’t bring my father back. I’m sorry, too.”

“Okay.” She turned to Kateb. “I speak for him.”

“You were the sacrifice,” he said, knowing that he would never be worthy of her but more than willing to spend the rest of his life trying. And later he would talk to the elders about letting Victoria nearly give up her life for his.

“I’ve never been one before. You know how I love getting in the middle of things.”

He did his best not to smile. There were formalities to be worked through. “Do you know Fuad?”

“Not well.”

“Do you understand the responsibility of what you do?”

“And people say
I
talk too much.” She nodded. “Yes. For the rest of his life, what he does reflects on me. If he screws up, he is so going to pay.” She glanced at the boy. “You know that, right?”

“Yes. But I won’t.”

“I’ve heard that before.” She turned back to Kateb. “I have a plan. I called the Bahanian palace and spoke to one of the princes there. Fuad will be given a job in the stable. I’ve heard he’s good with horses. They’ll watch him and take care of him. He’ll get a fresh start. Maybe go to night school. There’s a retired policeman who will give him a place to stay.”

“Why do you do this?” Kateb asked.

She frowned. “Yusra didn’t say that was one of the questions.”

“
I
am asking. Why would you bother? You said you don’t know Fuad. What is this to you?”

She drew in a breath. “I feel bad for him. He lost his father when he was young and he was basically abandoned. You’re going to work on changing that, right? See what happens when a society doesn’t take care of its children?”

He held in a smile. “Yes. I will do something about it.”

“Good. I don’t think Fuad is bad. I think he’s angry. There’s a difference. I want to give him a chance.”

“Is that the only reason?”

“No. I knew you didn’t want him to die. I’m doing this for you.”

Around them, people started whispering. He ignored them, ignored everything but the woman before him. The woman he loved.

He wasn’t sure why he hadn’t seen it before. Maybe all
the steps were required before he could get to this point. Like Fuad, he’d been given a second chance.

“If I grant Fuad his life,” he said. “What will you give me in return?”

Victoria put her hands on her hips. “Excuse me? Haven’t I done enough today? I put my life on the line for you, mister. I was willing to die for you. I think the real question is what are you going to do for me?”

“We will deal with Fuad first,” he said, and looked at the teenager. “Do you accept Victoria’s arrangements?”

Fuad nodded. “Yes. I yield to her wisdom, even though she is a woman.”

Victoria rolled her eyes.

“You will go to Bahania in the morning,” Kateb told him. “I will come see you in a month and we will talk about how you are doing. You are given a second chance, Fuad. Use it well.”

The guards led him away.

“Now that we’re done with that,” Victoria said. “You didn’t answer my question.”

He smiled. “I am the leader of the desert people and you are a mere woman. It is up to you to give to me.”

“If you think I won’t embarrass you in front of this crowd, you are seriously wrong.” But she wasn’t angry. He could see the humor brightening her eyes. Humor and something else that gave him hope….

“This is what I want,” he said, ignoring her threat. “I want all the days you have left. I want your heart, your soul, your body, as my own. I want your children, your future, your wisdom, your laughter. I want all of you, Victoria McCallan.”

She drew in a breath. “That’s a lot,” she whispered. “Why should I agree?”

“You will make me say it in public?”

“If you can’t say it in front of your people, what does it matter?”

He rose and walked toward her. He cupped her face in his hands and stared into her eyes. “I love you. I have loved you from the first moment I saw you, but I fought it. I told myself you were not worthy. Then I told myself you were not to be trusted. Then I told myself you were trying to trick me.”

“You need to stop talking to yourself so much,” she said with a smile.

“Apparently.” He brushed his hand along her cheek. “I offer you all that I have, all that I am. I will love you with my last breath. You outshine the sun. You are my world. Stay with me, marry me. Love me.”

She put her hands on his chest. “Okay.”

“That’s it? Usually you have more to say.”

“Not today.”

“You love me?”

“I’ve said it like forty times.”

“I want to hear it again.”

“You are so demanding.” She laughed. “I love you, Kateb.”

Everyone began to cheer.

“You’ll marry me?” he asked over the noise.

“Yes.”

“Good.” He bent down and kissed her. “You know this means you’re going to be a princess. You’ll be able to buy all the shoes you want.”

“That’s a lot of shoes,” she said with a laugh.

He smiled. “It’s a big palace.”

Christmas night

V
ictoria lay on the pillows in front of the Christmas tree. To her right, a fire burned brightly, which would have been a little warm, but the ceiling fan helped stir the air. Kateb stretched out next to her, his arm around her.

“Did you have a good day?” she asked.

“It was a Christmas like no other.”

“I probably went a little overboard,” she admitted, thinking that bringing in forty trees for the palace could be considered excessive, but she’d never had an unlimited budget before.

“Everything was beautiful. The twinkle lights were a big hit. Last night was especially popular.”

She rolled toward him and propped her chin on his chest. “I thought the kids would like being read ‘The Night
Before Christmas.’ My mom used to read it to me when I was young.”

Her handsome husband smiled at her. “I’m sorry I didn’t have the chance to meet her.”

“Me, too. She would have been impressed.”

“Are you impressed?”

She laughed. “Most days.”

“Good.”

She stood and stretched, then walked to the large tree. In the back, tucked between two big branches, was one last present. She grabbed the small box and carried it back to Kateb.

“For you,” she said, sitting cross-legged in front of him.

He sat up and frowned. “I have nothing more for you.”

“You gave me plenty. Five pairs of shoes, diamonds, clothes shopping in Paris…The only thing missing really was a pony.”

“Did you want a pony?”

“No. I want to give you this.”

“But I am content with all I have, my love. You were most generous.”

“You’ll want this. Trust me.”

She handed him the box. Before he opened it, he leaned in and kissed her, then pulled off the ribbon.

She hadn’t been sure until just a few days ago. The timing had made her crazy and she’d needed Yusra’s help to get the present. It wasn’t like she could just go buy it in the marketplace. Not if she wanted to keep it a secret.

Now she watched as the man she loved, who made it clear every day just how much he loved her, lifted the cover off the small box and pulled out a tiny pair of yellow baby booties. His gaze dropped to her stomach, then returned to her eyes.

“Are you sure?”

“I’ve peed on a stick and everything. Which wasn’t easy. There’s nowhere for your wife to buy a pregnancy test in the village. Or buy booties. I had to send for both of them. It’s been nerve-racking. But I wanted to be sure.” She bit her lower lip. “Are you happy? I want you to be happy.”

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. “Thank you,” he whispered. “Thank you.”

His dark eyes gleamed with pride and pleasure. His arms were, as always, a safe haven. He’d given her the world…and his heart. She couldn’t ask for more.