The Sheik's Baby Surprise (18 page)

Soon, very soon, he was going to get his wife and baby back. And it was all thanks to these people.

Jina lifted Lika out of her carrier. The plane had landed and her tiny little daughter was eager to be doing something other than playing with her toes and her fingers. Jina still had no idea where she was and neither the flight attendant nor the pilot would tell her.

She peered out of the plane as soon as it taxied to one of the gates. Unfortunately, the gray skies and busy airport still didn’t give her any clue as to which city she had been flown into.

“Jina!” A female voice said off to the side.

Jina turned her head and found two beautiful brunettes and one with beautiful, sandy-blond hair coming towards her. One had thick dark hair that streamed down her slender back and over her shoulders. The other one had softly curling brown hair while the blond laughed at something the others said.  All of them with their designer suits and beautiful shoes made Jina feel more than a little frumpy. She’d just spent the last twelve hours on a plane and had no idea where she was, needed a shower and a good night sleep.  Oh, and an explanation for what was going on would be wonderful!  What she didn’t need were problems in the form of beautiful women who made her feel inadequate. 

And she was still furious with Malik for doing this to her and Lika! 

“I’m sorry, but do I know you?” she asked, trying hard to keep the anger and impatience out of her tone but suspected that she’d failed. 

The women only smiled more brightly.  “You’ve got it bad, eh?”  The black haired woman turned to the brown haired lady.  “It is Malik, though.”

The blond woman rolled her eyes.  “Don’t go there!”

They both laughed and Jina tried to tamp down her fury.  “I’m sorry but…”

The brown haired woman extended her hand.  “I’m Livia.  I married into the group.  This is Sierra,” she explained, motioning to the blond woman, “and Sasha,” the raven-haired woman extended her hand to Jina.  “We’re all married to one of the guys in the group.”

Jina blinked while she accepted each woman’s handshake with her free hand.  “The group?”

Livia and the black haired woman grimaced while the blond laughed again, a beautiful sound that filled the air with music.  “The group.  You’ll understand soon enough.  But right now, we need to get you to a safe place.  Malik’s orders.” 

“How do you know Malik?” Jina demanded, thinking that if her husband had sent her into the care of his former lovers, he was in big trouble!

The black haired beauty laughed.  “Not what you are thinking, I promise!”  Jina realized that this woman was pregnant, but not very far along.  Just enough to show a bit.  “Would you mind if we explained everything in the car?  We’re a bit exposed out here and Malik wanted you safe.”

Jina shrugged but followed the three women to the limousine that was waiting several feet away. 

When they were ensconced in the privacy of the vehicle, the women turned to ooh and ahh about Lika.  “And what is this little girl’s name?”

Jina strapped her daughter carefully into the car seat, soothing her since she was tired of being strapped in.  “This is Lika.  Malik’s daughter.”  As she strapped her baby girl into the car seat, the diamonds on her wedding rings flashed and she had to fight back the tears that threatened.  Would she ever see him again?  Would he push her out of his life just to keep the two of them safe as she’d done a year ago?  She wasn’t sure she could survive without seeing him. 

The vehicle started moving and Jina turned to face the three women.  “Could you please help me understand what is going on?”  she begged.

Livia touched Lika’s foot, wiggling the tiny appendage to distract the tiny human before she released a bellow of protest. 

Sasha took over the explanations.  “Here’s the deal.  We’re supposed to keep you safe with us until the men get back.”

“What men?” Jina demanded.  “And safe from whom?”

Sasha shrugged.  “The men are our husbands, the five who make up the group plus Scarlett, who is the only woman who has ever been allowed to get close to the guys until we each came along.  Scarlett is wonderful.  You’ll love her as soon as you meet her and we’re going to need your help trying to get her and Grayson, another member of the group, together.  As for who we are supposed to keep you safe from, well, that’s the million-dollar question.  We don’t know.  I don’t think Malik knows yet.  But the entire group dropped everything…”

Jina was becoming impatient.  “What group?” Jina demanded, frustration coming out in her voice.  “I don’t know anything about a group.”

Sierra smiled, understanding Jina’s impatience because each of the ladies had felt that way before.  “You’ll get used to all of this,” she explained.  “There are five men and Scarlett who is much younger than the guys.  They all met in boarding school about twenty years ago and they’ve been fast friends ever since.”

Sasha grinned.  “They’re horrible.  Every one of them.  But I guarantee that you’re going to love them just as much as we do.”

This was all very confusing.  “And you’re married to one of the members?” Jina asked.

Livia nodded, blushing for some reason. 

“So are you,” Sasha explained. 

This was news!  “What do you mean?”

“Malik is a member of what Livia and I started calling ‘the group’.  They stick together, they fight together, they do business together.”  Sasha laughed and waved her hand in the air.  “The amount of wealth those men control is just disgusting,” she said and shook her head.  “Suffice it to say, that no one messes with one of them without messing with all of them.  So when Malik called earlier today…”

Jina’s body tensed with that news.  “He called this morning?”  She looked out the window, “What day is it anyway?  Where are we?”

Sasha and Livia looked at each other.  “Malik didn’t tell you where he was sending you?”

Jina shook her head.  “It was a bit…chaotic this morning.”  She looked down at Lika who was watching the newest faces carefully while one chubby fist clung to her mother’s finger.  “One moment, we were about to have breakfast, the next, Malik was telling me that I had to get out of the palace, that he didn’t want me any longer.”

Another look passed between Livia. Sierra and Sasha.  They quickly turned back to Jina.  “Don’t believe it for a second.  Malik was furious that there was a danger to you and he worked quickly to make sure you were safe.”

Jina took a deep breath and fought hard to control her tears.  “I didn’t believe it.  I was hurt initially, but once I figured out what was going on, I was angry with him.  But I did this to him a year ago so I understand what he’s dealing with.”

Sasha leaned forward, placing her hand over Jina’s gently.  “I didn’t know Malik a year ago, but there’s one thing I know about him now.  When he gives his heart to you, it is yours.  He won’t hurt you again.  He’s just trying to protect his family.”

Jina had already figured that out but she was still hurt.  “He should have done that with me and Lika there with him at the palace!” she said furiously.  Her chin wobbled slightly until she could regain control.  “I’m so angry with him!”

Livia and Sasha sighed while Sierra nodded her head sagely.  “Oh, get used to this feeling.  They will make you angrier than you could possibly believe,” Sierra concurred, shaking her head.

“And happier,” Livia commented with a smile.

“And everything in between,” Jina grumbled. 

All three women nodded their heads.  “Just think what he’s going to be like when Lika gets older!” Sasha commented.

Jina cringed.  “Oh goodness, that isn’t going to be good.”

Again, the women shook their heads. 

Jina sighed and leaned back in the luxurious vehicle.  “So how do we deal with these guys?”

Sasha smiled and Livia chuckled.  “Oh, we’ve learned various ways of getting around their irritating habits.”

Jina looked at the three women, her respect and admiration growing exponentially.  “How long have you been married?”

Livia touched the diamond ring on her finger, shaking her head.  “Well, that’s a long story.”  Sasha laughed at Livia’s comment. 

Sasha nodded her head with a laugh.  “For both of us!”

Jina smiled for the first time in a long time.  “I can’t wait to hear about it.”  Sierra patted her arm.  “The stories are a bit…crazy.”

Sasha lifted a phone.  “I think you probably need a good night’s rest first of all.  How about if we head back to my place and you can relax, let your little lady get out of that car seat and then we’ll talk.  I can’t drink,” she said, placing a hand over her tummy, “and I doubt you can.”

Livia raised her hand.  “I can!” she said.

The other women snorted and rolled their eyes.  “Just you wait!” Sierra replied. 

“Oh, I can’t!”  Obviously, Livia was eager to join the ranks of the pregnant. 

The limousine pulled up outside of a gorgeous, villa style house and Sasha led the way inside.  The interior was cooler than one would think and filled with stunning antiques that looked comfortable and inviting. 

Sasha led Jina and Lika up a curving staircase and into a large bedroom filled with windows and a bed that looked wonderfully comfortable.  “If you’re okay with Sierra, Livia and I, we could watch Lika while you shower and change?”

Jina considered that idea for only a moment before she released her daughter into the women’s care.  “I’ll hurry,” she told Sasha.

“Relax,” Sasha countered.  “We’ll just be downstairs.  We won’t even leave the house.  If she cries in any way, we’ll come get you but until then, you just relax and take a long shower or even a nap.” 

Jina watched the lovely woman carry her daughter out of the room.  Slipping off her shoes, she let her toes sink into the thick carpet, wondering why she trusted the women so completely.  She’d just run from her husband’s palace compound where there was obviously a threat to herself, her husband and her daughter and yet, she’d just allowed her daughter to be carried out of her sight by what was basically a perfect stranger. 

But there was something about the three women that reassured Jina. 

An hour later, she felt a hundred percent better.  She was showered and changed into a comfortable pair of slacks and blouse.  The time alone had revived her and she was now eager to find Lika and her new friends.  She was tired, not sure if it was the jet lag or the fact that she should probably be asleep at whatever time of the day it was in Sarkit.  But she’d been traveling so much over the past several days, her body was completely out of whack. 

Stepping into a beautiful living room, she found her daughter entertaining the three women who had abandoned their shoes and suit jackets and were on the floor, playing with Lika. 

“Hello again!” Livia said as soon as Jina stepped into the room.  “You look better.  Feel better?”

Jina laughed.  “Much,” she said and sat down, watching Lika smile and wave her pudgy arms.  “Was she okay?”

All of them nodded emphatically.  “She’s a doll!”

Jina smiled.  “Well, she is now.  But wait until five o’clock rolls around.  She becomes a little nutcase,” she said and kissed her daughter’s belly, causing the little girl to laugh and grab Jina’s nose. 

The ladies smiled while a very motherly housekeeper bustled into the room.  “Look at you ladies!” she gasped.  “What would the gossips say if they could see you like this?” she admonished.  She looked down at Jina.  “And you!  You’re royalty.  Sitting on the floor!”  She clucked even as she set the tray on the floor filled with snacks and drinks.  “You wouldn’t be sitting down there if your husbands were here,” she said.  But then she chuckled.  “Of course, if those men were here, you’d probably all be upstairs and I’d have this baby all to myself,” she said and lifted Lika into her arms.  “I’m taking her now.  She needs a bath and you ladies need to figure out how you’re going to handle this mess.”

And she was off, Lika in her arms and mumbling something that made Lika giggle.

“Chloe will take excellent care of Lika,” Sasha assured Jina. 

Jina smiled.  “I’m sure she will.  Thank you.  But what did she mean?”

Sasha started to stand up but Livia and Sierra quickly jumped up and grabbed one of Sasha’s hands, pulling the pregnant woman up. 

“Thanks!” Sasha replied.  “As for Chloe’s meaning, we have to figure out how to get those men to hurry up with their mission and keep Jina, Malik and Lika safe.”

“What do we have to do?”

The four ladies leaned forward, snacking on excellent local cheese and crispy crackers that had been baked by the village baker earlier this morning, making them extra delicious.  “Well, first of all, we need to trust those men to know what they are doing.  They’re extremely intelligent and have been around a bit more than we have.  But that doesn’t mean we take things lying down.”

Jina liked these two women even more.  “Okay, I am inspired and in awe.”

Livia grinned.  “We have to be very creative to keep up with our men.  Otherwise, they will try and walk all over us.”

“And wrap us up in gauze so we don’t get hurt,” Sierra added.

“Or send us away when things get difficult,” Jina snapped, still furious with Malik for doing this to her.  And she was furious with herself for allowing him to do this.  She should have fought him, argued with him and she really should have stood her ground.  But when it came to Malik, she wasn’t sure how to think properly around him.  The man was too smart for his own good and knew how to get to her.