The Book of Joshua I - Trust (The Gems & Gents Series 2)

by Iris Bolling

  “Joshua, we are not on friendly terms with King Tarik,” Aswan explained. “When his people wish to defect, we welcome them with open arms. If he connects you to Emure he will kill you.”

  Joshua flashed a grin. “Many have tried, and I’m still here.”

  “Did you get anything else from the woman?” LaVeré asked.

  “Not yet, however, as you know, I have a way with women.”

  LaVeré moaned, as Aswan smiled. “If I have not said it, thank you for bringing our Zsa Zsa home.”

  “It’s what I do. Where is she?”

  “She is upstairs with Mother,” LaVeré stated. “I think she is a little afraid to venture too far from my parents.”

  “It’s understandable, she has been through an ordeal,” Joshua offered.

  “Well, she is home and safe now,” Aswan said. “There is no reason for her to be afraid.”

  “Are you certain of that?”

  “Do you mean to insult me? Do you believe I am incapable of protecting my family?”

  “No.” Joshua sat forward. “What I’m saying is there are a few unanswered questions that need to be addressed before we can declare the grounds are safe. You have a baby boy, six weeks old. I would think you would not want this to happen again.”

  Aswan looked from LaVeré to Joshua. “Please, accept my apology. I do feel responsible for what happened.”

  “This was something planned out,” Joshua stated.

  “I have to agree.” LaVeré patted his brother on the shoulder to show his support. He knew the burden placed on Aswan’s shoulders when their father decided to step down from the throne. Unlike his brother Raheem, he did not envy the role Aswan was now forced to take. “There was nothing on the security tapes. That could only mean, whoever did this knew where the cameras were located. None of them showed any disruption in the viewing.”

  “How it was done isn’t as important as the fact that it happened on my watch.”

  “I understand your position King Aswan.” Joshua nodded. I can say this from experience. You do not want to leave a traitor in your midst. The safest step to take, is to find out who planned this, how and why? The answers to that will begin with the woman in the guest house and Zsa Zsa. I really need to speak with the Princess.”

  King Aswan called out, “Pharell.” A servant appeared from behind the wall. “Ask Mother to bring Zsa Zsa downstairs.”

  “As you wish, Your Highness.”

  “How many servants do you have?” Joshua asked, noticing how the man appeared out of nowhere.

  “In the house or on the grounds?” Aswan asked.

  “Both,” Joshua replied.

  “Twenty live-in staff; approximately fifty on the grounds who come and go throughout the day.”

  “What type of access do they have?”

  “You cannot think a member of our staff is involved in this?” Aswan questioned.

  “Until we know exactly what happened and how,” Joshua stated, “Everyone is under suspicion.”

  “Excuse me.” All eyes turned to see Zsa Zsa, who looked like the young Princess she was.

  “Zsa Zsa,” LaVeré opened his arms to his sister, who ran right into them.

  The two had a special bond. He was fifteen when his mother announced she was having a baby. After rebelling as the youngest child who was about to be replaced, LaVeré welcomed the little bundle of joy as if she was his. As a child, she spent more time with LaVeré than with her own mother. LaVeré looked up at his mother as tears glistened in her eyes. They shared a knowing smile. She knew and understood, Zsa Zsa was a part of him.

  “I knew you would find me,” she beamed as LaVeré sat her back on her feet.

  “Exactly, how did you know that?” He touched the tip of her nose with his finger.

  “I just knew.”

  “I don’t think you have been properly introduced. Princess Zsa Zsa, this is Joshua.”

  She walked over to Joshua. Smiling, she motioned with her finger for him to bend down. She kissed him on the cheek, then wrapped her arms around him the same as she did the night before. “Thank you, Joshua for bringing me home.”

  Joshua picked her up and kissed her cheek. “Whenever there is a Princess in need, I will be there.” He sat her back down on the floor. “Will you do me the honor of taking a stroll with me, my lady?

  “Outside?” Zsa Zsa looked to her mother then LaVeré then back to Joshua. Fear appeared in the young girl’s eyes, as well as her mother’s.

  “No,” Nasheema cried out as she stood up from the seat she had taken next to Aswan. To her it was too soon to have her daughter out of her sight.

  He placed his hand on his mother’s. “There is no time like the present. We will watch from the balcony,” Aswan stated.

  This fear gripping her was something Joshua would not allow to happen. He suspected Zsa Zsa was a ball of energy, just like his little sister Phire. He did not want her to lose that or be afraid to live. “What good is it to have a beautiful Princess on my arm if no one sees us? I have a reputation to uphold.”

  “You think I’m beautiful.” Zsa Zsa blushed.

  “Why, my lady,” He smiled down at her. “You are the fairest in the land,” Joshua replied as he put her hand in the crook of his arm and walked outside. He felt her fingers tense on his arm, so he took his other hand and gently rubbed his thumb across her hand as they walked out the door along the path leading to the maze of a garden.

  The area was covered with lush green grass, a water fountain to the right, a gazebo directly ahead, and about a mile away, a lake. Several guest homes were on both sides of the property. “You have a very beautiful home, Princess Zsa Zsa.”

  “You may call me Zsa Zsa.”

  “No, I cannot.” He smiled down at her. “You are a Princess, a member of the royal family. And even if you weren’t, I would still call you Princess because you look like one.”

  She beamed up at him. “Man, you are smooth.”

  He roared back with laughter. “I know. I’ve been trying to tell people this.” They walked a little further into the multicolored garden that lined the path on both sides. “I feel the fear in you. You are now home and as King Aswan stated, you are safe and secure here.” The young girl was poised, and knew her role as a member of the royal family. As they passed house staff members along the way, she smiled and spoke to each of them by name. They in turn welcomed her home, yet he could feel her tremble.

  “My mother would love this garden. Every time she tried to start one at home one of us would trample on it.”

  “You are not an only child?”

  “No.” Joshua grinned. “I grew up with five brothers and six sisters. Our father refers to us as his Gems and Gents.”

  “Why does he call you that?”

  “He would tell you all of his girls are precious gemstones in his eyes and anyone who wanted to be a part of their lives had better treat them as such.”

  “And the males?”

  “We have a reputation to uphold because of our names. We were all named after men in the Bible. As gentlemen of the Bible, we are expected to, above all else, believe in God and try to live by his words. Do you know about the book of Joshua?” He looked down at the girl as she acknowledged his question. “Joshua, Chapter 1, Verse 9 states, and I quote, ‘Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid or dismay, for the Lord thy God is with thee wherever thou may go,' or something very close to that. My mother taught me how to use my faith to protect myself. You will learn to do the same.”

  Zsa Zsa bowed her head so he could not see the tears in her eyes. “I do not feel safe here. I know that is an insult to my brother, who is now King and has vowed to protect us all.” She stopped walking, then looked up at him. “When I was little, my father had an escape tunnel built directly from my room. It made him feel secure that his little girl would have a way to escape if the palace grounds were taken, as it had been in our neighboring countries. Yet, someone came into my home and took me from here. How d
o I close my eyes and not expect that to happen again?” She shook her head, then turned and continued to walk. “I cannot dishonor my family by speaking of this to them. I have to be strong. It is expected and I know that is important to them. What I am about to say may not be kind, but I felt safe in your arms last night. I felt safe in LaVeré’s embrace, for neither of you were here when I was taken. The other members of my family were here.” She stopped and pointed to a window on the east side of the palace overlooking the garden. Whoever took me either climbed that wall to my window or knew about the escape tunnel.” She looked up at him. “Take a look at that wall.”

  Joshua looked at the wall. With the right tools, it could be scaled. He looked around the grounds. It was an open, garden style area, nowhere for a person to be concealed. He looked at the strategically placed camera. There was no way a person could have scaled the wall without being caught on camera.

  He looked into her knowing eyes as they turned and continued to walk the path. “Only family knows about the tunnel. Tell me why I should not think someone in my family was involved in this.”

  They walked over to the gazebo. He sat and pulled her down next to him. He put his arms around her shoulders and gently placed her head on his chest. She giggled and he liked that. That’s what a teenage girl should be doing. “Boys do not get to hold you like this, understand.”

  “Understood,” She smiled.

  He nodded. “Tell me everything that happened that morning.”

  Zsa Zsa exhaled as he rubbed her shoulder. She nodded and began telling him all she could remember.

  When she finished, he held her head up, wiped away her tears and told her, “If anyone ever harms you in any way, know that I will find out and it will be the last thing they will do in life. Understood?”

  “Understood.”

  “Believe me?”

  She stared into his eyes, then nodded. “Yes.”

  “Good.” He smiled. “When you come back to the states you should meet my little sister, Phire. You remind me of her.” He sighed missing his family. “Let’s go back inside before your brother sends the guards after us.”

  “I would love to meet her.” She exhaled and looked at her family. “You do not fear any of them, do you?”

  “I fear no man. They bleed the same as I. Why do you ask?”

  “I believe you will have to confront one of them before this is over.”

  They reached the entrance to the patio, just as Queen Nasheema and King Ahmed walked down the stairs. “How is my Princess?” King Ahmed kissed the top of her head.

  “Better, Daddy.”

  Queen Nasheema smiled at Joshua. “Your visitor has been bathed and received nourishment. I’m certain she will be more forthcoming now.”

  Why people thought nice was the way to get information, he would never know. “Thank you. I’ll take my leave now.” He bowed, then winked at Zsa Zsa, and left the room.

  Chapter Six

  Akande Aubree was stunning. He was certain there were other words befitting the woman standing at the window with the sunlight framing her face as if she were an angel from heaven. At the moment, nothing else came to mind. She must have sensed him standing there, for she suddenly turned around.

  The temperature seemed to have jumped a good twenty degrees when she turned to see him standing there in a suit. He had changed from the leisure wear of the morning and now stood before her as if he was attending a business meeting. She did not know a lot about men’s clothing, but this suit looked perfect on him. Other men in her country wore suits sometimes. None of them made her mouth water. She swiped at an imaginary loose hair as she became self-conscious about her appearance.

  A serene smile appeared on her face. “I believe I owe you an apology. This morning I was concerned with the girl’s safety.” Her head tilted towards the window. “I see now, you simply brought her home to her family. Please accept my apology.”

  The outfit she was wearing, a silk sleeveless dress filled with vibrant orange, purple, and tan stopped at the ankle. The sandals on her dainty feet, her toes decorated with rings, made him smile. The colors enhanced her skin tone, making it shimmer. Her hair was freshly braided and wrapped around her head. Matching earrings dangled down to her shoulders. It looked as if the ensemble was made for a Queen.

  His blatant perusal of her body caused her to frown. It did not make her feel dirty, like when Uncle Tarik would watch her. It just made her feel unsure, insecure.

  “Ms. Aubree, I must say you are a sight to behold.” Joshua flashed that megawatt smile, exposing those double dimples as if they were sexual weapons. The compliment made her smile again, and he liked it. Shaking the thought off, he strutted into the room. He had business to handle.

  “It’s time to talk.” Joshua pulled a chair out from the table and motioned for her to take a seat. He held the chair out for her and the fresh scent of jasmine filled his nostrils as she sat. He was tempted to touch her skin, it looked so soft. Pushing the urge aside he walked around the table and sat across from her. “Start at the beginning.”

  “The beginning started so long ago.”

  Joshua sat back, stretched his long legs out, crossed them at the ankles, and smiled. “I have a little time.”

  Akande crossed her legs and sat back. “Two weeks ago I was on my way to purchase garments for my trip to meet my father. It was a trip I had been looking forward to just about all my life. You see my mother died when I was young. My aunt raised me. She promised once I was older she would grant me permission to meet with my father.” Closing her eyes as if thinking back, she slightly nodded her head. “I never thought the day would come,” she looked up smiling, “But it did.” Her smile faded. “On our way, our vehicle was forced off the road. My driver and I fought with our attackers. Unfortunately, there were more then we could overtake. I was rendered unconscious and I am not certain of my driver’s outcome.” she sighed. “When I awakened, I was in the basement of a mansion. For days I had no idea where I was or what would become of me. On the third day, the man who brought my meals said my family had been notified. Once the ransom was received, I would be sent home. Days passed as I watched others removed, while more were brought in, yet I remained. Each day I would ask what was happening, why was I not released? Some guards would talk, others would just glare.” She rubbed her arms as if thinking back. “One guard told me, my family had not sent the ransom. I would remain until they complied. I knew, before he told me, it was the case. For my Uncle had always stated the country was not financially sound. You see, our family had to use personal funds to keep the country stable until things settled in the region. Three days ago, I was placed in the room in which you found me. I was told I would earn my keep until my family complied. The girl was brought to my room. They supplied food and clothing. I would cook and watch over her during the day. At night she would sleep in the panic room. That is how I came to be with Princess Zsa Zsa. She was different from the others, for she was older and a female. That is dangerous around our captives. On her second night there, I heard a sound outside my door. I thought it was one of the guards coming in after the girl. I remember getting out of bed to walk into the outer room to see who was there. The next thing I remember was waking up here, to you.”

  The story was plausible, and she delivered it well. Stopping at certain points, dropping her head low as if remembering, however, some of the story did not ring true to him. He did not know her reasons for lying, that would come later. There were other matters more important.

  “Do you know who your captors were?”

  “No.”

  “How did you communicate? Did they speak your language, English or another?”

  “English,” she frowned wondering why he asked.

  “Any idea how long you traveled before you reached the location?”

  Getting a little testy, she narrowed her eyes. “I have no idea. As I stated before, I was unconscious. Similar to how I ended up here.”

  Unfazed by the
spike in her voice, Joshua continued, “How many captors did you see?”

  “There were different ones each day. I have no way of knowing.”

  “Catch any names when they spoke?”

  “No.”

  “Descriptions. Tall, short, heavy anything at all that could lead us to who kidnapped Princess Zsa Zsa or why?”

  “No.”

  “Were you raped?”

  “No, of course not.”

  “Not touched, even once?”

  “No,” she replied more adamantly.

  “Nothing. You were there for weeks, captured by men of questionable character. Your family made no effort to find you or pay your ransom. You were not raped or beaten. In fact, from what I saw, you were living rather well for a captive. You were not in a cell, but in a room behind locked doors. Other than that, there was nothing. I find that amazing. Here’s why.” He cut her off when she was about to say something. “The man, whose home you were in, he’s about money. His name is Naftali Conteh. He does nothing out of the goodness of his heart, nor do any of his men. If your family did not pay the ransom, he would have used your body to get his money one way or another. Or, he would have simply killed you. That leads me to believe one of two things. You are involved in the kidnapping of Princess Zsa Zsa or your family placed you there and paid him to keep you untouched. If it’s the latter, I have to wonder why? But that’s not what I think. I think in some way you are a part of this kidnapping. You may be Naftali’s mistress, whom he put in my path to find. If that’s the case I have to again wonder why? Did he know we would come if he took Princess Zsa Zsa? Everyone in this region knows of the friendship between Emure and the United States. Was this a way for Conteh to pull us into the region?” He slammed his fist on the table. “Answer me!”

  She jerked up. “I know nothing of what you speak. I was taken, same as Princess Zsa Zsa. I may not be royalty, but my family loves me just as much as hers and would do whatever was in their power to free me.” She leaned across the table, with anger in her eyes. “I am no man’s mistress.”