To Bed a King

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To Bed a King Page 9

by Carol Lynne


  “Good.” Ghazi squirted lube onto his fingers before reaching for a condom. “My only request is to do away with these awful things.”

  “I’m sure we can work something out.”

  * * * *

  The following morning, Raven hung up his phone and returned to his seat at the breakfast table. “Bram’ll make the arrangements. He’ll have Amir make the call. We figured since Amir speaks Farsi it’ll be less of a red flag.”

  Ghazi nodded. “What time do I need to be ready?”

  Raven reached under the table and put a hand on Ghazi’s knee. “You know you don’t have to do this, right? I’ll be at Sanctuary anyway to make sure the kids are safe.”

  “I can go with you,” Seb offered.

  Ghazi shook his head. “I need to be there. I want to look into Halim’s eyes and ask him why.”

  Raven understood Ghazi’s position, but it would make things harder. “Okay. Can you call Fath and set up a meeting for this afternoon? You trust him, right?”

  “Definitely,” Ghazi answered.

  “Once Fath is enclosed in your office, you can use the escape passage to meet me. We should be at Sanctuary in plenty of time to avoid Halim’s detection.” Raven hoped Ghazi was right to trust his Minister of Finance. “Until then, keep Halim busy so he doesn’t have a chance to slip away and deliver the packet of information to Sanctuary.”

  “Do you still want Johara to answer the door?” Nalu asked.

  “Yes. Amir will request a young girl with long hair. Johara would be Halim’s best choice.” Raven scratched the side of his head. “Have I forgotten anything?”

  “What do you want us to do?” Jackie asked.

  “Nothing. Just make sure you’re seen milling around the palace. It’s imperative that Halim doesn’t become suspicious.” Raven popped the last bite of toast into his mouth. He noticed Ghazi had barely touched his breakfast and scowled. “Are you finished?”

  Ghazi nodded. “I need to get to my office and call Fath before Halim arrives.”

  “Mind if I come?” Raven asked.

  “Of course not.” Ghazi stood and regarded the rest of his guests. “I do hope you’ll have a chance to enjoy the pool and the gardens today. If all goes well, tomorrow I will make time to show you the beautiful island of Jurru.”

  Raven wiped his mouth with his napkin and followed Ghazi from the room. “Are you okay?” he asked when Ghazi threaded his fingers through Raven’s.

  “Of course.” He led Raven into his office and shut the door. He leant against the edge of the desk and pulled Raven between his legs. “I called Ali. I felt he had a right to know what was going on.”

  “And?”

  “He’s coming to Jurru. Ali said I shouldn’t have to deal with this on my own. I informed him I wasn’t alone, and, hopefully, I’d never again be on my own.”

  Raven wrapped his arms around Ghazi’s waist and buried his face against the spice-smelling skin of his lover’s neck. “I love you.”

  Ghazi tilted Raven’s head up and gave him a deep kiss. “I love you, too.”

  Even though Raven knew the King loved him, it was the first time Ghazi had spoken the words aloud. He grinned. “I like hearing you say that.”

  “Prepare yourself because I’ll be saying it a lot.” Ghazi kissed him again, kneading Raven’s ass as they tangled tongues.

  Raven was about to ask for his first favour when they heard a knock at the door. Shit. He pulled out of the kiss as Ghazi’s hands moved up to rest on his hips.

  “Halim,” Ghazi whispered against Raven’s lips. “Just a moment,” he called out.

  “I’ll go out and distract him while you call Fath.” Raven dug into his pocket and removed his cell phone. “Call him on this.”

  Ghazi took the phone before brushing his knuckles over the obvious erection pressing against Raven’s zipper.

  “Should I hide that from Halim?” he asked, with his hands poised to untuck his shirt.

  “No. I no longer care what Halim deems proper in the palace.” Ghazi gave Raven a quick kiss. “It makes me happy to see the way my touch affects your body.”

  Raven reached down and ran his hand down the length of Ghazi’s erection, hidden behind the yard of fabric. “I could say the same.”

  “Good, then we agree. No more hiding while on Jurru.”

  “I don’t plan on hiding, but I’m not sure Jurru is ready for PDAs between its King and his bodyguard.”

  Ghazi cupped the side of Raven’s face. “You’re so much more to me than my bodyguard. My people are intelligent. They’ll recognise true love when they see it.”

  * * * *

  Slipping unnoticed into Sanctuary, Raven and Ghazi joined Seb, Nalu and Johara in the living room. For having no on-site adult supervision, the house was surprisingly clean. Ghazi was ashamed of himself for never taking a greater interest in the teenagers that lived at Sanctuary.

  “Is there anything you need here?” he asked Nalu.

  Nalu’s brows drew together. “I don’t understand.”

  Ghazi gestured around the room. The white paint was starting to peel on the open rafters. Despite being clean, the room, and he suspected the entire house, was in need of basic repairs. “Sanctuary is now being run and maintained by the Zahar family. If you or someone could make a list of improvements that need to be made or items you have been doing without, we’ll see they are taken care of.” He put a hand on Raven’s shoulder. “Raven’s asked to take an active role in running Sanctuary. Our goal isn’t to come in and takeover. We simply want to put programmes in place that will make your lives easier.”

  Nalu and Johara traded suspicious glances.

  “At some point, you’re gonna have to learn to trust adults. You might as well take King Zahar up on his offer,” Raven pointed out.

  “We’ll talk to the others,” Nalu finally conceded.

  The sound of knocking on the side of the house interrupted their conversation. They had one of the teens out front on the porch to alert them to Halim’s arrival.

  Drawing his weapon, Raven jumped up and went to stand just inside the kitchen while Ghazi and Seb stood out of sight in the hall.

  Ghazi heard the sound of someone coming up the front porch and prayed no one would be hurt. Ghazi heard the front door open. Halim obviously believed he was too important to knock.

  “What’re you doing here?” Halim asked.

  “Just visiting,” Nalu said.

  “I told you the King wants you at the palace where I can keep an eye on you. Do I need to remind you again what happens when you don’t follow my orders?”

  “No, Guardian.”

  Ghazi heard paper rattle as Halim evidently held the envelope out to Johara. “He’ll be here tonight. He’ll expect you to be in bungalow B11 by the time he arrives.”

  “Yes, Guardian,” Johara mumbled.

  The handing over of the envelope was all they had been waiting for. Seb made sure Ghazi was safely behind him before they stepped out into the living room.

  “What’s this?” Halim asked.

  Ghazi’s attention went to Raven. The Glock Raven normally carried was pressed to Halim’s head.

  “Don’t fucking move,” Raven growled.

  Johara walked over to Ghazi and handed him the envelope. With his free hand, Ghazi cupped the frightened girl’s cheek. “You did well. Thank you.”

  “What is the meaning of this?” Halim demanded.

  Ghazi opened the file and took a quick glance inside. “I think the bigger question is what’s the meaning of this?” he asked, holding up the envelope. “How could you do this?”

  Despite being held at gunpoint, Halim squared his shoulders. “Following orders, Your Majesty.”

  “Whose? My father’s? Unless you missed it, he’s dead. I’m the King now.”

  “Without me you wouldn’t have an island to rule,” Halim snapped.

  Ghazi took several steps until he stood nose to nose with Halim. “You’d better start talking.”r />
  Halim glanced nervously around the room. “Not here among the mongrels. What I have to tell you is…sensitive.”

  Raven reared back ready to hit Halim with his Glock, but taking pity on the older man, Ghazi raised his hand. “Wait,” he told Raven.

  “Make him apologise,” Raven said with an expression of disgust.

  Ghazi looked at Halim. “You heard the man.”

  “I won’t,” Halim answered.

  Raven’s answer was to press the Glock harder against his skull. “Try again.”

  “Forgive me.” Not only was Halim’s voice without remorse but his face showed not an ounce of shame for his comment.

  Ghazi almost let the entire room loose on him, but the lure of further information kept him from allowing Raven and the teenagers from Sanctuary from pummelling the dour-faced man.

  “Very well.” Ghazi held out his hand. “Will you loan me your gun?” he asked Raven.

  “If you think I’m leaving you alone with this snake you’re crazy,” Raven said, shaking his head.

  “Are you going to let a servant speak to you like that?” Halim asked.

  “No, but Raven’s my partner, not my servant.” Ghazi leant forward until he was nose to nose with Halim. “You, on the other hand, are a mere servant in my eyes. So watch your tongue, or I will have it cut from your mouth.”

  The threat didn’t seem to faze Halim. “What I need to show you is at the palace.” He looked around the living room in disgust. “Not in a place like this.”

  “You fucker!” Nalu yelled, lurching towards Halim.

  Raven chuckled and stepped between Nalu and his intended target. He grinned at Halim. “One more word and I’ll serve your balls on a silver platter to this young man.”

  As much as Ghazi enjoyed seeing Nalu finally stand up for himself, he needed to get the ugly business taken care of before the elections. “Raven, would you mind escorting our prisoner back to the palace?”

  “I would love to,” Raven said, pushing Halim towards the door.

  Ghazi waited until Halim was out of the house before turning to address the teenagers who had gathered during the commotion. “You have my word that Halim will suffer the full extent of the laws he has broken. Nalu and Johara will fill you in on the changes to be made at Sanctuary.”

  * * * *

  “Speak,” Ghazi demanded, walking into the palace’s tropical garden.

  “Alone,” Halim said.

  “No,” Ghazi and Raven said at the same time. Raven glanced at Ghazi and smiled. He still couldn’t believe Ghazi had called him his partner earlier. Partner. Raven doubted he’d ever tire of the word.

  “Do you really want your lover to hear Jurru’s most guarded secret?” Halim asked.

  “I thought sitting on red diamonds was Jurru’s most guarded secret.” Ghazi crossed his arms. “So tell me. I can’t wait to hear how you’re going to justify your disgusting activities.”

  “I’m not going to tell you. Your father is,” Halim said smugly.

  “And how is that possible?” Ghazi asked.

  Halim gestured to the statue of King Jaleel Zahar. “May I?”

  Ghazi nodded and stepped to the side, indicating to Raven to allow Halim some space to move.

  Raven narrowed his eyes. “Twitch in the wrong direction, and I’ll blow your head off.”

  Halim clicked his tongue and glanced at Ghazi. “Really? You could have any gay man in the world and you chose this one?”

  “I chose the right man for me and Jurru,” Ghazi snarled as his hands fisted at his sides.

  Halim rolled his eyes and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small ring of keys. He fit one of the keys into a small hole at the base of the bronze statue. Before turning the key, Halim looked over his shoulder at Ghazi. “Are you sure you want the truth?”

  “I do,” Ghazi answered.

  The plaque on the front of the statue sprang open, revealing a hidden compartment. Halim reached in with a smile on his face. Raven saw the glint of steel a split second before Halim whirled around, his arm lifting in preparation to throw the dagger towards Ghazi.

  A round from the Glock in Raven’s hand penetrated the centre of Halim’s forehead. It wasn’t until Halim’s vacant eyes met Raven’s that he realised he’d just killed a man. He watched Halim fall to the ground face first.

  Raven’s hands started to shake as he continued to stare at the first person he’d ever killed. Could I have stopped him without killing him?

  “Thank you,” Ghazi said, taking the gun out of Raven’s hand.

  Ghazi’s arm wrapped around his waist, drawing Raven’s attention away from the body. “I couldn’t let him kill you,” he whispered.

  “I know, and he would have.” Ghazi kissed Raven’s forehead. “You did the right thing.”

  “Did I?” Raven looked deep into Ghazi’s eyes. “Why would he do that knowing I held a gun?”

  Ghazi pulled Raven against his chest, shielding Raven’s view of Halim. “Men like Halim, like my father, don’t believe in giving up a fight until the enemy is dead.”

  * * * *

  “We should burn these two,” Ghazi said, handing two of the hidden journals to Raven.

  Raven nodded. “Do you think these were what the CIA was on Jurru looking for?”

  “I doubt the Director of the CIA would appreciate his taste for underage girls to become public knowledge. After my father’s death, the Director must have worried the information would pass to his sons.” Ghazi took a deep breath. “I will place a call informing him that the journals have been destroyed.”

  “Do you think he’ll believe you?”

  “He has little choice.” Ghazi opened his father’s personal journal once more. It was hard to believe Jurru had been on the verge of bankruptcy before Halim came up with the idea of granting wealthy men their every desire. Jaleel had tried to justify prostituting young teenagers by claiming it was the only way to save tourism once the war in the gulf started.

  “Why didn’t he harvest some of the diamonds if things were so bad?” Raven asked, evidently reading Ghazi’s thoughts.

  “It’s not that easy. If he were to mine the diamonds, Jurru would never again be safe from invasion. The rest of the world thinks we’re nothing but an island resort. I refuse to justify what my father did, but I have no doubt he thought he was doing what was best.” Ghazi shook his head. “The big question is how do we provide for the future generations of Jurruans?”

  “There has to be a way of harvesting enough of the diamonds to insure Jurru’s future without giving away the location of where they came from.”

  “How? Who would do that for us?”

  Raven shook his head. “I think you’re trying to make it harder than it is. Have someone you trust like…Jackie or Seb be the middle man. He can find a good broker who’ll sell the diamonds for you. The broker doesn’t have to know where they came from. Hell, if anything the mystery behind their origin will make the diamonds more appealing.”

  Ghazi sighed, shutting the journal. He ran his fingers over the embossed Z on the leather cover. “Burn this as well.”

  “You don’t want that,” Raven argued.

  “No, but I also don’t want evidence of my father’s misguided attempts to save Jurru to get into the wrong hands someday.” Ghazi shook his head. “Better that I remember the father I was proud of.”

  He thought about the diamonds Ali had put in the safety deposit box in Albuquerque. If they found the right buyer, the diamonds already in their possession would see Jurru comfortably through the upheaval in the Middle East. “I’ll talk to Seb. See if he’s willing to find a broker for the Dragon Eyes.”

  Raven took the journal from Ghazi’s hands. He set it on top of the others before climbing into Ghazi’s lap.

  Ghazi welcomed the action with open arms. “I’ll be glad when this is taken care of so we can go back to a normal life.”

  Raven snorted. “You’re a king. Our lives will never be normal.”
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  Pulling Raven in for a kiss, Ghazi stopped just short of his partner’s lips. Raven was right. Even if they were discreet with their relationship outside of Jurru, the world would soon be talking about the gay king and his lover. “You’re right. I can’t give you normal, but I can give you my heart.”

  “I thought you’d already given me your heart.”

  “I have. The question is will you accept it?”

  “I already have.”

  Ghazi ran the tip of his tongue across the seam of Raven’s lips. “Thank you. And in return, I’ll do everything in my power to make you happy.”

  “Really? Because there are still those two items we’ve yet to address.”

  Ghazi chuckled. “Yes, we can have a dance for Brier and the others.”

  “Not a fancy ball. I want a real high school dance for them, complete with balloons and streamers.”

  “Consider it done. Now, what is the other request? You’ve yet to tell me.”

  Raven ground his erection against Ghazi. “I’m saving the last one as a secret, but it’ll be a good one, I promise.”

  Epilogue

  Brier’s nerves were getting the better of him. He would be attending his first high school dance. What if the dances Bram showed him were old-fashioned? He chuckled, remembering his brother going on and on about what a stud he used to be in New York. How he’d go out to the clubs every night and dance his way into the hottest guy in the place’s bed.

  It didn’t get past Brier that Bram talked about that stuff when Declan wasn’t around. Brier wondered how much of what his twin said was the truth and how much was wishful thinking.

  He shook his head. It didn’t matter. Raven and King Ghazi had gone to a lot of trouble to come to Albuquerque and set up the dance. Even if Bram’s dances were outdated, they were still better than anything Brier could’ve come up with on his own.

  A knock at the bedroom door alerted Brier that his date was ready for the dance. He tried once again to straighten his tie before crossing the room. Opening the door, he gasped. Had Jackie ever looked so handsome? “Wow!”

  “Wow yourself.” Jackie stepped into their bedroom dressed in dress slacks, a white shirt and a red and white high school letterman’s jacket. He held out a small plastic box. “This is for you.”

 

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