‘It’s amazing what a shower and a shave will do.’ Zach parked himself in the chair opposite the desk. ‘Why are you working? You’re getting married in a few hours.’
His brother tried to stare him down but Zach was a master communicator who had always been sensitive to the nuances of others. He was also doggedly determined to get to the bottom of the problem before Nadir completely closed off and made a hash of everything.
Thirty minutes later he’d managed to talk his brother down from the ledge. ‘I know you think you’re pretty clever,’ Nadir said. ‘But frankly I wouldn’t wish this sick feeling in my gut on anyone.’
Zach shook his head. ‘I would love to care for a woman as much as you do yours,’ Again he thought of Amy Anderson and again Farah’s face annoyingly intruded. Frustrated that he didn’t seemed to have any control over his thoughts, he gritted his teeth. ‘Instead,’ he began, forcing a lightness into his tone he didn’t feel, ‘I have to figure out how to stop myself from being shackled to a living, breathing fire-eater who would as soon run me through with a kanjhar than look at me.’
‘I doubt her father will push it. He hates our family.’
‘It’s fine.’ Zach waved away Nadir’s concern, hoping he’d given his brother the right advice. He could think of nothing worse than a man spilling his guts to a woman only to have her politely reject his advances.
Of course there would be nothing polite about Farah Hajjar’s rejection...and why the hell was he still thinking about her? ‘I can deal with Farah and her insane old man,’ he assured his brother. ‘You just do us both a favour and go get your woman.’
‘Prince Zachim!’ At the sound of Staph’s breathless cry and harried appearance in the doorway, Zach frowned. Surely he wasn’t about to tell him that the sky had fallen in? ‘You need to come quick.’ Staph drew in another life-saving breath and Zach thought about reminding him that he was too old to be running around the palace like a man half his age. ‘The woman you put in the harem has disappeared.’
Zach immediately stilled. ‘Disappeared?’ He frowned. ‘That’s impossible. I’ve put an experienced guard on the door.’
‘Yes, my lord,’ Staph panted. ‘He can’t find her.’
Stunned, Zach let off a list of expletives that would have caused his delicate mother to faint if she’d heard him. Surely a slip of a woman like Farah couldn’t have bested him?
His brother made a comment but Zach didn’t hear it. Within minutes he had rounded up his most trusted guards and was halfway to the harem.
CHAPTER SIX
FARAH STOPPED INSIDE a shadowed doorway to collect herself and get her bearing amidst the labyrinth of busy city streets and buildings. Initially she’d thought there would be no chance of escaping the arrogant prince but in the end it had been remarkably easy.
A workman’s forgotten extension ladder in the garden had provided the necessary equipment for her to scale the high wall, and the preparations for some big celebration at the palace had added the perfect cover. In her freshly laundered abaya, Farah had looked like any other servant going about her business, or ending her shift with a bunch of others as they headed out of the palace grounds.
Now, standing on a busy street corner, her only goal was to get as far away from the prince as she could and back to her father. First, though, she had to navigate the hot, noisy, dusty city. Glancing at the position of the sun she decided to head north and started zigzagging her way through the moving sea of bodies around her.
She knew that asking for help wasn’t an option. She had a feeling if she tried to hitch a ride from a passing motorist he’d probably take her to the police. And what would she tell them—that the Prince of Bakaan planned to use her as bait to bring her father out to charge him with kidnapping? Not going to happen.
Glancing left and right, Farah hurried down a narrow walkway with high buildings on either side and found herself in a large, quiet square that gave off a bad vibe. She kept the scarf on her head pulled firmly forward and moved with purpose in case anyone tried to stop her.
‘Hot afternoon for a stroll, Miss Hajjar.’ That deep, taunting voice she had grown to hate had her swinging round towards a nearby alley. Squinting into the shadows she could just make out the prince’s imposing shoulders before he stepped into the sunshine. ‘I have to confess I usually prefer to stay indoors when it’s this hot.’