Rek drew a steadying breath before closing the distance between us, his chest colliding with my back. As his arms wound around my waist, he rested his chin on the top of my head.
“I can assure you, you’re entirely out of place and unwanted here,” he drawled. “Father, on the other hand, might be looking for you even now. Perhaps someone might tell him where you are.” The unspoken threat was clear, despite the change in his tone.
I froze, not daring to move as the twins exchanged startled glances, their eyes lingering on the way Rek held me.
After a charged moment, Xander cleared his throat. “Naturally we wouldn’t dream of intruding on your evening.” He looked at me, a wicked twinkle in his eyes. “Do enjoy yourself, Zaria.”
A flush rose up my cheeks, but I still didn’t move. Only when the twins had left the room, appearing to move toward the front of the house and the exit beyond, did I relax, slumping slightly.
Rek immediately let me go, stepping back. I slowly spun to find him rubbing the back of his neck with a guilty expression.
“Sorry about that. But we needed them gone, and fast. The last thing we need is the twins getting involved in whatever’s going on here.”
“No, of course not.” I breathed a sigh of relief when my voice didn’t come out as shaky as my insides felt.
“If you two lovebirds are finished,” Navid said in an amused tone, “we need to get moving.”
Rek was at his side instantly. “You found them?”
Navid nodded. “They went there.” He pointed across a shadowy lawn to a mass of dark garden beyond. “I only just caught sight of them as they disappeared.”
“Come on, then!” I stepped away from the circle of light that radiated from the house, hurrying across the grass in the direction Navid had indicated.
The two men had seemed confident inside the house, clearly comfortable in their location. And now they were moving through the dark as if familiar with the grounds as well. Was this their first party, or had they been hiding here under our noses the whole time?
I slowed down as I reached the edge of the lawn, moving as quietly as I could as I stepped along the stone path on the other side. Palm trees lined the walkway, their fronds hanging over to create a low arch for us to creep through.
The light was too low to show the riotous colors of the hibiscus, but I could smell the scent of frangipani on the breeze, a heady fragrance for a night of misdoings. What were Esai and his father doing out here?
We reached a corner, and Rek’s hand grabbed my arm, pulling me back before I could leave the cover of the row of palms. Tugging me toward their trunks, he drew me close, a hand on each arm. When he leaned down, his lips brushed against my ear, sending a shiver through me.
“I think I hear them.” His words were a mere breath, and I struggled to focus on their meaning as my pulse leaped and raced. This wasn’t the first time I had stood close to Rek in a garden at night, but this time was different.
When I looked up at him, catching a gleam of moonlight reflected from his eyes, his arms tightened around me, drawing me even closer. His breath hitched, becoming as ragged as mine, both of us frozen, unmoving in the darkness.
Slowly, too slowly, his head bent toward mine. But just as his lips made contact, a quiet scuffing on the ground to one side made him pull back.
With a single shake of his head, as if to clear it, he took a step back. I glanced across at Navid, mortified despite his pointed focus on the darkness beyond the palms. Both hands flew to my cheeks. How could I lose track of our surroundings like that?
“Can you hear anything?” Rek whispered.
Navid hesitated before replying equally quietly. “They’re definitely just around the corner, but I can’t make out any words.”
We all waited, straining in the darkness, but the murmured conversation remained indistinguishable. I bit my lip. I had nearly lost my head and missed our unexpected opportunity, but I wasn’t going to let it slip away.
I stepped quietly forward, and Rek caught at my arm. But I shook him off, creeping slowly toward the bend of the path. When I reached the corner, I carefully peeked around, trusting in the darkness to keep me hidden.
The two men came into view, standing beside a small fountain with the outside wall of the property visible just behind them. But a third man had also joined them.
He stood with his back to me, so I couldn’t see his face. His stance seemed tense, though, although I couldn’t tell if he was nervous or angry.
I examined the nearby foliage. Would it be possible to get closer without being seen? I desperately wanted to hear what they were talking about and get a glimpse of the new arrival’s face.
Before I could decide on a path, however, their manner changed. Seeming to conclude their conversation, they all hurried toward the wall.
As I watched, one of them produced a key and opened a door I hadn’t even noticed. Ushering the others through, he closed it behind them, leaving us alone in the garden.
I took off running, and Rek was instantly beside me.