Royal Affairs: Desert Princes & Defiant Virgins: The Sheikh's Virgin Princess / The Sheikh and the Virgin Secretary / Desert Prince, Defiant Virgin

‘At least you had your uncle to care for you.’

Alexa felt herself hovering on the brink of unfamiliar territory. This was the point where she should tell him the truth. She wanted to tell him the truth. But trusting anyone was so alien that she just couldn’t persuade her mouth to form the words. She just couldn’t take that final plunge. So she stayed silent, and was just about to change the subject altogether when she heard the sound of a vehicle outside.

She turned her head swiftly towards the doorway of the tent. ‘Did you hear something?’

‘A car. Probably late arrivals.’

But her sense of danger was so finely tuned that she just knew, and she stood up so quickly that she tipped several of the dishes onto the floor. ‘They’ve found us.’

Karim’s eyes narrowed, but he rose to his feet. ‘They will simply be tourists. Wait here. I will investigate.’

‘No!’ Forcing herself to think clearly, she grabbed his arm. ‘Don’t do that. Is there another exit? We need to get out of here before they find us.’

‘Calm down.’ Clearly believing that her reaction was wildly exaggerated, he gently removed his arm from her grip and strolled out of the tent.

Alexa didn’t waste a moment in contemplation.

Her hands and knees shaking, she stuffed her hair under a hat and grabbed her knife. Hoping that the Sultan would agree to pay for the damage, she cut a hole in the back of the opulent tent and slipped out into the night.

She wasn’t waiting to see who the visitors were. She already knew.

And she ran. As quickly as she could in unfamiliar terrain she ran, past a swimming pool, between the sloping palm-trees and out towards the desert. She didn’t know where she was going, but she hoped she’d be able to find somewhere to hide. Her heart was pounding, her mouth was dry and she stumbled twice as she ran in the darkness.

There were shouts from beyond the tents and then an explosion of gunfire behind her, and Alexa froze. She’d left Karim to handle them alone.

She looked over her shoulder, torn by indecision. He hadn’t believed her and that wasn’t all his fault. She hadn’t told him everything, had she? And now, because of her, he was in danger.

Cursing herself for not forcing him to leave with her, she turned back towards the tents, but then she heard the roar of a car engine and headlights came towards her.

Her heart pounded and a feeling of helpless despair swamped her.

They’d found her. And out here, trapped in unfamiliar terrain, she could do little to defend herself.

It was all over.

Unable to run, she stood staring at those headlights—stood waiting to die.

‘Alexa! Move!’ Karim’s harsh tone penetrated her haze of fear, but she was shaking so much she couldn’t do anything. He opened the door, jumped down from the vehicle and swung her bodily into his arms. ‘Now is not the time to stand still.’ Behaving as if she weighed nothing, he virtually threw her into the passenger seat, and was back behind the wheel and stamping hard on the accelerator before she’d even had time to catch her breath.

‘Do your seat belt up,’ he bit out sharply. ‘In the dark I can’t be sure I’ll avoid the holes in the ground.’

Her hands shaking, she did as she instructed and then gasped as she saw the stain spreading on his sleeve. ‘You’re hurt.’

‘It’s just a scratch.’

‘It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have let you come with me—’

‘Are they behind us?’

Alexa glanced over her shoulder and saw lights. ‘Yes. They’re following.’

‘Then we go where they won’t be able to follow.’ His tone grim, Karim spun the wheel and took the vehicle off-road.

Realising his intention, she clutched at her seat and looked at him in disbelief. ‘You’re planning to go dune driving in the dark?’

‘It will make it harder for them to follow. There is an old Bedouin camel-trail not far from here. If we can make it to there, then we will be safe.’ He took the vehicle up the side of the dune in much the same way as he had done that morning, only this time there was no laughter, and she was horribly aware of the stain darkening the fabric of his shirt.

‘I need to stop the bleeding. Does this car have a first-aid kit?’

‘Under the seat. Leave it. They’re still behind us.’ As they reached the top of the dune, he glanced in the mirror and gave a faint smile of triumph. ‘But not any more. They didn’t tackle it at the right angle and they have rolled to the bottom. Let’s move.’

‘Your arm—’

‘Hold on.’ He took the vehicle down the other side, driving with more care than he had during daylight hours. ‘Tell me who they are. Who are those people?’

‘I don’t know. Someone working for my uncle. It’s always someone different. To be on the safe side, I just suspect everyone.’

Karim muttered something in his own language, and then switched back to English. ‘Are you telling me that he employs different people to kill you?’

‘I did tell you that my life was under threat, but you didn’t believe me.’

‘Reasons might have helped.’

‘Never mind that now. Oh, God, there’s blood everywhere.’ She dug around under the seat, found the first-aid kit and flipped it open. ‘You’re going to have to stop so that I can look at your arm, Karim.’

He ignored her. ‘Talk to me, Alexa! Why would your uncle want you dead?’

‘It’s complicated, and you need to concentrate on driving.’

Rummaging through the first-aid kit, she pulled out a bandage. ‘Is the bullet in the wound?’

‘No. I’ve already told you, it’s just a scratch. Answer my question. What are we dealing with here?’

‘Cain and Abel,’ she muttered, and he glanced at her sharply.

‘Jealousy between brothers? That is what this is about?’

Alexa ripped the packaging from the bandage. ‘His brother—my father—is dead. I’m the last remaining obstacle between him and the throne of Rovina.’

‘He already rules Rovina.’

‘As Regent. He wants to rule in his own right. He’s always wanted that. If I reach my twenty-fifth birthday, then I take over as ruler. He isn’t going to let that happen.’ She steadied herself as the vehicle plunged and bounced on the uneven ground. ‘You need to stop so that I can see what I’m doing.’

‘We’re not stopping until I decide that it’s safe.’

‘Then I’ll just have to bandage it over your clothes. I’m sorry you were hurt because of me.’

He glanced towards her, his eyes gleaming dark and dangerous in the dim light of the car. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t believe you when you said that you were in danger. When it is safe, we will stop and you will start talking. And this time I’ll be listening hard.’