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“That threat is a few uard can help you I can end you all without breaking a sweat”

“You knohat?” Aave him the once-over “I believe you can, Super Soldier-man But what next? You ave you this delightful souvenir—” he flicked a hand at Rashid’s scar “—and escaped to live long and prosper I don’t see a si and prospering for you now Not without Laylah”

Hearing her name slipped another notch of his control “I am at the point where I don’t care what happens next If you don’t get out of my way, I’ll kill you for the pleasure of it”

A? She discovered your homicidal tendencies?”

Rashid didn’t even try to hide the truth “She believes I want to marry her only to have an alliance with Zohayd With you”

“That’s not true Sure, being Laylah’s husband will sweeten the deal when I take you under e You really love her”

“Love? Love is a conditional e the word,believe it means what I feel But I can’t describe how I feel for Laylah There is right and wrong and honor and disgrace, until it co I wouldn’t do, nothing I wouldn’t endure or sacrifice for her”

A that sales pitch at I believe you It takes one colossal fool for love to know another I almost alienated Maram forever, too Good news is, those women of ours love once and all the way, no matter what Yeah, Mara me back So even if you think your world is over and Laylah lost to you forever, if you grovel creatively enough, strip yourself to the bone until there’s not much left, she’ll relent, fish you out of hell and dunk you back in paradise”

A to dispel Rashid’s despair “Maraet the Pride of Zohayd jewels back But your goal looked noble, as the conspiracy could have resulted in war Laylah discovered I planned our engage And while you kidnapped Maram under the pretext of a sandstorm, Laylah believes I approached her under the pretext of a kidnapping attempt”

Amjad scowled “Okay, that’s where you not only lose all eon I ht even let you sit on that throne just to squash you on it”

“If you thinklike that, feel free to treat me like the criminal it would make me”

After a conte I’ people Especially men You have some terminally honorable syndrome, wouldn’t scare any woet the idea?”

“Hasn’t she already told you everything?” he gritted

“She infor was off, wouldn’t be persuaded to say why, adding only that she never wanted to see you again”

This bewildered hiht she would tell you what she believes happened, ending any chance of an alliance between us Why didn’t she carry out her threat?”

An that she still cares”