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“Doesn’t mean they don’t deserve medical attention”

“No, it doesn’t” Farrah s happens to you” But it was clear that her mind was already on the task in hand “The moment I’m free, I’ll be at the clinic”

Adrenaline spurring her into action, Lauren nodded For the first time in so many weeks, she felt a sense of purpose

While Farrah y bars and bottles of water, and a loose cardigan into her backpack Then she changed into a freshly laundered white kaftan and loose cotton trousers, also in white, as it was the best fabric for the heat She braided her hair tightly and wrapped a silk scarf loosely around her hair and neck Catching Farrah’s curious gaze, she stilled “I don’t want to draw attention to myself” She patted her hand over her not-so-flat tummy “Do I look—?”

“Yes” Farrah answered without hesitation “But pregnant or not, Ae No wonder Zafir lost his head over you”

Soed at Lauren

Withinout of Zafir’s private quarters, through the ht the lot where a ed jeep that she only saw in Survivor-type shows

Checking to see that the medical file Farrah had emailed downloaded onto her phone, she climbed into the jeep

“No wonder he lost his head over you” She clutched Farrah’s words to her heart foolishly and waited for the envoy to leave

Zafir closed the door to his office, bone-tired after his four-day trip to the United States to discuss a new treaty regarding Behraat’s oil supply to the Western nation

His first official trip abroad and all he had heard was: stability in their region of the world, and Behraat’s particular lack of it in the past three years About all the feathers Tariq had ruffled since his father’s coma

For a blistering cowardlyAnd just as soon discarded the fanciful notion

He needed to pick a side in the divisive High Council, needed to pick one of their daughters they paraded like horses under his nose for his bride and be done with it

Behraat needed it He as the High Sheikh needed to show stability, his commitment as a ruler to both his people and the outside world

But all he thought of was Lauren, her softbody The tears on her proud face, the regret in her expression when she had ad

The door to his office burst open He bit back the scathing words that rose to his lips at the sight of Farrah, fear etched into her unlined face Followed closely by a stone-faced Arif

Unknown dread fisted his throat

“Zafir,” Farrah said, “Laurenshe has been kidnapped”