“For your trouble, the al Mussad family will purchase you a lovely residence upon your return. For now, your things will be put into storage.”
Piper gasped. “I can’t accept that. It’s too much.”
“Indeed not. If this project is the success they believe it will be, a new residence is merely a small token of their appreciation. So now that the trivialities are settled, I’m supposed to inform you that a team will come tomorrow morning to help you pack what you need and make any other preparations necessary so this transition is as easy as possible.”
“B-But…I don’t even have a passport.” Her mind raced with the enormity of the decision in front of her, though it sounded very much like there wasn’t a decision at all. The al Mussads had already decided, and Gavin James had concurred.
And that, it seemed, was that.
“Fear not. Everything will be taken care of. It will be for the best.” His voice softened a bit. “This is your project, Piper. Your voice gives it the best chance possible to succeed. I know this is moving quite quickly, but your presence here will be good for Black Oak and Bezakistan. The country needs you now.”
“Tal, you know everything about the project as well as I do.”
“Indeed not.” His voice turned gentle. “I know how unsettling change can be, Piper, but if you do not come, you will always wonder what would have happened. Please. Help us change.”
Tears pricked her eyes. Change. It terrified her, yet she needed it so badly. She’d come to Dallas for a job, hoping to shake her life up. For so long she’d done what was acceptable, expected. She’d been forced to give up much of her youth in order to ensure her sister’s safety and home life. She’d worked two jobs and gone to school, and all she had to show for it was an apartment she was sure had played host to several murders. She’d accomplished much…but lived little.
Bezakistan. It could be more than numbers on a page. What would they think of a little hick from small-town Texas?
Piper sat up. They would think she was smart and competent because she would show them. She was more than a bad pair of used shoes. She had built this project—and it could change the whole world if someone was willing to take a chance on it. If she expected Bezakistan to do that, she had to be willing to take a chance herself.
“All right.” There was a breathless joy in her voice. “I’ll come.”
“Excellent. I look forward to greeting you, Piper. This is good. You will see. Now get some sleep, little one. You have much preparation and a long journey ahead of you. Tell those al Mussad boys that if they do not care for you properly, they will answer to me.”
The connection broke, and Piper rolled her eyes. Yeah, she wouldn’t be seeing Rafe and Kade again. Even if she did, a pair of princes would never care what a lowly researcher or two thought.
She walked to the window, wonder pinging inside her. Wow. Very soon, she would be starting a new adventure, discovering a new place. Piper grinned, determined to conquer it.
Chapter Four
Piper stared up at the jet and hoped she didn’t live up to her nickname. She could only imagine what her own unique brand of chaos could do at forty thousand feet.
“You are nervous, habibti?” Rafe put a hand on her elbow, helping her up the stairs.
“I’ve been known to cause electronics to crash.” She really hoped the enormous plane was immune to her superpowers of destruction. “I thought we were flying in a private jet. I was expecting something smaller.”
“This is private. It’s a Boeing 747-430, but you’ll find we have extensively redecorated.”
“This huge thing is going to take three people across the world? I don’t even want to think about the carbon footprint that’s leaving.” She was going to have to have a little talk with the sheikh when she met him. Politely, of course. But if he was about to become the world’s leading producer of green energy, he needed to start flying commercial.
“Don’t think about that. And do not judge before you’ve seen it. It is a very long flight. Fourteen hours. That is why we’re leaving so late. I want you to rest so you are ready to meet our brother.” Rafe gave her a reassuring smile with just the hint of even white teeth. Everything about the prince was polished, from his smile to his manners. He was smooth as silk, and Piper couldn’t help but wonder what his wife or girlfriend was like. Probably a model.
“What? Who is a model?” Rafe asked, stepping up to the top of the stairs.
She’d said that out loud? Piper grimaced. She’d spent way too much of the last couple of years alone in a library or going over data in lonely rooms. She was used to talking to herself. Come up with something clever to deflect the situation. Quick! “I was wondering if your girlfriend is a model.”