Lan flashed a devastating grin. "You're caught, Tori. That's what happens here. One minute you're happy in your comfortable fatigues and the next someone's sticking you in a monkey suit and telling you to dance like it's freaking 1805."
"At least you don't have to wear heels," Tori complained.
"Perks of manhood." Lan winked and whisked away his wife and baby. Piper's nanny came to take her boys as well.
She was alone again. Well, except for the next guard on duty who opened the door and took up sentry.
Tori sighed. It really was time to go home.
* * * *
Rory stepped into the sheikh's office beside Callum with his head held high. It was located in the business wing of the palace. Tori was likely in the residential wing, but he would have to talk fast to even be permitted to walk those halls. The fact that the sheikh had chosen to use his formal office rather than the private one reserved for gatherings with family and friends told him a lot. Of course, so did the look on his face.
Talib al Mussad looked like a man in a bad mood. He sat behind his massive desk, wearing an impeccable three-piece suit, and when they were introduced he nodded his regal head and gestured to the chairs in front of him.
"Gentlemen, you may sit." The words were polite, but Rory was fairly certain Talib would be excruciatingly polite even as he delivered a death sentence. How did they dispatch people who committed crimes against the royal family in Bezakistan? He was fairly certain it wasn't pleasant.
"Thank you for agreeing to see us," Rory said.
"And for letting us in the country, but you need to talk to your security people. I don't think that full body cavity search was really warranted." Callum had been unhappy with the extra security protocols that had been put in place since the last time they'd visited.
Yes, Rory was fairly certain the very intrusive personal search had been just for them.
The sheikh's lips curled up the tiniest bit. "You can never be too careful these days." His smile faded and he leaned forward. "Now why don't you explain to me why you've come to my country. I know it can't be because you've come to enforce the contract you had my sister-in-law sign. I believe I sent you a check for the full amount, and the jewelry you allowed her to borrow has been returned. Unfortunately, her dress was torn. I added that expense to the check."
If words were ice, Rory would have frozen where he sat. "No, Your Highness. We didn't come here to demand anything."
"And the jewelry was a gift. I'm not cashing that check," Callum insisted.
"A gift? For what?" Talib's hawk-like glare settled on Callum.
His brother might not be the world's most diplomatic man, but he wasn't a coward either. He held the sheikh's stare. "For the woman I love."
"From what I understand you didn't present it to her as a gift. You chose to trick her into thinking she was purchasing the items herself."
"I didn't think she would accept it," Callum said, finally starting to squirm the tiniest bit.
It was time to save his brother or this was going to go poorly. Unfortunately, Talib was the gateway to Tori. If he couldn't be moved, there was no telling when they would see her next. If she chose to stay in the palace, they might not see her at all. "I believe what my brother is trying to say is he couldn't stand the thought of Tori not having a wardrobe and jewels to match her beauty. You know how British society can be. She's stubborn. She won't accept handouts and he couldn't stand the thought that she would walk into that room and be mocked for having to purchase last season's fashions. She deserves more."
Talib's eyes narrowed. "You should do most of the talking."
"Of that, I am very aware, Your Highness." Rory settled in, secure they weren't getting tossed out yet. "As for Tori's contract, consider it null and void. I only brought it up in an attempt to keep her close. I certainly wasn't going to demand payment. We've made mistakes with her, but we care very much."
"We love her," Callum said. "And I didn't take back the jewels. They're hers and they're waiting for her."
"You said 'we.'" Talib sat back, regarding them both now. "I thought Callum was the only one willing to stake his claim."
"I've always wanted Tori. I knew the day she walked through the door that she was the one for me. The others are slow," Callum explained.
"Oliver isn't with you," Talib pointed out.
No, and that weighed heavily on him. Oliver had talked them into giving Tori a few days to think, though Callum had been packed and ready to go thirty minutes after they discovered she was gone. Unfortunately, receiving clearance to visit Bezakistan hadn't proven quite as simple as it once had.