The Sheik’s Embrace (The Billionaire’s Club #12)

Chapter 14

Tara blinked and looked around. Was it true? Was the legal age for marriage in Kentucky older than twelve? Was it possible that the terror she’d been living under over the past decade-plus years was pointless?

When she lifted her hand, she suddenly remembered that she held her tablet. Quickly, Tara sat down and started tapping on the keyboard. Biting her lip, she looked up the legal marriage age in Kentucky.

It took only seconds before the state’s law arrived in her search results. She clicked on the first link, her eyes reading faster than her brain could absorb the information. “Kentucky law states that a person needs to be at least seventeen, even with parental consent!” she whispered, then lifted shocked eyes to Zayed. “Does this…am I not…?”

“I don’t believe that you are legally married, habibi ,” he told her, answering the unfinished question.

Blinking, she tried to process this news. Could it be true? She looked down at the tablet, but the tears in her eyes blurred her vision. Was she truly not married? Could this law mean that she was free of the shackles she’d lived with for so long?

“I’m not married?” she whispered again, just to taste the words in her mouth as her knees gave out on her. She fell onto the leather sofa, too stunned at the moment to truly process this information.

He knelt down by her, looking into her eyes. “I don’t think so, love.” He ran a thumb over the back of her hand. “I’ve sent a couple of my men to your home town to investigate further. They were going to get more details on your background, but I’ll have them dive into the–”

“You what?” she yelped. “Please…tell me you didn’t send anyone to Tobra, Kentucky. Tell me you didn’t!”

“I did,” he replied, confused. “Is that a problem?”

“Yes,” she gasped and leapt to her feet. She stepped around Zayed and looked at Chaid, pleading with him. “You need to contact your people and tell them to get out of there. Now!” she snapped. “They are in danger! They will be shot at without question.”

“I’m sorry?” he replied, looking confused.

Tara wiped at her cheeks again, impatient with the useless tears. “Your people are in danger, Chaid. Call them back. The people who live in that town are…dangerous. They don’t live like the rest of the country. They don’t follow the same rules!” She looked down, trying to find the words that would explain precisely how dangerous Ethan Howell and his minions were. “Their entire lives revolve around their form of a church and the leader of that church. Ethan Howell is a tyrant with a team of armed enforcers.” She rubbed her forehead, pushing her fingers through her hair. “They appear to be just small town people, but they aren’t. Mr. Howell is the leader. He is their minister and their dictator. If he were to tell everyone to drink the koolaid they would smile as they reached for a glass.”

“So, this is a cult?” Chaid asked.

Tara stopped for a moment, considering the term. Finally, she nodded. “In so far as everyone in the town is brainwashed into thinking that Howell is their leader and everything he says is the gospel truth, handed down to him by divine telepathy, then yes. It’s a cult. They would never defy him. If he told the congregation to attack your people, then they would wholeheartedly go after your men with pitchforks and rifles. And they would show no mercy, assuming that they were abiding by divine rules set forth by Ethan.”

She looked up at Zayed, reaching out to touch his chest, something she’d never done before. “Please, “ she whispered, “you have to get them out of there! They aren’t safe!”

He put a hand over hers where it lay against his chest. “I need to know more to keep you safe, Tara,” he explained.

Shaking her head adamantly, she said, “I’m not important. I don’t mean anything to anyone. Please, you have to get them out of there!”

Zayed’s eyes narrowed at her comment, but she couldn’t think about his anger at that moment. She sighed with relief when he turned his head slightly, not losing eye contact with her. “Call your men, Chaid, tell them to treat the investigation as hostile, and get information about Tara and…” he paused, his finger coming up to catch another tear before he finished, “…her sister.”

Tara froze at those last two words, her stomach clenching to the point that she thought that she might be sick.

“No!” she hissed, wanting to step back, to get out of this office. She needed to run away, to find a hiding place that was safe. And to warn her sister that someone else knew about Kaia’s existence.

“Yes,” he replied in a silky, smooth voice. “Why are you so afraid of your sister, Tara?:

She swallowed past the panic, not sure what to say. Zayed…he knew her secrets! He knew about her past! Jerking her hand away, she stepped back, looking around frantically.

“There’s no place to hide,” he warned her, moving closer. “Please don’t try to run away from me.” He reached out and took her hand and Tara wished that her fingers weren’t trembling so violently. It was such a dead giveaway to her feelings.

Dead? No! Not dead. No one was dead!

At least, she prayed that no one had died.

Zayed led her over to the leather sofa, the same place she’d slept last night. Thankfully, he didn’t know about that. If he ever found out that she’d slept on his sofa, she would…what? What would she do?

“You’re going to have to trust me, Tara,” Zayed commanded in that stern, sexy voice that had always intrigued her. In this moment though, she couldn’t stop the tremor of awareness that hit her with his voice. And his words.

Trust him? She’d only ever trusted one person in this entire world!

“Why are you afraid of your sister?”

Tara’s mouth fell open. She looked around, but Chaid was already walking out of Zayed’s office, muttering into his microphone. She heard the words, “warn of hostiles” and sighed with relief. His guards were well trained, probably better trained than the horrible men that Ethan employed.

Goodness, she hated and despised that man! His sermons were always filled with warnings of death and dismemberment at the hands of his divine power. All of the punishments were because his “servants” had disobeyed “the word”. And most of the disobedience was caused by, or perpetrated by, women. The man absolutely loved talking about how women needed to be especially watchful of their actions or they would lead the world to death and horrible, bloody, miserable punishments.

It was also the reason why he “disciplined” the women in the town so often and with such unfeeling brutality.

Also because he enjoyed hurting women.

Tara had thought of that possibility before, but she’d never uttered the words out loud, terrified that Ethan might somehow hear her even when she was thousands of miles away.

“I need more information, Tara,” Zayed insisted, interrupting her thoughts. “What hold does your sister have on you?”

“Sister?” she prompted, pretending to be ignorant.

But his dark, raised eyebrow warned her that he wasn’t going to accept her dumb act. “Kaia Treon sent you the initial message, didn’t she?”

She had to protect her sister. Kaia had been doing the same for Tara for more than thirteen years. It was Tara’s turn.

“My sister has nothing to do with this,” she told Zayed.

“And yet, she’s the one who sent you the warning.”

Her eyes narrowed and she curled her fingers into her palms. “Leave Kaia out of this conversation.”

Another curiously amused eyebrow shot up with that order. “Interesting,” was his only comment, and he shifted, moving so that he was facing her on the sofa. “So tell me about this wedding. Did you consent to marrying this Elijah person?”

“No!” she blurted before she could think of a better response. Taking a deep breath, she shook her head. “No, I never consented to marriage. Most of the girls who are members of my former community are married young. Ethan says that girls should be married young so that their husbands can teach them how to be good wives and mothers. He says that, if women are allowed to learn in a school room, they might question their husbands. So it’s better that the girls marry young so that their husbands can mold them into whatever they need them to be.” She gritted her teeth, her chin wobbling as a fresh wave of anger washed over her. “A happy marriage is only achieved through a woman’s compliance.”

“That sounds archaic,” Zayed growled, furious and horrified by what she’d gone through. “Obviously, you disagree with that idea, but how did you end up married?”

She lifted her chin, trying to push past the shame at what she’d been forced to endure. “I wasn’t given a choice,” she admitted. “The negotiations were already started before I was even asked if I approved of the union. Ethan thought it would be good to eventually merge the two farms. And after that, it was merely a matter of working out the details. Then I was informed of the ‘blessed event’,” she mocked that word, “and after a brief ceremony, I was Elijah’s wife.”

“Did you… officially become his wife?” Zayed asked.

Tara looked away, her fingers crumpling the already mussed dress. “If you’re asking if I had sex with him, no. Kaia had somehow heard about the wedding.” She stared out the window in his office, but she didn’t see the beautiful flowers or trees shimmering in the sunshine. All she saw was the face of Elijah moments after Ethan had declared them married. Elijah had licked his lips, wiped the sweat from his forehead, then clapped his hands together as if he’d been given a delicious piece of candy.“After the wedding ceremony took place, I was sent to Elijah’s house while Elijah, and Ethan, along with several of the other community elders, toasted the union, laughing and slapping each other on the back, congratulating each other over such a brilliant union.”

“What happened, Tara?”

She looked down at her hands, trying to stop the tears from falling again, but her efforts were futile. The tears wouldn’t stop as she kept wiping them angrily away. “Like I said, my sister somehow discovered what was happening. She snuck into Elijah’s house with some clothes and helped me get away.”

“Do you know how she did that?”

“No,” Tara replied, sighing with frustration. “My sister…she’s…amazing. She’s protected me all my life.” She stood up and walked towards the windows, wrapping her arms around herself as if she needed a hug. “My sister is two years older than I am. I remember running across the muddy grass in our backyard with Kaia holding my hand.” She smiled sadly. “Apparently, she’s never stopped trying to protect me.”

“She sounds like an extraordinary woman.”

Tara smiled. “She is.”

“Tell me more.”

Tara stared out into the sun-drenched courtyard. “Kaia left the farm before I got married. I don’t know where she went, but when she heard about the negotiations, she came back and fought with the community when Ethan made the wedding announcement.”

“If your sister is older, why didn’t your father arrange for her to be married to this Elijah person?”

Another tear slipped out and Tara swiped it away. “Kaia was always rebellious.” She sniffed. “Everyone who lives in our town attends the same services and ceremonies. There’s only one grocery store, and it’s owned and operated by one man in our community. Everyone volunteers a certain number of hours there. We don’t have a police force, per se. Instead, we have…” she stopped, thinking back to the cruel men who lurked around the outskirts of the town. “There is a team of four men who are allowed to do…whatever they deem necessary. When the minster, who acts as the mayor, tells these men to discipline someone, they go at it with all of their heart and soul.” A moment later, she snorted. “I don’t believe that they have a soul. Not anymore.” She turned and looked at Zayed. “Nor do I believe in Ethan Collin’s version of a divine spirit.”

“You are an atheist?”

She shrugged, still hugging her waist. “I’d say I’m more agnostic than an atheist. You can’t grow up in Tobra, Kentucky, and not attend church. Ethan held services every night and every morning. And for several hours on Sunday.” She sighed. “Sunday was the sabbath and Ethan mandated that the sabbath be strictly observed with a vengeance. There were classes in the morning, then worship service, then more study classes, then prayer for the rest of the afternoon.” Her chin jutted up slightly. “Anyone who had broken one of Ethan’s laws was required to,” she paused, swallowing back the painful memories, “pray while kneeling on a line of raw rice all day on Sunday.” She looked over at Zayed. “Do you know what it’s like to kneel on rice for hours at a time? No bathroom breaks. No food. No water. No relief from the excruciating pain?”

“I don’t, habibi ,” he said softly. Tara was grateful for the softness of his gruff voice. If he wanted to hear this story, she needed to be able to think about what she was saying, how much to reveal.

“Tell me how your sister protected you.”

She sniffed again, then looked around, saw the box of tissues on the corner of his desk and grabbed several. “When I was about five years old, I accidentally knocked a glass of milk off the table. Kaia took the blame and the punishment for it.”

“What was the punishment for breaking the glass?”

A long silence, then Tara said, “The glass didn’t break. But I’d spilled the milk. I’d wasted ‘the divine spirit’s’ offering. Since Kaia said that she’d done it, she was forced to pray on that miserable rice for three hours that Sunday.”

“Damn!” Zayed hissed, shaking his head at the lack of humanity.

“Exactly.” She turned and looked up at Zayed. “I didn’t even realize what was happening. Kaia took the punishment even when I didn’t understand what I’d done wrong.”

Zayed couldn’t hold back any longer. Rushing over to her, he pulled her into his arms. “You didn’t do anything wrong, love,” he whispered vehemently. “You were a child! Accidents happen!”

She sniffed and Tara accepted his embrace, feeling warm and secure. It had been a long time since she’d felt this way. Not since Kaia had stolen her away from that miserable place.

“Kaia wasn’t married off because she was considered too naughty to be an obedient wife. She rebelled by asking questions, refusing to pray, refusing obedience.” Tara pressed her face against his chest. “She ran away, but kept sneaking back to the house, bringing me food when I was being punished. She’d sneak in through my window. Somehow, she knew when I was denied food for the day and she’d sneak in and give me a sandwich or cookies. Sometimes milk.” Tara snuggled up against him, crying her outrage at the abuse. “On the day I was married, she somehow knew what was going to happen. After the wedding ceremony, I was ordered to go to Elijah’s house, change into my nightclothes and then sit on the bed, waiting for him to come and teach me…” she stumbled now. “He was going to begin teaching me how to be a good wife. At the time, I didn’t know what that meant. I just knew that I didn’t want to learn anything from that disgusting old man.”

“How old was he?”

She sniffed again. “I think at the time, he was in his mid-thirties. I don’t know for sure, but I remember him turning a strange color of pink during the ceremony. And the sweat. When he kissed me, he felt all gross and sloppy.” She shuddered, then pressed close against Zayed again. “Before I could change into my nightgown, Kaia was in the room. She looked me in the eye and said, ‘You’re coming with me’ and we snuck away. I didn’t care where we went. I was with Kaia and I knew I was going to be okay.”

“Where did you go?”

She laughed. “To an old barn a few miles away. We stayed in that barn where Kaia would sneak books and food from the dumpster of a grocery store. They threw out rotting fruit that they couldn’t sell. We cut away the rotting parts and ate the good parts. There was milk too. They had to throw away the milk when it was past its sell-by date.” She smiled and pulled away, tilting her head back so that she was smiling up at Zayed. “We figured out the best time to get the food that the store threw away. It was around eleven o’clock at night, right after their closing time. We had to be careful though. We waited until the store employees had driven away, otherwise, they would catch us trying to dig through the dumpsters and yell at us.”

“Do you know what happened with your…,” he paused, clenching his jaw in fury, “I won’t call him your husband, Tara.” He held her steady. “What happened with your groomer that night?”

Tara shivered at that word. “You’re right. That’s exactly what he was. Any man who needs to marry a woman at such a young age in order to teach her how to be a good wife, like Ethan recommends, must be a groomer.” She sighed, then suddenly realized that she was in his arms. “I’m sorry, Your Highness!” she gasped and stepped back, wiping at the remnants of her tears. “That was completely inappropriate!”

“And yet, it felt very nice,” he countered, then took her hand, leading her back over to the sofa. “Come, Tara. I want to hear more about this saga that you and your sister went on, and I also need to know if you are safe.”

“Yes,” she replied. “There is no way that Elijah could get to me here in the palace.”

“And that’s why you’ve slept here the last two nights? Once in your office and last night here in mine?”

She tugged at her hand, her eyes wide with worry. “You…You know about that?”

“Yes, I was informed both nights when you didn’t check out of the palace.”

“Check out? But…?” She looked over her shoulder, as if she could see the exit to the palace. “There isn’t a place that I officially check out each night.”

He laughed softly. “Tara, the palace guards know where everyone is at all times of the day and night. Palace employees don’t check out on any official clipboard, but the badge readers note everyone who comes and goes from the palace. When you didn’t badge out at your usual time at night, the guards came looking for you.”

She smiled, her shoulders relaxing slightly. “Oh, that makes sense,” she said with a nod. “One of them was kind enough to cover me in a blanket last night.”

“That was me, eazizi .” He took her hand again, laying her fingers on his knee and covering them with his own. “So you and your sister slept in a barn for how long?”

Tara blushed as she glanced down at her hand. She wanted to pull her hand away because this touch was too intimate. And yet, she also wanted to keep it right there. She wanted to slide her fingers over his thigh and explore more. An image of him, completely naked, popped into her mind. Yes, she wanted to discover what his thigh felt like without his slacks in the way.

“Tara.” He said her name and it sounded like a combination of a growl and a purr. She lifted her eyes up to his and her heart accelerated at the intense look of…desire? Did he desire her? Impossible! No one desired her! She was…?

“How long did you stay in the barn?”

Tara blinked, startled out of her contemplation. It took her a long moment to remember what they were talking about.

“Um…I don’t know exactly. Kaia made it into a game. We had fun, actually.” She shrugged. “It was summer so we didn’t need to worry about the cold. We had enough to eat, and the food was better than what I’d been allowed to eat at home. So I…I was happy for the first time in…forever.”

“So, you didn’t care how long you stayed,” he finished for her.

“Exactly.”

“What made you leave the barn?”

Tara slouched slightly, still aware of her hand on his thigh, but it was a warm heat now. “Kaia somehow knew what was going on back home. She knew that it was time to leave. So we headed into the city.” She shook her head, thinking back to that time now. “I still can’t figure out how Kaia knew how to do everything, except that maybe she’d been living on the streets for so long before she came back to save me.” Tara looked out towards the windows as she continued. “We moved around a lot during those first few years. We spent a lot of time hiding in abandoned buildings. Sometimes, we had food and sometimes we didn’t. Kaia got both of us on babysitting lists, which helped us earn more money than most of the other homeless kids that we saw around town. Kaia demanded that we always read. She was adamant that we always had a book and were learning something in our spare time.”

“Reading is very important,” he agreed.

Tara looked back at him, shaking her head. “No, you don’t understand. Ethan didn’t want the female community members to go to school.”

His forehead furrowed at that bit of news. “Didn’t the state government require it?”

She snorted. “Absolutely! But our school classes were different than what the boys were studying. We were all home schooled in one of the community homes. But girls were only taught cooking, cleaning, and sewing. The boys were taught agricultural skills.”

“No math or science classes?”

“No way! Ethan explained that knowledge, other than an understanding of the rule book, was Satan’s way into our brains.”

“Sounds like he didn’t want anyone to question him.”

Tara nodded. “Exactly. Kaia explained over and over again that a person with a poor education doesn’t have the intellectual skills to question authority. She said that understanding the world helps us with critical thinking. And since females weren’t allowed to learn how to read and write, our efforts at reading everything she could get her hands on was part of Kaia’s rebellion against Ethan’s dictates.”

“She sounds amazing. When can I meet her?”

Tara laughed suddenly. “Kaia has been protecting me ever since she snuck me away that horrible night.” She looked into Zayed’s eyes. “I don’t know where she is, but if Elijah is nearby, then I won’t endanger her to come to me. I won’t.” Unconsciously, Tara squeezed his knee as she continued. “Kaia got a retail job at sixteen and was so good at it, so aware of every employee’s and customer’s needs, she worked her way up to department manager by the age of eighteen. Everyone thought she was older, so even the more senior staff members never questioned her authority.”

“I’m even more impressed.”

“We got an apartment, just a tiny place and I shifted from babysitting jobs to a retail position when I was sixteen as well. We saved up all of the money we earned, never spending anything we didn’t absolutely have to. We shopped at thrift stores, bought basic foods and constantly read whatever we could get our hands on.” She blinked as tears formed again. “We were doing okay. We’d just started to think that maybe we were free. We were sitting in a park, just reading and minding our own business, when we spotted Ethan walking along the sidewalk.”

Tara wasn’t aware of the long pause, remembering that terrifying morning. The panic, the terror, they felt as they’d sat there on that park bench pretending to read until he was out of sight.

“We didn’t go back to our apartment that day. We abandoned everything. Thankfully, we always had cash on us and we had money saved in a bank account by then. So we had money that Ethan couldn’t take from us.”

“What happened, habun ?” he prompted again.

“Kaia heard about an employment agency looking for international staff.” She peeked up at him through wet lashes. “I interviewed for this job and, for the past two years, I’d finally felt safe.”