Forever Betrayed: Forever Bluegrass #3 (16 page)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Zain casually glanced to the ornamental clock on the fireplace mantel. He was going to miss seeing Mila. And after his talk with his father and Ahmed, he desperately needed to see her. He needed to see her face when he told her everything. He would tell her about the attacks on Rahmi and himself. He would tell her his father thought she could be involved and ask her what a deep background check would have revealed.

His heart told him to trust her, but in his world, it was hard to completely trust anyone. Betrayal was everywhere. Surman, Jamal, his own godfather—

“Excuse me,” Veronica said with a practiced smile on her face. “Prince Zain is needed to start the group meeting. If you both would like to follow me, I can take you to the conference room now.”

At least Zain would be able to see Mila there. He shook hands with the prime minister and followed Veronica out of the room. Deacon and Dylan flanked him as he slowed his steps so the prime minister could move ahead of them.

“Something is going on. Suddenly everyone is tense. Abby went flying down the hall with Kale about five minutes ago. Have you heard anything?” Deacon asked.

“I’ve been stuck in this meeting,” Zain muttered as he pulled out his phone. “I have a voicemail from Mila, but that’s it.” He pressed the voicemail and put the phone to his ear. Mila’s urgent whispered voice came on and Zain stopped walking. Deacon and Dylan looked at him curiously before he handed Dylan the phone. Dylan played the message and his normally serious look turned grim. He handed the phone to Deacon. No one said anything until Deacon heard the message.

“So, that’s what’s going on. She must have told Abby,” Dylan said as he pulled out his phone and called her. “Voicemail.”

“She’ll be in the meeting I’m heading to. Find her and find out what’s going on. And keep her safe,” Zain ordered.

“We’ll keep you safe. I’ll put the others on her,” Deacon said as he looked around. “Where the hell is everyone?”

Zain picked up his step. Rahmi guards were everywhere, but right now he didn’t know whom he could trust except for the people of Keeneston. As they approached the conference room, the voices of the diplomats could be easily heard as they chatted among themselves.

“What’s your brother doing here?” Zain asked as he saw Jace leaning casually against the wall.

Dylan grunted. Talk about night and day. Dylan was dark and dangerous. Jace was happy and approachable. Jace was about to turn twenty-two and had just gotten back from a humanitarian mission in Africa. He pushed away from the wall and approached them with his trademark easy-going smile that had won over tribal leaders in Africa.

“We need to talk,” Jace said to the group as he slapped his brother on his back.

“Zain can talk later. Now he needs to give his opening remarks and begin discussion on the state of international health issues,” Veronica said from behind Jace. She reached through and grabbed Zain’s arm. “Hurry, they’re growing restless.”

Dylan and Deacon moved to join him, but he shook his head. “Dylan, see what your brother needs and then join us. Come on, Deac.” Before the doors closed, Zain gave one last glance behind him and saw Dylan’s frown. Whatever it was, it wasn’t good. A cold feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. He looked around the room. He had to see Mila and make sure she was all right. His eyes found her, but for once, she wasn’t looking at him. She sat slightly behind the chancellor with her head bowed, staring at the floor. The chancellor, on the other hand, stared straight at him and didn’t look happy. And strangely, Colton Davies was standing against the wall behind her.

Zain willed Mila to look up. At last she did. Even from across the room he could see the redness in her eyes. She had been crying. The urge to protect her surged through his body.  He wanted to bolt across the long table and pull her into his arms. Instead, he smiled. “I hope you all enjoyed the tour of the farm this morning. Thank you all for joining me to discuss the current state of disease outbreaks.” Zain launched into his speech. Discussion started to flow, and he let it take over.

Zain sat back, realizing that while he had been talking, Landon Davies had come into the room and stood beside his brother. They seemed to be watching Mila. If his father had sent them—

“Zain,” Dylan whispered as he bent over to talk to Zain sitting in his chair. “Smile and nod like I’m taking your lunch order. Mila overheard a threat against not only your life, but your family’s lives as well. Kale is with your mother. Abby is talking to her father. And Mila made it possible for Ariana to stay at the German embassy in Switzerland with her father. Ariana will arrive there within the hour.”

“Any reason the German chancellor is shooting daggers at me?” Zain whispered back while keeping his eyes on the people around the table.

“Nikki told him you were sleeping with Mila.”

“Son of a bitch!” Zain said a little too loud. Everyone at the table froze and stared at him. Zain stood up. “I am so sorry, but a newborn foal I had high hopes for is ill. If you will excuse me for just a moment, I must speak with the veterinarian. Please continue on without me. Veronica can answer any questions you have. I’ll be back momentarily.”

Zain walked from the room and was immediately met by Jackson and Ryan. “Where is my family?”

“Your mother is upstairs with Kenna and Paige. And for some reason, Kale is standing outside the door,” Jackson told him.

“Your father is in his office with Jamal. We found him sulking on the back terrace,” Ryan added.

“Please send for my mother and Kale. Tell her to meet us in my father’s office. And someone get Ahmed and Abby. We need to talk immediately. I can’t risk Colton and Landon being left alone to protect Mila.”

“Protect Mila? From Nikki?” Jackson asked.

“No, from whoever it is trying to attack the royal family in order to stop this summit,” Zain said before stalking off to his father’s office.

Mila took a breath and pretended not to notice the two young men standing behind her. Or the fact that Zain had just stormed from the room. She didn’t believe for one second there was a sick horse. It was a relief. Zain finally knew he was in danger. The chancellor shot her a look, but Mila pretended not to notice. He tapped her leg and made her lean forward.

“Where is the prince going?”

“I don’t know.”

The chancellor made a sound of disbelief but turned his attention back to the meeting. Veronica ran it effortlessly, and while Mila interpreted the conversation, her mind was on where Zain had really gone.

Zain didn’t bother knocking. He shoved open the door to find his father working at his desk. His head didn’t even come up as he continued to read the documents in front of him.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in a meeting?” Mo asked as he turned the page.

“We have a problem.”

“Does it have to do with the fact that your girlfriend was in a meeting with the Queen of Surman three months ago?”

Zain took a seat in front of his father. He was about to demand to know what he was insinuating when the door to the office opened again as his mother came in with Kenna and Paige. Kale and Jackson followed behind them, and soon Ryan was leading Ahmed and Abby in.

“What’s going on?” Dani asked as she gave Zain’s cheek a kiss.

“I don’t know, but I was in the middle of trying to teach Jamal a thing or two. So I would really appreciate making this quick,” Mo said while Jamal rolled his eyes.

Zain saw her mother narrow her eyes. “Maybe he can learn more after he mucks out all the stalls. That usually worked on our boys.”

Jamal’s eyes went wide, but Zain shook his head. “I think we first need to ask him if he’s conspiring to kill the family in order to stop the summit and take control of Rahmi.”

Jamal shot up from his chair, his mouth open in surprise. “What? How dare you?”

Zain remained seated and looked up at his cousin. “I dare because after you stated your desire for the summit to fail, I was attacked at gunpoint. It was curious because the attacker said the same thing. He wanted the summit and my nanotech lab to fail.”

The righteous indignation fell from Jamal’s face as Mo’s eyes narrowed and Dani gasped. “I swear, cousin. I would never threaten your life. I was angry, yes. You always are perfect, and I’m always being patted on the head like some little boy. Marry this woman. Good boy. Get her pregnant. Bad boy. I was never given the chances you were to lead my own life, to have a girlfriend, to pick my own wife, to even decide when I want children, and I certainly have never been given the chance to head something as meaningful as a summit. But
never
have I threatened your life!”

Zain studied his cousin. He had grown up with Jamal. They spent every summer together. Could his own blood betray him?

“It wasn’t Jamal. We have him on tape at the same time you were attacked. He was having a smoke outside. We saw the attacker leap from the office window, but his head was still covered. I still think it’s Mila. Ahmed, tell them what you found,” Mo demanded.

“Mila?” Dani asked. Kenna and Paige didn’t say anything, but they shared a look that suggested they didn’t believe it.

Ahmed stepped forward and Zain saw Abby’s lips pressed into a tight, flat line. She obviously knew what her father was going to say and didn’t like it. “The man she works for in D.C. had a private meeting with Queen Suri three months ago, and again the other night before Mila came to Keeneston. It appears Germany is allying itself with Queen Suri for some sort of project. We don’t know what yet, but we will.”

Zain shook his head. “And because of that, you believe Mila is behind all of this? That’s weak and you know it. Now how about you listen to Abby, and then you can decide if Mila is innocent or not.”

Abby stepped forward and retold the events of that morning. Zain gritted his teeth as his father looked on passively. It wasn’t until Abby related that women were now targets that his father’s expression changed.

“Go get her, now!” Mo demanded to Dylan.

Dylan looked to Zain who shook his head. “She’s already been fired because of me. Pulling her from the conference would make it worse. Lunch is in an hour. Wait until then, and we can bring her here.”

Zain turned to his cousin. “Jamal, you swear you know nothing of this?”

“I swear, Zain. On all the nights we snuck out of the palace and raced cars through the desert. I swear.”

Zain nodded. “Then I hope you listened to what I'm sure was my father’s long lecture. It’s time for you to step up. I need you to take over for me in the meeting until this afternoon.” Zain pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket with a summary of the points he intended to make in the morning meeting and handed them to Jamal. “Close the deal. Mend fences and make sure they all know Rahmi is willing to work with every single one of them in case of outbreaks. I have stats and so forth also listed. Veronica is leading the conversation according to these bullet points. You should be able to catch up easily. Can you do it? Can you step up and take control of a meeting and make the world a safer place through working with other leaders?”

Jamal stared at the piece of paper and then slowly took it. “I won’t let you down.” Jamal left the room and Zain signaled for Jackson to follow him.

“We need to contact Ariana and Gabe,” Dani said as she pulled out her cell phone.

“I’ve already talked to Gabe,” Zain told them. “I texted him this morning.”

“And I’ve gotten a text from Ariana that she’s packed and heading to the German embassy with her friends,” Abby told his parents, explaining how Mila had helped with that. “Furthermore, I disagree with my father completely about Mila. She’s in love with Zain. She would never betray him like this.”

“Dad, if it’s not Mila, then she’s in danger. Are you willing to put an innocent life on the line just because she was an interpreter during a couple meetings with Suri? And by focusing all on her, it’s letting the real traitor continue his work. The person who attacked me was definitely a man,” Zain pleaded to his father.

“You could be right, son. It could just be a coincidence she was there. We need someone to spy on Suri to find out if she’s behind this and who her mole is in our group. I fear we can no longer trust anyone from Rahmi,” Mo said as he ran a hand over his face.

“We can trust Nabi,” Ahmed told the room.

“Of course, I forget he’s not from Keeneston,” Dani shook her head with amusement. “Of course, neither are we, are we, dear?” Dani looked at her husband and sent him a worried smile.

“Keeneston is our home and we need you all to help,” Mo said as he looked to Kenna and Paige.

“I’ll call Cole,” Paige said of her husband, Cole Parker. Their son, Ryan, had replaced Cole as the Agent in Charge of the Lexington FBI office. “You know he will help."

“And I’ll call Annie and Bridget,” Kenna told them. “Somehow I think they’ll be thrilled to strap on a gun and work together again.”

“I’ll call the others,” Mo said, picking up his cell phone and then shaking his head. “No need. Somehow John Wolfe found out about it. There has been a town text with all the details sent out. Miles, Marshall, Cade, Bridget, Annie, and Cy are on their way here with weapons and tactical gear. Don’t know how I’ll explain that one to the guests. And apparently Porter and Parker are in sniper positions already. Oh, and Nikki has been kicked off the text tree for quote,  ‘treating our dear Mila so poorly.’”