Savage Sweetness (Lost and Found Book 3) Read online

  He looked around, but the chinchillas – or whatever they were – had disappeared. The cats were lurking on the upper rafters, almost as if they were snickering at his attempts to make friends with the donkey.

  “I don’t have time for this,” he grumbled, remembering that someone had tried to kill him yesterday. Or was it the day before? He had no idea what day it was. He didn’t have any way of finding out, either.

  His stomach growled and he realized how hungry he was. He wondered what he was going to do for food. Carefully, Kasim stepped out of the stall, listening carefully for someone to call out to him, to demand an explanation for why he was in the barn. However, nothing happened. The donkey, whatever his name was, poked his head into the stable again, then raced away, his hooves thundering along the pasture.

  Chickens? Were those chickens clucking out in the yard?

  Carefully, Kasim moved out of the stable area and…sure enough, there was a chicken coop covered on all sides with chicken wire. He looked up at the sky, wondering if the stable owner struggled with hawks and other birds of prey. Most likely.

  Looking around at the yard, he realized that the area was well maintained and looked to be thriving, although Kasim wasn’t sure what the source of income could be. There wasn’t enough livestock for the stable owner to do much other than…well, nothing!

  Fisting his hands on his hips, he looked around. Donkey was off in the distance and Kasim watched him for a moment. The ugly thing was trying to establish dominance by staring at Kasim. In the donkey’s mind, Kasim was supposed to walk towards the donkey. The animal would then “permit” Kasim to be in the donkey’s presence.

  However, as ruler of one of the most powerful countries in the world, Kasim wasn’t really in the mood to allow a donkey to assert dominance over him. But, Kasim was amused that, as a powerful leader, he was even considering the possibility.

  The donkey brayed and Kasim ignored him, walking the other way. It would annoy the donkey, but Kasim had spotted the house up on the hill. Time to do a bit of reconnaissance. He needed to figure out where the hell he was and what day it was! How much time had he lost?!

  Kasim spotted several apple trees beside the stables! His stomach growled as he hurried over and grabbed an apple off the tree. He was so hungry, he practically inhaled it while picking several more. When he was done with the first one, he tossed the core into the woods so the birds could enjoy what was left of the core.

  When his hunger was satisfied for the moment, he leaned against the tree and contemplated his predicament.

  Jatua el Fotima stepped into the sacred chambers of the Council of Advisors for Alistar. “Please sit down,” he called out with a heavy sigh as he stood at the head of the table. He didn’t sit because the chair at the end of the table was reserved for the Sheik of Alistar. At this point, Jatua didn’t have control, so he symbolically stood, so as not to offend any of Kasim’s advisors. But soon, Jatua would have that chair! It was inevitable.

  “I called you all together to share information that I have about our beloved Kasim,” he began.

  “He’s alive!” one of the advisors growled.

  Jatua looked up, recognizing the voice. Hashim al Riat. The man was a thorn in Jatua’s side. They had never gotten along. Not during Kasim’s rule, not during Kasim’s father, Jatua’s brother’s reign. Smothering his fury, Jatua silently vowed to get rid of Hashim as soon as Kasim was declared dead.

  “I applaud your belief that my nephew will return.” He shook his head sadly. “Unfortunately, the news from Kasim’s own security guards is not good.”

  Hashim stood up, his anger causing his frail body to tremble. “His Highness is not dead!” Hashim announced with fury, pointing a shaking finger at Jatua. “You embarrass yourself and this council by calling us to convene in Kasim’s absence. This room is reserved for the advisors and His Highness only!”

  Several other members nodded their agreement, but none were as vociferous as Hashim. Smart men, Jatua thought. They knew that he was the next in line. They were playing both sides of the issue, hoping for Kasim’s return, but also trying to ensure that they didn’t infuriate Jatua, if Kasim really was dead.

  “Your loyalty to my nephew is appreciated,” Jatua continued, bowing his head slightly as if he were deferring to the other man. “However, I am beginning to lose hope that my nephew could have survived. There is no evidence of him surviving the blast.”

  “There’s no evidence of his death either!” Hashim interrupted. “You are too forward in your efforts to take control of power, Jatua. We cannot convene in this room until Kasim returns, or he is declared dead.” His eyes narrowed. “It begs the question of who was behind the bomb that tried to kill His Highness.”

  There was a long silence as the implication of Hashim’s question sank in. Slowly, everyone turned to Jatua.

  The man was going to die, Jatua thought venomously, fighting to maintain a calm demeanor.

  Again, he bowed his head. “You are right to suspect me,” he stated softly, hiding his fury behind a polite and deferential demeanor. “I am open to any investigation. Please, search my house and my office. Take my computer and my phone. If there is anything on any device or in my files that implicates me in any way, I will resign my position from all of my government roles immediately. I will banish myself,” he assured the group of men. The little speech seemed to soothe everyone’s suspicions.

  Even Hashim nodded and settled back down into his chair.

  Jatua lifted his hands, his robe billowing dramatically. “Until then, I offer myself as the interim ruler of Alistar,” he announced. The group of men sat up straighter in their chairs. “Only until we discover confirmation, either of His Highness’ existence, or of his death.” The group relaxed in their chairs, nodding their agreement.

  Two hours later, Jatua left the room, surrounded by bodyguards.

  “Is it done?” his aide asked quietly as they hurried down the hallway. “Did they approve of your interim leadership?”

  Jatua nodded sharply, frowning grimly. “It’s only temporary. We need proof!”

  “The guards are working on that,” his aide assured him. “We’re expanding our search. However, currently, there is no indication that Kasim died in the blast.”

  “Then find it!” Jatua snapped, everyone pausing at the man’s outburst. Jatua looked around him, ensuring that only his guards and aide were within hearing distance. When he was sure that they were alone, he turned to his aide. “We need proof! The council isn’t going to approve of my leadership without it.”

  “But what if…?”

  Jatua’s eyes hardened as he slashed a hand through the air, cutting off the question. “If you can’t find it, create it!” Jatua snapped.

  Princess Taylee swallowed a gasp, alarmed by the ruthless words of her uncle. Even taken out of context, they sounded…wrong. Was Jatua going to manufacture evidence of Kasim’s death? That didn’t make any sense!

  Primarily because her brother, Kasim, couldn’t be dead! He just couldn’t! Taylee loved her brother. No, she worshiped him! He was everything to her! He was ten years older than her and had been her hero ever since she could remember.

  No, she simply couldn’t believe that Kasim might be dead! And Jatua’s words…they had the ring of something more than just a man trying to ascertain the existence or death of a beloved family member.

  Angrily, she wiped her tears away. Perhaps it was time to do a bit of investigating herself! But, she wasn’t exactly sure how to do so. She stepped out from behind the marble column, trying to figure out her next step. For too long, she’d hidden in the shadows of her brother’s rule. She’d been the good daughter, behaving as a good sister of a powerful ruler should.

  But now, she needed to be someone else. She needed to defend her brother’s place in this world!

  Chapter 2

  A second morning, Kasim once again woke with a heavy weight on his chest. But unlike yesterday, he knew exactly what he would find. Before he even opened his eyes, he reached out and stroked the cats. Then he teased the chinchillas that were once again snuggled around his head. The chinchillas made a few adorable squeaks, as they yawned and stretched before scurrying away.

  A thud startled him. Someone was coming. He sat up, careful to set both cats down beside him before he threw off the wool blanket.

  “Thanks!” he said as he stood up, giving the nearby donkey a scratch between the ears. The ridiculous beast seemed to purr, extending his neck in order to prolong the affectionate scratching. But before Kasim could speak, he heard a voice.

  A feminine voice.

  Peering out the stable window, he noticed that the sun wasn’t yet up. There was just a touch of watery sunshine trying to break through the morning fog. But the voice…the soft, feminine voice called to him. He pressed his shoulders against the stall wall, listening.

  “You guys seem to be more alert than usual this morning,” the lovely, sing-song voice called out.

  Something about the voice made him straighten his shoulders. The voice was soft and sweet, affecting his body in the most bizarre way! Kasim had always enjoyed the ladies, but this voice…his body tightened and he immediately pictured someone soft and sweet, blond with brown eyes and soft, red lips smiling up at him.

  He could imagine that voice with her blond hair splayed out on his pillow. He would kiss her and make love to her and…!

  “Ruppert! Don’t you dare!” the voice laughed. “You’re incorrigible!”

  Gone was the fantasy and Kasim peered through one of the knotholes in the wood. Dark hair, not blond. Darn…he really loved silky blond hair. But her body…good heavens, her body was stunning! Not too thin, like so many of the women of his acquaintance, but soft and curvy in all the right places! He’d always preferred the athletic physique on a woman, but there was no denying that this woman’s backside was decidedly not athletic and…temptingly alluring! He wanted to cup his hands around her derriere, to pull her hips back until she was pressed against his erection. He thought about how his fingers could tangle into her soft curls. He wanted to see her face. He wanted to know what color her eyes were, what her lips looked like.

  Instead, he watched the mysterious woman climbing up the ladder into the hay loft. Kasim was so focused on the woman’s enticing butt that he jumped with surprise when two heavy hay bales landed in front of him with a thud. The donkey and a glorious, dark haired gelding began sniffing at the fragrant hay. They should have oats, he thought. They needed hay, of course. But they also needed the protein in the oats to maintain their muscle strength and digestive tract.

  “No!” she told both horse and donkey. “You know that’s your treat, and you only get it after you’ve eaten your oats.” She smoothed a soft, pale hand affectionately over the horse’s neck. “You know that you get all grouchy if you don’t eat your oats first. And I want you both to drink lots of water today. I don’t think either of you drank enough yesterday.” She scratched the donkey’s ears. “Ruppert, you’re going to behave today, right? No more chasing the cats. They are faster and meaner than you, so leave them alone. And Jasper?” The voice paused as if she were looking for another animal, or perhaps a person.

  Who was Jasper? Kasim watched with approval as the horses moved over to their oat bins, munching on the healthy food. The woman moved around the stables, filling up the cat bowls with food, filling other plastic bins with fresh water, then she opened another storage bin and filled a container with handfuls of corn. Still peering through the hole in the wood, Kasim watched as she tossed the corn into the chicken coop. He had to shift to another hole on the other side of the wall to continue watching her, but he almost laughed out loud when the adorable woman glared at the chickens. “Are you guys going to behave and let me have the eggs this morning?”

  The chickens were pecking away busily, so Kasim watched the woman with growing amusement as she donned a pair of thick leather gloves. She tiptoed silently to the back of the chicken coop. With careful precision, she collected eggs until…!

  “Ouch!” she yelped, pulling her hand away and shaking it. Kasim swallowed a chuckle as the pretty woman frowned into the chicken coop. “You feathery little brat!” she snapped. Obviously one of the chickens had remained behind to protect the eggs. The woman rubbed at her wrist just above the leather glove as she walked back to the center of the barn.

  He heard her clapping her hands, which confused him. But then, a dog with floppy ears came sprinting out of the woods, pink tongue lolling out the side of his mouth to come to a sliding stop right at the woman’s feet.

  “Good boy!” the lovely woman cheered, then he watched in fascination as she moved her fingers in some sort of pattern. The dog watched, then backed up. “Good!” she repeated. More finger movements and the dog inched forward. “Excellent!” she said, offering a treat and a scratch behind the dog’s ears with every praise. “Now for the tough one!” she held her hand up and the dog looked at the woman’s hand, then at her eyes…back to her hand. The fingers moved and the dog sat down on his butt.

  “Oh, you’re such a good boy!” she praised, fluffing his ears and rubbing his belly when he rolled over onto his back. “Let’s get some breakfast!” she said, moving her fingers again. The dog jumped up, racing into the stables.

  Quickly, Kasim ducked back into the shadows. The dog seemed to pause, looking around. But the woman poured food into a dog bowl and the pooch hurried over, scarfing down the food as fast as he could.

  “Okay, guys!” the woman called out. “I’m going to work. Everyone behave, okay?”

  There was a loud thud and Kasim suspected that it was the donkey answering for everyone. The beast was definitely the alpha animal. She laughed and Kasim’s body tightened at the sound of her musical laughter. He liked her already. She liked animals, and they seemed to trust and adore her. Always a good sign in a human being!

  Rosalee walked out to her truck and sat in the driver’s seat, but she didn’t start the engine. Frowning out at the yard, she contemplated the morning’s routine. Something was off, she thought, but couldn’t put her finger on exactly what was bothering her.

  Even as she sat there, Ruppert trotted over to the fence line of the coral, watching her. He never did that. He was always rushing around, herding Fox out to the pasture, nipping at the cats when they tried to jump onto the fence, and he charged the chickens, punishing them for hurting her. Ruppert was the king of the “herd”, even if that herd was made up of several different animals. Ruppert didn’t care what species the barnyard animals were, he was in charge of the whole area.

  So, why was he watching her instead of his herd? Why wasn’t he out with Fox so they could greet Bessie at the fence line as they did every morning? Why wasn’t Ruppert braying at the chickens? One of the cats, Doxie, jumped up on the fence right beside him, but Ruppert kept his gaze steadily on her.

  Very odd, Rosalee thought, her hands resting on the steering wheel.

  Her phone beeped, indicating that she had a message. Unfortunately, she also noticed the time and knew that she’d have to hurry or she’d be late. As the boss, she had a bit more leeway in her arrival time, but as the boss, she also tried to set a good example by arriving on time. All of her employees had a role, a station, so to speak, and she expected everyone to pull their weight. Rosalee could do no less in her role as the manager.

  So instead of hanging about in her truck, trying to figure out why Ruppert was acting so strangely, she backed out of her parking space and drove on down the road.

  “Who was that?” Kasim muttered, sensing Ruppert on one side of him and the horse on the other. He reached up underneath the horse’s head and scratched his chin while rubbing behind Ruppert’s ears. Both animals sidled closer, wanting more caresses. But when the cats started weaving around his ankles, Kasim knew that it was time to get to work. He paused to stroke each of the felines, noticed the chinchillas running off into the woods, then headed into the hay loft. The hay bales weren’t positioned properly. He reorganized them so that they were easier to push down each morning. Then he fixed a hole in the fence, reattached the loose section of the chicken coop so the little ladies were more secure from predators and walked the fence line, tightening nails wherever they’d come loose.

  He worked the rest of the day, keeping track of the angle of the sun so he wouldn’t be caught unaware. Around midday, he figured out how to get inside the house and made a phone call. Just one call. But it was enough. Dash was on the case now. Dash Phillips was one of the guys who had helped him years ago, along with Angela, Callum, and Marco. Kasim didn’t bother calling the other three. Kasim knew that Dash would pass along the message for him. With the four of them trying to figure out what had happened during the bombing, he would get answers very soon.

  Dash promised to get back to him the following day, but that raised another issue. Kasim needed some way to communicate with the world. He needed a cell phone. And he couldn’t just call out to his assistant and order one to be delivered to him, fully programmed, within the next hour.

  Nope, he’d have to be a bit more strategic about his.

  He needed money. That meant he needed a job.

  Walking into town that afternoon, he whistled as he considered his situation. It was pretty damn nice waking up with the dawn each morning and going to bed with the setting sun in the evening. He had eggs from the chickens that the lovely woman hadn’t found, he had apples from the tree, and even fresh water from the creek. It wasn’t gourmet cuisine, but it was a pretty damn nice vacation. His meals weren’t constantly interrupted. He wasn’t going from one meeting to the next without even a moment to breathe in between. He didn’t have to analyze everything he said or did. Hell, he could actually relax, because no one was filming his body language! Ruppert didn’t give a damn if Kasim slouched and the cats only cared if he didn’t settle down quickly at night.