The Sheikh’s Secret Son (Sharjah Sheikhs Book 3) Read online

  The soldiers shoved at Zaid and Rebecca to get them to move toward the exit. Zaid shoved back at the nearest soldier who happily pressed a gun to his back. He waited, knowing that when the time came, he would easily be able to speak out against the accusations against him.

  Rebecca looked at him. “Say something,” she said. “You know he’s wrong.”

  He fought off the hands on his shoulders and moved out of the tight circle the soldiers had created around them. Alacabak turned to stare at him. The soldiers standing behind the madmen pulled their weapons and aimed them at Sheikh Zaid. The room let out a collective gasp.

  He stood for what felt like forever, his gaze locked on his father’s most trusted advisor, the single man closer to the Sultan than any of his sons. The madman’s dark eyes bore deeply into his, empty of anything except hatred and greed. They were the deepest black. They tried to pull him in but he would not be moved.

  15

  Adrenaline surged through him as he faced Alacabak. While he never liked the man, he had never suspected the lengths he would go to disrupt the realm, as the final pieces of the puzzle he’d been contemplating fit in place.

  “Father,” he began, “arrest this man. He is a traitor, a thief, and a terrorist,” he said calmly.

  “I’m sorry?” the Sultan asked.

  “Have you gone mad, boy?” Alacabak spit his words at Zaid.

  “Father,” Zaid continued, “I have proof that the terror attack was orchestrated by your chief advisor, Alacabak Noozu.”

  “What?!” The Sultan’s voice boomed.

  “In fact, Noozu has been funding this terror organization with money he has been funneling out of programs intended to revitalize areas like Rajak and Timina,” Zaid continued. “At the same time, he has been funneling money out of various programs and depositing it in personal offshore accounts to avoid detection.”

  “Is this true, Alacabak?” the Sultan demanded.

  “What, are you really going to take the word of a playboy Sheikh with a bastard child by one of his American concubines?”

  “I’ll take that as a yes,” the Sultan said.

  “Father,” Zaid continued, “I’ve collected documentation that will show Noozu has been stealing money for several years now. Some of which he has funneled into a terror organization he cleverly labeled a private security group so that no one would notice. A larger portion he transferred to a private bank account that he keeps in his wife’s name.”

  Turning to look at Alacabak, “Didn’t think I’d realize you used your wife’s maiden name, did you?” As the older man hissed at him, Zaid continued relaying the information he had. “It’s my suspicion that he had plans to overthrow the Emirate government while specifically targeting all American targets here in the Emirate of Sharjah in order to make you look bad. I’m of the belief that if he managed to remove all foreign investors, our people will call for a vote of no confidence in you, father.”

  The Sultan was standing now, fuming. “Arrest this man,” he bellowed through the ballroom.

  Alacabak bolted, running for the door. The soldiers who had followed him in were now approaching him to detain him for the Sultan.

  “Alacabak Noozu, in accordance with the law, you will be brought up on charges of terrorism, conspiracy to commit terrorism, money laundering, and anything else the prosecutor sees fit to add after reviewing the facts in your case. For now, these soldiers will remove you from the palace, and you will be remanded into custody until your trial. I can’t believe I trusted you for so long. There is no telling how much you have stolen from our people, but this is just the beginning of the full, formal investigation I will launch into your actions,” the Sultan told him, his voice full of fury.

  As Alacabak was escorted from the ballroom, Zaid continued his speech.

  “Father, I do have more to say,” Zaid started. Gesturing to Rebecca to come forward, he turned to the other side of the room and gestured to someone else. Rebecca watched as Amy walked toward them holding Calum’s hand.

  Holding his hands out, Zaid turned back to his father holding both Rebecca’s and Calum’s hands.

  “Father, I would like you to meet your grandson, Calum. Calum, this is your grandfather.”

  Calum waved his hand as he gave the Sultan a shy “hi” before hiding his head behind Zaid’s leg.

  Any anger the Sultan may have felt seemed to evaporate instantly as he walked toward Calum. Bending down to his eye level, he waited for Calum to acknowledge him before holding his hand out to shake his hand.

  “It’s very nice to meet you, young man,” he told him solemnly, as Calum smiled.

  Tightening his hand on Rebecca, he pulled her in front of him. “Father, this is Rebecca Reid, my fiancée.”

  “Ah, the terrorist,” the Sultan responded, shaking her hand.

  Sighing loudly, “No, father. Her parents were activists who made the mistake of bringing their daughters to parts of the world they didn’t belong and sometimes the measures they went to could be deemed dangerous, which is why both sisters,” he paused, gesturing to Amy, who waved at the Sultan, “were sent to live with an aunt. Rebecca is a humanitarian who often speaks her mind without first thinking about the consequences.”

  At both Rebecca’s and Amy’s shocked looks, Zaid shrugged. “What? Did you think after all the hints you dropped, I wouldn’t have you investigated?”

  The Sultan began to laugh, as he looked from one to the other. He still hadn’t released Rebecca’s hand and she gently tried to pull her hand away but he took it in both hands, instead.

  “Do you love my son, Ms. Reid?”

  “With all my heart, sir,” she answered him, tears starting to shimmer on her eyes again.

  “And you, Zaid? You love this woman?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Taking Rebecca’s hand, the Sultan placed it in Zaid’s. Placing his hands on their shoulders, he stepped closer and kissed first Rebecca and then Zaid.

  “Then, you have my blessing.”

  Calum, who had been watching all this, made an “Eww” sound, which made the Sultan laugh again.

  Leaning down, he scooped Calum up in his arms and hugged him. “My grandson doesn’t seem to like kissing,” he announced to the room as laughter was heard throughout.

  “Now, if there’s nothing else?” the Sultan asked.

  “Father. If I may, I’d like to address our guests.”

  “Feel free,” the Sultan told him.

  “I apologize for tonight’s spectacle,” Zaid began. “My fiancée, Rebecca Reid, was the envoy appointed to accompany the delegates with the diplomatic touring party visiting Sharjah. She exposed the poverty in Rajak and Timina to me, and she helped me to see the government forces behind the continued cycle of poverty that persisted despite our best efforts to fund revitalization programs and bring new jobs into the region. But, instead of investigating the problems and trying to correct the root issues, we’ve continued blindly throwing more money into these communities only to have it stolen right from under our noses.”

  He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts before continuing.

  “What I’m saying is that by working with Rebecca to figure out the real problems in our poorer communities, I have realized that the only way to solve them is to stop hiding them and actually address them. With Rebecca’s help, I will continue the work we have started here. There is no legitimate reason why every person in the Emirate can’t be successful.”

  He felt a surge of pride as the guests at the ball applauded him. He laughed to himself because he had done exactly what his brothers before him had. He had taken one event and repurposed it for something entirely different, turning Jazia Ball into a campaign to save all the peoples of Sharjah.

  He grabbed Rebecca and pulled her to him, embracing her in his arms as he planted his lips on hers in a long, slow, sensual kiss.

  As the DJ turned the music back up, Zaid heard his father call out, “Ladies and gentlemen, it looks like we’
re going to have a wedding.”

  Epilogue

  The ballroom was decorated in green and gold, Rebecca’s favorite colors. Even the carpet had been changed for the wedding from the usual deep red to the deep green Rebecca had chosen. The round tables were covered in green tablecloths with gold trim, and every seat was taken. This wedding was special since Zaid was the last of the Sultan’s sons to marry.

  In the back of the room, where the procession started down the aisle, Zaid and Rebecca stood like the topper on their own wedding cake. The wedding party walked in front of them, from the wings to the center, and down the aisle toward the front.

  Ahmed and Melanie crossed from either side to join in the middle and walk down the aisle together, followed by Khalid and Casey. Lastly, Calum and Amy met in the middle and walked down as best man and maid of honor.

  The groomsmen, including Calum, all wore traditional white gowns with the black robes over their shoulders like the Sultan wore. The bridesmaids wore plain green floor-length dresses. Their heads were uncovered, which was unconventional, but there wasn’t much about Zaid and Rebecca’s marriage that was going to be traditional or conventional.

  In front of the podium stood both an officiant and a priest, waiting for the bride and groom to start their slow walk down the aisle together. Their arms were twined together, as they smiled at their guests. Zaid wore a white gown with his black and gold robe over his shoulders.

  Rebecca’s emerald green dress was decorated with ornate gold embroidery. Her auburn hair was hidden behind a headpiece that covered her head but kept her face uncovered, at Zaid’s request.

  They reached the front of the aisle and stood at the podium hand in hand. Looking down at their hands, he squeezed hers, as she smiled at him. From the moment she had said yes, Zaid was sure his heart was that much lighter as he looked at the love shining in her eyes.

  It was the beginning of their new life, and, honestly, for Zaid it felt like they were picking up where they’d left off five years ago, where they never should have left off.

  As he stood there staring into his bride’s beautiful eyes, he couldn’t help but wonder how things would have gone if he hadn’t been the Sheikh of Sharjah. Would they still be getting married? Would they have ever found each other again?

  He knew that no matter what, he loved her, and he would have loved her no matter their circumstances. But still, he couldn’t help but ask himself what their future would have looked like had he been just a normal man instead of a Sheikh.

  She smiled at him as the ceremony began, and he knew that none of his questions or doubts meant anything in front of her. This was their life, and they were going to make the most of it. Together.

  They recited their vows and exchanged rings, signifying their commitment to each other. Zaid looked back at Calum at one point and winked at his son.

  Then, the time came. They both answered, “I do,” and they were introduced to their guests as Sheikh Zaid Al-Qasimi and Rebecca Reid Al-Qasimi, choosing to keep her last name since Calum was still a Reid as well.

  Then, Zaid wrapped an arm about the petite waist of his bride and pulled her to him.

  After the kiss, the ballroom erupted as their guests celebrated and cheered for their union. Her new father-in-law sat on his large throne-like chair and clapped for the newlyweds. They stepped down from the dais to join their guests on the floor of the ballroom.

  Rebecca found herself surrounded by her new family, a close-knit group that looked after each other and took care of one another unlike anything she’d ever seen before. It was a big family, and she’d always wanted a big family. Maybe not wanted, but she’d dreamed about it.

  Rebecca had grown up with her little sister, Amy, and her parents, who had always been so absorbed with their work that it was as if they were never around. She hadn’t even reached out to them to tell them about the marriage. She didn’t want them to know that she was marrying into a wealthy, powerful family. If they had known that she was the wife of a Sheikh, they would have immediately peppered her with requests for this cause or that one.

  Instead, she spent the evening with her new husband and family.

  “You looked so beautiful up there,” Casey shouted over the music as the girls were dancing after the wedding.

  “It’s like having a new sister,” Melanie told her.

  “Two new sisters,” Casey corrected her, throwing an arm around Amy’s neck.

  There weren’t many other people at the wedding who Rebecca knew, so as her husband celebrated with his brothers and other male members of the family, she stuck by her new sisters.

  There were still so many things to do now that she was married. There was a whole new life ahead of her, and she had to finish sloughing off her old life so that she could move forward, but she knew that her new family would help her where she needed them to.

  In the meantime, she danced and celebrated the best new beginning she could have imagined. She celebrated finding true love and an opportunity to fight the good fight all rolled into one.

  In a place like Sharjah, a place experiencing so much rapid growth, she knew she would be able to do a lot of good as wife to one of the Sheikhs. She knew that just as she had shown the royal family what was going on in the streets of the Emirate, she would be able to show the citizens of the Emirate how hard the royal family tried to work for them. She looked forward to all the good they were going to do together, all the love they would share, and to watching their son grow into a man under the watchful, caring eyes of their wonderful family.

  It was her dream job, her dream wedding, her dream family, and a dream come true for Rebecca to have married Sheikh Zaid Al-Qasimi.

  As the night ended, they found themselves back on the rooftop terrace again. So many nights had found them under the stars already, and that seemed to be the theme for them. Zaid stood with Rebecca in his arms, just as he had so many years ago on the balcony behind her hotel room.

  “Do you remember this from the first time?” he asked her.

  “I do, but I like it this time so much better,” she answered him. “Do you know why?”

  Zaid grinned in the dark. “No. Why?”

  She nestled herself up against him. “Because now it doesn’t have to end,” she told him and rested her head on his chest.

  She was right. It didn’t have to stop this time. Nothing was going to pull them away from each other this time. There were no other responsibilities that would come between them ever again. There were no strange career attachments that would pull them apart.

  They were together now, and it was legitimate this time. They weren’t sneaking off in between meetings for quick trysts in public places. They weren’t sneaking into each other’s rooms at night when no one else was looking. None of that had to happen anymore.

  And there would be no more mornings that would find one of them waking up alone because the other had to flee what they’d done the night before.

  “It doesn’t have to stop ever,” Zaid repeated. “I have you now, and I will always have you.”

  “Yes,” she agreed. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted for us, the opportunity to be together for real instead of finding ways to live out snippets of a fantasy that could have gotten both of us in trouble.”

  Zaid laughed. “That’s ironic, don’t you think? When this started, it was a major conflict of interest. Neither one of our jobs would have worked out if people found out at the wrong time that we had been sleeping together.”

  “But now that we’re married,” she added, “none of that even matters anymore. It’s like we retroactively legitimized everything we ever did together.”

  “Exactly,” he agreed, holding her tight.

  After a few minutes of silence under the vast starry sky, he asked her, “Are you ready?”

  “I’ve been ready since the first time I saw you,” she answered.

  “I have been, too,” he agreed. “I have been, too.”

  She looked up at him, and
the starlight sparkled in her eyes. “Then, that settles it,” she said.

  She put a hand around the back of his neck and pulled him down to kiss her. Their lips touched as softly as they had that night on the balcony so many years ago, when they had known that no matter what they promised each other, that last kiss was the last kiss.

  Though they’d kissed hundreds, perhaps thousands, of times since, tonight’s kiss felt more like the first kiss, the kiss before all of the others, the sweetest one.

  Once again, under the dark, starry sky with the moon shining down on the water in the bay behind the palace, they stared deep into each other’s eyes, neither one wanting to look away first, neither one wanting to let go.

  “This couldn’t have all been just a dream,” he said to her.

  “No, it wasn’t,” she echoed.

  “The only way to find out is if one of us lets go, and it doesn’t end,” he suggested.

  “Then, let go,” she challenged.

  Zaid smiled. “Rebecca, I am never going to let go of you again.”

  “That works for me.”

  And they kissed again, their lips pressing together in a long, loving embrace. They didn’t let go, but not because they were afraid it was a dream. They didn’t let go because they wanted the night to last forever this time.

  End of The Sheikh’s Secret Son

  The Sharjah Sheikhs Series

  Book Three

  PLUS: Do you like your Sheikhs with a bit of… snow? Second chance love, adorable puppies, a sexy Sheikh, sassy women, a 3-legged goat (called Tripod)... and a baby? This Christmas romance is perfect to warm your heart on cold winter nights! Read an exclusive excerpt from Leslie North’s bestselling novel The Sheikh’s Christmas Baby!

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