Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 126823 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 634(@200wpm)___ 507(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126823 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 634(@200wpm)___ 507(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
Her mouth went dry. Clearly, whatever proof Rainier had, he didn’t want to share. That boded ill for her. It meant that whatever he found, it had involved her.
“Things make a little more sense now,” she admitted. “My mother’s personality is very different from mine. She’s extremely quiet and lives to please my father. She’s very devoted, nearly hero-worshiping him. My father keeps her wrapped in a loving cocoon. He loves my mother above all else. He would do anything to protect her, even getting word to an assassin to kill his own daughter to prevent his wife from suffering when he no longer believed his daughter could be rescued.” It was a guess, but one she was certain was the truth.
Rainier remained silent.
“It’s difficult for my mother to even look at me now, but when I’m away from their home, she becomes frantic over my safety. My father wants me to live on their estate in order to give her peace of mind. When anyone crosses him, he becomes very angry, and that’s putting it mildly. He’s used to getting his way. When it has anything to do with my mother, he rages until he fixes the problem.”
Rainier brought her hand to his mouth again, pressed kisses to her fingers and then sighed. “I understand Jack, Shabina. I don’t agree with the way he handles things, and I have no intention of allowing him to manipulate you into going back to his home just to please Yasemin, but I would do almost anything to protect you.”
Everything in her froze. She sat up very straight. Manipulate you. The words echoed through her mind. Another puzzle her mind would want to solve but she wanted nothing to do with. She was fairly certain her father had hired an assassin to kill her when she was in Scorpion’s camp to spare her mother more pain. To be fair, he had to believe he couldn’t get her back. But would he manipulate her now in some vile way, such as deliberately triggering a PTSD episode in order to force her home?
She studied Rainier’s profile. This was a man she trusted implicitly. She’d learned that trust in the worst of times. She knew she could count on him. He had her loyalty and her love. She knew he would protect her, but he wouldn’t be like her father. He would never hire an assassin to kill one of their children because his wife was upset. He would move heaven and earth to find their child—and so would she. That was where the “almost” came in.
Rainier was the type of man to expect her to learn how to use weapons, and he would teach their children to do the same. He would make their world as safe as possible but at the same time prepare them for every contingency. He wanted a partner, not someone to dance to his tune. Others didn’t see that in him, but she did. He was her safety net always, but he wanted her to be strong and free to do the things she loved most.
Rainier would shelter her in the worst of times if she needed him that way. She knew that was a large part of who he was. He was a leader. Decisive. He would be loyal and faithful. He would put his family first. He would expect her to be the same, although she knew if they had disagreements—and they would—he would listen to her arguments with an open mind, but ultimately, he would decide what course they would take if they still couldn’t agree.
She wasn’t going into their marriage blindly. Rainier didn’t hide who he was from her. He had shown her every side of himself, the good and bad. He admitted his flaws, and when he made a mistake, he owned it. He had no trouble apologizing to her if he thought he was in the wrong.
“Blom could arrange a meeting with Lefebre,” she suggested, wishing her voice didn’t shake. She couldn’t prevent that, but she had to make the offer even if it terrified her. “I’d know if it was him.”
“Absolutely not. You’re not to go anywhere near him. He has diplomatic immunity. He’d likely pull out a gun and shoot you just to spite your father.”
“If you really think Lefebre is Scorpion, then we should do everything we can to bring him to justice. He can’t continue killing people.”
“You don’t have to do anything but be safe, Shabina.” There was steel in his voice. “His government conducted an investigation when his two friends were found, but he acted shocked and horrified and appeared open with those investigating. There is still suspicion, but he’s very popular. Taking him down legally would be nearly impossible. I don’t want you anywhere near him.”
“How are you going to catch him, Rainier? I could positively identify him if he’s Scorpion.”