Hiding in the Sheik's Arms - Introduction
Al-Sintra Family
Khal’s Story…
The startled glance was his only warning. Khal looked up from the head of the table where he was listening to one of his marketing directors explain her ideas for a new product launch.
Khal was just about to snap at the guard, ordering him out of the conference room, but the look of horror on the man’s features stopped him.
“What is it?” he demanded.
The guard stepped forward, opening his mouth to speak but the words didn’t come. “Your Highness,” he whispered, the two words nearly choking him. Then he did something very odd. He knelt down on one knee and bowed his head. “Your Highness,” he continued, “Your uncle and…,” he choked again, shook his head and started over. “They passed, Your Highness.”
Khal didn’t understand. “What’s wrong with my uncle, Gavin?” he demanded, his voice softening as he grasped that his guard was deeply affected. Whatever had happened to Khal’s uncle, it was bad. “Is he okay?”
Gavin shook his head. “No, Your Highness,” he asserted firmly.
Khal noticed other guards pouring into the room with their weapons drawn. Gavin sighed and stood up. He turned to the others in the room. “I apolologize, but I need to speak privately with Sheik Khal.”
The title was startling. In his country of Lativa, the title “Sheik” was used only for what other countries call their king or emperor.
There was a startled buzz but no one moved. Not immediately.
Gavin raised his voice. “Please exit the room immediately,” he replied, more assertively this time.
A fraction of a second later, the meeting participants gathered up their notebooks and laptops, heading for the door, spurred on by the armed guards behind them. Once the doors to the conference room were closed, with an armed guard on both the inside and the outside, Gavin turned to speak to Khal.
Khal noticed the man’s Adam’s apple bob up and down, but the guard lifted his head. “Your Highness, your uncle and his son were in a car accident approximately a half hour ago.” He paused, his eyes tearing up. Already tense, Khal’s stomach tightened with dread. His uncle was ruler of Lativa! And Khal’s cousin, a fun-loving, intelligent man that Khal and his brothers loved to joke around with…? They were…? Impossible!
“What are you saying?” Khal demanded, surprised by the scratchy note in his voice. He was standing, facing the man with clenched fists.
“They died, Your Highness,” Gavin continued and bowed his head. “We are here to escort you to the palace. You are needed to…,” he paused again, gained control, then lifted his head. “You are required to take over, Your Highness.”
Khal stared at the man, stunned. He was in charge? Of the entire damn country? He loved his country. Lativa was a beautiful, amazing country with a large, diverse population.
Then something else occurred to him. “My brothers?” he demanded. Joran was a daredevil that loved his position with the military. And Raj…he was a playboy that loved the ladies and was brilliant at investments. Joran was…probably in a jungle far away from Lativa at the moment. Raj, the youngest brother, was most likely in Chicago or New York, working on some multi-million dollar deal.
Khal looked around at the conference room. Coffee cups and pens littered the desk, items that his staff hadn’t had time to gather up before they’d been asked to leave. This was his company. He loved working with products, launching them out into the world and changing how people lived and worked. This had been his life for the past…ever since he was eighteen. He’d grown his company into an international powerhouse, but now…what was going to happen?
“Your Highness,” Gavin interrupted his thoughts.
Khal looked up, still trying to make sense of everything. That’s when it hit him. Lativa, his country and the people were going to be terrified! They needed a leader. Everyone needed to know that there was someone at the head of the government who was ready to take on all of the problems. Khal would need to be strong, to ensure that everyone remained confident that their government would protect them.
“Right,” Khal snapped, his mind reeling with details. He turned, knowing that his bodyguards would follow. As a prince of Lativa, he’d always been protected, but only by two guards. But immediately, the bodyguards surrounded him. This was different, Khal thought and stopped, looking around himself. But this…he would have to get used to this. He’d seen his uncle surrounded every moment of his life by guards and had thought that it would be miserable to have zero privacy.
Khal turned to look forward again and silently sighed. If his uncle and his cousin were truly gone, then this would be his life. Forever.
Tasha’s story…
She tried to hide her excitement. But as Tasha climbed the granite steps, walking into the Hart Senate Office Building, she could barely contain her awe and eagerness.
“Your Name?” a security guard demanded in a bored tone.
Tasha’s mood didn’t diminish. This guard had been here for a long time and probably hated the day when the interns showed up for their first day.
“Tasha O’Connor,” she stated proudly. “I’m assigned to Senator Nathan King.”
The man looked up from his computer, but his bored expression didn’t change. He merely typed in something, then handed her a badge. “Next!” he called out.
Tasha took the badge, hugging it to her chest as she made her way through the other interns. She headed straight for the elevators. She already knew which floor contained Senator King’s offices and she had a long list of ideas she wanted to pursue. Once she was established in the office and had earned the senator’s respect, Tasha knew that she could help Senator King change the world!
“Who’d you get?” a tall, lanky man asked.
Tasha glanced at him, trying to hide her excitement. “I’m working with Senator King this summer,” she told him, her voice almost a hushed whisper.
The guy’s eyes widened and he nodded his appreciation. “Congrats!” he replied.
Tasha tried to hide her smile, but was probably failing. Getting an internship with Senator King was like winning the lottery. Everyone wanted this internship but Tasha had won!
Several other interns, all of them eager and bright eyed with awe crowded around, waiting for the elevator. When the doors opened up, Tasha stepped in, but then found herself nearly crushed in the back as everyone tried to enter. Every new intern wanted to be the first to enter their assigned senator’s offices first, to prove that they were the most eager, hard working intern.
Floor numbers were called out and Tasha yelled, “Nine, please,” from the back. She squeezed in, wishing that more than half the people would just get off. This was…claustrophobic!
Five minute later, there were only two interns left in the elevator. Tasha and another woman. The other woman preened, eager to show dominance. Tasha nearly laughed, wondering why the woman thought that she was “all that”. They were both summer interns, but Tasha would be working for Senator King! No one could top that assignment!
“Good luck!” the woman sneered when the elevator doors opened up onto the ninth floor.
Tasha followed, refusing to let the horrible woman’s competitive nature diminish this moment. She’d worked hard to earn this internship. And now, she was going to change the world!
