that he had not heard her words. He was staring at nothing but he was thinking, she could actually see his mind replaying images of the past hour. “Leave it alone Kalim please.”
“Mine.” He blinked and his gaze focused on her pale face. “That’s it isn’t it?” He laughed and her temper climbed a notch. “Why am I asking when I know the answer?” He cupped her face in his hands. “Mine,” he repeated and the possessiveness in his voice made her grind her teeth together. “From the moment we met you have been mine and you always will be mine.”
Oh the sheer arrogance of the man, she seethed. “I’m not your possession.” She was tempted to stamp her foot. “I came here to get help for my---“ She broke off. An unknown instinct was telling her not to say the word brother and she continued, “---for my friend. He was working in your country and he’s in a spot of bother.”
“A man!” He released her so abruptly she stumbled. “You came to ask me for help for another man?” His tone suggested she had completely lost her common sense. “Who in the hell is this man?” Fury darkened his eyes until they were almost black. “My successor?”
For a moment Shannon thought she had gone too far with her mention of another man. Her eyes widened in shock and alarm when he half raised his hand as if to slap her face, and she quickly took a step backward aware that he had noticed her involuntary movement away from him.
“Damn you.” He cursed as his hand continued rising to rub the back of his neck. “I’ve never hit a woman in my life.”
“Well I’m glad you decided not to start with me,” she whispered in a shaky voice.
“Who is this man?” he demanded savagely.
Shannon sucked down a deep breath, sent up a silent prayer and told him why she had wanted to see him today.
“His name is Tom Bennett. He’s been arrested in Rentanof for stealing one of your horses.” She was unaware that her fingers curled around his arms as she pleaded. “He didn’t steal your horse Kalim. I know him. He’s not a thief. He really did find it like he said he did.”
“Bennett?” For several moments he stared off into space deep in thought then returned his gaze to her beseeching eyes. “The oil technician who worked for Amono Oil?”
“Yes.” Shannon nodded her head eagerly a tiny flicker of hope growing in her heart. “He found one of your stallions wandering near an oasis where he was working but when he tried to return it he was arrested and charged with stealing it.” Her hands tightened on his arms until her nails were biting into his flash but neither of them noticed it. “I know he didn’t steal it that he found it just like he said he did.”
A disbelieving laugh erupted from his throat. “That’s utter rubbish Shannon. It could not have escaped on its own. It would have had to jump a dutch door in the stable, open the stable door and then jump a twenty foot high brick wall, and do it all without being seen by dozens of people working in the area.”
“I don’t care if it had to fly out of there like Pegasus.” Her voice throbbed with frustration. “All I care about is the fact that it did escape and Tom found it.”
Kalim was watching her very closely with a wary caution. “Assuming what you say is true, what do you expect me to do about it? He’s had his day in court. It is nothing to do with me.”
A tiny flicker of hope fluttered into life in her heart, and she quickly dampened it down. “It’s everything to do with you. Can’t you use your influence to have him released?”
He sucked down a shocked breath. “I can’t interfere in the working of the courts.”
“Rubbish. You’re Kalim Ben Rachid you can do whatever you please in Bashram.” An idea suddenly occurred to her. “You can tell them you loaned him the horse.”
Deep contempt flared in his eyes. “You have it all worked out don’t you?”
“No.” Her head was pounding. “I just thought of that now.”
“Why are you concerned about Tom Bennett,” he asked suspiciously. “What is he to you?”
“My relationship to Tom isn’t important.” Her hands tightened on his arms her nails digging into his flash breaking the skin. “I tried to go through all the proper channels and got exactly nowhere. Then when I read in the newspaper that you were in town I knew I had one last chance to save his life.”
“Is he your lover?” There was so much malice in his tone, she released his arms and took a hurried step backward. His voice sank to a violent whisper. “Is he?”
‘No,” she answered honestly, incensed when she realized he did not believe her. He took a menacing step toward her and cupped her chin in his palm. “You’re hurting me.”
“I’d like to kill you.” With a savage thrust he flung her head away from him as if the touch of her flesh disgusted him and raked his hands through his hair. “You expect me to help your lover?”
“I expect you to help Tom,” she answered, aware that Kalim was ignorant of the subtle difference. She had told him honestly that Tom was not her lover, if he chose to believe otherwise then that was just too damn bad.
His green eyes glittered with a barely controlled rage. “He can rot in jail forever for all of mine.”
Tear sprang into her eyes. “Please Kalim for me.” She knew she was begging but she would get down on her knees to him if that was what it took to get his help. She would do anything to save her big brother.
He had only been sixteen years of age when their parents had been killed in a car accident and they had been sent to live with an aging maiden aunt who was incapable of raising two children. So Tom had quit school and found a menial job to look after his eleven year old sister. He had continued his education at night eventually obtaining three university degrees while providing her with a warm stable and loving home during the day.
Kalim turned on his heel and strode over to the window but his eyes did not see the view.
He stood there with his back to her for so long Shannon began to wonder if he had washed his hands of the whole affair and was waiting for her to leave and she did not know whether to leave or to stay.
After five minutes crawled slowly by without so much as a twitch from him she decided she would leave but as she turned toward the bedroom to fetch her clothes he swung around and walked across the room to halt in front of her.
He stared at her speculatively then asked. “Do you know what the penalty is for horse stealing in Bashram? Especially one of my horses?”
A violent shudder shook her slim frame and she nodded her head. “The people at foreign affairs told me. That’s why I have to save him. I can’t let him be hanged for something he didn’t do.”
“What are you prepared to do to secure his freedom?”
Her heart jumped into her throat. She sensed danger. His stance, his expression even his seemingly innocent question all reminded her of a big cat silently stalking its prey and she was most decidedly the prey.
“How important is he to you Shannon?” His silky tone screamed danger to her. “Will you do anything to save his life?”
