The Sheikh's Crown (Sheikh's Wedding Bet Series Book 2) (4 page)

“I hope you’re right. Call me back as soon as you’re there,” Bruce said tightly before hanging up. Adil took a deep breath to settle his temper. That man pushed his buttons.

Grabbing a t-shirt, he tossed it over his head and stretched it over his chest. He wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible and didn’t dare bring his guards with him, since they actually worked for his father. So, he left word with the guards to let Samine know that he’d stepped out, he left the hotel and whistled for a taxi. It was only a ten-minute drive to the warehouse. Paying the driver, he told him to wait, as he walked toward the building.

He didn’t see anyone around and was annoyed that the door was locked. Jiggling the handle, he peered into the window to see a security guard sitting behind the counter. Rapping on the window, he watched him get reluctantly to his feet and walk to the door.

Opening the door, the guard growled at him, “You have no authority to be here.”

“I’m Sheikh Adil Khalidizack. Check your records,” he barked at him as he pulled out his identification. “You’re housing crates that belong to me, and I need to check them.” Adil waited impatiently while the guard took his ID and returned to his place behind the counter to check the computer. Since he left the door open, Adil followed him inside and waited impatiently while he tapped away on the keyboard.

“I apologize, sir,” the guard said, handing his ID back as he unlocked the door to the storage area. “Please take your time.”

Adil stepped into the dimly lit warehouse. In the distance, he heard the sound of wood splintering. In a panic, he surged forward. When he found the source of the sound, he couldn’t believe his eyes.

“Samine?” he asked incredulous.

She held a crowbar up as a weapon and whirled around to face him. She had changed into a pair of dark jeans and matching blouse. Her chest heaved as she looked at him, and she was covered in dirt and sweat. Based on the broken crates around her, she’d been busy.

“You’re a fucking thief,” he growled. “Was this your plan all along? Seduce me and distract me so you could steal the collection?”

Samine swung the crowbar up to rest it on her shoulder. “Take a look around, Adil. I can’t be a thief if there is nothing here to steal.”

He frowned and shook his head. “I don’t understand. You’ve had ample time to steal from us. Why would you wait until it was shipped to the warehouse? That doesn’t seem like a smart plan.”

“Look around you, Adil,” she snapped. “There is nothing here. All the crates were switched. Someone stole from you before I could get to it.”

Her words penetrated his disbelief, and he looked around. Sure enough, all the crates she’d busted open were empty. Nothing but packing material spilled on the ground. “I don’t understand,” he muttered. “How could this happen?” He put his hands on his head and turned around in a circle. “It’s all gone. Jaymin is going to kill me.”

She dropped the crowbar and shook her head in a panic. “Adil, you can’t tell your family about this.”

“Why do you care?” He looked at her coldly. “You don’t have anything to lose except money. I’m sure you can find something else to steal from the Louvre and still walk away from Paris with a pretty penny.”

“You don’t know anything about me,” she hissed at him. “But I do know something about that collection. Bruce no doubt had it insured. If you tell them about the theft, they’ll simply write it off and collect the money.”

“That’s normally a good thing.” Adil frowned. “But more than that, my family will cut me off. I was tasked to do one thing, and I couldn’t even do that.”

“Great,” Samine said with a smile.

“Of course you’d be happy about that,” he said wearily.

“I don’t care if you’re cut off or not. I just need you to be motivated. Adil, we can find the collection. I can help you. The family never has to know that it was gone.”

“And in return?”

“Well, I’ll let you know what I need in return when the time comes. What do you say?”

Adil sneered at her. “You’re going to use your skills as a thief to find my collection?”

She put her hands on her hips and stared at him. “I have more contacts all over the world than you have ex-lovers. If you want to find that collection quickly, you’ll need my help.”

He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. The responsible thing to do was call his family and tell them the truth, but that would mean failure. That would mean calling Jaymin’s bluff.

And he had a feeling his oldest brother wasn’t joking.

On the other hand, if he didn’t call his family, he would have to find that collection, and that meant trusting Samine. But as he looked at her now, he realized that this wasn’t the elegant woman from the wedding. This wasn’t the excited woman who helped catalogue the artifacts. This wasn’t the impressed woman who had kissed him breathless just hours ago on the river.

He had no idea who she was. And he was putting his future in her hands. A thief’s hands.

But if there was one thing he did know he could do, it was handle a woman. “I can only delay Bruce and the museum for so long. We need to find it quickly,” he said finally.

A wicked smile crossed her face. “Then we’d better get started.”

A
dil eyed
Samine pacing his bedroom while he spoke with Bruce. “I’m telling you, Summers. I saw the collection. It’s fine, but I’m implementing some strong security measures just in case. It’ll take a couple more days before it gets to the Louvre, but everything is fine. And if the mess up in the manifesto was for an impending theft, we’ll be ready for them.”

“Did you call the museum?” Bruce asked. They’d been arguing for a few minutes now, and Adil could tell that the man didn’t believe him.

“I did, and they understand. They’re also doing another sweep of their security just to be sure.” That part was true. So far, everyone believed Adil with the exception of Bruce.

“Fine,” Bruce said. “Keep me updated.” He hung up, and for the second time that night, Adil wanted to reach through the phone and strangle the man. He worked for Adil. He shouldn’t be hanging up on him.

“I just bought us a few days. Work your magic and find my collection,” Adil growled as he turned to face Samine. “And in the meantime, you’re going to explain just who you are and what you want.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re just pissed because you couldn’t seduce me. Stow the anger, Adil. We don’t have time for it. We can’t do anything tonight. Get some sleep. We’ll start first thing in the morning.”

In a few steps, he crossed the floor and grabbed her arm. “Where do you think you’re going?” he hissed.

She pulled at her arm, but he didn’t let her go. “I’m going to my room,” she said coldly. “Where do you think I’m going?”

“Not tonight, Samine. You’re sleeping here.”

Her jaw dropped. “Seriously? After all this, you’re still going to try to get me in your bed?”

He chuckled dryly. “This isn’t about seduction. I don’t know anything about you, and I’m not about to let you out of my sight. Until that collection is safely under my supervision, you’re going to be right by my side.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she said as she stared at him. “I need you to get your collection back just as much as you do. I’m not going anywhere.”

“No, you’re not. And not because I want to whisper sweet nothings in your ear. Tonight, you’ll sleep with me so I can keep an eye on you. Tomorrow, we will go find my artifacts.”

Samine glared at him. “Fine,” she growled. “Can I at least change?”

He walked over to the dresser and pulled out a t-shirt. Tossing it at her, he gave her a smug smile and stripped down to his boxers. Crawling into bed, he turned his back to her. After a few minutes, he felt the bed dip as she climbed in next to him. Adil yearned to turn over and get a good look at her, but despite her betrayal, he knew that his body would get the best of him. Seeing her in his t-shirt might be more than he could handle, so he kept his back to her. Finally, he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

S
amine woke before Adil
. Glancing over her shoulder, she could see him sprawled out on his back with his hand tossed over his head. His bare chest moved up and down with each breath, and she wanted to reach out and kiss a trail over his bare skin.

Realizing this was a bad idea, she crawled carefully out of bed and slipped her dress from last night back on. Until he let her out of the room, that would have to do. She certainly wasn’t going to parade around the room in just his t-shirt, although it was nice to wear last night. His smell lingered in the fabric, which she made a point of inhaling before she stripped out of it.

She could have easily left his bedroom and returned to hers, but she was not going to give him a reason to be proven right about her. Okay, yes, she had intended to steal the necklace, but it didn’t happen.

Snagging her cellphone, she made her first call, but it proved to be a dead end. After three more tries, she finally found someone who could help.

“Samine. Long time. Let me guess. You need a favor,” a female voice crackled over the receiver.

Samine smirked. “Anna, last time I checked, you owed me a favor.”

“Fine. Fine. What do you need?”

“I need you to review all the cargo shipments that left Paris yesterday. We’re not talking small packages either. Thirty pieces of cargo that would have left by plane. Private companies.”

“That’s specific,” the woman grumbled, but there was clicking on the computer. “I got nothing.”

“Damn. There’s no way it went by port. Any chance you could check freight trains or moving companies?”

“Samine, do you know how many moving companies operate within Paris’ borders? You’re going to have to give me more than that.”

She tapped her finger on the dresser. “This is pretty priceless cargo. What are some of the companies in the area known for skimpy background checks and pricey services?”

Anna chuckled. “There’s only one. Give me a minute.” After a few more clicks of the keyboard, Anna was back on. “Here we go. Thirty crates were shipped to the Strasbourg airport.”

Samine smiled in excitement. “I guess the thief risked too much exposure in the Paris airport. Can you tell me where it’s going?”

“It landed in Venice around midnight.”

“Anna, I could kiss you. Consider your debt to me wiped clean.” Samine disconnected the call and grabbed a notepad. Venice. Was there a buyer for the collection in Venice, or was that just a stopping point?

“I take it you found something.”

Samine looked up to see Adil watching her carefully. “Your collection is in Venice, although I have no idea how long it will stay there. You watched them pack everything for the flight here, which means the swap had to take place once our plane landed. It was moved to the Strasbourg airport and landed in Venice around midnight.”

“You work fast,” Adil said slowly. “Now what?”

“Now we go to Venice and hope the collection isn’t bound for some other place. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I want to go get my things.”

“You need to tell me what you want.”

“All in good time,” she said softly. There was no way she was going to show all of her cards now. She was so close to getting what she wanted that she could practically taste victory. If she told Adil what she was after, he’d make sure she never got her hands on it. She needed another plan, and she needed it quickly.

“Not all in good time. Now,” he said as he threw back the blankets and stood. “We’re not leaving until you tell me what the hell is going on.”

Samine opened and closed her mouth as she looked at him. Even just out of bed, he looked good with his hair all mussed up from sleep. She was kidding herself; he looked fantastic standing there in nothing but boxers. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she reminded herself that she wasn’t going to let her growing attraction for him sway her.

“Adil, we don’t have time for this. Do you really think what I’m after is worth more than you getting cut off from your family?” He gave her a sharp look, and she chuckled. “Your brother will cut you off if he finds out the truth.”

His expression turned dark. “Who the hell are you?”

“Adil, if we miss out on Venice, I may not be able to track the next location. Now, let me go get my things.”

She made her way to the door, and he blocked her way. “If you’re telling the truth, then you don’t have the means to get to Venice without me. I’ve funded every portion of this trip so far.”

He wasn’t wrong. Just getting to his family had left her broke. “Then I guess you can trust that I’m not going to run. But if you get to Venice without me, and that collection isn’t there, how are you going to find it without me? More importantly, how’s your Italian?”

For a moment, they just stared at each other. Finally, he stepped aside. “We leave in twenty minutes,” he growled.

Samine quickly returned to her room to change and to grab her things. She wished she had time to shower, but didn’t want to risk raising his temper. She didn’t know why, but his disappointment was doing things to her that she really wanted to stop. She never anticipated having any sort of feelings for Adil and he was such a known womanizer, why should he feel hurt? Because he didn’t get his way? But she couldn’t help feeling a twinge of guilt that she had hurt him and now was not the time.

She was too close.

It didn’t take long for her to pack her stuff. As Adil had already pointed out, she hadn’t done much unpacking. Since she hadn’t planned on staying the night in Paris, she wouldn’t have packed anything at all except that she wanted a clean getaway. No need to go back to the hotel. Swipe the crown. Get the hell back to the States. Hope Adil didn’t track her down.

It was a shitty plan, but it was all she had. Now things were more complicated.

It gave her a small slice of satisfaction when Adil came down to the lobby and found her waiting for him. “Took you long enough,” she said cheekily.

“It’s funny. Yesterday you were eloquent and seductive. A woman of the world. Today it’s like you grew up in Brooklyn,” he muttered.

“Pittsburg. But close enough.”

“So the whole story about your family moving from Iran?”

“Truth. Mother was pregnant with me when they came to the United States. I’m a born and bred US citizen. I didn’t lie to you.”

He didn’t say anything else to her until the plane was off the ground, but he didn’t take his eyes off her. On the way to Paris, he had looked at her with lust and interest. Now he looked at her with disgust. It was nothing less than she deserved.

“We’ve got some time to kill,” he said softly. “Do you want to tell me why I should trust you?”

“Because you don’t have a choice,” she murmured as she glanced out the window. Everything looked like little tiny specks down below.

“And when it’s all over?”

She looked at him sharply. “When it’s over, you’re going to give me what I want to pay for my silence. You go back to your posh parties, and I go back to my life. We never have to see each other again.”

Adil leaned forward and shook his head. “See, here’s the thing, Samine. I have a feeling that what you want comes from my collection, and my family isn’t going to be pleased if something goes missing under my watch. I get cut off, and I no longer need your silence.”

She gave him a small smile. “Your family will never know that it’s gone. Trust me. Everything will be fine, Adil.” At least, so long as no one tried to authenticate the replacement.

“Maybe if you gave me a straight answer, I’d trust you.”

Her heart hurt, but she turned away from him. The whole mess was getting dirtier and dirtier. Samine stared out the window lost in thought and was surprised when she felt the tires hit the tarmac as they landed. Looking at her watch, she couldn't believe they’d been in the air for two hours. Where did the time go?

As the plane rolled to a stop, Adil looked at her expectantly. “Venice is a big place, Samine. I hope you’ve narrowed it down.”

Samine rolled her eyes. “While I was waiting for you, I did some checking. Several warehouses in Venice are large enough to house the collection, but the moving company has an intimate relationship with only one of them. I’m fairly certain we’ll find your things there.”

“Give me the address.”

“I don’t think so,” she said with a smile. “I’m not that dumb. You’re going to dump me here and retrieve the collection yourself. We’re going together.”

“Why?”

“Because I could have left you here, taken what I wanted, and left you high and dry. I’m trying to help you, Adil. Show me the same courtesy.”

With a sigh of frustration, he gestured to his men. “Fine. But when this is all over with, I do not ever want to see you again.”

“Fair enough,” she said sadly. Getaway. Not clean, but a getaway nonetheless.

The warehouse wasn’t far from the airport but the ride was tense, and it was only slightly relieved by the seeming lack of security. Leaving the guards out front and after some discussion with the warehouse manager who wanted nothing more than to avoid having law enforcement on the premises, they were granted access to the crates, which were neatly stacked and awaiting pick up.

With a smile on her face, Samine grabbed two crowbars and handed one to Adil.

“Shall we?” she asked excitedly. With a grunt, he nodded and they started at different ends and began prying the crates open. Samine felt as though she were on a treasure hunt as they opened crate after crate; sifting through the packing material to find all the missing collection items. Well, almost all of them.

Three pieces were missing.

Samine held her breath as the last crate was about to be opened when a sudden shout got their attention. Bruce Summers stood in the doorway with his mouth open. “You stole the collection!”

She froze. How the hell did he figure it out?

“Bruce,” Adil growled.

“This is your family’s collection. It’s not yours. You have wealth at your disposal. What could you possibly gain from taking it?”

This time, her jaw dropped. Bruce thought that Adil stole it?

Adil narrowed his eyes. “How did you know that we were here? I didn’t tell you where we were going. I didn’t even know.”

“I knew I couldn’t trust you. I’d already been to Paris before I called you. Imagine my surprise when I found the crates were empty. Since your plane filed a flight manifest, it was easy to track you to Venice. Adil, what on earth were you thinking? Jaymin wouldn’t have cut you off.”