Page 8 of Her Irresistible Sheik
A new figure stepped into the room—Mark Stint, the security director.His expression was grim, his hands tight around a laptop as if it were a loaded weapon.
“I think it’s because of this, Your Highness,” he announced, setting the laptop on the table with a mutedclunk.One keystroke later, a photo filled the screen.
The golden puppy was the first thing everyone noticed—its fur practically glowing in the late afternoon light.It sat in the middle of a dingy Parisian alley, tongue out, all softness and innocence.
But then the eyes shifted to the background.
Two men.One of them blurred.The other crystal clear.
“This man,” Mark said, pointing, “is the assassin known as “Clyde”.He’s wanted in over a dozen countries.No one’s ever captured a clear image of him.Until now.”
He paused, letting the weight of that sentence settle.
“This photo went viral several days ago—Princess Nahla’s work.She uploaded it to promote the adoption of the puppy.Unfortunately,” Mark tapped the image again, “Clyde is carrying a box marked with Cambodian symbols.We translated them.It saysexplosives.”
Tasha inhaled sharply, burying her face into Khal’s chest as the realization hit.
“Twenty-four hours after this image was taken,” Mark continued, “two Vietnamese generals were killed in a targeted car bombing.No trace of the bomber.Same MO.We’re confident this is Clyde.”
Khal wrapped both arms around his wife now, holding her tighter.“That’s the puppy I told you about,” he said quietly, as if the connection gave the moment more weight.“Nahla spotted him near the restaurant.Ran into traffic to get the shot.”
The proud ache in his voice gave way to a new surge of dread.
Tasha let out a sound that was half sob, half breath.Her fingers curled into Khal’s lapel.
“Where is this guy now?”Zayn asked, his voice low and steady despite the tension in his clenched jaw.His eyes didn’t leave the laptop screen, even as Griffin sighed sleepily, secure in his father’s strong arms.
Mark exhaled.“We have footage of him escaping through a service corridor.Last visual was four minutes ago.”
Zayn's head jerked up.“Four minutes?Can’t you send a team after him?”
“I did, Your Highness.But with his training?”Mark said, grim.“He could be halfway to the airport.Or already gone.This guy doesn’t linger.”
Silence fell across the room like a curtain.
Khal looked at his wife, then at Zayn, then back at the screen.The image of the puppy—so innocent, so perfectly timed—sat frozen beside a walking ghost, a man of death caught by accident in the lens of a woman who had no idea what she’d captured.
And now she was a target.
Chapter 5
Nahla stepped into the family salon and...stopped cold.
The door eased shut behind her with a soft click, but the silence in the room feltloud.Her heels clicked lightly on the polished floor as she scanned the room—and froze again when she saw who was present.
Her father stood near the sofa, arms crossed, his jaw clenched.Zayn, her brother, leaned against the mantle, his usual easygoing expression replaced with unreadable tension.Beside him stood Uncle Joran and Uncle Raj, both radiating the stiff posture of men ready for confrontation.
And then—Laith, Rafi, and Saif.
Her three cousins stood like sentries.Laith and Rafi, the identical twins who lived here in the palace with their wives and kids, had always seemed a little intense to Nahla—especially before they'd married Andi and Carys.She didn’t know them well, but she’d always known they’d protect her in a heartbeat.They weren’t smiling now.Their arms were folded, and both wore looks of grim resolve.
And Saif?
Her stomach dropped.
She, Saif, Rylan, and Ramzi had grown up like a pack of wild puppies—always in trouble, always laughing.Saif had always been the dependable one, the “quiet fixer” when she and Rylan got in too deep.
But today, his face looked carved from stone.His brows were drawn low over dark eyes that flicked across her like he was cataloging potential injuries.When their eyes met, his expression softened—but only slightly.
