Page 7 of Awaken the Dragon
It should have been here by now.
Shola had taken every shred of clothing out of the two suitcases. They were now tossed across the bed and floor and wherever else they managed to land. Who cared about the handmade frocks or store-bought slacks and blouses? She needed the box.
But it wasn’t here.
Frustration was a foreign emotion and yet she knew for certain that was the cause of the adrenaline pumping through her veins. Plopping down on the bed, she gave in and sighed. She’d completed the shipping forms herself because she hadn’t trusted anyone else to do it. Nor had she trusted the airline to not remove it or tamper with it if she’d included it in her suitcase. This was her task. Her destiny.
Not that she’d asked for any of it.
Dropping her head, she let her shoulders slump. This was all happening so fast. One minute she was going about her daily routine of teaching for several hours a day and training more hours at night, and the next this man had appeared in their village graduating her from trainee to appointee and opening the door to events that were preordained before she’d taken her first breath.
“It is agreed.” Her father had spoken sternly as they stood in the living area of their home nestled deep in the brush.
Warrick Camden had simply nodded.
He was tall, dark and handsome. That was supposed to be a good thing, except the tall had him soaring over her five-foot-seven stature, placing him at six feet two or three inches easily. With a dark complexion, bald head and graying goatee, he appeared to be a sophisticated Westerner dressed in a steel-gray suit with matching shoes and tie. He did not appear overly muscular, but there was an undeniable strength to the way he’d walked and now stood amidst her people.
“Shola will travel to the Western World and live as his wife,” Joku had continued.
Ejaita looked worried because despite knowing her husband had made an arrangement for Shola’s marriage, she’d still held out hope that somehow Shola would marry for love. But she had remained quiet.
Shola stood silently as well. She knew her destiny would serve a greater purpose and had been prepared, somewhat. There really was no way to prepare for something like this.
“You will do just fine,” Warrick said to her when he’d come to stand just inches from where she stood.
Her gaze had shifted to her mother who stood with hands clasped behind her back and nodded. That reaction was expected and she bowed her head slightly and replied, “You will also.”
That was her acceptance of a marriage that would never be.
Now, months after that day, she was another step closer to the wedding ceremony. It would take place two weeks from now here in this city called Burgess.
She had fourteen days to become a warrior.
But she needed that box.
“Shola?”
He knocked lightly on the bedroom door. She jumped off the bed—either because she hadn’t expected him to return or because she may have liked the sound of her name in his voice. She wasn’t sure which, but she grabbed the clothes from the floor and tossed them back into the suitcase before moving toward the door. Another glance over her shoulder showed the room truly was a mess, so she only cracked the door open. He did not need to think she was a slob.
“Yes?”
His glasses were gone and a fluttery feeling filled her stomach as she got her first glimpse of his full face. It was an amazing face with a squared jaw and low-cut beard. He had also removed his jacket so his shoulders now looked even wider, arms bulging with muscle in the fitted black shirt. A pleasant sight overall, if she were looking for such a thing, which she was not.
“I’ve checked the perimeter and it’s all clear. I’m going to sleep out here on the couch and in the morning my senior agent will take over.”
Still adjusting to the look of him, she had to swallow again before speaking. “You will not be my guard, Theo?” His name felt odd on her tongue and echoed in her head as if she would need to dedicate it to memory.
“No. I own the security company so I had to fill in for my other agent tonight. But you’ll be in good hands with Magnum.”
A few seconds ticked by before she realized she was staring at his mouth. The way his lips moved as he spoke, the light brown hair over his top lip and around his jaw. His face was intriguing. And she was doing way too much, he was just another man.
“Thank you for your assistance.” That seemed like the right thing to say.
“Is everything alright?”
Now he was staring at her. Did he also find her face intriguing? A trickle of pleasure slid down her spine as part of her thought that might be nice.
“I am fine.”
