CHAPTER ONE

He walked down the hall with long powerful undaunted strides, six feet nine -almost seven, of hard masculine flesh, exuding confidence, a domineering aura and solid authority. His eyes were midnight black, like his shoulder length hair (it was made into a neat bun at the back of his head), like the man, like his soul, dark, black and mystique, terrifying. His long nose was pointed, challenging and his lips were full yet thin, utterly unsmiling. He was tall, commandeering, power lurking behind his impressive and intimidating height, a lethal power that he readily unleashed whenever the need arose, and a wickedly subduing authority it was.

He was completely clad in a black suit, a good comparison for his dark olive skin, tanned so by the hot desert sun. He stopped for a moment to check the time. It was some minutes to noon, his personal time. He had two hours after noon to himself each day, careful to relax during it to prevent overworking himself for his health was always shaky, imbalanced. He resumed working alongside his five man entourage, the fifth walking closely behind him. He was his aide, Taimur ibn Sadiq. The man had been his companion and best friend for so many years he would have problems counting the exact time frame. As they came to a halt in front of the huge mahogany door that was the entrance to the office, Taimur reached forward and opened it.

'Don't disturb me or be prepared to lose your faulty heads,' he commanded, dismissing them with a wave of his broad palm. He stepped through the entrance and was glad when Taimur closed the door behind him, leaving him to an empty office, void of any other life apart from his. He took off his suit jacket and dumped it across one of the plush beige sofa in his roomy office. He strode to the table upfront -his desk, and lowered himself into the dark brown revolving leather chair, sighing deeply, nearly contented with the peace and quiet. He leaned back in the chair, closed his eyes and wallowed in the blessed solitude. He stood up after a few minutes of sitting and headed to the wine bar adjacent to his left. He poured himself a glass of dry white wine and walked over to the balcony to enjoy the scenery alongside his drink. He took a sip of his drink after a long sigh of contentment. He enjoyed the cool breeze that height offered in Ivory Coast.

A sharp knock on the door made him sit up. Anger sparked to life in him at the disturbance. He turned towards the door and stared in that direction for a moment. He stubbornly refused to answer, turning away, ignoring the second knock and trying his best to not get annoyed. A third knock came and he knew without being told who dared to do so, disturb his peace sanctuary. It was none other than Taimur. He ground his teeth in vexation, whirling around with pure fury, ready to bark 'Go away!' when the door opened. What guts! What effrontery he had got! Typical of Taimur!

'My Prince,' he greeted with a smug grin, stepping through. That was offence number three.

'I have always wanted to know how you feel when you defy my orders,' he said to him, angry. Taimur said nothing in reply, smiling unafraid at him.

'My Lord Sheikh,' he said instead offering a very low apologetic bow, 'My sincerest apology for intruding on your recreational time.'

'What is it you seek?' he demanded through gritted teeth, his anger not yet pacified. 'It had better be worth losing your head for you know?' he stated furiously. Taimur's grin faded as his handsome face set into hard lines, unsmiling, business-like and serious.

'This came in just now sir. This is worth looking into My Lord Sheikh,' he informed him holding out a folded sheet of plain white paper out, towards him. The sheikh eyed him suspiciously, hoping it wasn't one of Taimur's plans before beckoning him over to the balcony. He came.

'What's this?' he asked him, studying the paper in Taimur's outstretched hands with his eyes for a long moment before reaching for it and taking it. 'This had better be worth it,' he told Taimur as he waved the paper in the air afore him, resisting the urge to snap at the man trying to suppress a grin. He walked back into his office, to his desk to be precise. Taimur followed him. He set his glass on the desk and turned his attention to the paper. He unfolded it slowly. He glanced at Taimur for a second or two before turning to the paper to read the words written across it. Shock, then anger overshadowed him as he read the three sentences written across the paper in English. His palms tightened on the paper.

'Is it important My Lord sheikh?' Taimur asked purposefully with raised brows. He ignored him, placing the paper on the desk with suppressed anger.

'What in hell's name is this damn shit?' he cursed. Taimur nearly laughed. His Sheikh never cursed in English unless he was really pissed, and he was now. It was the reason why he dared not laugh though he wanted badly to do so.

'Now, now, I'ld have no idea about that would I?' Taimur drawled in an attempt to mask his amusement.

'Who wrote this?' he demanded. 'Which fucking gold digging whore wrote this and expected me to believe?'

'It was a lady?' Taimur answered with raised brows. He walked up to Taimur, past him, to the door, ignoring the suit jacket he had earlier left lying on the sofa. 'Where are you going to My Lord Sheikh?'

'I shall see for myself,' he muttered loudly. Taimur got his suit jacket and followed him quickly to open the office door for him to pass through. They went out of the office and down the hall. 'Who delivered this?' he asked Taimur as they walked down the hall. The rest of his five man team joined him at the centre of the hall from all directions.

'It came from the police station,' Taimur answered him.

'Who wrote it?' he asked again.

'It was a former maid, the one accused of jewel theft My Lord Sheikh.'

'Is it the same one?' he asked, remembering instantly the girl.

'Yes My Lord Sheikh, it is the same lady,' Taimur reconfirmed as they walked down the broad flight of marble stairs to the reception just below.

'What on earth is her angle?' he mumbled as they walked.

'You say?' Taimur asked him.

'I said I want to know just what her angle is. What game is she playing at? First jewel theft, now this? No matter how I look at it, this is preposterous!' he raved in anger. 'Well, I shall confront her myself and we will see just what she has to say. Heaven help her that she can't prove herself and her lies, I will undoubtedly kill her myself, Inshallah!' he promised through tightly clenched teeth.

'I do not doubt that My Lord Sheikh,' Taimur said to him as they finally exited the building that they had only just arrived a while ago.