Read Online SEAL's Deception (Take No Prisoners Book 8) by Elle James - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Elle James
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chair. “Tell me, princess. How fares your father?”
“He and my mother are quite healthy and on their third trip around the world aboard their yacht. But, I’m certain you already know that.” She cocked her brows and gave him a hard stare before lowering her gaze. Saudi women weren’t supposed to be confrontational.
A fire burned inside her at the injustices of life as a female in a Saudi household. They got little respect, and the men could take on additional wives if the current one did not please him.
What if the husband didn’t please the wife? Yasmin believed in gender equality. Unfortunately, women had few rights in Arab society. They weren’t even allowed to drive. Of course, the men who made the rules swore they were for their own safety.
Yasmin called bullshit.
The typical Middle Eastern man could not be held accountable for his actions. If a beautiful, uncovered—meaning wearing no abaya —woman walked by him, he could not be tried for rape if he took her on the spot. Thus, the need for the woman to cover her body and face with long black fabric.
She wouldn’t last long in this society. Her mouth would get her into more trouble here than it did back in the States. And she’d gotten into her share back there, having started a few barroom fights.
The men who’d come on to her hadn’t understood the words back off .
Yasmin smiled. They did now. One had suffered a broken nose. The other had gone to the hospital with a concussion. Hopefully, they’d learned their lessons, and they wouldn’t pull that shit on other women.
“You do not resemble your father,” Rashad announced.
Yasmin stiffened. She’d studied photographs of Aliya and her parents. Rashad’s statement was spot on. “No, I don’t. Many say I look more like my mother.” She lifted her scarf and brought it up higher, covering her chin. Then she closed her eyes. “I find myself fatigued.”
“The flight is long, princess. Please, make yourself comfortable.”
Yasmin tilted back her chair and pretended to sleep. For at least an hour into the flight, her act was nothing more than a pretense, her mind going over everything she needed to do once they reached the palace. Finding the vials would be searching for a certain fish in an ocean full of sea-creatures. In this case, they’d have to find the man who’d purchased them in the first place.
As a female, Yasmin wouldn’t be allowed to question men. And, as Americans, her bodyguards wouldn’t be invited into the confidences of the Saudi royals. The task ahead seemed insurmountable. Why had she thought just getting into the palace would be enough?
Taking a mental step back and thinking through her courses of action, she knew the group would have to split up and search the entire building. Perhaps they could disguise themselves as members of the family to allow them to move around the palace more freely.
She wanted to snort. Like they’d let her out of their sights for a moment. She was the next wife of Prince Khalid. The man already had two wives. Why did he need another?
Hell, she knew why. Men had stronger needs than women. Why screw only one woman when you could have as many as you like?
What about the man who’d reported the transfer of the vials to Khalid’s palace? Perhaps he had more information. Her boss had given her the name of an embedded informant who lived outside the palace but had connections within. Without her usual handler, Yasmin was flying blind. She wished she had someone feeding her the information she needed. Instead she had to rely on memory alone, rather than risk being caught with notes. If she could get out of the palace for a few hours, she might meet up with the man and see what other tidbits he had to pass on.
Between plotting a search of Khalid’s palace and connecting with the informant, Yasmin felt only slightly better about the job ahead of her. The drone of the engines, and having her eyes closed for so long, worked against her.
“He and my mother are quite healthy and on their third trip around the world aboard their yacht. But, I’m certain you already know that.” She cocked her brows and gave him a hard stare before lowering her gaze. Saudi women weren’t supposed to be confrontational.
A fire burned inside her at the injustices of life as a female in a Saudi household. They got little respect, and the men could take on additional wives if the current one did not please him.
What if the husband didn’t please the wife? Yasmin believed in gender equality. Unfortunately, women had few rights in Arab society. They weren’t even allowed to drive. Of course, the men who made the rules swore they were for their own safety.
Yasmin called bullshit.
The typical Middle Eastern man could not be held accountable for his actions. If a beautiful, uncovered—meaning wearing no abaya —woman walked by him, he could not be tried for rape if he took her on the spot. Thus, the need for the woman to cover her body and face with long black fabric.
She wouldn’t last long in this society. Her mouth would get her into more trouble here than it did back in the States. And she’d gotten into her share back there, having started a few barroom fights.
The men who’d come on to her hadn’t understood the words back off .
Yasmin smiled. They did now. One had suffered a broken nose. The other had gone to the hospital with a concussion. Hopefully, they’d learned their lessons, and they wouldn’t pull that shit on other women.
“You do not resemble your father,” Rashad announced.
Yasmin stiffened. She’d studied photographs of Aliya and her parents. Rashad’s statement was spot on. “No, I don’t. Many say I look more like my mother.” She lifted her scarf and brought it up higher, covering her chin. Then she closed her eyes. “I find myself fatigued.”
“The flight is long, princess. Please, make yourself comfortable.”
Yasmin tilted back her chair and pretended to sleep. For at least an hour into the flight, her act was nothing more than a pretense, her mind going over everything she needed to do once they reached the palace. Finding the vials would be searching for a certain fish in an ocean full of sea-creatures. In this case, they’d have to find the man who’d purchased them in the first place.
As a female, Yasmin wouldn’t be allowed to question men. And, as Americans, her bodyguards wouldn’t be invited into the confidences of the Saudi royals. The task ahead seemed insurmountable. Why had she thought just getting into the palace would be enough?
Taking a mental step back and thinking through her courses of action, she knew the group would have to split up and search the entire building. Perhaps they could disguise themselves as members of the family to allow them to move around the palace more freely.
She wanted to snort. Like they’d let her out of their sights for a moment. She was the next wife of Prince Khalid. The man already had two wives. Why did he need another?
Hell, she knew why. Men had stronger needs than women. Why screw only one woman when you could have as many as you like?
What about the man who’d reported the transfer of the vials to Khalid’s palace? Perhaps he had more information. Her boss had given her the name of an embedded informant who lived outside the palace but had connections within. Without her usual handler, Yasmin was flying blind. She wished she had someone feeding her the information she needed. Instead she had to rely on memory alone, rather than risk being caught with notes. If she could get out of the palace for a few hours, she might meet up with the man and see what other tidbits he had to pass on.
Between plotting a search of Khalid’s palace and connecting with the informant, Yasmin felt only slightly better about the job ahead of her. The drone of the engines, and having her eyes closed for so long, worked against her.
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