The Duke's Runaway Princess Page 0,57
in front of him, noting that this stranger was keeping his youngest sister behind his back despite her attempts to get around the large man. “You love her,” Rashid stated as he looked directly at the man. He was tall enough, which was strange in itself. But he was also impressed that the younger man had dared to hit him. And all because he was defending his sister.
“Come with me,” Rashid said, his voice ringing with authority.
Derrick shook his head. “I’m not going anywhere with you. And Zarah is coming with me.”
Rashid turned slowly and looked at the man who dared not only to assault him but defy him? Unheard of. He surveyed the man in front of him thoroughly, noting the belligerence and arrogance that was so like himself. Looking slightly behind the man he could see his baby sister trying desperately to get around him as if she could protect him somehow. “You will marry her?”
Derrick didn’t have time for this kind of stupidity. “As soon as I get her the hell out of here,” he replied. He suddenly spun around, putting his hand in his pocket and pulling out the ring he’d been keeping for the past three days. “Here!” he said, shoving the ring on her finger, then turning around to continue glaring at Zarah’s brother.
Rashid noticed the large diamond that his baby sister was now about to cry about. Why women would cry about something so silly was beyond him, but he knew that they were tears of happiness and not sadness. This stranger obviously made his sister happy. So Rashid assumed he should consent to the marriage. “You’ll marry her here in the palace where her family can witness the ceremony.”
Derrick wasn’t about to stay here a moment longer than was necessary to retrieve Zarah. “I’ll marry her back in England and you can travel there if you want. But we’re getting out of here. I won’t let her be around a man who would dare to kidnap a woman, but I won’t deny her the right to have her family at her wedding.”
Zarah had been staring at the beautiful engagement ring for a long time, awed by its beauty. But hearing the way her brother and Derrick were arguing about her suddenly broke through her haze of happiness. “Excuse me?” she called out, her anger rising with the way they were discussing her future as if she had no say in anything. “Would anyone like to consult me about this decision?”
“No!” both men said, Derrick barely turning around and Rashid continued to glare at Derrick.
“Excuse me, but I refuse to be left out of this discussion!” she said, pushing Derrick’s arm away from her as she came around to face him.
Derrick was having none of that. “Zarah, if you had taken the time to tell me what was going on, if you’d trusted me enough after everything else, we could have avoided the past twenty-four hours!”
Zarah grimaced at that statement because he had a point. “Okay, you’re right. I should have told you what was going on and I’m sorry. But please don’t be mad at my brother.” She turned to glare at Rashid. “I’m mad enough as it is. Regardless, he is my brother and he thought he was doing the right thing. He’s just a jerk who doesn’t know how to let go of control.”
“Now wait just a minute!” her brother tried to interject.
“Rashid?” a new voice broke into the conversation.
Everyone, including the guards, turned to watch a lovely woman with a tiny baby in her arms walk towards the group. “Zarah?” she asked as she noticed her sister-in-law amongst the taller men. “You’re back? When did you fly in? Why didn’t you immediately come to say hello? We’ve both been so worried about you!” she placed the tiny pink bundle in Rashid’s arms and hurried over to Zarah, both women embracing excitedly. “Oh my! It’s so good to see you! Rashid has been going crazy not knowing where you were but I tried to get him to calm down.” Sidra looked around at the tense expressions on many of the guards. “Obviously, I failed in that endeavor,” she laughed softly.
Derrick kept his eyes on Rashid, correctly assuming that he was the biggest threat. He glanced only once at the lovely woman who was approaching the group but as she spoke, he quickly grasped that this woman was Rashid’s wife. As the woman placed the baby in his arms, the whole