U.N. vault, then we’ll know what Eve Duncan has been working on at that museum at Robaku.”
“And what good will that do?”
“Then we start covering our bases and nullifying any gains Duncan and those others might believe they’ve made. The minute I know for sure that she has the skull, the game changes.” His eyes were flickering, blazing with intensity. “I have a plan ready. Do you think I spent all these months cooped up in this compound without thinking of ways to protect myself and end up back on top, where I belong?” He nodded at the phone. “Make that call.”
She was still glancing down at the video. “They do have my statue.”
“I don’t want to hear about that statue again,” Varak said between clenched teeth. “Listen to me. You’re going to do as I wish, or I’ll blow all your plans to hell and take what I want in my own way. I’m sick of your stalling about giving me my share of that gold. Do you understand? I’m done with taking orders from you. From now on, you’ll do what I tell you to do. Make the call.”
“You will hear about it again,” she said fiercely. “Because I will get it back. Don’t give me orders, Varak.” She was thinking, trying to figure out which way to go. She couldn’t let him see that he’d intimidated her, but she could tell he was ready to do exactly what he threatened. The blowup she’d feared all these months was very close. Play along. Give him what he wanted now and see how she could turn it around. “I’ll do this because it seems the best way to be certain that we’re in as bad a situation as you’re telling me. You do have your uses, and you might even be able to point a way out of it.” She had a sudden thought. “But Wyatt is accustomed to having Dalai join us. I’ll need her to come with us tonight, and I gave her to you earlier today. I have to have her back. Where is she?”
“Bedroom.” He shrugged. “If she’ll be any good to you.”
She didn’t like the sound of that. “I told you not to damage her.” She was heading for the bedroom. “Now what have you done?”
“I enjoyed myself.” He followed her into the bedroom. “You promised me more time than just these few hours, but I made them count. But you can have her now. If you think that it won’t turn him off.”
Zahra was gazing critically at the young girl. Dalai’s wrists and ankles were tied to the four posts of the bed. Her naked body was bruised, her nipples bloody. Tears were running down her cheeks, her eyes were desperate, pleading, as she looked at Zahra. “Please…”
“She’s not too bad,” Zahra decided. “I’ll tell Wyatt I did it, and it might even excite him.” She went over to the bed and untied the ropes. “Though if I’d left her with you until tomorrow, it would have taken me weeks to repair her.” She tossed a sheet to Dalai. “Wrap up and go get in the car. And stop crying, it’s not as if it hasn’t happened to you before. You should be accustomed to it by now. You’re making me angry.”
“I’m…sorry.” The girl was frantically trying to get to her feet. “Don’t leave me, madam. I’ll do anything you want me to do.”
“Yes, don’t leave her, madam,” Varak said mockingly. “She was a complete bore.”
Zahra ignored him. “Just get out of here, Dalai. You’ll have to make yourself presentable when I get you back to the palace.” Zahra heard Varak laugh behind her as she began punching in Wyatt’s number.
She drew a deep breath when Wyatt picked up the call. “I’ve been thinking about you. I’ve been amusing myself with Dalai today, but she’s not enough for me right now. I’m coming to you tonight, and I want you to send everyone away and be prepared to entertain me…”
Chapter
14
Kiyani Presidential Palace
Now what had Zahra been up to? Gideon wondered.
He drew farther back in the shadows of the old coach house as he watched Zahra drag Dalai out of the maze bordering the street and into the far end of the coach house.
He knew exactly where they were going. He had used the secret passage hidden in that last stall many times to get into Zahra’s quarters during the summer when their affair had been red-hot.