“Your parents both called yesterday.”
“You handled it with tact and aplomb as usual, I am sure, Yusuf.” The man was Sayed’s personal bodyguard, not assistant, but he handled things too sensitive for Duwad or Abdullah-Hasiba.
Yusuf was the only person who had known where Sayed had ended up the night before. In fact, the bodyguard had suggested it.
“I did.”
“Good.”
Aaliyah groaned, moving beside him.
“You are not alone, Emir?” Yusuf asked.
“No.”
“Do you need me to take care of it?”
The idea of his old friend handling Aaliyah as he had others of Sayed’s bed partners in the past was not acceptable. “No.”
“She needs to sign a nondisclosure agreement.”
“She won’t say anything, Yusuf. She’s not that type of woman.” Sayed knew how hopelessly naive he sounded and he hadn’t been that innocently trusting since his brother’s assassination all those years ago.
Still, he was certain he was right.
“Keep her there until I arrive,” Yusuf instructed.
“Did you forget who is emir here?”
Aaliyah’s head came up from under the sheet at that and she stared at him with wide eyes.
“I never forget my duty to you, O’ Emir.” Sarcasm dripped from Yusuf’s tone.
“It is not your duty I’m questioning.” Just the other man’s willingness to follow a direct order.
Not something either of them had high expectations of after all their years of friendship.
“Think with your big head here, Sayed,” Yusuf almost pleaded. “If she is not there when I arrive, I will be forced to turn the matter over to Omar.”
Sayed didn’t bother to remind Yusuf that no name had been mentioned. Even if his bodyguard hadn’t been keenly aware of Sayed’s preoccupation with Aaliyah Amari, discovering the identity of the woman Sayed had spent the night with would not provide much of a challenge for the security team.
Sayed felt his own groan coming on.
“Is that what you want?” Yusuf asked when Sayed didn’t reply to his statement.
No way would Sayed sic his father’s fixer on Aaliyah. “That is not acceptable.”
“As you say.”
Which was not agreement. Not coming from the man who had grown up alongside Sayed and was almost as close as a brother.
Sayed had been trained to l
ead a country and Yusuf had been trained to protect the royal house of Zeena Sahra. They shared a common goal that had solidified the bond between them from childhood.
“I will see you shortly.”
“As you wish, Emir.”