Twisted (erotic) (#6, 101 Nights)

Chapter Six: Alisha

Miriam’s mother hasn’t said two words to EJ since we arrived, uninvited, to her place. It was more like an invasion; aside from George’s six team members, Malika sent another four Nijalan Security Bureau members over. One sits in the apartment with Josh while the rest are stationed in the building and at surveillance points around the block.

After the harrowing two and a half hour journey through the back alleys of the Nijalan capitol, I wasn’t certain what to expect and showed up with a long list of apologies when Miriam’s mother opened the door. She doesn’t speak much English, so I don’t think she understood most of them, especially since I was out of breath and gasping out half of them. She opened the door to me – and then almost passed out when she saw the heir to the Nijalan throne behind me in the hallway.

She’s been in a state of dazed incredulity since then, and it makes me want to laugh despite the craziness of our situation.

I feel kind of bad. Miriam and her brothers are either in classes or apprenticeships, and her father is at work. It’s been her poor, overwhelmed mother and us for the past two hours. EJ is silent and seated on the couch beside his sister, who is curled up in his arms and completely enthralled in watching American cartoons with Arabic captioning.

“Are you hungry?” Miriam’s mother asks me for the twentieth time.

“A little.” I’m not, but I’m starting to think I’ll offend her if I don’t accept something.

She disappears into the kitchen.

Wanting to take my mind off waiting, I follow. “Do you need help?” I ask.

The response is in Arabic.

I glance back at EJ, who’s wearing a trace of a smile. “She says she can’t ask the companion of the Kingdom’s heir to cook.”

“Probably a good thing,” I murmur. “I can only make mac-n-cheese.”

“I love mac-n-cheese!” Layla exclaims.

“You see this?” I tell EJ, motioning to his sister. “She’s got great taste. I don’t know what happened with you.”

He rolls his eyes.

“I should help,” Layla says.

Which would leave EJ and me alone for the first time since he discovered Natalie’s pregnant. “No, sweetie, you should rest,” I reply quickly.

“No, you should help. Learn to be a working princess,” EJ counters.

Layla’s face lights up. “Princess.” She starts to laugh then shakes her head. With effort, she stands and limps towards the kitchen.

I resist the urge to ask if she needs help. Her features are puckered and determined, her expression similar to EJ’s when he’s not about to back down from something.

“Have a seat, Alisha. We’re going to talk,” EJ says quietly.

Fuck. I do it, because there’s nowhere else for me to go. Miriam’s family’s apartment is a two-bedroom home with a formal living-dining room combo, a kitchen, two bathrooms and a family room.

“How long have you known?” EJ asks. I’m not sure how to take his calmness and am unable to read him.

“She found out the day she was kidnapped. After you dumped her.” I can’t help but get that jab in. “She called me. I was planning on helping her disappear. We were going to raise her kid somewhere where you couldn’t find us.”

His jaw clenches. I know this is … delicate for him. I just don’t care. He fucked over my best friend, the woman who’s been my sister since we were too young to remember not being friends. It takes a moment for him to be able to speak once more. EJ draws a breath.