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Only that dreaasped as the words plunged into her heart The surrounding blackness she had been fighting back swiftly invaded her mind

Pledged to another

The buzzing grew louder and almost masked Hafiz’s shout of alarm

“Lacey!” Hafiz caught her as she slid down the wall He plucked off her scarf, and her head lolled to one side He supported her head with his shoulder and noted that her unnaturally pale face was sticky with sweat He patted her cla to rouse her

Her eyelashes fluttered “So hot”

He gathered her in his arure “I’ll take care of you,” he prohter And he would, he vowed to hiht, he would never cast her aside

The elevator finally stopped on the penthouse floor He searched her features, vaguely aware how her curly long hair hung defiantly like a copper flag and her bare legs dangled fro her ivory skin for the world to see If they were caught in this co embrace, so be it Lacey’s safety and comfort were always top priority, but noas more essential than his next heartbeat, Hafiz decided as he stepped out of the elevator and onto the open-air hallway to the apartment

The sun was setting Dark reds and rich purples washed the sky as evening prayers were sung from a nearby loudspeaker Hafiz kept his eyes out for any potential trouble, but he saw no one strolling the grounds or outside the condominiu frohbors’ hoe in an instant

Carrying Lacey to her front door at a brisk pace, Hafiz noted he wasn’t even breathing hard frolanced down at her face and the fragility struck him like a fist

Not for the first ti Lacey to Rudaynah had been the best decision for her Life in hiding had taken its toll Why hadn’t he seen that before? Or did he not want to see it?

Lacey stirred as if she was acutely aware of his perusal “I’ue over her parched lips

“No, you’re not” He leaned heavily against the doorbell and waited at the iron grille door until the Ao pants came to the door

“Your Highness! What happened?” Glenn asked as he unlocked the door bolts with econoy face showed no alarm, but his watchful eyes were alert His body, lean fro, vibrated with readiness to act on the first command from his employer

“It’s all right She fainted from the heat” Hafiz kicked off his sandals at the door and et her into the shower Have your wife prepare so very cold and sweet for her to drink”

“I’hness” Glenn raked his hand over his bristly gray hair “She said—”

“It’s all right,” he repeated, calling over his shoulder as he made way to thedirections”

“I’m not dead, you know,” Lacey said with her eyes closed “I can hear every word”

“Good, because I do not want you venturing outside again without Glenn,” Hafiz said as he stepped into the large roo Lacey’s body and revealing the darkest recesses of his heart This time the sumptuous silks and oversized pillows didn’t stir his hot blood He wanted to tuck Lacey between the colorful sheets and not let her out of bed until she regained her vibrancy “He is your bodyguard and—”

“He is to play the role of le women are not allowed to travel alone in this country,” Lacey ended in a h that seeinate from somewhere deep inside her “I know”

“Then, don’t let it happen again” He pushed the bathrooht switch outside the door with the pal with light