Sweet Revenge Ch. 06

Rawlins eyes fairly bulged with his rage. "Do you mean to tell me that he has already taken her into his bed?" Samiya nodded her head. He clenched his hands into fists as he growled, "I will kill the bastard!"

Samiya approached to stand close in front of him, as she looked up at him appealingly. "I don't think that is a good idea. I would hate to have to tell Lord Sinclair what you did. Besides, our Sheik is not an Arab." His eyes widened as she continued. "He is a British noble, Sir Richard Bryant. You can't simply kill him in a rage. You would be hung for murder, no doubt."

Rawlins narrowed his eyes as he considered this new information. He had heard of Lord Bryant, and he knew him to be skilled in all sorts of weapons and combat. Rawlins knew he wouldn't be able to best the other man in a struggle. There had to be another way.

"Why are you telling me this? What do you want from me?" he asked softly.

Samiya smiled and looped her arms around his neck as she pressed against him. "It's really quite simple. I want Richard for myself, and I want you to take Karina far away. She has fallen in love with him, and I know she won't leave willingly. In order to get her out of the camp without anyone discovering you, she will need to be subdued."

"I take it you have a plan?" he drawled, raising one eyebrow in question while settling his hands onto her hips.

Samiya nodded and pressed her breasts against his chest. "I can return to the camp in the evening and slip some herbs into her drink at dinner. She will sleep very soundly for many hours, and you can spirit her away with no one the wiser." She issued a throaty laugh. "The irony of the matter is that this was how Richard kidnapped her in the first place. He drugged her and carried her away from the ball."

Rawlins shared a laugh with her at that bit of humor. "So that's your plan. We both get what we want, and no one gets hurt?"

She nodded and stretched up to kiss him on the lips. Drawing back, she looked up at him through smoldering dark eyes. "Exactly, no one gets hurt. Sinclair must not find out that his daughter had already become the Sheik's mistress, at least until he returns to Cairo. Otherwise, he may go crazy and try to seek revenge on the spot." She looked up at him through sultry eyes and rubbed her breasts suggestively against his chest. "I'm counting on you to get Karina out of the camp without anyone else being hurt. Can you do that?"

Without blinking, he gave her the lie. "I give you my word, none of your people will be harmed. Now, enough talking."

Rawlins swooped to plunder her lips as his hands began to explore her ripe curves. He was going to enjoy this little Bedouin whore. However, he wouldn't let her deter him from his purpose. Let her think she had succeeded in striking a deal with him. He would see to it that Richard Bryant paid for sleeping with Karina! He would still marry the little slut, but he would make her pay dearly for falling into another man's bed so willingly.

Nothing was going to sway him from punishing them both, but he wasn't about to share those thoughts with Samiya. She was so warm and willing that he decided not to tell her anything that might spoil his pleasure. Besides, she had come up with a good plan, and he needed her help to carry it out.

That evening, using Hamed to interpret for her, Samiya told them that she would return tonight, so that none of the other villagers would suspect her involvement. She instructed them to wait until the men rode out the next morning, and she gave very specific instructions for them to find their way to the Sheik's tent. With one last furtive glance at Rawlins, she slipped into the night and returned to the village. They had to wait several hours, so Rawlins suggested to William that they develop a plan.

"I've been thinking about the best way to handle everything once we get to the camp. I would really like to be the one to go in after Karina. I have been thinking about what you said earlier, and I want to do everything possible to sway her to accept my proposal."

William eyed him carefully. "So you still wish to marry my daughter?" he asked carefully.

The shy, moonstruck look that Rawlins gave him was very convincing. "Sir, I love your daughter with all my heart. I would wish to have her as my wife no matter what!"

William smiled with approval. He wanted to do everything possible to endear Rawlins to his daughter. It was possible that, given the scandal that had already risen over her disappearance, Rawlins was the only nobleman who would still be willing to offer for her hand.

"I can understand your devotion. My daughter is a charming young woman. I don't think it is asking too much for you to be the one to rescue her."

"There's one more thing, sir." Rawlins seemed to hesitate before he finally spoke. "Samiya told me that she is going to drug Karina, so that she doesn't cry out in fright and give away our presence to the other villagers. She assured me that she knows how to prepare a sleeping tonic that will keep her asleep for several hours, and she suggested that it would be the safest way to get her out without alerting the other villagers." He hesitated again. "I gave her my permission, sir, and I hope that is alright with you."

William thought for a moment before answering. "Well, I don't like it, but I suppose it would reduce the chances of us being caught. If someone discovered us leaving the camp, there could be fighting, and I don't want to take a chance that Karina would be hurt."

Rawlins looked relieved. "I'm glad you agree, sir. Morning can't come soon enough for me." When William turned away, Rawlins grinned slyly. Everything was going according to plan.

**********

Karina and Richard sat together as they talked around the campfire with the other villagers. They had all enjoyed a hearty meal, and Karina could barely keep her eyes open, as she listened to Richard's deep voice. She was completely content. Samiya had surprised her by offering her a cup of hot spiced tea, and Karina drank it as she sat listening to the other villagers. She felt delightfully warm and sleepy.

She yawned and leaned her head against Richard's shoulder. He put his arm around her without pausing in his conversation. Eventually, he noticed that she had grown heavier, and he looked down to see that she was sound asleep. He looked up and met Fatima's smiling regard.

"I think she is tired from her activities today," Fatima said with humor. "I was teaching her how to make goat cheese, and she stirred for half the afternoon."

Richard nodded, but he hoped Fatima wouldn't notice his slight flush. He was more inclined to think that it may have been Karina's activities with him back in their tent that had so thoroughly exhausted her. She had teased him by slowly stripping out of her clothes while he stalked her around the tent. Of course, he had allowed her to elude him until she was completely naked before he had pounced on her. She had giggled and wrestled before she finally gave her body to him so eagerly that just the memory of it made him grow hard.

He grinned down at her limp form. She obviously needed to rest after her exertions. He carefully rose and swept her into his arms, murmuring a goodnight to the others before he carried her to their tent.

The villagers exchanged warm glances and smiles as they witnessed their Sheik's tenderness toward Karina. They had come to admire her, and they were glad to see their leader was beginning to treat her as more than just his mistress. Only Samiya watched through narrowed eyes, and a sly smile spread across her face. It wouldn't be long now until she was rid of that haughty little bitch.

Richard carried Karina directly to their bed, and carefully removed her dress before covering her with a light sheet. He was surprised that she never roused, but he assumed she was merely exhausted. He looked down on her with tenderness and smiled. She had brought so much happiness to his life. He would never be able to forgive her father, but he wasn't going to let that spoil his happiness with Karina.

Richard doffed his clothes and crawled into bed. He gathered Karina in his arms and held her close. He released a deep sigh as he thought about the beauty he held in his arms. He was finally at peace with his decision. Tomorrow, he would ask her to marry him. Their love would be strong enough to transcend anger and vengeance, he was sure of it.

*********

Richard rode out the following morning, long before dawn. Following Samiya's instructions, Lord Sinclair and Lord Rawlins had no problem locating the Sheik's tent. William waited outside, keeping a close eye for anyone who might spot their presence, while Lord Rawlins entered the tent in search of Karina.

Once inside, he carefully opened one shutter on the covered lantern he carried, and by the dim light, he made his way to the bed. Karina lay in deep slumber upon the bed, her hair spilling out upon the pillow. Rawlins stared down at her beauty and smirked to himself. She wouldn't look so peaceful once he had made her his wife.

Kneeling beside her, he gently shook her shoulder, but he kept his hand poised over her mouth in case she woke up with a scream. She didn't rouse from her deep sleep. He shook her harder, with the same result, and he was finally satisfied that she was drugged heavily. He mentally thanked Samiya for her resourcefulness.

He pulled the sheet off her and sucked in his breath when he saw that she was totally naked. His eyes narrowed as they skimmed over her lovely body, and he mentally rubbed his hands together in anticipation of the day when she would be under his control. He couldn't resist the urge to roughly pinch her nipples, twisting them hard enough to make her moan in her sleep. He grinned at the effect, as her nipples now stood stiffly erect, practically begging for more of his attention.

He glanced over his shoulder to make sure he was still alone with her. Satisfied that he had a few more moments, he nudged her thighs apart and probed her pussy with two fingers, noticing how quickly her moisture began to flow. Karina moaned softly in her sleep and arched her hips against his hand. It was obvious to Rawlins that the little slut had been well trained in how to respond to a man. He would make her pay, but for now, he had to hurry. He satisfied himself with one last vicious tweak of her clit. She would be his to torment soon enough.

Rawlins found her dress beside the bed and quickly pulled it over her head and down her legs to cover her nakedness. He lifted her limp form and made his way to the flap, careful to close the lantern before he left the tent. As he anticipated, William was impatiently waiting just outside. When he saw Rawlins carrying his daughter, his eyes opened wide in concern.

"Is she alright?" he questioned anxiously in a quiet whisper.

Rawlins nodded his head. "Yes sir, she's fine. She's heavily drugged, but she should wake up in several hours."

William nodded before turning away. They made their way carefully back to their men, and mounted their camels. William cradled Karina in front of him on his saddle. They rode for about an hour before Rawlins reined in and spoke to William.

"Sir, you continue on with a handful of my men. The others and I will wait here to ensure that no one follows us. Once I am assured that we are not being pursued, I will join you back in Cairo."

William frowned as he studied him. "Be careful, Rawlins. I wouldn't want you to come to any harm."

Rawlins smiled charmingly. "Don't worry, sir. I have every intention of becoming your son-in-law."

With that, he gave a brief salute and turned away to give instructions to his men. He watched as William rode away with Karina and Hamed, accompanied by a handful of his men. When they had passed over a nearby ridge and were out of sight, he turned to his remaining men. They watched him expectantly, and he smiled at them, for they were used to accompanying him on his raids.

"What say you men? Shall we have some fun?" His men exchanged grins and gave him enthusiastic nods. "Do whatever you like to the other villagers. Just remember, the Sheik is mine. I will deal him the justice that is due." With that, he spun his mount around, and they headed back to the camp.

The villagers were just beginning to rouse, when Rawlins reached the camp. He and his men rode in and quickly subdued what little resistance they met. They gathered the people into a few tents, and Rawlins assigned several of his men to watch over them with rifles to ensure their silence.

Rawlins made a show of choosing Samiya from the other women in the village, and he dragged her into Richard's tent. When they were out of earshot of the others, she jerked loose from his hold and glared at him.

"What the hell are you doing?" she hissed. "You're supposed to be half way back to Cairo by now. Rashid will be returning soon."

Rawlins jerked her against his chest, as he grinned down at her. "I'm well aware of what I am supposed to do, my little Bedouin spitfire. However, I fully intend to make your sheik pay for what he has done!" He kissed her brutally, twisting her by the hair when she tried to resist him. Finally, he raised his head and grinned at her flashing eyes and heaving breasts.

"As much as I would like to continue this, I can't have you warning Bryant of my presence."

He turned her around and twisted her arms behind her back before securing them with a length of rope. Then, he stuffed a gag in her mouth and tied it with another strip of rope. Satisfied that she couldn't make too much noise, he shoved her onto the bed and tied her ankles together. Her eyes flashed at him in hatred, but he ran his knuckles down her cheek and grinned.

"There, my lovely Bedouin whore. Now, you will have a perfect view of all the fun when Bryant returns."

Rawlins summoned several of his men into the tent. He had instructed the others to wait inside other tents around the camp. Even the camels had been brought inside. There was no visible evidence to betray their presence in the village.

Rawlins didn't have long to wait before he heard the sound of approaching horses, and he turned to see Samiya looking fearful on the bed. He blew her a mocking kiss before signaling his men to hide themselves from view.

Richard rode into the camp, and he frowned in puzzlement. There were usually several people bustling about the camp, taking care of the morning chores. He felt uneasy, but couldn't see anything else amiss. He jumped from his horse and went directly to his tent to see if Karina knew what was going on.

He strode through the flap and came to an abrupt halt when he spied Samiya trussed up on the bed. His eyes widened in surprise, and he took several steps toward her before he heard the click of a pistol being cocked very near his head, and he froze.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Lord Richard Bryant."

Richard turned slowly to see who had addressed him. He didn't recognize the man's handsome features, but he could tell from his refined speech and his expensive riding clothes that he was a nobleman. Richard didn't miss the fact that several other men hovered around, surrounding him. He ignored them for the moment.

"And exactly who are you?" he questioned coldly.

The other man smiled with no humor before answering. "I am the man who is going to marry Karina, and I don't appreciate that you have been amusing yourself with my future wife." Rawlins examined his nails almost casually before continuing. "Karina was very glad to see me. She is waiting with her father while I dispense her justice. She told me personally to ensure that you pay for the things you did to her. She was most adamant that I make sure you wouldn't be able to cause her any further humiliation in the future."

Richard narrowed his eyes as he watched the other man. "You're lying. She has been happy here. She wouldn't want to leave with you, much less ask you to harm me."

Rawlins laughed coldly as he shook his head.

"You foolish man! She was only letting you think she was happy here. All the while, she was planning to escape. It was sheer luck that we found her first. If she hadn't wanted to come with us, we could never have gotten her out of your camp without the other villagers noticing." He gave him a moment to consider that before continuing. "Karina is most put out with you, that you have been using her for all this time. She is most anxious to return to me. Of course, I assured her that I am still willing to marry her, despite the fact that she has been your mistress all this time. She assures me that she hates you, and that you forced her against her will."

Richard's mind rebelled as he thought about his words. It couldn't be true! He knew in his heart that Karina loved him. His attention was brought abruptly back to the present, as the other man turned to his men.

"Gather the men and the camels. We will be leaving right away." When his men left, Rawlins turned back to Richard. "I want to compliment you on your taste in women. I must say I thoroughly enjoyed your wife. She was a woman who knew how to please a man. You should have seen her. She moaned like a whore while I enjoyed her."

Richard's eyes darted to where Samiya still sat watching on the bed, and he wondered if this man had raped her. The stranger must think she was his wife.

"How the hell would you know? My wife died several months ago!" Richard growled through narrowed eyes.

The other man's evil laugh sent shivers down Richard's spine. "Oh, I don't mean her!" he said, with a jut of his chin toward Samiya.

Rawlins strolled over to her and yanked her up by one arm, as she struggled helplessly against him. With her hands and feet bound by the rope, there wasn't much she could do to thwart him. He smiled down at her, as he stepped behind her and reached around to release the tie at the neckline of her dress. The fabric fell away, revealing her breasts to both men. She squirmed and whimpered, but Rawlins held her still as he pinched one dark nipple cruelly between his fingers. "My dear, your beauty fairly bedazzles my eye," he purred and nibbled at her ear.

The whole time, he kept the pistol trained on Richard's chest, and there was little he could do to stop the abuse. Finally, Rawlins tired of the torture and shoved her back down onto the bed. "No, don't be mistaken Bryant. I know this little whore is not your wife. I was referring to...what was her name again," he frowned as if trying to recall. "Oh yes, Ameena, wasn't it? She's the one I so thoroughly enjoyed during my last raid on your camp." His lips parted in a sneer, as he watched surprise and then understanding dawn on Richard's face.

Pure, unbridled rage flared in Richard's eyes, and his whole body went rigid with the effort of not launching an attack at the smirking man. "So, it was you all this time and not William Sinclair?"

His tormentor laughed with hearty amusement. "I only used Sinclair's name to stir up trouble for him. I hoped you would start a rebellion against him, or at the very least cause some damage to his properties. I never dreamed you would kidnap his daughter, my own betrothed. That was your mistake." He watched as the wheels turned in Richard's mind. "Oh, yes! Karina told me everything. She said you had some insane idea that she would be your mistress until she gave you a child. She told me how you raped her against her will." His eyes narrowed as he gritted out the next words. "You must understand that I can't allow you to defile my future wife and live to tell about it!"

Richard felt his blood run cold at the man's words. "You still haven't told me your name. If you are going to kill me, the least you could do is identify yourself."

The man cocked his head to one side and considered him. "I guess there will be no harm done, since you won't live out the hour." He clicked his heels together and inclined his head slightly, "Lord Stuart Rawlins, at your service." His superior smile grated on Richard's nerves as he continued. "Now, as much as I would love to stay and chat, I really must be going." He raised the pistol and aimed it at Richard's heart.