Page 24 of Warlord’s Empire

He slipped from the building, heading toward home and his bed. He picked a bouquet of wildflowers as he walked. Tomorrow, he would show Saskia around her new home.

Chapter Eleven

Shaun stared at her gynecologist in stunned disbelief. “Pregnant?” She’d come to Dr. Callais for her pre-surgery checkup. “But I’m scheduled for a hysterectomy next week.”

The doctor gave her a wry smile. “That’s why we do these tests.”

“But I stopped my IVF treatments after my last m-miscarriage.” She still had a difficult time saying the word. It had been six weeks. “Pregnant?”

“Congratulations,” Dr. Callais said with a warm smile. “Now, we’re going to turn this pre-operative check into a pre-natal check-up.”

It turned out that she was barely five weeks pregnant, but Dr. Callais told her everything was fine. She just needed to rest and take good care of herself.

An hour later, Shaun met Cooper at her armoured SUV. He was her bodyguard and driver for the day.

“What do you have there?” Cooper asked in his drawling American accent, nodding at the bag of pre-natal vitamins and blood pressure pills she’d been prescribed.

“Multivitamins.” It was only right that Jozef got the news first.

Cooper opened the passenger door for her and soon they were on the highway back to the estate.

As they drove, Shaun stared blindly out the window. Though she and Jozef frequently had sex, she hadn’t expected to conceive again. After all, they’d only gotten pregnant the one time despite several rounds of IVF treatments. After her decision to stop the treatments, Dr. Callais had recommended the surgery to help relieve her of her heavy periods and severe monthly cramping. Pregnancy was the last thing she expected.

She was afraid. Of course she was. She’d just suffered a miscarriage that had devastated both her and Jozef. She wasn’t sure she could survive another loss. She was still grieving the baby she never had. But she couldn’t help that tiny flame of hope building inside her. What if this was the pregnancy that finally gave her what she desperately desired?

As they pulled up to the house, there was a commotion going on. Several of their fleet of vehicles were parked out front of the mansion, servants running back and forth from the cars, arms laden with bags.

“What the fuck?” Cooper’s tone was annoyed. If there was one thing he hated, it was being out of the loop. “You know what this is all about?”

“No clue,” Shaun replied, spotting her husband who was standing with a group of his mercenaries. They appeared to be gearing up for something. “I’ll go find out.”

As soon as the vehicle came to a stop, she pushed her door open and climbed out, striding toward her husband.

Jozef saw her coming and was signing before she even arrived. I’m sorry, my love, I don’t have a lot of time to explain. There was an incident in South Africa involving Saskia. We’re travelling there now to find her and bring her home.

Shaun gasped, forgetting her own important news. “Is she alright?” But Jozef turned away to speak with Cooper.

It was Leeza who answered the question. “She’s been kidnapped, but we think she’s okay.” She was wearing her fatigues and her hair was in a French braid down her back. Her go-to outfit for mercenary operations. She was going to South Africa too.

“Why do you think she’s okay?” Shaun questioned. “Have the kidnappers been in touch?”

Leeza spoke in a low voice. “It’s Ayaan’s brother Radik who took Saskia, which is why we think she’s okay. Or at least, Ayaan keeps assuring us he wouldn’t hurt her.”

“Why would he take Saskia?”

“Saskia was attacked in her hotel and Jozef sent Radik to stop the attack, which he apparently did. No idea why he’s keeping her though, unless it’s to use her as leverage against Jozef.”

Shaun glanced around. “Where is Ayaan? Is she not coming along?”

“Coming along?” Leeza raised an eyebrow.

“I’m coming with you,” Shaun said decisively. “I’m not staying behind while Saskia is in trouble. I might be useful. I know half a dozen languages and I’ve been to South Africa.”

“I’m not the one you have to convince.” Leeza nodded at Jozef’s back. “But if it helps, I think you’d be an asset, especially because Jozef ordered Ayaan to stay behind. He thinks since it’s her brother, she can’t be impartial.”

Shaun agreed with her husband. She didn’t think Ayaan would go so far as to sabotage the mission, but Shaun was glad Ayaan wasn’t going to be put in a position to have to choose between her brother and the people who had become family to her over the past several years.

Jozef approached Shaun to say goodbye, but she didn’t let him.