Adira wished the van had windows as she really couldn’t see much from the back seat. The only way she knew they were going to her home was because it had been explained as part of the plan. Home… it no longer felt like home, not when there was no one left to welcome her… not when the halls, the rooms would be empty of her father’s presence. Forcing her mind away from the deep chasm of despair that threatened to consume her again, she turned to Maddox.

“How long will I have to pack…”

“You won’t be packing. In fact, you won’t be going into the house at all,” Maddox said. “We’re going directly out to the stables. Once the horses are loaded in the trailer, we’ll be heading for the airport.”

“But I’ll need my passport and some more clothes…”

“No, I’m sorry but we can’t take the chance that anyone would see you or discover your passport missing. Don’t worry… we’ll get you everything you need once we’re in the States.”

Adira didn’t speak for a moment, attempting to remain calm, to appear cooperative when all of a sudden, all she wanted to do was to be among her own things… to get some items… the frame on her dresser containing a photo of her father and her mother, with a very small girl standing between them. How could these people expect her to leave everything behind? Remembering what she’d worn earlier, she tried again.

“I could wear the robe again. No one would even recognize me. Please, I won’t get much…”

“Adira, I wish I could allow you time. I know it’s hard but we’ve discussed this. You agreed to the plan.”

Tears filled her eyes as she turned away. Yes, she had agreed. She knew the plan was to board the plane with the horses. Still, it seemed unfair. What was the likelihood of anyone seeing her? No one was left besides servants. Even the security detail had been decimated. The household was bound to be in a state of chaos. Surely she could slip upstairs unnoticed. Was she asking too much? They were just things, just clothes and yet, she’d lost everyone and now would have absolutely nothing to hold on to, nothing to touch that came from… before. She didn’t speak again until the view outside the windshield told her they had entered the desert, her home not far now.

“How am I supposed to board the plane without anyone seeing? Even if I don’t get out until we reach the airport, won’t the plane’s crew and the pilot wonder who I am?”

Maddox turned to her. “When I said we can’t chance anyone seeing you, I meant it. Adira, we simply can’t allow that to happen.” He glanced behind them into the cargo area of the van. “You’ll be hidden.”

Her head turned to follow his gaze, and suddenly her stomach twisted. Surely he didn’t expect her… “Hidden where?”

“In the trunk.”

The twisting turned into clenching so hard, her arms wrapped around her waist as she stared at the large, battered trunk. “I-I can’t…”

“You can and you will,” Maddox countered.

“You didn’t say anything about… about forcing me into a box!”

“It’s not a box. It’s a trunk and I promise, while it won’t be as comfortable as a bed, you’ll be just fine. There are plenty of air holes in the design if that’s what you are worried about. By the time you wake, we will be halfway across the world—”

“No! I’m claustrophobic! I won’t… wait, you expect me to actually sleep?” Her voice rose, cracking as she gave a strained laugh. “You’re crazy! There is no way I could sleep.”

Maddox reached for his backpack and unzipped it, pulling out a bottle of water and a small envelope. She watched as he twisted off the lid and poured some white powder into the liquid. As he recapped it and shook it vigorously, she felt as if she might vomit.

“You’re going to drug me? I never agreed to any of this! My grandfather would never allow you to—”

“Your grandfather would tell you exactly what I am and you know it. This,” he said, shaking the bottle again, “is nothing but a strong sedative. It will help you sleep and keep you still.” When she gave a rather unladylike snort, he shook his head. “You asked me about my promises and I assured you I keep them. How about you, Adira? You promised your grandfather that you would trust me… trust us. Are you going to break that promise?” When she didn’t immediately answer, he held out the bottle. “I promise it won’t be as bad as you are imagining. I promise to get you out as soon as it’s safe, and Adira, I promise once we’re on the plane, I’ll not leave your side until that time.”

Unable to contain a sob, she reached for the bottle. Her hands shook as she twisted the cap off and though she spilled a bit, she forced herself to swallow again and again, grimacing at the medicinal taste. Once it was drained, she threw the bottle at him, knowing it was childish but gaining a bit of satisfaction when it bounced off his chest. Her momentarily sense of victory faded when he cocked his eyebrow and then simply bent forward to pick it up from the floor and held out his hand for the cap.

“I’ll give you that one, but not another. Again, we aren’t trying to hurt you, Adira, we are trying to save your life.”

The stables were within sight when Maddox rose from his seat and moved to the back of the van. Opening the trunk, he removed the tray, revealing the empty space beneath. He wished there was another way for her to travel, but there wasn’t. He’d seen the stark fear in Adira’s eyes but had also seen the flash of guilt when he’d spoken about saving her life. Moving to her, he unbuckled her seat belt. “It’s time.”

“I wo—won’t,” she said, the words slightly slurred.

Maddox ignored her, taking her hand and gently pulling her up. She wobbled a bit and he held her steady, the position slightly awkward due to his height but he managed to get her into the back. Into the trunk proved to be a bit more difficult. After repeating his order to get in, and her stubbornly refusing to obey, he sighed.

“Adira, you’re not going to win this battle. If I have to put you in, it will be a more uncomfortable journey, I assure you.”

“Whazz tha supozzed to mean?” she asked, shaking her head as if wondering why the words coming from her mouth didn’t sound right.

“It means your ass will be sore. Now get in, we’re running out of time.”

“Azz… my azz?” He almost chuckled when she turned her head to look down as if wondering what on earth her ass had to do with anything.

“Son, you’ve got about two minutes,” Drake said from the front seat.

Sighing, Maddox reached for her arm again only to have her give a far less slurred shriek and yank away from him, stumbling backwards.

“Noo… I… can’t!”

Despite the fact that her speech was slurred and her eyes glassy from the sedative, she managed to slap at him every time he reached for her. He stood and swore as his head thunked into the van’s roof. “That’s enough. Get in the trunk!”

“No!”

Maddox, hunched over, still loomed above her. Still, the moment he stepped closer, she pulled her hand back and slapped him with all of her strength. Even as her mouth dropped open, he was moving. Before she could blink, he had his boot braced against the side of the van and her lifted and turned over his thigh. His palm slammed against her bottom. Hard. Four times. Lifting her up and setting her on her feet, he saw the shock clearing the haze in her eyes and the rush of color as it reached her face. “I’m not telling you again. Get in the trunk.”

“I-I I hate you!” she sputtered.

“I can live with that,” Maddox calmly replied, ignoring the soft chuckle from the front of the van. “What I can’t live with is something happening to you. Get in the trunk… please.”

Tears filled her eyes and her lower lip trembled. He felt like a total shit but he’d live with that as well. When she gave a single sob but moved forward, he helped her into the trunk, watching as she immediately curled onto her side, her eyes squinched shut. His pat on her arm had her jerking away, curling even tighter into a fetal position. After placing the bag that contained all the clothing he’d bought her into the trunk, he picked up the tray. “Relax, sleep… you’re safe.”

“Go to hell.”

Replacing the tray, he closed the latches, not bothering to tell her he’d been there and back several times. There was no doubt in his mind that she felt she was already dropping into the very pit herself.

“So what are you thinking?” Drake asked as he and Maddox walked towards the far end where Basara said their stallions were stabled.

“I’m wondering how Charles managed to sober up so fast and fly out last night. Last I heard, he and Forrest were planning on spending several more days enjoying Dubai. Instead, both men have already left the country.”

“Well, Basara said that the phone hasn’t stopped ringing from the moment the news of the explosion hit the airways. He said bidders were questioning if the accident would affect delivery of their stallions, reminding him that funds had already been transferred in payment.”

Maddox nodded, his eyes roaming over the stalls, finding most of them empty. “Still, I find it interesting, but probably understandable seeing the police cars as we passed the house. I’m assuming Charles decided that he didn’t relish answering any questions.” They had been stopped before even getting out of the van by an official. With bills of sales in hand, as well as Basara’s assurance that the Steeles had attended the auction and had already arranged for the horses’ transport before the horrific accident, they’d been allowed to continue.

Reaching the first stall, Maddox let his eyes roam over the stallion inside. The huge animal tossed his head and snorted. Plucking an apple from a bucket hanging on a hook, Maddox stepped inside the stall after Drake opened the door. “Easy, boy,” Maddox said softly, moving slowly but without hesitation. Placing the fruit on his palm, he held it out, murmuring quietly. The stallion’s head moved forward, his lips nipping the apple from his hand. “That’s a good boy,” Maddox said with a grin, reaching up slowly and stroking the animal’s cheek. “You are one gorgeous son of a bitch, aren’t you?” When the horse snorted again, Maddox chuckled. “You can’t bullshit me; I know you are.” He gave the stallion a few more pats and then left the stall to find Basara had returned.

“Impressive, Mr. Steele,” Basara said. “I have grooms who are afraid to get that close to this one.”

“And that is the problem,” Maddox said. “A horse senses fear and respects strength.”

“I have been asked to relay a message.” Basara glanced around as if ensuring they were alone. “Our mutual friend would consider it a huge favor if you’d accept this one as a gift.” He nodded towards the stall Maddox had just been in. “There will, of course, be no record of the transfer of ownership.”

“Certainly,” Maddox said without hesitation. When Adira had been in the shower, he’d made the call, speaking with Hadi, offering to purchase Zephyr. Though Hadi had agreed, today Maddox wasn’t the least bit surprised to learn that Hadi had rejected his offer of purchasing the animal… instead, his gift of the stallion told Maddox that he understood his request to do so was to provide Adira a piece of her home, something to at least attempt to soften her pain. “It is the least we can do.”

The Arab nodded. “Then shall we begin loading the animals? I’m afraid I’ve sent my grooms away for their interviews with the police, but…”

“That’s fine,” Maddox said. “We can manage.”

A half-hour later, Drake accepted the travel documents from Hadi’s man. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am. There really are no words. Please, if there is anything we can do, all you need do is call.”

“Thank you,” Basara said. “I would offer to go to the airport with you, but several more trailers must be loaded. I don’t believe you’ll have any problems, but if you do, simply call me.”

“I will,” Drake assured him. “Thank you again.”

The man only nodded, following as the Steeles left the stables. After Drake had climbed into the cab of the truck pulling the trailer, Maddox joined Keith in the van.

“Everything all right?” Keith asked.

“As all right as it can be,” Maddox said. They pulled away from the stable and as they drove down the long drive, they saw a sedan going in the opposite direction. The windows were tinted so Maddox was unable to see who was inside but he did turn to see if the car was going to the house. When it veered right, towards the stables, he turned back. “God, I can’t wait to get back on the ranch.”

Dubai International Airport was one of the world’s busiest airports for international traffic. But that didn’t matter, as they weren’t flying on any commercial airline or getting on a plane with other passengers. Keith followed the trailer through a series of gates, stopping only when the trailer did. A 744F plane sat on the tarmac, its cargo ramp lowered. As the men emerged from the vehicles, two men exited the plane to meet them.

“Good evening,” Drake said, handing over the papers Basara had prepared.

“Good evening,” one of the men said as the other man accepted the paperwork. “Will you need assistance loading the horses?”

“We’ve flown with our stallions before and I have no doubt that our newest ones will be quite comfortable,” Drake assured him.

As Hadi’s man lowered the ramp to the trailer, the airline’s custom agents moved as well.

“I’m sure you understand that we must inspect the horses. It’s necessary to make sure the animals are fit to travel.”

“Of course, it’s a long trip.” The first horse unloaded was the color of milk chocolate. As Maddox kept one hand on the lead rope and the other stroking down his withers, the inspector ran his hands over the stallion’s legs, chest, back and rump.

“Beautiful beast,” the man holding the folders said, opening one and then another until he found the matching photo. At a nod from his partner, he scrawled something on the papers within the folder and then in a notebook he’d pulled from his pocket.

The second stallion was a lighter brown, his coat seeming to be red in places, but he still was a beautiful specimen. Once he too had been checked and cleared, Maddox allowed Hadi’s man to lead him into the plane. The third was the black stallion that Drake had outbid Legeaux for. While the agent checked him, a bit more apprehensive due to his size, Drake suggested, “Perhaps you should get the trunk while we wait.” Maddox and Keith opened the back of the van and brought the trunk over, setting it down by the ramp.

Papers flipped in the agent’s hand. “I don’t see anything about a trunk.”

Drake didn’t seem fazed. “I’m sure that Mr. Basara included it. Perhaps the paperwork is stuck between some pages?”

As the man began to look again, lifting each page to check, Maddox brought the last stallion out of the trailer. “Whoa, easy boy,” Maddox said as the horse began to prance. His words brought the agent’s head up. His eyes widened and he stumbled backwards when the horse reared. Maddox continued to speak, “Easy… you’re all right. Easy, boy.” With one hand holding the lead rope, he slowly lifted his hand, stroking the horse’s cheek. After a whinny and a snort, the horse’s tail lifted as the animal relieved itself, turds falling to the tarmac. “Good boy,” Maddox said, turning his head to Keith. “Gather the specimen. The bags are in the trunk.”

How Keith managed not to glare, Maddox would never know, but knew their invoice had likely gone up a few bucks. Though he kept his attention on the stallion, he watched out of the corner of his eye as the inspector watched Keith, confusion on his face.

As if on cue, Drake stepped forward as Keith unlatched the trunk. Opening the lid, he reached inside and pulled out a plastic bag and a rubber glove, passing them to Keith. “Seems we broke one in transit,” Drake said.

“What are those?” the agent asked, both agents now at the trunk.

“Specimens,” Drake answered. “The red capped ones are urine, the bags contain fecal specimens, and these,” he paused, holding up two halves of a broken vial. “These contain ejaculate.”

“Ejaculate? You are gathering horse sperm?”

“Oh yes,” Drake said. If he wasn’t so worried that Adira would make a sound, or move, Maddox would have laughed at the look of disgust on the men’s faces. “This is like… well… like liquid gold. With these specimens, we can track the health of each animal and our data will be priceless in preparing each stallion for stud. As you can see, we have hundreds of tubes to examine. Oh, pardon me…” He paused as Keith returned with a bag full of fresh horse shit, the steam emitting from the plastic ensuring the aroma was inhaled by anyone close to the trunk. Drake patted his jacket pocket and then turned to the agent.

“May I borrow your pen?”

“My pen?”

“Yes, I seem to have misplaced mine.” The agent handed him the pen and Drake picked up a sheet of labels from the tray. “Son, what do you believe is the weight of the specimen?”

“I’d say close to a pound.”

“Excellent,” Drake said, scrawling the information on the label before looking in the plastic bag. “Aroma and texture look good. Ah, is that an apple core? Excellent. His digestive system is operating properly.” Turning to the agents, he said, “Would you care to see what we are looking for?”

“No… um, that’s not necessary,” the lead agent said, his face showing his disgust at the suggestion.

Drake seemed a bit disappointed but peeled the label from the sheet and adhered it to the bag before stepping back. Keith tucked the bag into the tray, and peeling off the rubber glove, put it in another plastic bag, sealed it and added it to the tray before closing the lid.

“Thank you,” Drake said, walking towards Maddox. Still, it took him asking if the agents were ready to continue to have them moving.

“Oh, yes, your pen,” Drake said, offering it to him.

The agent grimaced as if expecting to find it smeared with horse shit. “That’s all right. Keep it.”

Drake shrugged and tucked the pen into his pocket while the man watched. When it was gone from view, the agent flipped open the last folder.

As if understanding his reaction might be offensive, the agent said, “This is a truly magnificent beast. He is massive!”

“Yes, he is,” Maddox agreed, stroking the stallion’s face. “His name is Malik Alsahra—in honor of the country of his birth.”

“King of the Desert,” the agent translated, his head nodding. “It fits him.” The inspector approached more warily as Zephyr snorted and shuffled his feet. It wound up being a very cursory inspection, which was fine with the Steeles. Once he’d been loaded, Maddox and Keith simply picked up the trunk and moved it onto the plane. The stallions were secure in special stalls, the best available, which would make their journey if not totally comfortable, far better than most. There was a room beyond the stalls and this was where they set down the trunk. It was meant for use by those caring for the cargo and was where Maddox would spend the flight as he’d promised Adira.

Accepting the completed paperwork, Drake thanked the men for their assistance, none mentioning the trunk’s paperwork being absent. After a cursory inspection of their personal luggage, the agent and inspector shook their hands just as a car drove up.

“That’s your crew,” the agent said. “Have a safe trip home, gentlemen.”

“Thank you,” Maddox said.

Drake gave Hadi’s man a tip, thanking him for his help, and pressed several bills into Keith’s hand after he’d loaded the suitcases aboard. He and Maddox climbed the stairs to enter the plane.

“Are you sure you won’t require a steward?” the pilot asked as the copilot went into the cockpit.

“Not at all. I intend to sleep and conduct some business while in the air,” Drake said. “My son will be attending the horses.”

“Of course. The attendant room has been fully stocked as has our galley. Feel free to help yourself to anything. If you need assistance, just knock on the door.” Drake assured him he would. As the Steeles moved down the aisle, Drake gave a soft whistle.

“Quite impressive,” he said, waving a hand to indicate their surroundings. The interior of the plane was luxurious, large leather seats scattered throughout. “I’m afraid you might not be as comfortable as I will be.”

“I’ll be fine,” Maddox assured him as Drake settled into a chair mid-plane. Continuing to the back, Maddox opened a door and stepped through. Returning to the attendant’s room, he buckled himself into the jump seat, keeping his eyes on the trunk they’d secured in place with cargo straps. His wasn’t the most uncomfortable seat on the plane… that belonged to the woman in the trunk. “I’m here,” he said, though he knew Adira was still deeply asleep. Hearing the sound of a whinny, he couldn’t help but think that she would much rather hear that Zephyr was just a few feet away; that she’d have her treasured companion to ride across the Texas plains.