Sovereign Sheriff. Cassie Miles
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went to a chair by the fireplace and sat. “I’m guessing that you’re a woman who knows how to get what she wants.”
“A useful ability in an investigation.”
“I suppose.”
He had put up a shield to deflect anything and everything she said. Jake wouldn’t be won over by flattery. Nor would he be impressed if she batted her eyelashes and bestowed a thousand sweet smiles. Her last resort was logic.
She sat on the end of the sofa closest to his chair. “I’ve been asking myself why my brother came here. He’s a sensible man and never does anything on a whim. Why did he choose this place for the summit meeting?”
“The Wind River Ranch and Resort has a fine reputation.” Jake eyed her with suspicion. “No one seems to know exactly why he chose the place.”
“As his sister, I have a deeper understanding of Amir than anyone else.”
“When was the last time you saw him?”
“It was eight or nine months ago. He was in the United States on business and spent a few days with me in Beverly Hills.” That time was a bit of a blur. “I was so busy starting law school that I wasn’t very attentive.”
If she had been more alert, she might have picked up clues. It pained her to think that she might have missed something that could save her brother’s life.
Jake asked, “What did you talk about?”
They’d argued about her tabloid notoriety. Amir thought it was high time for her to settle down. When she’d said the same to him, he had seemed secretive. “I had a feeling about him. There was something different. Maybe he was involved with a woman.”
“I don’t know your brother,” Jake said, “but I’ve seen how women react to the other COIN princes. I’m guessing that Amir had plenty of girlfriends.”
“He has a reputation. Some refer to him as a black sheep. But it’s not true. My brother is nothing like our father. He was the great womanizer.”
Her father had disappointed her in so many ways. She tried not to think about him, opening that door released a gush of regret. “My father had a great fondness for the American West. He often told us stories about cowboys and ranches.”
“Maybe he spent time in the West,” Jake suggested.
“As a young man, he came to the Rocky Mountains.” One of the few occasions when her father paid attention to her was when she was learning to ride. “He told me about cowgirls. How they could ride and use a rope as well as any man.”
“And shoot,” Jake said. “Like Annie Oakley.”
“Oh, yes. I watched the movie.” She’d loved the stories and the independent spirit of Western women. “I wanted to be like those cowgirls. Amir is nine years older than I am, but he would play cowboy with me.”
“Did your father visit Wyoming?”
“I’m not sure,” she said. “I was very young when he told me those stories.”
“We can ask around,” Jake said. “Some of the old-timers might remember.”
“A wonderful idea.”
She noticed that he’d said “we.” He was including her in the investigation, and that was a step in the right direction. Everything was going her way. She’d work with Jake—a prospect that pleased her on several levels. They’d find Amir, and he’d be all right. There would be happy endings all around.
The front door swung open. Sheik Efraim Aziz of Nadar strode into the living room.
She braced herself for the impending storm.
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