Page 62 of Earned Husband

And yet, when Jasmine swung a leg over the decorative railing, I was right behind her, both of us having done this too many times before. She stepped onto the thick stone ledge, grabbed the branches of the sprawling jacaranda tree that reached the balcony, and disappeared.

Once she was gone, I grabbed my shoes and took my turn, ignoring the branches snagging at me on the way down. I landed in a shrub, brushing leaves from my dress as I straightened up and glared at my sister. “Next time, we’re using the stairs.”

She smiled at me but didn’t say anything. Two security guards standing near the outer wall had watched the entire performance, but neither of them tried to stop us, so used to our antics at this point that they’d long since stopped getting in our way.

The bigger problem wasn’t the human security. It was the electronic eyes we would have to avoid. Our cameras were highly monitored, and those guards would absolutely tell our father if they caught us.

Jasmine and I skirted around the side of the house, carefully picking our way across the lawns to stay out of sight until we reached the driveway, where a black SUV was already waiting. My brothers were climbing into it. Colin stood beside the door, his features softening as soon as he spotted me.

“Are you hurt?” he asked quietly when I reached him. “I saw you fall into another bush.”

“No you didn’t.” I grinned at him and dared him to contradict me.

“Right, my mistake.” He took a step closer, looking me over from head to toe with concern lingering in his eyes. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m feeling better now.” Without really thinking about it, I reached for his hand and squeezed it. “I promise.”

His fingers closed around mine, but we still had one more escape to make, and once that was done, I really would be feeling better.

CHAPTER 27

COLIN

As we left the gated estate where the Saads lived, I turned toward the window, torn between staring at the scenery and giving all my attention to the woman by my side. Everywhere I looked in Cairo, there was something to marvel at. Ancient architecture right next to a gleaming glass office tower.

“The traffic here is insane,” I murmured as I stroked my thumb along the side of Deja’s hand. “I’m pretty sure it violates the laws of physics.”

She chuckled. “It’s actually a pretty slow night. You should see it on a Friday.”

“You’re joking.” For a second, I watched headlights weaving across the lanes and a string of brake lights ahead as far as I could see. I glanced at her. “Right?”

“I’m not.” She smiled and leaned into my side. “Welcome to Cairo.”

“Yeah.” I blew out a breath, not even wanting to think about trying to drive here, but Rami seemed pretty confident behind the wheel.

He was chatting to Tarek in the passenger seat as if they weren’t even aware we were with them. Jasmine was on Deja’sother side in the back seat, so distracted by her phone that she’d barely said a word since we’d left.

By the time we reached an area apparently known for its nightlife, the sidewalks were even busier than they had been on the way over. Upscale restaurants lined the streets, their patios lit by strings of lights while music drifted through the open windows. There were cafes and bars, fancy hotels, gardens, and historical sites.

On a man-made island in the Nile, the area was stunning, offering views of the city lights reflecting off the water every so often after we’d crossed the bridge to it. Rami finally parked and I inhaled a deep breath as I climbed out of the SUV, catching the scent of grilled meat, fresh bread, and spices floating through the air.

“This is one of the more affluent parts of Cairo,” Deja explained, taking my hand again once she was standing next to me. “There’s no place like it in all of Egypt. They’ve repurposed former palaces into art galleries or homes for ambassadors, but there’s still a lot of history here.”

Rami clapped me on the shoulder. “Party time.”

The brothers slipped into the flow of pedestrians, even greeting people here and there as we ducked through narrow, tree-lined side streets before stopping outside a nightclub with music pulsing through the walls. Jasmine sashayed up to the bouncer, air-kissed his cheeks, then wiggled her fingers in a wave and disappeared.

Tarek shook his head but grinned as he strode up to the guy too, Rami, Deja, and I following close behind. We were let in despite the line of people snaking down the street, but the bouncer waved off the groans of complaint, smacking his palm against each of the Saad brothers’ before snapping the rope back into place behind us.

As soon as we got inside, I lost all sense of direction. It was dark, with only flashing lights illuminating the crowd in pulses of green, blue, and red, the music so loud that it felt like it was rearranging my internal organs. There were also people everywhere, but the actual ones I’d come here with seemed to have vanished.

Deja’s fingers wrapped around mine again before I could wander off and get into trouble. She pulled me straight back to the entrance and out onto the street outside.

“What’s going on?” I asked. “Did you forget something?”

She grimaced. “Yeah, I forgot how much I hate nightclubs.”

I grinned and shook my head. “Why are we here, then?”