Katie and the Warrior King

Katie and the Warrior King S.E. SMITH Acknowledgments I would like to thank my husband, Steve, for believing in me and being proud enough of me to give me the courage to follow my dream. I would also like to give a special thank you to my sister and best friend, Linda, who not only encouraged me to write, but who also read the manuscript. Also, to my other friends who believe in me: Julie, Jackie, Christel, Sally, Jolanda, Lisa, Laurelle, Debbie, and Narelle. The girls that keep me going! And a special thanks to Paul Heitsch, David Brenin, Samantha Cook, Suzanne Elise Freeman, PJ Ochlan, Vincent Fallow, L. Sophie Helbig, and Hope Newhouse, Allison Rivers, and Bethanne Reid—the outstanding voices behind my audiobooks! – S. E. Smith Contemporary Romance Katie and the Warrior King Girls from the Street Book 4 Copyright © 2023 by S.E. Smith First E-Book Published February 2023 Cover Design by Melody Simmons ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission from the author. All characters, places, and events in this book are fictitious or have been used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations are strictly coincidental. Summary: A desert sheikh reclaims the country he is destined to rule and discovers love with the silent stranger who fires his blood and saves his life. ISBN: 9781959584018 (Paperback) ISBN: 9781959584001 (eBook) Romance (love, explicit sexual content) | Contemporary | Royalty | Multicultural | Action/Adventure | Suspense | Thriller | Saga | Destined Love Published by Montana Publishing, LLC & SE Smith of Florida Inc. www.sesmithfl.com Synopsis She was born on the streets; he was born to rule… Sheikh Raja Hadi, the heir to the Kingdom of Simdan, was taken by a stranger when he was a boy. His abduction saved his life. Raised far from home, he is forced to watch as his uncle destroys the legacy of his father. Katie Ashe longs for adventure. Raised by her deaf mother, her life has revolved around staying one step ahead of the local gangs. A six-month internship teaching sign language in Jawahir offers Katie a chance to see the world. Her dreams turn into nightmares when she uncovers a plot to kill the legendary Savior of Simdan. Katie’s escape leads her into the desert and the tent of a powerful rebel leader. Posing as a mute boy, she does whatever she can to prevent anyone from discovering her true identity as she searches for a way to warn the King of Simdan. Can a King who has returned to claim his rightful place and a street-smart American girl hiding as a boy in a far-off country discover love before the assassins finish what they have started? Prologue Thirteen years before: “Raja, tell me,” Tasha purred, trailing her fingers up his bare arm and through his black hair. She leaned closer, her lips touching the soft lobe of his ear. “Please.” Raja Hadi frowned at the beautiful woman lying on the tousled sheets. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, wondering for the hundredth time why he hadn’t left hours ago as planned. He stiffened when Tasha gave a sharp, painful tug on the tender hair at his nape. He pulled out of her reach and stood. “This topic is not open for discussion.” Tasha fell back against the pristine white cotton sheets, a calculating expression briefly visible in her eyes before she lowered her lashes. She pushed her plump, red lipstick-stained bottom lip outward in a sultry pout. She had used that technique on him many times since they started seeing each other. It had been alluring six months ago, but it wasn’t attractive now. Now he saw it for what it was—a manipulation. “I have to get cleaned up,” he announced. “What is the hurry? I thought you were spending the night,” she said as she sat up and scooted back against the pillows. She reached for a cigarette, and Raja let his expression show what he was thinking. The hotel room they were in was non-smoking, and she knew he didn’t want her smoking around him. The scent clung to his hair, skin, and clothing. That could be dangerous. Rolling her eyes at his disapproval, she tossed the pack onto the nightstand without taking one. She folded her arms under her breasts, making them lift enticingly. The thrill of seeing a woman’s bare breasts wasn’t quite the same as it had been the first time he unveiled the soft, pale globes. “I could join you,” she suggested, lifting her slender arm above her head and kicking the covers off to reveal a long expanse of smooth thigh. “Not this time,” he curtly replied. He gathered his things and entered the bathroom, taking care to lock the door behind him. Dropping his overnight bag on the counter, he turned on the shower and hung a towel on the hook by the door. His eyes paused on the door’s lock. Unease pulsed through him. “Don’t trust anyone, Raja.” “What about Idella? What about you?” he remembered asking. Harlem’s lips had twitched. “I wish I could say you could trust us, son, but even that I can’t promise. If you ever cross over to the dark side….” The dark side. Much had happened in Raja’s seventeen years of life, but he still wasn’t sure what that meant. Harlem Jones was his surrogate father, but he was also Raja’s handler, so Raja could almost understand the advice about Harlem—but, Idella? He would trust Idella with his life and had. Tasha, though…. Raja’s unseeing eyes stared blindly at his reflection. What he knew about her was damning—and yet, it was difficult to let go of the hope she had inspired. Perhaps it wasn’t as bad as it seemed,