I groaned as I woke to what seemed to be blinding sunlight coming through the blinds in our hotel room. My head ached ferociously. I was shivering to the point my teeth were chattering hard and I hoped I wouldn't break any.

Chayton pulled the comforter off me, and like a brutal ass he turned the ceiling fans on and set the air conditioner down to the lowest temperature he could.

"Damn it! I can see my breath and I'm freezing!!" How could he torture me like this?

He pulled a thermometer out of his shirt pocket and popped into my mouth, effectively reminding me I had a fever, and I was spiking pretty hard if I was suffering from chills like this. It seemed like it took forever for the thing to beep, and my eyes popped when I saw 103.6 on the little digital window.

I guess he had a point trying to cool me down.

"Am I due for more meds?" I had no idea what time it was. "My throat is killing me, and I need something to drink. I swear I've swallowed all the sand in the Emirates."

"Here."

He handed me a glass of orange juice with ice cubes in it. I grimaced as I grasped it and drank it a sip at a time. "God swallowing hurts."

"Not surprising. We snuck a vial of blood out of you over night. Testing shows you are the proud owner of influenza A. Did you remember to get your vaccine?"

I confirmed his statement when I found the cotton ball taped down on the inside of my left elbow.

"No. I haven't been around enough people to bother for the last couple of years. Didn't do Covid either. I hope you weren't as lax."

I started coughing, and my throat felt better almost instantly as I reached for a tissue to spit up the phlegm.

Chayton shook his head as he handed me three pills. "We added an antibiotic to your medications just in case. Pneumonia is a common problem with this particular flu."

I took them. "Is there anything to eat?"" I dragged myself out of the bed. Standing up was torture. I didn't think I could have so many sore muscles.

"I'll heat up the chicken soup I ordered last night. Be careful." He covered the space between is in two strides and scooped me up against his chest. "Bathroom?"

I nodded. I figured out I was nude, just as he placed me on my feet in front of the toilet.

"What have Edison and Edith come up with?" I sat down, and he left me there, answering my question on his way out.

"I'll tell you as soon as you finish in here. There's a robe on the hook on the door."

I dragged the brush I left on the counter through my hair and braided it. Exhausted, I shrugged into the robe, and made my way to the table in the kitchenette. At least the shivering stopped, and I hoped I wasn't going to break into a sweat as the fever broke.

The microwave beeped and Chay pulled out an oversized mug. Handing it to me, he searched the drawers until he found me a spoon. Sitting down across from me, he said, "It's almost 14:00. Once you're over the worst of this, we're going to the domestics agency Ishira mentioned in her note."

"What about the rest of it?"

"I confirmed the Emir had no idea about what his wife was up to. Neither did her brother. However, both of them agree Maha needs to be watched."

"What about the lover Ishira mentioned?"

"That is enough for Maha to be stoned to death if the old laws were still observed. We need to figure out if he is the one connected to the Domestic Aide Agency."

"I hope they aren't so cruel as to subject Maja to such punishment. It's harsh. So, what is our part in this mess?"

"We have an appointment with the agency. I'm hoping to leave you in their office so you can search the files. Of course, that depends on whether or not there are surveillance cameras in there."

The steam rising from my mug smelled amazing and I sipped cautiously. Ambrosia. And it eased my throat. The heat loosened my congested lungs, and I had another coughing fit before I could say anything.

"Are you okay?" Chay brought the tissue box over and plopped on the table beside me.

"Better already. The acetaminophen helped and I'm not shivering anymore. I hope the antiviral stuff does the rest of the job." I stirred my soup and raised a spoonful of it to my mouth. "But I think I'll be the one to go to the agency. Alone. I'm the one selecting servants. It seems the first wife, or in this case the only wife, is the one who takes care of all matters pertaining to the household."

"Point made. I'll scout the grounds then. Someone has to gather intel as to what's there and what the security is like. Our special ops teams have the layout and detailed plans of the building, but nothing else. Yet. That's the other half of our assignment."

I nodded. "Oh my God. Here comes the sweats. The fever broke. And now that I'm starting to remember last night, we need to order yogurt. I'm sorry I'm so out of it."

"Thank goodness, your temperature was getting to be a worry. Finish your soup. "I'll make sure we get the yogurt. At least here, it is made without the refinement of no sugar and fats. The gut microbes are a natural by product. It is reflected in the texture and taste. If the fever doesn't spike again, we'll set the appointment for the day after tomorrow."

I nodded my agreement. There was a story in there. When was he here before? I gathered there might be some non-disclosure aspects to it, but curiosity was immediate. Something to ask about later, even if it was just to confirm he was in the area somewhere in his past.

I almost inhaled the rest of the soup. "More?"

"I think you should take it easy with food. If this stays down, and you don't have a gastric component to go with the rest of your symptoms, I have some salad and sandwiches in the fridge. Most important, keep drinking."

I raised the OJ glass in a mock toast and drained it. "Yes, sir. Do we have sparkling water?"

"Will Perrier do?"

Now it was my turn to laugh. This hotel was a five star establishment after all.

"Perfect. Can you bring up the file with all the missing women's pictures?" I nodded toward the laptop he had on the desk.

"I can. We'll study them together."

"My eyes don't hurt anymore, and the headache is easing. The doc did say I would get over this fairly quickly once the meds kick in." I stood up and wobbled a bit before I grabbed the back of my chair. "But I'm definitely not ready to go anywhere yet."

"Need a lift?"

"Just stay close." I took careful steps toward the office chair by the desk, and Chayton pulled the one I was just sitting on over with him. "Every little thing I do exhausts me." I plopped down and flipped the computer open.

"We'll take a good look at this list, and then it's back to bed for you," Chayton said as he reached over and opened the file.

I knew he was right. "God damn flu. Why now?"

"To give us a chance to plan this properly?" His sarcasm told me he was just as annoyed as I was.

"True. I was ready to make a midnight raid."

"You fell asleep on the couch mid conversation last night. Never even stirred until now. Do you remember me giving you the first set of meds?"

I shook my head. "I didn't at first. Not even the fact that I knew about the antibiotics. I guess I've got to take care of myself."

"No choice. I won't let you do anything else."

My heart stuttered. Not because of illness. Because of how much he cared and the worry I saw all over him. "Thank you. I love you." It was all I could say.

"Love you too, Alyana. Did you think I would leave you to suffer alone?" His voice held a little tinge of hurt.

"Perceptive aren't you? Maurice would disappear if I even caught a mild cold."

Chayton reached over to cover my hand with his. Squeezing gently, he said. "You'll never suffer like that again. We're together, and that doesn't mean only when things are good."

Tears overwhelmed me. His words and the concern he showed, brought a flood of emotions I didn't know how to express. Life was changing for the better. My voice hoarse, I tried to explain my feelings. "Thank you. I'll always be there for you too." It sounded inadequate, but it was the best I could do.