Aziza set her jaw, and her stare did not waver.
He knew what that meant. After what Aziza had been through, he didn’t want to give her a moment’s stress. “I’ll find out what papers we have to sign to get temporary custody of her.”
“Thanks, love.” The admiration in her eyes made him want to do somersaults and undertake bigger exploits. For now, he’d have the necessary conversations to give Aziza the assurance she craved.
“Where are the others? Did they leave?” he asked.
“The first van left, and the other one loaded up while you were chasing that bit of slime.” She grabbed his wrist and looked him dead in the eyes. “I want to be sure they get to their destination safely,” she said. “It’s not that I don’t trust your people. But after what we went through … we need to call later.”
Ryan kissed her cheek, then got to his feet. “We’ll do that. Be back in a few.”
He went to the intake counter and asked for directions to Jai Maharaj’s office. The nurse asked an attendant to escort him to a secluded corner of the complex. After he rapped on the door, Jai invited him to come inside. He introduced him to a tall man he’d apparently been meeting with before things went awry.
“Ryan, this is Chaz Maharaj. He also works here at the clinic.”
Although he didn’t mention that they were relatives, their resemblance was close enough for Ryan to believe he’d made an accurate guess.
At Jai’s invitation, Ryan sat next to Chaz in front of the desk.
Dr. Butala, who cowered in an adjacent seat, seemed to have shrunk in size since their run-in. The antique chair he sat in dwarfed him. Despite the air-conditioning, he was sweating, and his darting eyes wouldn’t settle anywhere.
“All of this is unnecessary,” Dr. Butala said. “I have told you several times, I do not know that little girl and even if I have visited El Zalaam, it is legal to do so.”
“And you should be ashamed of yourself,” Jai snapped. “To be treating young females when you know perfectly well you have a fetish. I repeatedly told the Durabia Tribunal I did not want to hire you. If I find out from any of the patients, or the nurses, that you touched any of them in inappropriate ways, I will have you thrown in prison.”
The man sat up and gripped both chair arms. “But I am a national. And it is also legal—”
“Be careful what you say to me.” Jai’s eyes narrowed. “I hold my staff to stricter standards than any other hospital in Durabia. You signed a contract agreeing to certain conditions, so I have every right to ensure you abide by the stipulations in that document.”
Dr. Butala’s olive skin blanched, and he shifted in the chair. “None of my patients will have complaints.”
“That had better be the case.” Jai pointed at him. “And if I find out you’ve been threatening any of them. I won’t be as lenient with you as the law might be.”
“What happens if there’s proof he’s been messing with these little girls?” Ryan spared the doctor a scathing glance. “Aziza confirmed that Sunita knows him.”
“I wouldn’t want to put her through the trauma of having to face him in court,” Jai said, “Which is why I will give Dr. Butala an hour to get his things and be prepared for the Kings to handle him.”
The doctor’s eyes bulged. “But—”
“You do not want to cross me.” Jai’s face was set in grim lines. “Just be thankful you didn’t touch her on the hospital grounds, or you’d be leaving in handcuffs.”
The man stood as if someone had set a fire under him. “You are treating me unfairly on the words of a little ...”
He attached an Arabic word that shocked both Chaz and Jai, who shoved away his chair and shot to his feet. “It’s best if you walk out of here now, while you still can, rather than me sending you out on a stretcher.”
Ryan stifled a grin behind his hand. For someone who seemed mild-mannered at first glance, Jai had a smoldering volcano inside him. He picked up the handset and jabbed a button. “Please have security escort Dr. Butala to his locker. I’ll arrange for him to be removed from the premises.”
“You might live to regret this,” Dr. Butala said, his tone fierce. “Remember, I am the most recognized thoracic and gastrointestinal surgeon in Durabia.”
His declaration raised Ryan’s antenna. If this man was perverted enough to objectify children sexually, how far-fetched was it that he might also be involved in slicing and dicing women for profit?
Dro, who had been using a tablet, looked up again and lowered the device.
Daron leaned off the wall and put both hands in his pockets. “I suggest you do not allow your mouth to write any checks the rest of your body can’t cash.”
Dr. Butala’s bulbous nose twitched, but he didn’t say another word.
A knock on the door interrupted the tense silence. On Jai’s command, a distinguished man wearing a suit and turban entered the office, greeted them, then left with the doctor.
As soon as the door closed, Ryan sat forward, “Based on what the distinguished doctor said, it isn’t a stretch to think he might be involved in organ harvesting. I’m just saying.”
“I get that, and it bears looking into for sure.” Jai sighed and leaned back in his seat. “In case you’re wondering why I hired Dr. Butala—”
“I’m not blaming you for anything,” Ryan rushed to say. “A crafty individual will show you the persona they think you will approve of at a job interview. It’s human nature.”
“And it doesn’t help that the laws of the land require me to hire twenty percent nationals, which is how this substandard fool ended up at this clinic—against my wishes.” He lapsed into silence, then looked directly at Chaz. “Kamran is having
