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evening.”
    He released her and the Ghonims positioned her between them.  Fahad held her jacket so she could shrug into it.  She waved at the men and women she hoped to see again and allowed the cousins to lead her away.  On the way to the exit, they paused to collect their suit jackets and ties. 
    It was a necessity that made her smile. 

Chapter Six
     
    Natalia’s eyes were wide as she passed the podium in the lobby with the cousins on either side.  Hurriedly saying goodbye, Marci didn’t stop to explain. 
    Hudson would fill her in. 
    Just inside the front door, Fahad took a cell phone from his pocket and spoke in rapid Arabic.  She took out her own and her security team picked up on the first ring. 
    “Fahad and Nuri Ghonim are escorting me home.”  Glancing at the men, she added, “Their family has been connected to mine for many years.  They have my trust but I know that won’t be enough.”
    “We’ll follow and call for final check.  Your apartment is being secured now.”  There was a pause before Tyler added, “You’ll have a complete security profile on your desk tomorrow morning, Miss Canfield.”
    “Thank you.”  She disconnected and followed Fahad and Nuri through the exit. 
    A heavy Mercedes limousine stood at the curb and she knew it was fortified against bullets as high as .50 caliber, ground to air missiles, and explosives detonated from underneath. 
    They walked through the exit and she nodded to Stav who grinned in response. 
    Four men met them at the top of the stairs and escorted them to the door that was held by their driver.  She knew he was as highly trained as the other members of the team. 
    Once inside, the silence was heavy as she was settled snugly between the warm men. 
    Marci had the uncontrollable urge to laugh.  The cousins joined her.  “Presidents have no concept.  They are grown men when this sort of security becomes second nature.  I was five the first time I was taught to aid in my rescue.”
    “It was the first of many lessons that you retained with remarkable clarity.”
    Meeting Fahad’s eyes, she nodded.  “Thank you.”  Turning to Nuri, she asked, “Did you ever read the Incarnations of Mortality that we discussed?”
    “All of them.”  He chuckled.  “We had never seen anyone read so much.  You carried a book with you everywhere.” 
    “There are so many, I’ll run out of time before I can read all the ones I want to.”  She glanced down at her folded hands.  “I’ve had less time to read in the last few years.” 
    “Once your workload becomes more manageable, perhaps you will find a bit more time to breathe.”  Fahad lifted her hand and held it in both of his.  “This stage is the worst of it.”
    “Removing the infighting and counter-purposes will help me speed the process along.”
    Turning his body more toward her, Nuri asked, “Will you tell us what has happened since we last saw you?  We follow any news of you we can find but it does not provide the entire picture.” 
    During the twenty-minute drive, Marci answered their questions about school, work, and her personal life.  As they pulled to the curb in front of her building, she said, “I’d love to hear about your lives the next time we meet.”
    “A story we will be glad to tell.”  The cousins’ security team assembled on the other side of the glass and she moved to get out.  They held her in place long enough to lift her hands and kiss the backs.  “Until we see you again, may your dreams be filled with light and beauty.”
    On impulse, a sensation that never affected her, she kissed their cheeks in turn.  The skin beneath her lips was warm and firm.  She thought they inhaled deeply before she pulled back. 
    “Goodnight and thank you for seeing me home.”
    Fahad tapped on the glass and the door was opened.  When she was standing on the pavement in the midst of their security, she glanced back and gave them a smile.
    “Goodnight,