Free The Sheikh's Diamond (Sheikh's Wedding Bet Series Book 1) by Leslie North

couldn’t believe her eyes.
    “An oasis,” she gasped as she looked around. Sunlight poured through small holes in the top of the cave, and the space was crawling with vegetation. Leafy green plants grew along the pool of running water below, which rushed through the small caves and opened up in tiny waterfalls in the holes on the side. “My God. It hasn’t been seen in thousands of years. It hasn’t been touched in thousands years.”
    “If we’re right, it’s been seen and touched by one person,” Masoud said grimly.
    “Yasin.” Fleur remembered why they were there and clamped her mouth shut. “You think he found the oasis and put the diamond back. Do you have any idea how much money he could have made on this find?”
    “He may have been motivated by money when he took the diamond, but it was fear and superstition that made him put it back. Any idea where it might be?”
    “I didn’t even think we’d get this far,” she admitted. “The diamond was supposed to shine like fire, but that doesn’t help. Even if it caught the sunlight from above, the sun’s position in the sky could put it in multiple places. Plus, the thing isn’t exactly huge.”
    She stripped off her bag and dropped it by the rocks. ”I guess we get to explore. Watch what you touch. I don’t know much about these plants. They might be poisonous.”
    “Poisonous?” Masoud remarked with a chuckle. “Really?”
    “The only other garden touched by God held an apple that doomed all of humanity. Let’s not speculate what might be in this one,” she said wryly.
    “You believe that?” he asked her suddenly. Faith was hard to come by these days, and while he had issues believing in the power of a diamond, he wanted to believe that there was a God.
    “I believe that we’re standing in a secret oasis in a cave in the middle of the desert,” she pointed out. “I’m not going to touch anything.” She flashed him a smile and began roaming the oasis. Even though she was excited to be close to finding the diamond, finding the oasis was a remarkable moment for her. If she were lucky, something in here would lead her to the true location of Solomon’s Mines.
    Slowly, she ran her hands over the walls of the cave. If Masoud’s great uncle really did believe in the legend, he would have put the diamond back in the same spot that it had been found. But how could he have gotten such information?
    The thought made her frown. In all likelihood, Yasin could have put the diamond anywhere, but he had enough information to find the oasis. He went through all that trouble recreating the first find. “Masoud, was your great-uncle an academic?”
    Masoud snorted. “He was a party animal. Women, money, and booze.”
    A sinner on the path of redemption. “You said he disappeared for two years, but you found his body in Paris. How did he die?”
    “Probably alcohol poisoning,” Masoud said with a shrug.
    A sinner on the path of redemption who failed to find mercy. “How did his apartment look when you found it? Where there any notable scrolls or letters around him? The Bible perhaps?”
    “Fleur, I wasn’t there. If my father found anything notable, he would have put it in the library. And if it were rare, he would have put it on display. Why?”
    “Your great-uncle wasn’t an academic, but he found the oasis. If he truly believes that only those worthy to rule would find the diamond, he would have hidden it in the same spot. But how could he have gotten that information? How could he have gotten any of this information?” She chewed on her bottom lip as she tried to work it out.
    “Obviously, someone told him.”
    “This place wouldn’t be a secret if people knew about it.” Fleur shook her head. “There’s more. There has to be more. What am I missing?” Her eyes rounded. “The diamond. After he stole the diamond, something must have happened to make him believe in the legend. To make him want to believe that he was worthy to keep