Page 124 of Shâhzâdeh

I waved them both off causing them both to tell me how insulted they were at my lack of manners in Farsi. My grandfather’s guards went on high alert although they were still near the door and unable to move past the wall of men in front of them.

I turned my back to them, the ultimate form of disrespect and rechecked my clothing in the mirror. “I determine who I want to be around me on a day as joyous as this. He wasn’t invited.” I straightened the yellow diamond buttons on my jacket, keeping the large pin given to me by my father in its place near the base of my neck. Looking at the two of them wasn’t something I wanted to do, but I turned around so that I could look at him when he responded.

“He was. By me as my guest.” My grandfather placed his hand over his chest as though it was a sign of civility and not one of dominance.

I brushed my hair off my face to keep calm as I smiled at his highhandedness.

“Has any of your money paid for anyzing here? I did not zhink so because zhat would again be like my money paying for it since you have none. You might wear a crown but you are nozing but a figurehead. Wizout the money zhat you are so graciously allowed by us, you can barely keep control of your country. Keep trying to push boundaries and assert authority over me you do not have and watch it all crumble to your feet. Zhis is my country and even wiz zhe amount of influence I have in Iran it pales compared to the way I can make shit shake here. You keep spending as lavishly as you are trying to maintain appearances zhat everyzing is fine, and you will be selling zhat crown to keep zhe lights on in your palaces.”

I’d be the first to buy that shit just to be the one to hand it to his successor.

“You act as zhough zhe people would welcome you. You and zhisdivorcee Americanzhat you have decided to marry. It is eshameful zhat zhis is who you choose as your vife. You are so much like your fazer.” My cousin was talking a lot of shit for a man who would soon be missing his lips.

I bowed to his insult a move I’m sure irritated him beyond reason.

“Which is one of my greatest points of pride. I am like him, I strive to be like him. To love like him. To be as honorable as he is, but make no mistake. I am my mozer’s son as well. Zhe ability I have to smile in your face while I watch you choke and die is deep within me. Zhe idea of making my enemies my footstool is appealing, but making my enemies zhe dust beneath my heel or zhe food for a good friend's hogs is far more to my liking. Get him and yourself out of here before you realize zhe type of man that you crossed.” I kept my voice even because despite the vehemence and threats I spewed I refused to let him get a rise out of me.

“Is this how you espeak to me?” His brows dipped and a vein pulsed in his forehead.

I rubbed my chin thoughtfully as my nose flared and I could scent his fear. “When you have sent assassins after me and engaged the woman I love in a man’s game? How I speak to you should be the least of your worries.” I turned and spoke to the men who had their backs to me and raised my voice loud enough for them to hear me. “Let his guards zhrough so Shah Mahdavi can be escorted out.”

“Please be aware that there are eyes all over this hotel’s complex and anything you might think of doing is already being observed. And since our two countries aren’t exactly friendly with one another, there is no diplomatic immunity that would protect you from any actions you might take.” Midas stood unwaveringly by my side with his hands behind his back. Kamran, once again not knowing when to shut up, went to speak but was silenced when our grandfather spoke up.

“I look forward to seeing your bride make her way down zhe aisle.”

“Make sure you take a good look. Not only is she zhe most stunning creature Allah ever created, but it is zhe last time you will ever behold her beauty. Drink it in while you can.” I winked because whatever threat he was trying to convey didn’t worry me.

His guards were at his back, the anger on his face as he tried to come up with something he could say to move me. There were no words that would strike fear in my heart from him. Even when he had snipers raining down bullets around me, my only emotion was raw anger.

The king turned with my cousin walking behind trying to keep up appearances. Like the entire suite hadn’t heard him get completely dismissed.

“Everything good?” Ori walked up and I knew what he was asking without him having to spell it out. If he needed to put in a word to hold them for questioning, he would send out information to whoever he needed in his office to put a hold on their passports and their planes. The fuel costs alone for them to travel here privately had to have taken a good chunk of the money they’d been relegated for the month. I was sure they would start quietly selling off portions of land or levying new taxes on the people to make up the deficit that their mouth’s cost them. Funny thing was, apologizing or figuring out a way to earn money would never cross their minds. But he was a problem to solve at a later date. My focus for today was joy and seeing the annoyed look on his face I had to wonder what was irritating him.

“Hell no, but it will be. Did you bring her?” I hoped Vanya and Asha would bond as the last two women to enter our group. Hell, Jemma Marie was technically an old new addition so there were plenty of people they could bond with. Frankie being there to make things easier was a help to all of us.

“Yeah. Her father was coming anyway, so…” Ori shrugged and looked uncomfortable as hell whenever we talked about his bride to be. That scowl wasn’t on his face anymore, which emphasized Liam’s prediction that he did actually like her. Which was progress from where he’d been weeks before.

“Do you like zhe girl?”

He shifted again before rolling his shoulders back as though he were steeling himself against his truth. “She’s beautiful, she’s smarter than I am and she seems nice. I’m not sure what else I’m supposed to be looking for.”

The way he sounded only affirmed that he really did like this girl. “Ori—”

Ori shook his head and I knew he wasn’t going to let me push him further. “I’m good, Xerx. She’s chillin’ with everybody’s wives and Jemma. I’m…working through this shit. That’s the best I got. We’re brothers, right? All shades of the Black diaspora rainbow with some extra brown mixed in and a sprinkle of colonizer for a few of us. This is what brothers do to ensure the other can be happy. I’m good with how life is going. Hopefully she and I will find a middle ground.”

“I can’t ever repay you for volunteering for zhis.” I embraced his ass despite him having me by almost four inches.

When we parted, he had a look in his eye I hadn’t seen before. Like he was resigned and the Ori I was used to had never gone down without a fight.

“It was always going to be me, bruh. No repayment is necessary. Live well, be happy and treat her like a queen. That’s repayment. I plan to do the same and hope that happiness follows.”

“Khodâ hamishe kasâni râ ke ghalb-i pâk o por az mohabbat dârand, barekat midehad. To, doost-e man, hamoon ro dâri va hatta bishtar. (God will always bless those with a pure and loving heart. You, my friend have that and more).”

He braced his hand on my shoulder and squeezed it before he replied. “?O ka ?ohana pela, he pomaika?i lawa no ia. (A family like this is blessing enough).”

I could only tilt my head to him because I was sure he didn’t want me to say anything further about it. Emotional Ori might have been worse than angry Ori. He smiled and walked away but I sent up a prayer that he was going to be as happy in his decision as I would be with mine.

“You ready?” Midas had stepped away to ensure the Mahdavis were gone but had a smug grin on his face.

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