Page 176 of Shâhzâdeh

Coup

XERXES

“TODAY IS A special day everyone.”

I was standing in the basement of a meat packing facility. Specifically, one in Texas on a ranch that had set me on the course to my destiny.

The rancher that I’d helped back in March had returned the favor by allowing me to store some…merchandise in a casita on his land. It had only been for overnight and now we were gathered here to right a wrong that had been committed years ago.

“Tell us about it my Middle Eastern Mulatto brother.” Yacouba was grinning at the pageantry he knew I was going to display. I’d been on a high since I knew that the people that had hurt Vanya were locked away and unable to do her any harm so I felt more than comfortable leaving her in Charlotte without me.

I nodded my appreciation and I noticed he didn’t have his slugs in for today’s business. The space was taller than expected but the activities that went on in here I should’ve expected it. The ceiling had to be at least ten to twelve feet high if not higher and the track that ran throughout the room was going to come in handy for our mission.

“Zhank you,Owo. Zhe first zhing about today is zhat Ori has his paperwork in and his last case before he’s with us running shit full time. I can’t wait because his ass has been complainin’ about it for years.”

Word had come down that Ori was officially done with the government once he closed up his last case. In an interesting turn of events, his future wife was going to help him achieve that goal. As it was, he had a limited amount of time to be with us and was only here under the guise of chasing a lead. He wanted to be all in on the case to get done faster, but he also didn’t want to miss this. Handling business with the family always took precedence.

Priest chuckled slightly before he bumped Ori with his shoulder. “You really have, Ori.”

“Shut up, Mir.” Ori took the ribbing, despite knowing he had been acting like a brat. He kept his arms folded across his chest but he wore a look of contentment.

A slow smile spread across Jahmir’s face as he turned to look back at the people in front of us. “Not even close.”

“We never getting Mir back, y’all.” Ori’s statement was so matter of fact it caused us to laugh because it truly seemed like whatever had kept Priest away was gone. It was probably the death of the man he thought was his father that showed him that no matter how bad he was, he moved with good intentions. Jahmir no longer felt the guilt of ending up like Cardinal because the purpose behind his actions was always pure. So he let his other side come out often.

“Priest and Mir seemed to have learned to co-exist well. We are all here for me to give my father a gift zhat has been decades in the making. Bâbâ, a late Father’s Day gift for you.”

My paternal male relatives were standing in the center of this large room, their angry faces flitting over the people who stood around me. They were trying to whisper as though there was a way out of this situation, but they should’ve known nothing and no one was going to save them. They were unharmed mostly, although I could see where one of my cousins had at least attempted to act like a man and protect himself.

My grandfather, uncle and cousins never left the United States like Afshin had. Afshin wanted to continue to work on the resort project and needed to be there for the opening of a new food outreach program that we were implementing in several of the more rural parts of the country. It was co-sponsored and funded by him and my father, their names and photos being the only two listed on the charity’s homepage. Afshin had returned to Tehran on one of my planes since the one my grandfather owned was too busy being used for carnal desires. Their absence prompted him to be more public on behalf of the family and as usual, they loved him.

The king and his entourage of yes-men lingered around in the United States being lured into expressing their baser selves as soon as they didn’t have the eyes of our countrymen on them. They spent their time running up tabs all over since the wedding over a month ago. They’d stayed in Midas’ hotels incurring extravagant bills which I paid for out of their next monthly allotment. One thing I wouldn’t do was stick my cousin for the money they spent frivolously or pay for it myself.

It wasn’t like they were going to spend it. Can’t take it with you in death.

When they attempted to board their next flight and head to Miami from Las Vegas, it was rerouted to Texas for inclement weather. When they landed, it was on the runway on the Chisholm-Love property. Our men had been there to greet them with guns and smiles.

And now, it was time for me to play.

“Vhat is zhe meaning of zhis?” My uncle Ibriham was standing tall as though he were going to take charge. I was shocked to see him wearing the Western style clothing he ridiculed me about. Even though more people in our country blended fashions, he used to speak negatively about our clothing choices. It was funny to see him being so loudly hypocritical. He ain’t even make that shit look good. Money truly couldn’t buy swag.

“Zhis? Well, zhis is where you come to die.” I spread my arms wide, the room erupting in chuckles from our side and angry yelling from theirs. Their guards were trying to do their jobs, but being unarmed and out-manned, they couldn’t do more than yell.

“Xerxes.”

I smiled as the host of this event came to stand beside me. His deep voice was filled with agitation, which I completely understood. Despite the joy I felt at this moment, I was also eager to get my revenge. But for him, I could be patient. I turned from my family and acknowledged him with a nod. “Yes, Sampson?”

“Which one wanted Black?”

His face was searching those of the people across from us, and I could feel the deadly energy radiating from him. After watching how he worked several months before, there would be little I could do to restrain him from killing Kamran too soon. He had his hair pushed back off his face and it was longer than it had been several months ago.

“Zhe little shit back zhere in zhe green shirt.”

Sampson gave me a nod then strolled over to where Kamran stood. His boots echoed throughout the space despite the number of people that were gathered here. This was a multi-generational reckoning, so I couldn’t be the only member of my family here to witness this.

My cousin looked as arrogant as always because he didn’t know what was in store for him. His off black hair was pomaded up into a fuckboy hair style and he was covered in jewelry. It wasn’t even done tastefully, just a way to signal to anyone that was around him that he was wealthy. And a mark. It was only by the grace of the loyal soldiers they rewarded with their cast offs that stood behind him that he hadn’t been robbed blind and murdered in his sleep. He wore skinny jeans an oversized shirt and several massive diamond chains. His eyes were glassy and red and he looked like he was coming down off of something.

Sampson held up his hands in front of Kamran’s face and smiled. “That man you sent here for my wife? I used these two to beat him to death. Felt every bone in his face crack as I pulverized the flesh beneath my fist. I’m not a violent man by any means. Hell, my brother says I’m too soft. But there’s something that happens when you mess with a man’s heart that brings out the savage. Ain’t that right, Xerxes?”

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