Page 2 of Shâhzâdeh

“So we are sitting back and watching.” Shoaib almost sounded disappointed, but hopefully there were enough people here for us to all get our frustrations out.

“Shoaib, I would pity whatever man zhought it was a good idea to get in my way.” I spoke to him matter-of-factly because I needed to abate some of my fury. And he wouldn’t be spared if he tried to stop me.

“So, clean up then.” Quentin was asking for clarity but I knew he was annoyed he wasn’t going to get to act up.

“If I weren’t so concerned about zhis idiot man and his daughter calling zhe police I would say to leave it. Or burn it to purge zhis land. But zhat would still leave behind evidence. You all secure de horses once we understand zhat we’re walking into. I will find zhe girl.”

They gave me a nod and I could already see the trailer that our company kept in the States by one side of the barn.

Shoaib and Quentin both exited the car barking out orders to the rest of the people with us. Those were their employees and I never interfered with any of their directives. Instead, I kept my fingers curled around myscimitarand headed toward the only stable that looked sturdy enough to hold horses or human.

“Reza!Biâ biroon, kâret dâram (Reza! Come out, I need to talk to you)!”

I paced the dirty floor looking at the men that were there on my cousin’s orders. I’d called for Reza to show himself and the quickness in which he complied would determine how badly I beat him before delivering him to the rancher.

“What would you like us to do, boss?” I glanced over at Quentin who stood roughly the same height as me. His skin was the color of a roasted almond and held a glow even in the low light. His build, broad and muscular, was a hint at his profession, although he was currently dressed down since we’d been traveling all day. He still kept his hair impeccably edged up no matter what.

“Quentin, I told you, I have stress. If you can relieve yours you will have to find me someone else’s head to take and hope it wasn’t yours as retaliation.”

He laughed at my joke knowing he was far too invaluable for me to kill. And besides, he was my friend so that would never happen. Had to keep him on his toes, though.

“I’m sure there’s a list.” His response was flip but he wasn’t wrong. I’d been sitting on generational wrongs for a while now and I knew the time was ending quickly. Only then would I be able to feel at ease.

“Ever helpful, Quentin. Of course zhere is a list, but why make extra work when targets are readily available?” I pointed my scimitar toward the door that was opening far too slowly for my liking.

“Xerxes—”

“Who the fuck are you talking to?”

“Bah shâhzâdeh shod ehtaram begozarid(Show your respect to your prince)!”

Quentin and Sho were on it, both pulling weapons and moving in front of me almost shoulder to shoulder blocking me from any potential issues.

I patted them both on their shoulders to move them out of the way. I was dead ass about needing to work out the tension in my body. That my cousin was trying to use this man to override me in my own country angered me. I was sure he was bitter because I had more respect amongst our people than he did. Even though I was just the foreign-born, half-blood prince. I was the one who helped people eat. Who didn’t hoard the wealth the masses worked for in my own coffers. I had people that worked for the multiple sides of my businesses both legal and illegal, in both countries. I wasn’t as stupid as Reza’s boss to rely only on the royal blood that was in my veins to think that would keep the allegiance of the people around me. There were too many times that revolutions happened when absolute power corrupted absolutely. The Mahdavi family should’ve learned from those mistakes but instead they were careening toward a fate that had befallen so many others before them. And one they’d been saved from only a generation before. But clearly they hadn’t learned their lesson and the Cannons were going to move from saviors to sensei in this lifetime.

If you do not learn from history, you will repeat it.An old saying but one that was absolutely true. My mother and father had taught me that being a good person was far better than any of the other titles I held or the money I possessed. That lesson had been one my father was born with because it wasn’t taught to him by his family. And my mother, she was a Black woman so empathy and compassion were as natural to her as breathing.

Too bad the Mahdavis hadn’t realized her kindness was her greatest strength and not a weakness.

Reza’s hands flew up realizing his mistake as the men he had with him moved to protect him. That was what would seal their fate. No one made a move against an envoy of a royal with a royal present. I wasn’t one for titles but I was one for my fucking respect. And acting as though Reza held more power than I did in this situation was the ultimate slap in the face.

“I meant no disrespect. Ve have always been on cordial terms—”

I held up my blade testing the sharpness to ensure I wouldn’t have any issues when the time came. I nodded seeing that it was in peak condition, my body calming slightly. “Cordial because you had never done esomezing so egregious as to use my name fraudulently and zhen esteal in my name. What would possess you to do esomezing like zhis?” My accent was coming in heavier the angrier I got. My friends often joked my emotions determined which of my parents would come out of my mouth. Today it was my father.

My eyes flickered to him and I could feel the weight of everyone’s fear and I had to smile at the way they looked completely panicked.

“Zhat Black—”

Quentin’s gun was out and aimed at Reza and I could only chuckle at the speed in which he acted. One thing we both had in common was not letting anyone who put the emphasis on Black the way Reza did, live too long.

“You forgot who you talking to didn’t you? I know you had to because the last thing you would’ve said wasBlackthat way. Like it was an insult. As though everything human on this earth wasn’t created from African people. Mind your muthafuckin’ mouth when you speaking on Black anything. Black cats, blackbirds, black licorice but most definitely Black people. Boss?”

I sighed and snarled my response because my ancestors were whispering he needed this. “Go ahead, I won’t be able to estop you.”

Quentin grinned then tucked his gun away, which Reza stupidly thought meant he was good. Instead, Quentin hooked him in the jaw before slamming his broad fist into Reza’s stomach. When the guards that normally hung with Reza acted as though they were going to attack, all hell broke loose.

Myscimitarwas out and the head of the biggest one was rolling across the floor while Reza struggled to recover. I’d cut his head off in a way to ensure he didn’t insult me further by bleeding on my clothing. I would have to find something else of his to destroy if he’d soiled my thobe.

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