Page 31 of Shâhzâdeh

“No, but zhe do need to coordinate zhe replacing of zhe glass of her storefront.”

“Replacing it to what? Shatter resistant—”

“Ballistic glass.”

“Shorty got folks after her like that?” Quentin had glanced back at me, brows raised like surely people couldn’t be that pressed about a realtor. I could see he was making the mental calculations of what would be needed to keep Vanya protected if she had enemies that deep.

“Not yet. But what do you zhink the family will do once zhey realize I have a soft spot?” After the way they acted when I was last in Tehran, especially bringing a woman around, they would lose it if they found out about Vanya.

“You know my loyalty has always been to you and your fazer. I haven’t said a vord to zhem about yoursayyida, and I never vill. But do you zhink zhe retribution vill be directed toward her if you make a move?” Shoaib was from Iran, but spent most of his time with me. When we flew back, he spent time with the one brother he had who was in the military.

“Zhey can’t touch me. Losing me means de loss of the money zhat’s keeping all of zheir shit together. Zhey’d much rather try to cripple me from zhe inside out by harming her. Which means I need to strike at zhem first.”

“Can you do that without there being a problem?” Quentin’s mind was moving to protecting not just me, but Vanya as well. He would want to put the right people in place to make sure we were both good.

“No. Which is why I need to be more zhan prepared for what zhey would do. Starting now we need someone to watch her. Not too closely, but to be around in case anyzing looks suspicious.”

“Do you have any suggestions?”

“She is skittish around men at times. If zhere is a woman—”

“I’m on it, boss. We can have someone here within the next few days.”

“Good. If they have a real estate license, even better.”

“Real estate?” Quentin kept scanning the area even as we pulled into the parking lot ofThe Warren Hotel.

“I’ve planted zhe seed zhat she will need more help. She doesn’t want to lose clients zhat she currently has or burn bridges by not being available. If she has a colleague zhat could work wiz her, I’m sure zhat she would take on someone know zhat zhe zhought is in her head.”

“We could always reach out to Priest…” Quentin looked back at me again and that gave me an idea.

Pulling out my phone, I was nodding my head because I was sure Mir had someone that could assist. “True. Let me do that and see what he says.”

“What’s good, Priest?”

I sat at the desk in the penthouse suite I’d been occupying since I touched down in Charlotte, NC. Since Midas wasn’t in residence, he wanted me to use his suite, but I knew he would be making his way over here within a few weeks and I didn’t feel like moving. I’d taken off the suit that I’d worn to see Vanya and was now dressed down in a t-shirt and joggers. The room was classically designed with a dark navy and wood interior. This city had made its mark by being the banking capital of the south. The benefits of that influx of wealth were apparent everywhere you looked.

“Your ass in the states or are you calling me from a plane over the gulf of somewhere right now?”

“Stateside. In Charlotte, actually. Already checked into Midas’ place. I’m shocked you ain’t got someone else checking up on me.”

“There’s no need with the people you have on payroll. Finally going after your wife?”

“Mashallah.Of course, I hope it all works out zhe way my heart desires.”

I prayed it was God’s will for Vanya to be mine. The way I felt about her was far too intense for it not to be. It was the way my Uncle Michael said he felt when he saw my auntie. How my father described the gnawing need he had for my mother that had nothing to do with his dick. The same way Midas spent an entire year longing for Nev until she literally walked back into his life one night. And even then, his dumb ass tried to deny fate.

I didn’t want to be like my cousin. I wanted what our fathers had. It was why I was so quick to submit to the position I knew she held in my life. Denying it only led to pain and I learned that lesson well enough from my cousin.

“Your intentions and your interest are pure.”

I smirked thinking of the way Vanya filled out the golden-hued dress she was wearing today. It was perfect on her skin, making her hair and freckles blaze forth like brilliant copper. She had an hourglass figure and was incredibly shapely. Her arms were toned, her breasts enough to fill my hands and her hips lived rent free in my head. “Not entirely pure.”

Priest snickered with me because he could understand where I was coming from. “Bruh—”

“I’m saying Priest. You can’t be acting like I’m not honest. Besides, isn’t your wife currently due with your first baby? I’m trying to be like you.”

“Then the love in your heart is pure and so are all the actions you will take in order to express that love physically with her.”

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