Page 45 of Shâhzâdeh

XERXES

“YOU HOPPED A flight up here for what reason?”

Ori leaned back in his seat of the private lounge we owned. It was in the penthouse suite and only opened when one of us was in town. Since he lived in DC, his ass normally used it as his own personal playground and we appreciated it rather than letting it go to waste. Because of the salary he earned through the government, its ownership was locked up within half a dozen shell corporations to keep his name out of it.

“I need a favor from you.”

“Didn’t I just help you get some bitch cased up in Texas?” He took a sip of theOkolehaohe loved to drink as he glared at me.

Ori was bitter. I knew it and so did everyone else in the Consortium. He and his people felt that since they’d entered the fold later than everyone else, that he was getting punished. The truth was, his family’s only blood tether to theConsortiumwas through his mother. When she wanted to walk away from the life because of how it had devastated her family, Ori was the one who would’ve missed out. His grandfather stepped in to offer his father’s family’s port business toearn their in. The offering was large enough that when they brought it to the table; they were offered a seat. Instead of being happy that his people were allowed into some shit that they would’ve otherwise been denied, Ori was mad about what it cost him. We didn’t treat them any differently especially when we discovered that his grandfather was biracial. The product of a GI stationed in Hawaii after WWII who died while his grandfather was still cooking. Because he was the son of a foundingConsortiumfamily his father’s family got to secure his seat and his grandfather could sit on the elders’ council. Some of his extended relatives didn’t like working for us, and others didn’t give a damn because they either had partners of other races or they were happy to be earning the type of money they were. As long as he kept them in line and not in our business, it wouldn’t matter to any of us.

“You did, but zhat vas somezing else to add to your long list of accolades within your department.”

He scoffed looking like he wanted to throw his glass out of the window rather than take another sip. Instead, he swallowed down the remnants and put it on the table. “What’s the favor?” He straightened his vest having tossed his suit jacket and he never wore a tie.

“I need you to alert me if anyone in the Mahdavi family comes into zhe states. Zhem or any attaches zhey have.”

He sat forward with his interest clearly heightened. “Problems in the Gulf?”

I smiled slowly and adjusted the blazer as I shifted to pick up my water. “Vhen I cut off t’eir funding there will be.”

Ori’s brow quirked, his mouth forming into the ghost of a smile before he prodded. “And why the hell would you be doing that?”

“Because zhey are going to protect Kamran in his bullshit instead of holding him accountable.”

“He tried to traffick a woman. That’s not a big deal?” Ori’s people hadn’t been around when everything went down between theConsortiumand my father’s family of origin. He knew they didn’t deal with us, but I’m sure he assumed that they at least had the same moral standards that my father did. He would’ve been wrong on that point.

“Not to zhem. Especially not because she’s Black.”

He grunted as his brow furrowed in annoyance. I knew how some of his people felt about his mother. Despite her connection being the reason they could eat, they were more than willing to look at her as weak for not wanting to stay in theConsortium. To be real, I couldn’t blame her. Her father married her off to Ori’s dad to gain control of their ports. When that didn’t work, he tried to annul their marriage but Ori was already baking. Fences weren’t mended with Ori’s birth and even worse, it tore apart his parent’s fragile union. They were made to pick sides and hadn’t formed a close enough bond to lean on each other without question.

He scratched at his scalp through his man bun in a way to calm himself. “That ain’t right.”

I dipped my head in gratitude. “On behalf of myself, my mother and my future bride, I agree.”

“You still think that girl is going to marry you?” He laughed as he shook his head and settled further in his seat.

“Wiz all the weddings we’ve been in wizin zhe last few years, You don’t zhink it’s possible?”

He shrugged again his attempting to look unbothered but I knew weddings were a sore subject for him. “Anything is possible, that doesn’t make it probable.”

“Still deciding zhat you aren’t getting married?” I knew that Ori was going to give in at some point. The way he showed up for everyone, I knew he deserved to have the same. And there was a woman who would be more than happy to be that for him. If his mean ass allowed it.

“The fuck is the point? My parents weren’t like y’all’s. Well, they were kinda like Mir’s but still. Once it went bad, it stayed that way. I’m not even sure what happens when someone with no siblings has no children. I guess the Nakoas will finally lose out on the protection that has been helping their ungrateful asses for the last thirty-five years.”

He rarely spoke negatively about his father’s people, but I could understand how this topic would irritate him. His grandfather wasn’t too bad, but other members of his family who thought they had a say didn’t hesitate to tell him how he should do things. Despite his grandfather being on the council of elders, he didn’t hold any actual power.

“Get zhat shit off your chest, zhis is a safe space.” I waved my arms around the empty room that was flooded with light from the floor to ceiling windows.

His eyes flickered to me, heavy brows furrowing with contempt. His big body was testing the limits of the leather armchair beneath him. He was almost as tall as Couba but might have him beat in weight. “Fuck you—”

I grinned at his antics knowing he was being honest, but he appreciated my camaraderie. “I’m saying if you want a husband instead of a wife we’ll have no problems with zhat.”

“I will hang yourBlarabass out the window before Quentin could take the head shot to save you.”

I barked a laugh at his comment because he should know that he’d have a scope trained on him and a bullet through his head before he could get the window broken. Even still, he sat in his seat unbothered. “I’ll tell him you doubt his accuracy.”

“Keep an eye out for the family. Got you. Anything else?” It was his way of changing the subject. Despite growing up as a member of the Consortium, his father tried to keep him isolated from us. It wasn’t until Ori was almost a teenager that he was brought around and that was only because of his grandfather’s insistence. Since the reasons for that were tragedy, he was difficult as fuck to connect with. We’d developed a bond, but there were still times that he would shut down. This was clearly one of them.

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