Page 51 of Shâhzâdeh

Navi’s laugh brought me out of my thoughts and I looked up to see a smile cross her doll-like face. “And he has the name of a conqueror? Girl, your ass is definitely in trouble.”

“Excuse me? Ms. Kennedy?”

I glanced up from the lockbox I was removing from a home Navi had recently closed on. Xerxes’ home now had its certificate of occupancy and he could move in whenever he got back. My focus would now shift to securing the property he needed for his stable and his business offices. I was excited about the stables the most. The country towns I’d visited to check out the land had been so peaceful. None had been up to his exacting standards, but that was to be expected. He said he had several horses stabled around the country once they’d come through quarantine so he wasn’t in a rush to get something done quickly. He wanted to find the right home for them especially since they were his studs. Renovations could begin whenever he finalized his choice.

The man striding up the walkway wasn’t someone I knew. And from the looks of him and how he addressed me, he wasn’t connected to Xerxes. There was something about him that put me on edge, though. That same quiet danger that lingered beneath the surface like Xerxes. “How may I help you?”

I held the heavy lock box in my hand in case I needed to swing on whoever this was.

“I’m special agent Alejandro Ortega-Castillo.” The man’s deep tan skin and curly hair broadcasted the ethnicity his name only confirmed.

“Special agent?” Yep, none of Xerxes’ people.

“FBI ma’am.” With a grin, he pulled out his badge to show his credentials.

“You say that as though I should be impressed.”

“Most people have a healthy respect for the law.”

I scoffed and gripped the lock even tighter because he should’ve known better. Being a racial minority he should know why fools had a warranted hesitation to deal with “I’m Black so…”

“I’m Afro-Cuban so…” He looked like he was waiting on me to apologize but hell would freeze over before that happened.

“What is it that I can do for you Mr. Ortega-Castillo?”

“It’s special agent.” He was trying to put emphasis on it like I would give a damn but it only made me more resolute in not saying that shit.

“I have to be honest, you’re doing well enough with me saying that compound last name of yours. You want me to throw a compound title in the front of it and I’m just going to call you Alejandro despite not wanting us to be cool like that.”

“I’m saying we could happily get to know each other on a first name basis.” That smile turned charming his wide, heavily lashed eyes accessing me again.

“I’m not at all interested.”

“Have a girlfriend?” He seemed way too interested in that so I used his patriarchy against him.

“Have a man.”

He smiled slowly and I wondered what angle he would take next. “It wouldn’t be Xerxes Cannon would it?”

Oh, hell nah. He was digging for information about Fight Club. I hated he was going to die behind being curious, but I wasn’t going to keep this to myself. “Whoever it is, that’s none of your business. Do you have questions that deal with something other than my personal life or are you here to flirt?”

“Both?” A dimple in his cheek presented itself and I knew he probably used that thing to charm whomever he came across. It wasn’t going to work on me.Why am I seeing all these dimpled men lately?

I gave him a saccharine, mocking, closed-mouth smile before I answered. “Hard pass on both. Now if you’ll excuse me.” I went to move around him to head to my car but he stood in front of me, blocking my path.

“I didn’t say I was done speaking with you yet.”

I looked down at where he had his hand on my arm and almost told him I couldn’t wait until Xerxes cut it off. But if he was out here asking me questions about him, that would only implicate him when I didn’t want that.

Watch one man get his ass beat repeatedly and now I’m just as violent as the rest of them.

“You have no warrant to speak to me on official business. Whatever you are digging for, I have no answers for you. Xerxes Cannon is a client. And from what I know he is a damn good man. If you have questions about him, ask him. Like most people, he’s an expert on himself. Until then, don’t slink around the shadows trying to dig up dirt on people.”

“That sounds vaguely like a threat.” The agent looked too overjoyed to be pressing my buttons but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me flustered.

“And who would I be to make threats on anyone? I’m just a realtor. Now, we are standing on my client’s property and I doubt this is the type of thing they would like for in this neighborhood. Whatever you’re looking for, I wish you… well. Have a good day, Agent.” The mocking smile returned as he released my arm and took a step back.

With a brow cocked, he studied me again like he was unsure of how to respond to me. “I’m agent now?”

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