Page 63 of Shâhzâdeh

I froze at her words but Frankie didn’t. She walked to one side of the room and picked up a large wrench. She raised it over her head and before the girl could say shit, Frankie smashed her in the side of her head.

“Mrs. Ghàidheal ain’t holding back.” Quentin was laughing again and I was almost distracted but I saw her reach up and try to fight back. Frankie didn’t get the chance to hit her again because I jumped on her before she could pull at her braid.

Something in me snapped seeing her trying to hit my friend and we were tag teaming this girl like we were school house bullies. Feet, fists and fury were flying and although my hands hurt from the punches I landed, I couldn’t stop myself from releasing my anger on her. That is until I smelled that distinctive scent a second before I was pulled off her. I was getting ready to ram her head into the concrete floor again but since I couldn’t; I spat on her as she lay on the ground. I was struggling against Xerxes to get back at her. He didn’t say a word, just let me work my adrenaline out until it finally began to wane.

“Are you alright?” He’d turned me around so I could no longer see the crumpled object of my anger on the floor.

“I shouldn’t feel like this.”

“Feel like what?” Xerxes’ eyes went back to scanning me for injuries but I knew I didn’t have any.

“Invigorated. But I do. There should be a sign over the top of the door that says ‘we’re all mad here’. Is there something in the air?”

He smiled softly at me and I’d forgotten I was supposed to be annoyed with him. “No, ziba.”

I got lost looking into the eyes I’d missed for these last few days. I was melting as I watched him watching me. I was about to say something, but then I heard another lump and Liam laughing.

I turned to her briefly and she was still on the ground while Frankie and Liam kissed each other like the room wasn’t full of people. “What’s going to happen to her?”

His eyes fluttered to the body on the floor and then back to me. “Whatever Francesca decides.”

“And that’s it?” That seemed too easy for what I imagined normally occurred here.

There was a moment he paused and I knew he was contemplating not being honest. I prayed he wouldn’t lie to me and I braced myself when he parted his lips.

“Zhat is how zhings are done. It was different when it was a matter between her and Liam. But she insulted zhe wife of a member. Zhe head of a families, no less. Zhat’s not somezing we let slide. Zhe disrespect of it. She spoke on a child and lied on Liam. She’s a loose end and a liability zhat we cannot have. Zhat is why Francesca wasted no time having her picked up. She was granted an additional nine monzs of life zhat she didn’t deserve. You shouldn’t feel any sympathy for her.”

“I don’t. That’s the part that scares me.”

He smiled knowingly and I was sure this lack of empathy was something he lived with daily. “Never feel sorry for someone who would sell you out or kill you to save zhemselves. She could’ve done zhe right zhing. Left zhe family alone. She didn’t. She didn’t play wiz fire, Vanya. Katrice jumped into a volcano after being warned multiple times not to leap. You can’t save stupid.”

A shot rang out and I almost expected to hear it. I’d almost known it was coming. I chuckled and tried to decipher what was the purpose.

“It’s funny?”

I looked down at my hands and could see the bruises on my knuckles forming. “It is something. But is it alright to get out of here? I need to shower.”

“As you vish,ziba.”

CHAPTER NINE

Hellacious Date

VANYA

“LOVELY TO SEE you here, Vanya.”

No. There is no way.

My eyes slowly left the face of my date and landed on the grinning, arrogant, diabolically handsome face of Xerxes. Next to him was a man I didn’t recognize but I could tell exuded a calm authority that was the opposite of the passionate control that Xerxes had. Next to him was a woman with a bright smile on her face, as though this date were something she’d seen before. Or she found this situation utterly entertaining.

“Hello, Mr. Cannon. I hope you and your guests enjoy your meal tonight.”

My smile was tight, my body tense and I felt like a kid who’d gotten caught doing something they shouldn’t have. Which was stupid, but I couldn’t shake the feeling no matter how confident I tried to look.

After we’d dealt with the issue that Frankie had, she’d gone back to Carolina Falls and I’d gone home. There was no long drawn out conversation on what had happened. The next day, we’d gone to pick up several of the light fixtures that I’d picked out for the house. The way I’d easily gone on with what had happened and thought nothing of it was what led me to tonight.

Needing to feel something that was somehow akin to normal, I’d agreed to go out on a date with a man who’d been casually pursuing me for months. I called it casual because nothing could ever rival the way Xerxes had placed himself within my orbit the last month. In person, this man was nothing like he’d been on the phone and I had already begun to regret coming before the object of my desires walked in looking like sin. Now it was only increased tenfold.

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