Page 71 of Shâhzâdeh

When I noted the number on the phone I could sense the anger that was stemming from the other side. Hearing his voice only confirmed my suspicions.

“Are you vith yourpedar(father)?”

The scowl on my father’s face remained even when he opened his mouth to speak.

“I’m here.”

I’d given Vanya space after the issue with her date, but not enough for her to feel my absence. She was looking for a horse property for me and arrangements needed to be made to get them out of quarantine. Her things had been moved out from her apartment the next day and I’d put her up in my suite at the Warren since I wouldn’t be using it until we got her furniture moved into the penthouse. Navi had access to it as I’d informed her of what had gone down. She was pissed she’d missed the action, but I told her I wanted her to ensure there was no more action around Vanya. Witnessing two murders within the last few days was going to fuck with her. Things were justified, but that didn’t mean watching someone die wouldn’t mess with your head.

As soon as I hired Vanya as my agent, I started the process of getting them into the country. They only had a few days left before they were released and I wanted them to have a home to get acclimated to. The idea of space for us was me heading back to my parent’s place and to get more of my belongings from the home I had in Tennessee packed up. I had a moving company organizing everything up but I was going to pack the sentimental things and take them with me. I’d stopped by my parents to pick up something important from the vault when the request for a phone call came in from my grandfather’s secretary. I was now in my father’s office, a decidedly more muted version of my mother’s, with the call on speaker wondering how quickly this would go left..

“I need someone to clarify vhy zhere have been some issues vith our finances in zhe last few days.”

We glanced at each other and my father fought a smile before he responded. “Issues how?”

“Vhere is our money?”

My grandfather’s arrogance was more than obvious when it came to what he thought was owed to him. Other than my uncle Afshin, none of the other members had their usual weekly deposit made into their account. The crown had been cut off and the reserve funds had been emptied out. My family was essentially cut off from all funds they didn’t earn themselves. Which was a small remittance of the oil money that they received. Of the government controlled fields they only received about ten percent of their total profits. The rest came to us. Greed and immediate profit meant they’d made a deal then that would have them beholden to us.

I held my hand up to my father, wanting the ire for this decision to fall on me despite it being a joint one. After the connection that theConsortiumwanted to make with William Avery was exposed and almost missing out on my chance to be with Vanya, I needed to get our forever in motion. She wasn’t used to this life and despite helping Frankie beat that girl’s ass before Frankie killed her; she hadn’t been exposed to much.

I didn’t think the murder I’d committed in her living room counted since she gave me the okay.

“I’m not sure Vhat you mean byour.” My emphasis was clear and I knew he would take offense to what and how I’d said it.

“Zhe money zhat belongs to zhis family! Zhe family zhat allows you to move zhrough zhis area with the ease that you do.” My grandfather’s voice was tight and I knew his old wrinkled face was in a sneer.

Bâbâ sat forward because the implication of him withdrawing that ease was clear. But again, I raised my hand because there was no need for him to get upset. Baba chuckled under his breath and leaned back in his leather chair.

“I move with the ease that I do because of the business contacts that I have made that have furthered the Mahdavi name. Nothing more or less. People understand that crossing me is dangerous to their health. Whatever ideas you have about help you feel you’ve provided me in my life, I’m sorry to say you are mistaken.” I laid it out for my grandfather and my father’s smile was brighter as he stifled his laugh.

“Is zhat how you feel? After all I’ve done for you?!” I could practically see the spit and rage falling out of his mouth. It would be just my luck that I angered him into a heart attack before I could get my revenge.

“And vhat have you done for my eson, father? Enlighten us.”

My grandfather’s huff was even arrogant and I could only smile that he was going to say the same things he always did. “I reinstated his title—”

Bâbâ chuckled and looked like he would rather hurl the phone out of the window than continue to speak. He gathered himself but still spoke through clenched teeth. “Because his mother, you remember the woman that you openly hated, saved you from ruin and her family secured your throne for you. So hismotherhas done more for all of us than you ever could.”

“You still espeak to me ziz (with) esuz (such) disrespect as zhough I’m not your fazer!” His yelling had both of us cracking up unable to hold it in any longer. That only caused him to continue to berate us, this time in Farsi as though we both didn’t speak the damn language.

“I espeak to you as zhe man vho tried to have zhe love of my life assassinated and instead of allowing you to fall on your face zhe way you deserved, she helped to preserve your legacy formysake. Alzough I didn’t give a damn about it. But she understood how having access to help zhe very people you’ve continued to neglect during your reign would far suit me better zhan allowing zhem to suffer along with you. And instead of zhanking her, you act as zhough she is still somehow someone zhat should try to earn your favor.”

I looked around the room noting the objects my father kept as his prize possessions. A picture of my mother and me, seconds after I was born, before tragedy struck. A binder I knew kept drawings and papers that were things I’d done throughout my childhood. His love for my mother was everywhere as was hers for him. The Persian rug in front of the fireplace with a throw blanket over a chair for her when she got cold. Her keeping the small bar for his coffee and tea for him to enjoy throughout the day, I was going to ensure I could keep them this happy and find the same for myself.

“You vere engaged to someone else.”

That was the main reason my grandfather hated my father. He was supposed to marry some woman who had been introduced to him. Ever the dutiful son, he’d agreed to it until he saw the same woman being escorted into my uncle’s quarters. When he spoke to his father about it, his father told him to get over it because the deed was done and even if something came of their affair the baby would still have Mahdavi blood. His disgust at the situation led him to come to the US. Since the woman was no longer a virgin, she was disgraced and her family was outraged. I knew payment happened to her family but she and my uncle continued to mess around even though he was married.

“And yet praise be to Allah zhat my true love found me instead of a woman who had no issues sleeping with my brother but still trying to marry me.” My father clasped his hands together, his 24 karat gold rings softly clinking, as he praised God for saving him.

“I am not here to rehash old matters zhat will get us nowhere. Vhat is going on with zhe money?” He knew he was backed into a corner and had nothing he could say against my father. Instead, he went back to his original concern, which was usually his only concern.

“Have you handled the situation wiz Kamran yet?”

I was calm when I spoke, despite already knowing the answer to the question. I’d discussed with my grandfather the issues that Kamran’s actions had caused me. He felt that since there was no direct harm to the Mahdavi family, or so he thought, that nothing should be done. I impressed upon him that the consequences for my cousin not being dealt with would be severe. They truly underestimated that severity.

“Vhat situation? Zhe one with zhe horse girl? Surely you didn’t zhink I would punish him severely for doing somezing purely in his nature?” He was laughing it off sounding just as demented as his sons.

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