Page 77 of Shâhzâdeh

“I know you’re scared, baby, but I made a promise to you and I don’t break zhose. I need you to be the girl zhat was helping her best friend beat up a woman for disrespect. Zhat woman might be scared but she still handled her business, just like I know you can now. Right?”

I swallowed deeply feeling like I was going to pass out. “Right.”

“Good. Deep breath. Shoaib already has the helicopter in the air and I’m not far away. I know you are worried about Navi but Quentin has her on the phone and she is safe. Do you see anything outside?”

I knew better than to get close to any of the windows near the front of the building so I peered out carefully through my office door, making sure I was still safely guarded by it. From my point of view, I saw nothing different from before except that Navi’s car was gone.

“It all looks fine.”

“Do not leave until you see me at the door.” I was nodding like he could see me despite us being over the phone. “Vanya!”

“Yes. I hear you. No opening the door. What if it’s—”

“Nobody but me.” His words held a tone of finality that ensure I was going to comply with whatever he was asking.

“Okay.”

“Six minutes, ziba and zhen I’ll be at zhe door. All I need is for you to be brave for six more minutes.”

I nodded shoring myself up for whatever was to come. “I can do that.”

“I know you can. Tell me about the last property zhat you found for the horses, beautiful. I didn’t have time to read zhe paperwork, tell me about how perfect it is for me now.”

I could hear him moving around voices shouting as they moved from wherever he was to get to me. I tried to focus on what he requested but I couldn’t. One word of worry and this man was getting on an aircraft to make sure I was okay.

“Is it big enough or will I need to build somezing,azizam?”

“It’s big enough.” My eyes darted through my door, past Navi’s empty office to the parking lot in front.

“I need more information,azizam. Tell me all about it.”

So I did. I used the property that I’d found for Xerxes and the description of it to keep myself calm despite the danger I felt I was in. I felt like a sitting duck, but I had to be smart enough to listen to the advice that had been given to me. Xerxes told me to stay put, so I did. He wouldn’t have me out here crazy and he’d been in situations more dangerous than this far more often than me. I didn’t want to think about the what ifs of him being wrong. I had faith that he wasn’t. I told him about the trees, the almost hundred acres I’d been able to find for him just south of Charlotte, in a little town called Pageland, South Carolina. I’d chosen this property instead of one in Lancaster, which was a twenty-three minute drive instead of almost forty because of the cost. And the people of the town could use some revitalization to the area. It was also about forty minutes away from Camden, South Carolina, which held theCarolina Cuphorse race. It wasn’t anything of Xerxes’ horses’ caliber, but it wouldn’t stop some locals who wanted better bloodlines to line up in order to do business with him.

I told him all of this against the background humming of the helicopter. Of hearing the way Quentin and Shoaib were getting whoever needed to be here organized to ensure I was good until they got here. This man, this mythological legend was rallying an entire army to ensure I was good. A tear crested at the overwhelming feeling of protection his desire to come to my aide gave me. I’d seen it from him personally, but to witness him mounting his forces to keep me safe? That was something so moving I don’t think I could put it into words.

I kept my eyes on the parking lot hearing him thank me for finding him such a perfect property and how he couldn’t wait to tour it. The background sound changed again and I knew he was in the car.

I wasn’t sure if it had been ten minutes or longer, but slowly I could tell things were happening in the parking lot. Cars were driving by slowly, but making it more than obvious they were there. All of them were dark with dark tint and stayed along the perimeter of the lot. Waiting.

“If you see cars, ziba, do not be afraid. Just a few friends to ensure no one can zhink to harm you or try to extract you from zhe building to hurt you. I’m almost zhere.” Xerxes’s voice was as soothing as his words were reassuring.

“Okay.”

I realized now he had to have eyes on this place. Which was so outta hand but damn if it wasn’t smooth as hell too. Despite me not being his, he hadn’t pulled back from me. He’d kept his careful, watchful eye on me the whole time.

“We’re here, ziba. Wait until I’m at zhe door to leave your office.”

He didn’t wait for my agreement, but he kept the line open while I heard him put the phone down. He was back speaking in Persian and I could hear the metallic click of what I could only assume were weapons.

I tried to half listen to him and keep my ear out to what was going on outside. People liked to make jokes about Xerxes and his weapons, but now I was wondering if there was a drone with a bomb or machine guns loaded on it to step in and save the day.

I heard tires screeching from multiple locations of the building and watched as the cars, that had been discretely forming a perimeter around the parking lot, opened up so a large black SUV could make its way through.

By the speed in which it was moving, I knew who it was.

I heard Shoaib and Xerxes arguing, the harshness of their voices letting me know this wasn’t something small. I was sure he had almost forgotten I was on the phone by the way the two of them were going at it. Normally it would’ve been funny, but when Quentin chimed in speaking Farsi as well I knew it had to be serious.

It was confirmed when I got a glimpse of the customized running boards on the side of the SUV. I wasn’t sure why he felt confident enough to roll through here so brazenly, but he did. The SUV was pulled up to the front walkway of my building not close enough to impede the door being opened, but enough that I didn’t feel as scared to walk out to him. Shoaib and Quentin’s doors opened and from the look on Shoaib’s face he was pissed. He went to open Xerxes’ door, his eyes trained to whatever was around him and I wanted them to hurry and get inside the building. He was too vulnerable where he was and I felt my heart was going to explode from fear of him getting injured.

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