Page 84 of Shâhzâdeh

By the time we landed and made our way to her office, I knew this was a setup. They were waiting for us to swoop in and save her the way I was doing. What they hadn’t expected was for members of our extended organization who lived in Charlotte to be primed and ready to help us take them out. As customary, one person was kept alive to get the information that we needed. They were in the building's basement now waiting on Tavior to finish x-raying my damn arm. I’d let him sew me up, but Vanya had insisted on this for her own peace of mind. Since I couldn’t deny her anything, I was doing this stupid shit and Tavior’s ass thought it was funny. So, of course, he complied with her demand.

“Is she still on zhe premises?” I hadn’t questioned anyone specifically in the room because I didn’t know who would have the answer.

I’d left her with a decision to make that seemed crazy by most people’s standards. For this situation, it was what made sense. I’d already asked Jahmir to reach out to more of his staff within theOrderin case being my wife wasn’t what Vanya wanted. The love I held in my soul for her would ensure I protected her until she drew her last breath. And I would ensure it wasn’t at the hand of the Mahdavis. My father had made the same pledge to my mother and they had a happy ending. I prayed for the same but was prepared for the worst.

I’d planned on wooing her and having her fall in love, I hadn’t thought my paternal family would force my hand. If this worked out in my favor, I might have to let them live a few weeks longer as thanks.

“She is. She says she won’t leave unless it is vith you.” Shoaib’s face was filled with merriment as Tavior took the lead apron off of me. I was still frowning, which caused Tavior to smirk but I had other shit to focus on.

“I do not know if I should be happy she does not vant to leave my side or concerned zhat she is scared.” I stood up wanting to stretch but my arm hurt. I for damn sure wasn’t going to admit that to Tavior’s ass.

“She’s not scared of you, she’s scaredforyou. That’s a major difference with a woman.” Couba was trying to make me feel better but I knew he wasn’t lying. My brain just didn’t want to get my hopes up. I nodded because I could see how that was true. I was eager to get back to the treatment room and put my eyes on Vanya.

“I guess you are right. There are too many that would have run away from the danger but she ran right into it.”

“Yoursayyidais very brave,Shahzadeh.”

I scoffed and reached for the shirt that Shoaib was holding out for me. I ignored the smile he was wearing because it was really a smirk and I didn’t want an I told you so. “I vant her to be a little less brave. I do not know if I should be angry with all of you or passing out cigars.”

“I’d say a thank you was in order.” Quentin’s face echoed the annoyance on everyone else’s because I wasn’t happy.

I shook my head because I didn’t want to win her on a technicality. “I can’t say zhat wiz good conscience. Not yet. She was married before and it wasn’t a good zhing.”

“So we need to kill him to wipe it out or void it or some shit? That ain’t no problem. I can handle that on the way home.” Yacouba dropped the clip out of his gun to check to see if it was full before he pushed it back in and tucked it back in his holster.

“You really think he needs external hittas when me and Sho are right here?” Quentin motioned in the air between him and Shoaib as though to emphasize his point.

“True. Now I gotta think of something else to get his ass for his wedding.” Couba looked thoroughly disappointed in not being able to kill Vanya’s ex-husband. It was probably the adrenaline of being called up here and not being able to release it since the fighting was done.

“She might not agree.” They all looked at me like they were questioning why we were all friends.

“She already agreed.” Yacouba gave me that reminder as though I wasn’t in the room.

And she had. She had but I was still waiting for her to come back and say she changed her mind. Had not hesitated at all but had then forced me to get this stupid X-ray and I didn’t have a chance for her to elaborate. Once the adrenaline wore off and reality set in, would she still feel like she wanted to continue on with this?

“She may change her mind.”

“She won’t.” Eyes went to Jahmir as he stood there in that silent, accessing way of his. He had a habit of observing and I wanted to know what his anointed eyes had seen. They’d all followed me down here like they were afraid that my ass was gonna flatline or something. Angel was with Vanya and I didn’t want his pretty boy ass sweet talking my lady.

“I am all for hearing good news. So far, I have made headway, but you zhink zhis is somezing zhat could truly work?” I stood up off the bed trying to signal I was ready to get out of the room, but no one would leave before this little conference was over.

“A woman, no matter how strong she is, will only use herself to protect something weaker than her or something she cares about. Women shield their children. The animals and the elderly. Women do not go around using themselves as a human shield to cover men. Unless they feel something.”

Everyone else in the room was nodding and I was sure Mir was right, but Vanya’s upbringing had been different from most. Based on the limited knowledge I had and the way her ex seemed aggressive with her, the workings of her mind could be skewed.

“She could just be rare.”

“But she’s not dumb. The fire is there between the two of you. When she sat on the bed and fussed right back at him? I felt like I was watching a freckled version of Nyima when I got blown up. She might not even know it yet, but it’s there. The seed was long since planted and now the roots are growing. You’ll start to see it peek out above the soil every once in a while. Little lumps of disturbed earth in the surface of the wall that tries to keep her protected. But once that first stone tumbles, the rest of the plant with show? You make sure you’re there to do what’s necessary to show her everything will be fine.”

“Man already spilled blood behind her. I think she’s well aware that he’s not playing about her.” Quentin was gossiping again and I swore I needed to add a tighter NDA to his contract.

“Tell ‘em what else yoo did, Xerxes.” Now Liam was jumping in and I swore I was gone stop talking to all of them before the day was over.

“What’s he talking about?” Yacouba wore a grin on his face like he knew I’d gone overboard. He wasn’t wrong, but I resented being so predictable.

“Liam—”

My warning was ignored as the Scottish Goldilocks spilled what he knew. “‘E purchased ‘er apartment complex for ‘er. Put it in ‘er name and all.”

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