Page 85 of Shâhzâdeh

Yacouba’s brows shot up and I looked around for something to throw at Liam’s laughing face. “We doing it like that?”

“Didn’t you buy Jasmine an entire business because her boss fired her? If anyone here is zhe master of the grand gesture, it would be you. Besides, it was a damn good investment especially because of zhe location.”

“Where is it at?” He was rubbing his chin like he was thinking of a money move and it reminded me that I needed to get up with him about the building.

“South Park.”

“Oh, overpriced as fuck but where folks go when they wanna be bougie?” Couba was nodding his approval like I actually needed it.

“Precisely. I analyzed the growz trends and made them an offer zhey couldn’t refuse.” I worked my arm slightly to loosen it up.

“How many ways did you threaten the man?”

I grinned this time not hating the predictability I’d just cursed. “Yacouba, I’m insulted you zhink I vould have to resort to violence in order to secure a business deal.”

“We know you so—”

“I made sure he could pay off zhe loan and live comfortably for a while. Greed is not becoming of anyone. Besides, he was charging people ridiculous rents and not offering true amenities besides zhe location. We will be more zhan happy to change zhat.” My shrug was brief, because I really wasn’t trying to get too deep in my methods. They already thought I was a simp, if I told them that I’d Suge Knight’ed that man off the side of his own building so that he would sell it to me and clear out in a day after dinner at Liam’s, I’d never hear the end of it.

“And ‘er business?” Why they needed all this information was beyond me.

“I was already exclusively her client for zhe next zhree months. Walk-ins weren’t her zhing. She only had the office so zhat she could get out of her place. But now, she’s got more zhan enough in zhe building to keep her occupied.”

“Damn, you might want to thank your granddaddy instead of taking off his head. He’s giving you your heart’s desires gift-wrapped.” Mir put voice to my thoughts from earlier and I agreed with him, but only to a certain extent.

I shook my head because he should’ve known better. “His ability to continue to live after zhis stunt is more zhan zhanks enough.”

Mir raised his brows in surprise. “So you’re not—”

“Of course I vill. But not yet. Zhere is an art to zhis dance. Zhey are going to slip up yet again. Besides, we need to confirm it was zhem.”

Jahmir’s brows furrowed as he glanced around the room before settling on me. “Who else could send someone out to be that thorough in the middle of the day?”

I chuckled because Mir wasn’t this clueless. This was his way of cautioning me to vet out all possibilities so I didn’t miss a new enemy while taking care of an old one. “You act as though we don’t have an abundance of haters, Jahmir.”

He gave me a smirk, one that was too proud when we were talking about people wanting to kill us. “True.”

“I took a preliminary look at the weapons collected, boss. Nothing like ours.” Quentin’s voice held the same disgust that I felt.

I was now even more angry than them having shot at me. My weapons were the best and for someone to come after me with some stock shit? “So zhey sent inferior killers vith inferior weapons to come after me. Zhat’s almost insulting.”

“They got you, though.” Tavior just had to remind me that I was annoyed with him by speaking up.

I glanced at the spot on my arm then waved him off because this shit wasn’t a big deal. “A scratch.”

“This time. Ensure there won’t be a next.” I could only nod my head in agreement because he was right.

“She is comfortable with you because you have seen her stripped of the artifice of spring. There are no pretty blooms for her to hide behind so she knows your interest goes far beyond skin deep. Despite her smile, you can tell she had been through things. Her yes was freely given, but watch how she moves over the next few days. You’ll see. I wouldn’t lead you astray, Xerx.” Mir was back and was speaking life over the two of us, which I desperately needed.

I put my hands together and bowed my head. “Doa mi konam hagh ba shmast.”

“You don’t need to pray I’m right, it has already been decided. But one thing you need to do? Go chin check the man who dared to shoot at your woman.”

“Vho was it zhat sent you?”

We were in the basement's basement in the Consortium building that was in Uptown Charlotte. The floors above ground were where we conducted business while in town. There were multiple levels below ground and those were used specifically for Consortium business. But the lowest levels down here were for mayhem.

The room was stark, but had every instrument necessary to get the job done. Each family had a room that was designated for them to handle whatever business they felt necessary within the security of these walls. Which translated into we could do our worst here and not be judged. The room had to be twenty by thirty with hooks on the floor a pulley system and a wall of weapons.

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