Page 96 of Shâhzâdeh

“You are very right, it does. And so he trained in a way zhat many zhought was unbecoming of his station. But vhen his horses began to win, his family wanted to have zheir hand in it.” My father had a keen eye for choosing horses that had desirable characteristics to pass down to their offspring. It had only taken him a few years to produce a champion bloodline, something that made him a near instant success in the equestrian world.

Vanya shook her head, the wild curls slightly frizzy from the last few days and even bigger around her face. I loved this version of her. The one that wasn’t perfectly coiffed or trying to fit into a narrow mold of what she should look like or be like. This Vanya felt the most authentic and was the one I hoped would continue to let her presence be known.

“That’s how it always goes. I went through the same stuff. I would sell a really nice house but when it came time to pay me, they would dock my commissions for all kinds of things. Told me I owed them for the care they provided me for all those years.”

My eyes darkened because I could only imagine what they were charging her for. It appeared they continued to bother her because they expected her to continue to pay them back Something I wouldn’t tolerate. “I will write zhem a check today so zhey never bozer you again.”

She scoffed waving off my suggestion as though she would prefer the alternative. “Don’t waste your money. I’d rather you take it outside and light it on fire than to give it to them. Send it to the kids who really need it.”

“I will have it handled immediately. But I assumed you would prefer zhis method to the one I originally wanted to employ.”

Her smile was slow and deliberate but held a bit of mischief. “More mayhem?”

“I’m almost offended at you zhinking I can’t be discreet. But to zhe story, my father traveled to America to attend school and broaden his business education. He is four years older zhan my mother and he met her on a whim.”

“What was the whim?”

“Zhat she had met him and they had talked I guess? And my mother and Auntie Safi were discussing work vhen his name came up as a target.”

She swallowed her drink instead of choking on it, another sign that she was becoming used to this lifestyle. “A target? Like, to get rid of?”

“Yes. Much like us, my parents had a quick union as well because of the necessity of ensuring he was protected.” I smiled softly at her watching as she absorbed my words.

“But so fast?”

I laughed because she looked truly concerned for my parents as though she were living it live instead of seeing the result after almost thirty-five years. “Oh trust me, he was vetted every way possible. He’d already started investing in real estate here and had made a name for himself with that. His father was furious because he couldn’t claim it or get a piece of it the way he could the horses. Remember, he had money from his horses so he was already a millionaire wizout his family’s money. With zhat added in, he was more zhan wealthy.”

“And so she had no reason to think he only wanted her for his money.” She was grinning at this part of the story and I knew it sounded like a fairytale to her.

“My fazer was even more persistent in his love for my mozer zhan I was wiz you. Vhen I hear how he acted I have comfort in knowing zhat my fever for my partner is genetic. She was just as besotted with him. Some people zhat were in the organization were wary, but it has proven to be a marriage and a partnership zhat has greatly benefitted everyone.”

“I can’t believe they were going to take out your father.”

“Comes with zhe territory.”

Her eyes lowered and I considered that maybe my flippancy was a misstep. I was used to this, Vanya wasn’t and having just dodged bullets a few weeks ago which necessitated her being a fiancée, I should’ve picked my words more carefully.

“How do you not live your life in fear?”

I toyed with the water glass’s stem mulling over whether to be honest with her or to be arrogant. The depression era glass was green and textured and I could understand why she enjoyed collecting the pieces. Watching her face begin to crease with worry, I decided honesty was better over arrogance.

“Because I know how valuable I am to them. Despite how they like to kid themselves. If they ended my life they would be doing the ultimate harm to themselves than I ever could with my life so I see it as the perfect karma. They don’t have control over nearly as much as they let the world believe. Many things done and owned in the Mahdavi name are owned by this branch of the Mahdavi family.”

“And y’all don’t really mess with them like that.”

“No, we do not.”

“I can appreciate your feelings about respect when it comes to me, Xerxes. But I don’t mind cursing. It’s just cursing at me not calling me out my name—”

My hand went to the knife on the table out of habit and her eyes widened but a smile danced on her face. “And zhey did this? Zhe people you lived with? I will not call zhem family, zhey vere simply placeholders. That thing a sorry substitute for me your true husband, and zhose ozer two standing and not filling the shoes of mymamanandbâbâbefore we could meet. But zhey vould do that? Call you names I mean?”

Her eyes were downcast and I barely caught the gentle nod of her head. “Yeah. They would tease me. A lot.”

“About what zhings?”

She sighed and picked up her fork before pushing it into her couscous. “About my features. My hair…my freckles. Not being Black enough to be Black but not white enough to be white. They used racial slurs with all of us when they’d get angry. Called me a bitch—”

I chuckled darkly imagining how they would look when their souls escaped their body. “I hope you know zhe only reason zhey live is because I won’t spill zheir blood until I can avenge you as your husband. Call it selfish but zhat is the only way I can act wiz as much vengeance as I want.”

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