Page 97 of Shâhzâdeh

She swallowed her couscous letting the fork linger before she pulled it out slowly. I knew she was giving herself the time to put her words together. “Oh. I didn’t think we were still on…you know. Crazy that we are discussing ending them all over dinner like it was no big deal.”

“We are discussing it over dinner so I can hear your zhoughts and potential protests. If zhere are any.”

“Maybe it’s their voices in my head that are still talking but I had always hoped they would just leave me alone.”

“I have to be honest with you,ziba, I feel as zhough my connection to you will have zhem becoming more out of hand and not less.”

“Why is that? Because of how they lost the chance to work with you? They would’ve just shoved the very first piece of property at you that was the most expensive. And probably over-inflated the cost. They did that so often with people from out of town. I hated it and would try to help buyers out but I always got in trouble. Or they would have a friend trying to sell something, buy it for cheap and then flip it to a client with a premium on top.”

“Sounds shady.”

“They preached piety but were so crooked in most of what they did.” She was laughing, but I knew she didn’t find any of it funny.

“Zhem calling you names is unacceptable, but becoming your husband and starting our life together is far more important than handling them. At least for now. We will know when it becomes necessary to act. Zhey won’t stop coming after you because zhey crave the control they lost. And their jealousy is pushing them forward. Zhey see your success and zhey want it. Feel as zhough zhey are owed the results of your labor. Your closing on zhis house is public record. I’m glad you haven’t changed your paperwork to this address, because I would advise you to keep it as the penthouse.”

“Are you worried they’re going to do something?”

“I wish they would try. With Smoke and Jada there, it will be funny to see how they handle those two.”

When Vanya said she didn’t want something that was long and drawn out, I jumped at the chance. Midas’ Charlotte hotel was going to be the location and within a few days, my parents would be meeting Vanya and touring properties to purchase. Frankie would come back and forth because of her business and the babies, but I already knew she would be Vanya’s Matron of Honor. Despite how much I loved my brothers, they already knew that Midas would be my Best Man. Even though he robbed me of the honor when he got married in a damn 24 hour Vegas wedding chapel and only Adam was there. I didn’t trip since he’d talked about Nev obsessively in the year they’d been apart.

“You must not want to get this revenge you seek. Those two don’t seem to have an off switch.”

“Zhey wouldn’t make it past the front desk. You’ve improved the security since I could—”

“Murder someone in my living room?” She said it so playfully, without an ounce of concern it made me smile. Yes, I’d corrupted her, but not in a bad way. Not really.

“I was going to say save your life, but frame it however it makes you happy.”

The sides of her mouth quirked several times as the smile she was battling to hide finally won. It forced me to do the same and we sat there grinning at one another while it felt like something else fell into place between us. Another tear in the fabric she used to cover her true self like aniqab. Her unveiling was as tantalizing as the dance of the seven veils and I was sure to behead someone when everything was revealed to me.

“Okay, well do me a favor.”

I nodded because I knew already how she felt. “I won’t tell you—”

“That’s not what I meant. I mean, depending on if they keep being crazy I might want to know the details.” She looked at me hesitantly as though she wanted to gage how I felt.

“And I will grant zhem for you.”

Her eyes got slightly watery and I was worried about what she was going to ask me. “Don’t be so flippant when you talk about death, okay? You said your family has been trying to kill you and it would… the thought of you not being here. I don’t like it. So don’t talk like that. Okay?” She wiped a stray tear that had fallen down her cheek and I didn’t trust myself to speak. I nodded at her and she nodded back. “Good. Besides, I’m sure Sho and Quentin are annoyed if you’re out here talking about dying like they’d slack on their jobs.”

“I would never hear the end of it. But trust me, I do not speak about it so uncaringly. Especially since God has shown me zhe reason I have for living.”

“Surely not me.”

I reached over and caressed her cheek with a soft smile. Vanya had a gentle spirit so being tender with her was a necessity. “Most assuredly yes. You and all zhe beauty we will create in this world together.”

“I have this thing about cooking.” She blurted it out like she was trying to give me a chance to run away.

“What is this thing?” I went back to eating because nothing she would say would deter me from her.

“I don’t do it.”

I shrugged and looked pointedly down at my plate before looking at her. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay.”

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