Shâhzâdeh (The Consortium #8)

CHAPTER ONE Strategies

XERXES

FUNNY HOW LIFE will humble you.

Because of the man I was and the family I came from, there were too many people who would look at me and assume I was a man who would never have a bad day.

I was wealthy.

My parents were crazy about each other.

I was a part of a brotherhood that would ensure I was always protected no matter what.

I had the type of power and connections that governments wished they had.

And I was a prince.

Funny how that last title was the least impressive to me. And to the woman that I was crazy about.

This woman showed me that all the moves I was making internationally didn’t mean a damn thing because I had no one to ground me. No home to center me and no one that was waiting to love me unconditionally. Outside of my parents of course. But the love they had between them was something I was born from but would never be a part of. I had to find that for myself.

And with one look at Vanya Kennedy I knew I would find it in her. My father told me that it was the same way he’d felt about my mother. I thought I would eventually marry, much like my friends. But it wasn’t something that had been at the forefront of my mind. The idea was there, but the action to make it happen wasn’t high on my list. Until I saw the flame-haired maid of honor at one of my brother’s weddings. Her skin was like looking at butter pecan ice cream with freckles sprinkled over her face. Her hair was the brightest of reds and golds symbolizing the power she unwittingly already held over me. In Islam, there is the concept of souls finding one another from a past life, making you feel that instant attraction. I’d felt it with her. An intensity of emotion that I couldn’t put a name on outside of possession. Devotion. The knowledge that I would do whatever necessary so that she would agree to share her life with me.

The battle to win her heart would be harder to scale than Annapurna. But I’d risk the 27% death rate if it meant I had a 73% chance of winning her love.

“Boss?”

A familiar voice cut into the drift my mind always seemed to do. Only it wasn’t an aimless one. No. The direction was always focused on her.

Only her.

I shifted in the back of the SUV I was riding in, trying to adjust my body to this latest time zone. Lebanon to Ireland to New York and now Texas. Not a state I was wholly unfamiliar with, but one I didn’t have plans to enter. Not until my hand was forced. And there was nothing more that I hated than someone else’s bullshit interrupting my fucking plans.

My thoughts had been to head toward Vanya to get back on the path of trying to get her to see that we were a match. Perfect for one another. Her sweetness to my hardness. Her timidity to temper my boldness that at times bordered on arrogance. The heat felt on and the pull to her indescribable. But I was still dutiful and handled family business for both families. Hearing this latest news, I was regretting the deal I’d secured to help one side of my family.

“What is it, Shoaib?”

Shoaib had been my guard for longer than I could remember. He was always by me, by edict of my father’s family. Quentin, who was driving, was the man I’d hired to ensure that my back was always protected as well as my front.

“Ve’re almost at zhe ranch.”

He was giving me the warning to force me to get my head in the game. Too often I was the person who would kill first and worry about discovering the information someone held never. In my mind, if an idiot that had to die held the knowledge, surely it wouldn’t take much for me to find out what it was. But someone’s life was at stake and I hoped I wasn’t getting here too late to prevent any damage from being done.

“Good, I need to work out my stress.”

I straightened the heavily embroidered sleeve of my thobe. It was more for impressing others than actual utility. I was pissed that I was going to potentially get blood on the gold embroidery, but hopefully I’d be able to keep it off. Thankfully, the material was black, but that was only a slight consolation.

Three SUVS crept into the back gate of a horse facility that had obviously seen better days. The gate wouldn’t secure a toddler let alone a race horse. The path was only lit by the headlights of the car in front of us, another sign that neglect was happening. A horse stable needed to be lit on the outside. The cargo inside was far too precious to not have the type of security that would rival a bank vault. But this place? I could have stolen everything they had of value, which was probably only the buildings, within an hour and none would be the wiser.

The roadway was muddy, besides it being unguarded. The foliage was overgrown and the road hadn’t been tended. Attempting to have a horse on this terrain was begging for one of them to have their leg snapped. I was pissed that anything with my name attached to it was being housed in conditions so poor.

I reached under my seat pulling out my favorite tool, which caused both of my guards to glance at each other then back at me. Because I didn’t reach for my guns, they knew what type of time I was on and I could tell they were more than happy about it.

“Is that how we’re doing it?” Quentin was trying to keep the humor out of his voice, but I could still hear it. It gave me a slight smile despite the anger I was feeling at the situation.

I sighed watching the metal catch the faint light as we pulled closer to the facility. “I’m very displeased. And since I’m sure I know who’s in here with him, they deserve the death that they will receive on this blade.”

“So we are sitting back and watching.” Shoaib almost sounded disappointed, but hopefully there were enough people here for us to all get our frustrations out.

“Shoaib, I would pity whatever man zhought it was a good idea to get in my way.” I spoke to him matter-of-factly because I needed to abate some of my fury. And he wouldn’t be spared if he tried to stop me.

“So, clean up then.” Quentin was asking for clarity but I knew he was annoyed he wasn’t going to get to act up.

“If I weren’t so concerned about zhis idiot man and his daughter calling zhe police I would say to leave it. Or burn it to purge zhis land. But zhat would still leave behind evidence. You all secure de horses once we understand zhat we’re walking into. I will find zhe girl.”

They gave me a nod and I could already see the trailer that our company kept in the States by one side of the barn.

Shoaib and Quentin both exited the car barking out orders to the rest of the people with us. Those were their employees and I never interfered with any of their directives. Instead, I kept my fingers curled around my scimitar and headed toward the only stable that looked sturdy enough to hold horses or human.

“Reza! Bia biroon, karet daram (Reza! Come out, I need to talk to you) !”

I paced the dirty floor looking at the men that were there on my cousin’s orders. I’d called for Reza to show himself and the quickness in which he complied would determine how badly I beat him before delivering him to the rancher.

“What would you like us to do, boss?” I glanced over at Quentin who stood roughly the same height as me. His skin was the color of a roasted almond and held a glow even in the low light. His build, broad and muscular, was a hint at his profession, although he was currently dressed down since we’d been traveling all day. He still kept his hair impeccably edged up no matter what.

“Quentin, I told you, I have stress. If you can relieve yours you will have to find me someone else’s head to take and hope it wasn’t yours as retaliation.”

He laughed at my joke knowing he was far too invaluable for me to kill. And besides, he was my friend so that would never happen. Had to keep him on his toes, though.

“I’m sure there’s a list.” His response was flip but he wasn’t wrong. I’d been sitting on generational wrongs for a while now and I knew the time was ending quickly. Only then would I be able to feel at ease.

“Ever helpful, Quentin. Of course zhere is a list, but why make extra work when targets are readily available?” I pointed my scimitar toward the door that was opening far too slowly for my liking.

“Xerxes—”

“Who the fuck are you talking to?”

“ Bah shahzadeh shod ehtaram begozarid (Show your respect to your prince)!”

Quentin and Sho were on it, both pulling weapons and moving in front of me almost shoulder to shoulder blocking me from any potential issues.

I patted them both on their shoulders to move them out of the way. I was dead ass about needing to work out the tension in my body. That my cousin was trying to use this man to override me in my own country angered me. I was sure he was bitter because I had more respect amongst our people than he did. Even though I was just the foreign-born, half-blood prince. I was the one who helped people eat. Who didn’t hoard the wealth the masses worked for in my own coffers. I had people that worked for the multiple sides of my businesses both legal and illegal, in both countries. I wasn’t as stupid as Reza’s boss to rely only on the royal blood that was in my veins to think that would keep the allegiance of the people around me. There were too many times that revolutions happened when absolute power corrupted absolutely. The Mahdavi family should’ve learned from those mistakes but instead they were careening toward a fate that had befallen so many others before them. And one they’d been saved from only a generation before. But clearly they hadn’t learned their lesson and the Cannons were going to move from saviors to sensei in this lifetime.

If you do not learn from history, you will repeat it. An old saying but one that was absolutely true. My mother and father had taught me that being a good person was far better than any of the other titles I held or the money I possessed. That lesson had been one my father was born with because it wasn’t taught to him by his family. And my mother, she was a Black woman so empathy and compassion were as natural to her as breathing.

Too bad the Mahdavis hadn’t realized her kindness was her greatest strength and not a weakness.

Reza’s hands flew up realizing his mistake as the men he had with him moved to protect him. That was what would seal their fate. No one made a move against an envoy of a royal with a royal present. I wasn’t one for titles but I was one for my fucking respect. And acting as though Reza held more power than I did in this situation was the ultimate slap in the face.

“I meant no disrespect. Ve have always been on cordial terms—”

I held up my blade testing the sharpness to ensure I wouldn’t have any issues when the time came. I nodded seeing that it was in peak condition, my body calming slightly. “Cordial because you had never done esomezing so egregious as to use my name fraudulently and zhen esteal in my name. What would possess you to do esomezing like zhis?” My accent was coming in heavier the angrier I got. My friends often joked my emotions determined which of my parents would come out of my mouth. Today it was my father.

My eyes flickered to him and I could feel the weight of everyone’s fear and I had to smile at the way they looked completely panicked.

“Zhat Black—”

Quentin’s gun was out and aimed at Reza and I could only chuckle at the speed in which he acted. One thing we both had in common was not letting anyone who put the emphasis on Black the way Reza did, live too long.

“You forgot who you talking to didn’t you? I know you had to because the last thing you would’ve said was Black that way. Like it was an insult. As though everything human on this earth wasn’t created from African people. Mind your muthafuckin’ mouth when you speaking on Black anything. Black cats, blackbirds, black licorice but most definitely Black people. Boss?”

I sighed and snarled my response because my ancestors were whispering he needed this. “Go ahead, I won’t be able to estop you.”

Quentin grinned then tucked his gun away, which Reza stupidly thought meant he was good. Instead, Quentin hooked him in the jaw before slamming his broad fist into Reza’s stomach. When the guards that normally hung with Reza acted as though they were going to attack, all hell broke loose.

My scimitar was out and the head of the biggest one was rolling across the floor while Reza struggled to recover. I’d cut his head off in a way to ensure he didn’t insult me further by bleeding on my clothing. I would have to find something else of his to destroy if he’d soiled my thobe.

Quentin pulled his guns and was using another guard for target practice not stopping until both clips were empty and the former guard looked like a paper target at the range.

Shoaib, the one who was supposed to keep us in order, was laughing and teasing the other guard who should’ve just put a bullet in his own head. Instead, they danced around in the blood that had been spilled on the ground before Shoaib made his move. He feinted to one side allowing the man to hit him in the face. Before he could pull his fist back, Shoaib had him locked up tight, his face turning red within seconds as he choked the life out of him. Sho was around the same height and build as Quentin with his hair cut short and his suit always immaculate. I knew he’d be ready to change as soon as we got done handling business.

“Shoaib, just break his neck, bro. We got stuff to do.” Quentin was reloading the clips in his gun dropping the empty ones on the ground next to the bodies. The blood that was creeping closer to his tactical boots didn’t bother him and he kept his eyes trained on Reza to ensure he didn’t move.

“ Shazadeh , you must understand I vas only doing vhat I vas told to do.” Reza was on the ground begging, a move that disgusted me further.

I didn’t flinch as I heard the bones in the guard’s neck crack and Shoaib stopped toying with him. His body dropping to the floor was a muffled thump as Shoaib took his place slightly behind me next to Quentin.

“I don’t have to understand anyzing. You vere estupid enough to come to zhis country, zhat is already so hard on people from zhe Middle East, and do some fuck shit? To disgrace zhe position zhat I got for you? Vhat happened to you? You let Kamran corrupt you wiz his vays, didn’t you?”

I’d met Reza years ago when he was working at a stable outside of Tehran. Back then, I hadn’t gone into the city often using my official name or title. I traveled as Xerxes Cannon and other times as Amédée Cannon, an old family name from my Creole side and one of my middle names. The ability to move about without the royal moniker hanging over my head was a benefit because my moves didn’t need to be reported to the palace. When I met Reza, he’d been hardworking and shoveling shit to earn money to help his mother with his sisters. His father had died in one of the many fighting outbreaks that killed so many and his mother’s second husband had run off. We’d struck up a conversation and I couldn’t lie that his story hadn’t touched me. I would never want to see someone suffer and told him to be looking out for the opportunity to advance. He didn’t believe me, but when he got the call from the palace about working with our horses, he’d reached out to me to thank me. I’d had my reservations when I found out he’d be working with Kamran. I foolishly thought that Reza might’ve been a positive influence on my stupid cousin. But now I see that I had grossly underestimated the allure some people had to harming others when they had a taste of superiority. The fact remained that direct order or not; he was going to be punished.

“I didn’t vant to do any of zhis. He has zhe power to hurt my family. My mother and my sisters.” He was pleading but I could tell it was a performance. An optical illusion of remorse he didn’t feel.

I had a feeling he was going to come at me with this tired lie and I’d already had his mother and sisters checked on. What I found made my stomach turn. It was a shame how people felt as though they could lie to me, to my face no less, as though I wasn’t always thorough with my shit.

“Funny you mention your mother and your sisters. I had my contacts reach out to dem. Last time ve talked you said your oldest sister Jaleh vanted to study at Alzahra. Vhen ve checked on her, it turns out zhat she has a baby and is living in shame in a place one step up from a slum. Yet you travel zhe vorld in a private plane selling horses and I know your commissions are more zhan enough to support your sister, your mother and many from your old neighborhood. And by zhe way, vho is zhe child’s fazer?”

His darting eyes and the way he was shifting around in the dirt as though it would somehow save him spoke louder than anything that would come from his lips. His clothing, a once pristine white linen shirt and pants, were covered in blood and filth. But still it was not enough for me.

“If my sister vants to be a whore—”

The palm of my hand was across his face before he could get the words out of his mouth. I had to slap him like a bitch since he wanted to lie like one.

“I have eyes everywhere. I know all about zhe vay you allowed your prince to use your sister. And vhen she got pregnant instead of helping her or insisting zhat he did, you turned her away in eshame.”

That was the way Reza had secured his place with my cousin. Proved his loyalty by allowing him to have his sister. Like any woman facing poverty, his sister would’ve done whatever it was he said or faced getting put out. Especially if his ability to feed the family was the threat hanging over head. The fact that Reza would allow a stranger to abuse his sister and then still toss her out after her blood secured his position made him even more dishonorable in my eyes.

“Am I supposed to force a prince to do vhat is right? And lose my own head? Is my life not vorth saving?” Reza felt righteous in his anger and I pointed my sword at him with a smile on my face as his lips clamped shut.

“No. It is not. I vould’ve left you eshoveling eshit if I vould’ve known zhis was how you’d turn out. Offered to help your sister and let you vork for your bread. But no matter. All I can do is offer her zhe help I should’ve and force my cousin to do vhat is right.”

“He von’t marry her, she’s not pure.”

I admired the jeweled hilt of my scimitar not bothering to look at him. “And he was zhe one who slept wiz her first.”

“Zhere is no proof zhat he’s zhe child’s fazer.”

My eyes flickered to his face and he looked like he was proving a point. As though paternity would somehow invalidate the debt that his sister was owed by Kamran.

“Proof is being gazered. And he vill be named as her fazer as soon as zhe tests come back.” I shrugged my shoulders because there was no way a baby with Mahdavi blood was going to be abandoned and shunned because of the father’s lack of morals. Not like he would be alive long enough to do anything about it, anyway.

Reza’s brows dipped as though he couldn’t understand why I was taking up for his niece, while I couldn’t understand his lack of desire to ensure she was good. “You vould do zhat to your family?”

“Forcing zhem to take responsibility for zheir actions seems to be vhy I was put on zhis earz. Zheir divine retribution in human form. Now, to zhe reason I’m actually here. Vhere is zhe girl?”

My arms went behind my back, the tension zhat one kill had eased creeping back up. I wanted to harm my cousin, Reza and a myriad of others but I knew that wasn’t going to happen today. It was a shame that Reza didn’t have more people with him so that I could work off some of this energy.

“Vhat girl?” His shoulders went back defiantly and I glanced at both Quentin and Shoaib, both who wore amused smiles on their faces. I turned back to Reza lamenting the fact that I had agreed to bring him to Mr. Chisholm-Love.

“Zhe girl you vere about to traffick for zhe same cousin you trafficked your esister for. Vhere is she?”

Reza’s smile was affable, the same one that convinced me he needed help but then it was genuine. Now it was practiced, a means of manipulation instead of displaying genuine emotion.

“Come now, zhere is no one of importance looking for her. She’s just—”

Sho huffed, Quentin grunted and I could only snarl at the way he spoke about another human. “A woman. And even vizout zhe powerful people behind her, eshe’s worz being treated viz dignity and respect no matter vhat bullshit Kamran has put in your head. So again, vhere is she? And please do not make me ask again.”

He motioned with his head toward a door I could only assume was locked and I just glared at him before turning to it. I wanted time to woo my heart but instead I was here cleaning up this bullshit. To keep the Consortium from rallying their people from all over the world behind this lady, I had to fix it. More than that, I had to restore my family’s good name with the Chisholm-Love family, since Kamran and Reza had both dishonored it with their actions.

With a sneer, I walked toward the door cussin’ his ass out the entire way. I had to take a deep breath to calm myself despite how annoyed I was. The girl on the other side of this door hadn’t been gone long, but there was no telling what the fuck had happened to her since she’d been with them.

Sending up a quick prayer, I braced myself and opened the door. One look at her face had me closing my eyes to keep my patience in check. I opened them, locking eyes with two green spheres trying desperately not to show how scared she was. I glanced back and began to cuss Reza out in Persian before I softened my eyes and spoke to her. It was going to be a long fucking night cleaning up yet another Mahdavi mess.

“Show her that violence is what you do but not who you are.”

Advice that had been spoken to me as I stepped in and assisted another man in securing his forever. Words that his heart had given me as she stood in a field after assuming I’d shed blood. Words I had taken to heart and were attempting to put into practice. But it seemed that the woman I wanted was far harder to please than the Rancher’s girlfriend. Or fiancée. She had watched him beat a man with his bare hands to death for the way he’d wronged her. And had not flinched.

One call to Ori and the woman who’d assisted my cousin in taking her would also be punished. It was an even bigger issue than we’d imagined and Reza’s moves about the world were being tracked to match up with women who were missing. As for the De la Coastas, they were being stripped of their assets and the woman suffering hell in prison. The cartels didn’t enjoy hearing about a woman who looked down on other Mexicans and was a fan of using ICE to her advantage. She’d attempted to ask for solitary confinement, but she’d been denied. The search for women who maybe have been trafficked had been handed over to Dom and Messiah to research. When I’d assisted in improving the infrastructure within my father’s homeland, I hadn’t been dumb enough to offer it altruistically. There were always conditions with my generosity with them. I paid Dom’s fee and only charged the government for the bare necessities. Having a connection through your favorite cousin on your mother’s side that had been hacking since he was in elementary school came in handy. I had eyes and ears everywhere in Iran. That forethought would come in handy to see if women were there who shouldn’t be. And it ensured that any potential threats against me and the few members of my family I actually liked could be thwarted with ease.

“Xerxes, not that I don’t mind you being here…”

I looked at Frankie who was carrying my nephew around like he wasn’t almost half as big as she was. Despite not having lost all her baby weight, Frankie was still a very slender woman. Quad was clearly taking after his highlander father because he was almost a ten-pound baby and had to be double that now at barely three months.

I’d come to their home in Carolina Falls for one reason: hope. Liam and Francesca shouldn’t be happy based on where they were in each other’s lives a year ago. But they were happily married, the vows they took in Scotland reaffirmed through a ceremony last year and had a happy daughter and newborn son. If they could go from hate to love within a few months after how they’d hurt one another, I surely had a chance.

“Should you be carrying him around, Frankie?”

She stopped walking and glanced down at the wispy brown-haired baby boy. Even now it was clear the ends of his hair were going to lighten up just like his father’s and sister’s. “Are you calling my baby fat?”

I raised my hands laughing because she seemed to take great offense to my concern. “Never. Although I zhink he is going to be a very tall boy.”

She rolled her eyes and continued to maneuver around the kitchen island with the grown man she called a baby snuggled down in her baby wrap. “No worse than Jada. She told me he was fat and that my titty milk had to be a combo of butter and cream.”

“ Wallah, she is a menace. He is a big boy, zhough. I am surprised you do not have a constant ache in your back.”

Her brows furrowed and she looked even more annoyed with me than before. “I never said I didn’t. But it’s what happens when you end up with a giant kid. Speaking of, when are you going to put a baby in my sister’s belly so that these kids can have some cousins?” Her playful annoyance had turned into a serious command and I found it laughable that she was putting this at my feet.

“Isn’t Bhaltair having twins?” I quirked my brow forcing her to roll her eyes in annoyance.

“Is. But they split their time in Nan Cuan far more than we do. We gotta have a cousin variety pack to choose from.”

I barked a laugh at her imagery knowing she meant every word of it. “Cousin variety pack. Like we are boxes of flavored Quaker Oatmeal to pull out zhe cupboard.”

She stopped stirring whatever was in the pot as she looked at me in surprise. “I’m shocked you know about that.”

“I will have to tell Babette—”

She sucked her teeth and went back to stirring. “I’ll raise your Babette a Safi. Quiet crazy versus the lady who likes to shoot people. Now stop playing with me. You need me to be your wing woman.”

“I should not, but I can’t help zhat your words are true. I try not to come on too strong, but it is obvious she’s not interested.”

“I don’t agree with that.”

My heart skipped again at her words. “Do you know somezing?”

“I know that my friend is hurt. That she is trying her hardest not to show interest because of how badly she was hurt before.” She rubbed the top of her son’s head as she spoke soothing him back to sleep.

“I guess I see you here with Liam happy and I imagine if you could give zhe person who hurt you another chance, surely she can give me one as a stranger. I only want zhe best for her.”

That was the confusing part. I liked that she wasn’t a woman easily won, but every time I saw her, she seemed to want to move further away from me instead of closer together. Small talk, business talk, none of it really interested her, but it was all I had to keep her entertained when we were playing with the children or in a group together. Otherwise, it was as if my presence was a nuisance.

“That’s the difference. I’d seen the best from Liam. Received it. Understood what it looked and felt like. I knew when he didn’t send his mother or his sister to find me that his love was covering me. Even when we were apart.” She’d pointed her spoon at me to emphasize her point, but I still had more questions.

“So you weren’t angry?”

“The fuck? Who said that?” She whipped her head around her long braid almost shaking free from Quad’s chubby fingers. He had been holding onto it as though it was what helped soothe him to sleep.

“You said he was covering you.” I might have been laughing but I was still thoroughly confused. I wish Liam would hurry back from laying Skye down for her nap and help me understand what his wife meant.

Frankie huffed a laugh in that way Black women did that showed they were about to get re-mad about something they had already gotten over. “Yeah well, he still had me fucked up. Don’t ever forget that part.”

I ran my hand through my hair in frustration and sighed. “Zhis is stressful. I was not as blessed as Tre to meet my forever as a child. And because of zhat, someone fumbled wiz her heart and made her afraid. I don’t like zhat. It makes me—”

“Murdery?”

I nodded that word feeling far more accurate than the one I was going to use. “I was going to say incensed but murdery feels more accurate.”

“Happy to help. You’ve got to be a little less intense but more bold.”

I waved my hand in the air aimlessly. “What does zhat mean, Francesca? Boldness and intensity are de same thing.”

“Nope. You can put on a full court press on defense or play the zone. You’re doing the press, now you need to do the zone.”

“Explain in actions, Frankie.”

“Make the moves to secure her, even without you being around. That’s the first step for love for anyone.”

“You make it seem so easy.”

“It usually is when it’s meant to be. But that doesn’t mean you aren’t going to have to put in work. You act like you aren’t the king of covert. Do what you do best and watch the pieces fall in place.” I bowed my head in gratitude because her words made sense but I was almost afraid to hope.

“Zhank you, Francesca.”

“Were you still going to Merrick Hall?”

“Yes, I need to speak wiz Deuce about zhe next delivery.”

There were plenty of arms dealers that the Merricks could deal with, but our weapons were second to none. Deuce might have handed the company over to the next generation, but he still liked to get his hands dirty. He and Auntie Safi had been looking for an improved gun for the members of the clan that assisted the Davis family with collections. I wanted to hear their thoughts and see about getting their potential designs recorded as we discussed delivery for the rifles they’d ordered.

“Good. Maybe you’ll have a surprise when you get back.”

I paused and studied the way she grinned at me like she had a secret. There were only two weapons that Frankie could use against me: her children and her best friend. Since I had been happily playing with the former, I felt my heart skip at the thought of seeing her. “Do not give me false hope.”

“Talked to her this morning and she will definitely be here for dinner.”

“It is clear zhe gift I got you for your wedding will no longer suffice. You are assisting me in gaining my forever, I will have to zhink of somezing far more suitable zhan jewelry.”

“Protect her, love her, and treat her the way she deserves. That’s more than thanks enough.”

“Sweet, Frankie, all of those things would be a given. I would build a space station and then nuke this entire galaxy to ensure she was safe.”

She stopped stirring and looked at me like I had her fucked up. “Just make sure you build that shit big enough for all of us.”

“Wizout question. Let me attend to zhis business so zhat I can make my way back quickly. You have given my joy a reason to arise from its slumber and dance joyfully in zhe sun.”

She shook her head as though I were doing too much. Which was funny since her husband was worse than I was. “Lord, just say you’re happy and get on with it.”

I smirked her playful teasing only enhancing the joy I felt. “Why? My way sounds far better.”

“Save that for my friend and make sure you’re not late.”

I stood up and stretched, eager to get my business handled. “I would razer have every hair on my head plucked from my scalp by burning tweezers zhan to leave zhe woman of my dreams waiting for me.”

“The Bliranian Romeo. So poetic with his words. I can’t wait until she gives you a run for your money.”