Xerxes
XERXES
I’D LEFT VANYA’S office as calmly as possible before I went into a rage in the car. I wasn’t having a tantrum, maybe slightly, but I was pissed that there were people that would be so bold as to harass a woman as she was simply doing her job. I knew perfectly well that men were despicable creatures. My father made me all too aware of the shit we had to fight against and call out when we saw it. I was proud to be a man, but those who walked around with a dick sullying my sex deserved to be put down.
And apparently I had a whole host of them to handle in the Queen City before Vanya and I could move forward.
“Vhat is zhe problem, Shahzadeh ?”
Shoaib was glancing back at me through the rearview mirror. I could only shake my head and attempt to get my emotions in check before I responded.
“I’m not angry. Frustrated is zhe emotion.”
“But I zhought she agreed for you to be her client. Vas zhat not zhe goal of zhe meeting?” He maneuvered through the streets with ease despite not having lived here before. As head of my security for my family, his job was to ensure he knew the ins and outs of wherever we traveled. He’d been thoroughly prepared for his job for years before he took over. He was nearing forty-two and hadn’t lost a step in all this time.
Quentin, the guard that I hired to assist me in the states spoke up then. “Sho, if you saw this girl, you would understand. You remember the red-haired girl from when we had handled ole boy last summer, right?”
Sho continued to maneuver through the streets as he nodded. “Yes. She has zhe flaming hair. I remember she is beautiful but I zhought we were being meticulous.”
“Xerx ain’t got that kind of patience, bruh. His heart is involved. First time his pretty boy ass has had to work for a damn thing his whole life. That’s why he’s geeking the way he is.” These two talked about me like two uncles who had no problem telling my business and offering their advice.
I cracked a smile hating how fucking accurate Quentin’s words were. I didn’t mind the effort that it took to woo Vanya. I welcomed the challenge. It was the feeling in my gut that I might fail that gnawed at me incessantly.
“I do not mind zhe work. It is when I feel as zhough I have to get more blood on my hands to fix zhe problem zhat I become aggravated.”
They shared a look between the two of them and I already knew what they were thinking.
“Xerx, since when did blood become a problem?” Quentin didn’t look back over his shoulder since he was on point. He kept his eyes on our surroundings to look for potential threats.
“Since I’m supposed to show her that I’m not all blood and guts, that when. The advice was to show her the soft side, not to come out with a gun in one hand a scimitar in the other putting bullets in heads before I chop them off.”
“I mean, but the visual is nice.” I could almost hear the yearning in Sho’s voice like he was eager to see this play out.
“Shoaib, zhere truly might be somezing wrong wiz you.”
“From a purely artistic perspective. Zhe fluidity of skill it vould take to shoot and zhen cut vould be impressive. I need to practice zhis now vith a few ballistic heads.” He was nodding as he made plans to actually practice this during his next training and I didn’t bother to act surprised. This is the reason he was as good at his job as he was.
Quentin laughed at the banter between the two of us, since we were more like brothers than employee and employer.
“Definitely been hanging around y’all for too long. My ass is now trying to figure out how this shit would work, too. But boss, who we need to handle? If she doesn’t want you to be all bloody, what do you think you have us for?”
“It’s too personal for him. He vants the satisfaction of knowing he was the one to kill what harmed his sayyida . Much like you and your brezren, respect is a big zhing. He vould not feel as zhough he had done right by her if we were the ones to take care of zhe problem.” Shoaib was back to gossiping like an auntie again.
“Really hate feeling like I’m not earning my money, Shoa. Xerx, do you need me to stand outside of her office?”
“No, but zhe do need to coordinate zhe replacing of zhe glass of her storefront.”
“Replacing it to what? Shatter resistant—”
“Ballistic glass.”
“Shorty got folks after her like that?” Quentin had glanced back at me, brows raised like surely people couldn’t be that pressed about a realtor. I could see he was making the mental calculations of what would be needed to keep Vanya protected if she had enemies that deep.
“Not yet. But what do you zhink the family will do once zhey realize I have a soft spot?” After the way they acted when I was last in Tehran, especially bringing a woman around, they would lose it if they found out about Vanya.
“You know my loyalty has always been to you and your fazer. I haven’t said a vord to zhem about your sayyida , and I never vill. But do you zhink zhe retribution vill be directed toward her if you make a move?” Shoaib was from Iran, but spent most of his time with me. When we flew back, he spent time with the one brother he had who was in the military.
“Zhey can’t touch me. Losing me means de loss of the money zhat’s keeping all of zheir shit together. Zhey’d much rather try to cripple me from zhe inside out by harming her. Which means I need to strike at zhem first.”
“Can you do that without there being a problem?” Quentin’s mind was moving to protecting not just me, but Vanya as well. He would want to put the right people in place to make sure we were both good.
“No. Which is why I need to be more zhan prepared for what zhey would do. Starting now we need someone to watch her. Not too closely, but to be around in case anyzing looks suspicious.”
“Do you have any suggestions?”
“She is skittish around men at times. If zhere is a woman—”
“I’m on it, boss. We can have someone here within the next few days.”
“Good. If they have a real estate license, even better.”
“Real estate?” Quentin kept scanning the area even as we pulled into the parking lot of The Warren Hotel .
“I’ve planted zhe seed zhat she will need more help. She doesn’t want to lose clients zhat she currently has or burn bridges by not being available. If she has a colleague zhat could work wiz her, I’m sure zhat she would take on someone know zhat zhe zhought is in her head.”
“We could always reach out to Priest…” Quentin looked back at me again and that gave me an idea.
Pulling out my phone, I was nodding my head because I was sure Mir had someone that could assist. “True. Let me do that and see what he says.”
“What’s good, Priest?”
I sat at the desk in the penthouse suite I’d been occupying since I touched down in Charlotte, NC. Since Midas wasn’t in residence, he wanted me to use his suite, but I knew he would be making his way over here within a few weeks and I didn’t feel like moving. I’d taken off the suit that I’d worn to see Vanya and was now dressed down in a t-shirt and joggers. The room was classically designed with a dark navy and wood interior. This city had made its mark by being the banking capital of the south. The benefits of that influx of wealth were apparent everywhere you looked.
“Your ass in the states or are you calling me from a plane over the gulf of somewhere right now?”
“Stateside. In Charlotte, actually. Already checked into Midas’ place. I’m shocked you ain’t got someone else checking up on me.”
“There’s no need with the people you have on payroll. Finally going after your wife?”
“ Mashallah. Of course, I hope it all works out zhe way my heart desires.”
I prayed it was God’s will for Vanya to be mine. The way I felt about her was far too intense for it not to be. It was the way my Uncle Michael said he felt when he saw my auntie. How my father described the gnawing need he had for my mother that had nothing to do with his dick. The same way Midas spent an entire year longing for Nev until she literally walked back into his life one night. And even then, his dumb ass tried to deny fate.
I didn’t want to be like my cousin. I wanted what our fathers had. It was why I was so quick to submit to the position I knew she held in my life. Denying it only led to pain and I learned that lesson well enough from my cousin.
“Your intentions and your interest are pure.”
I smirked thinking of the way Vanya filled out the golden-hued dress she was wearing today. It was perfect on her skin, making her hair and freckles blaze forth like brilliant copper. She had an hourglass figure and was incredibly shapely. Her arms were toned, her breasts enough to fill my hands and her hips lived rent free in my head. “Not entirely pure.”
Priest snickered with me because he could understand where I was coming from. “Bruh—”
“I’m saying Priest. You can’t be acting like I’m not honest. Besides, isn’t your wife currently due with your first baby? I’m trying to be like you.”
“Then the love in your heart is pure and so are all the actions you will take in order to express that love physically with her.”
The last thing my ass was going to talk about was sex with a man who was getting it six times a day. “I hear you. But I have a favor to ask.”
“What is it?”
“Are your cousins still real estate agents?” Part of the Order’s success was for their agents to blend into everyday life. So many held certifications and degrees in a myriad of areas so that they could earn money while not on assignment as well as adapt while on a job.
“Yeah, why?”
“I need zhem to get licensed in North Carolina. I have an assignment for zhem.”
“An assignment? You know they might not want—” His cousins were two of the best assassins he had. Not only were they beautiful, they were brilliant. Whoever he sent would be more than able to look after Vanya if I wasn’t around.
“It’s protection. For Vanya. She already knows Shoaib and Quentin’s faces. She doesn’t know eizer of your cousins.” Having one of Quentin’s people for backup wouldn’t be bad, but having a man around Vanya would take her out of her comfort zone. I wasn’t willing to disturb her peace to keep her safe. At least not yet.
“I feel as though there is something brewing that we need to have a conversation about.” I didn’t want to put my brothers on high alert because that would have them ready for war. I wasn’t sure if war was needed and if they came on too strong that might force my father’s family to lash out against innocent people before I had things in place.
I sighed already feeling the peace I’d gotten from my time with Vanya began to fade. “Not yet. But when zhe time comes, zhe definitely need to put everyone on alert.”
“Talk to me, Xerx. Not to get too deep in family business, but what’s going on?” I wasn’t sure which side of my friend I was talking to now, but having him up on what was happening was probably necessary. He wouldn’t be any more rational than the others but he was at least slower to anger than Liam and more homicidally creative than Couba so that would buy me time.
“My cousin Kamran tried to use my name to back out of a deal wiz a rancher in Texas. One who has distant ties with Midas and Dom. I stepped in and told him I would provide zhe punishment for Kamran, but zhat hasn’t come to fruition.”
“And why not?” I didn’t take offense to him asking because he was the king of patience. His wait wasn’t a multi-generational get back like mine, but it was damn sure close enough.
“Because touching him has to be approved by the old man and he’s not going to do it. So I’m slowly ruining his life from a distance.”
I smirked and tried not to laugh along with him when the sound filtered through the phone. “How so?”
“Zhe horses are where he has his clout. He was the face of zhe business and had his minions do the work for him.”
“But your father’s money went into starting the stables. Hell, his name is still on all the businesses. Kamran is a glorified employee and anyone could see he’s trying to take credit for something he didn’t build.”
“Right, and since baba and I are zhe owners, zhe determine what happens wiz zhe horses.” My cousins worked for us despite them making it seem like they were the owners.
“And you’ve decided…”
“Zhey’re being moved. Currently, zhey’re in a facility in Saudi where no one in zhe family would dare touch zhem.”
“Let me guess, Midas?”
Midas’ businesses in the countries surrounding my father’s homeland were strategic. The Mahdavis couldn’t invest in anything without it causing an issue and alerting the paternal family of our ones. The Cannons and the Warrens could do so without issue. I was sure that my father’s family was tracking what we did and how we invested, if they came out of their bubble of sin long enough to care. But they wouldn’t say a word because they couldn’t.
“Damn straight. And Ori vill be shipping zhem here as soon as we get zhe facilities set up and monitoring installed.”
“He moving them to Vegas or—”
“Or. Right now I’m looking for land here to hold zhem until a proper facility can be built. Or miracles upon miracles my Vanya finds me somezing zhat vill only need to be updated to my standards. Zhe entire operation will now be on US soil.”
He whistled, understanding the implications of the move I made. “Damn. That means unless he wants to uproot his ass out of the palace, he no longer has a job and has no importance.”
“It also means zhat he’s been stripped of any potential revenue or perks zhat would’ve come wiz his association wiz zhe stables. Which, of course, will cause an issue from the crown.”
“One avenue of revenue loss is a big deal. But they have other funds, right? Your grandfather will just continue to finance him because he’s the favorite.”
“You would zhink. But you can only tax your people so much. Zhe horses and zhe money made zhrough zhe deals zhey assisted wiz were almost seventy percent of zhe capital zhey fritted away during zhe year.”
“Damn. How are you a broke monarchy?” Jahmir sounded disgusted because although he had a bunch of money, he used it to do good works. Even the money he made as the head of the Order. Details on his biological father’s assets had been uncovered and even in death Pope was proving to be a better father to Mir than Cardinal ever was. All of Pope’s money had been held in trust for Mir as the heir of the family.
“Wars. More wars, greed, being petty and spending as zhough money has no limit because you’re a monarch. And having an obscene number of people charging zhe crown for zheir lifestyle. Zhe pinch is going to come quickly. And so will zhe backlash.”
“How soon do you need one of them to be there?” Now that he had the information he was back to business and I appreciated it. The thought of Vanya being unprotected in any capacity drove me crazy. She was a smart woman but she needed an assistant who was smart to the ways of this lifestyle.
“Ask if zhey’re amenable to it first. If not, I can always see if Ndi—”
“She knows Ndi too. And also knows that Ndi has a job already with the distilleries. You won’t be able to put that one past her. Besides, my cousins are getting restless since we’re closing in on spring break and they haven’t had to create or destroy anything lately. Hell, maybe I’ll send them both.”
He was out of his mind because I wasn’t going to keep those two from cutting up if they were already restless. “I’m going to put up a job posting wizin zhe hour. Zhey can send over an application and I will ensure it makes it to zhe top of zhe pile. How many holdings have zhey sold?”
“Within Georgia? They most recently sold Cardinal’s property and split the money amongst each other.”
“Nothing for zheir ozer sibling?”
He laughed and that’s when I could hear the other side of Priest seep out. Gone was my kind-hearted friend and the ruthless, near demented killer oozed to the front like Venom would one of his prey. “And what is that nigga gonna do with that kind of money in a fucking locked room, Xerx? Eat the gotdamn paper?”
He went back to laughing and I couldn’t help but join in with him. He’d had his cousin locked up for the last six months. After the shit we found out Damien did, I wasn’t surprised he was letting him rot the way he was. Damien deserved a slow descent into madness before he skipped his way to hell.
“If only zhe congregation could see how you acted.”
“They’d never need to see Priest, only Jahmir. They cross me though, I’m more than happy to help them find out why they shouldn’t have. But I’ll ask Navi if she wants the assignment. Lika seems focused on staying in the area.”
“Will being away from zhe school be an issue?”
“We’ll get it covered. Dove wanted more to do around here since I won’t let her do too much. If she takes over in Navi’s classroom, I’ll be her hero.” I could hear him grinning and knew he’d been doing his best not to be too overprotective of Ny now that she was pregnant. Mir wanted to be involved almost to an aggravating extent because his parents had been so negligent. He desired for Ny to feel supported always but I knew she was probably gone chop his ass in the throat. She was just as obsessed with him so she probably loved that shit.
“Glad I can be of service. Tell Navi whatever her price, I’ll double it.”
“You know we don’t charge—”
“But zhat doesn’t mean I’m not paying. I’ll set up an apartment for her in Vanya’s building so she isn’t too far away. And zhank you, Jahmir. You understand how important zhis is to me.”
“We all do. Let us know when we need to suit up. Them might be your people by blood, but we’re your family by choice. And we choose to stand behind you no matter who is in front of you. If you need help to handle shit, say the word.” Priest was tucked back in and Jahmir spoke from his heart, which made me grateful again for the men I called my brothers.
I glanced at the Charlotte skyline that seemed just outside of my window my mind wishing Vanya was going to walk through the door and bring me peace. “I know. And I appreciate you. But for now, zhe only person I need to pull into zhis is Ori.”
“What his ass gone do?” I knew Priest asked because we normally only pulled Ori on shit when we needed his help legally.
“You know he gets bored since he can’t do much wet work. Having him help wiz coordinating zhe delivery is key because of zhe ports and it’ll give him somezing to do. At least until it’s time to take his spot full time.”
“Smart. It’s been a minute and the last time I know he was irritated after having to deal with that woman in Texas. Said she tried to scratch his ass up.”
I’d heard how the woman that was working with Reza and Kamran acted up when she was getting arrested. Her ass was going through it in federal prison because those supremacist values didn’t hold too well with the people there. Especially not the Hispanic ones who were being detained.
“He’s never going to let me live it down. But at least she’s getting fucked up on a regular so zhat gives him some peace.”
“True. I’ll have Navi get on it when you send the word. But do me a favor.”
“What you need?” I paused because I had no issue with what he needed. He was going to help keep my love safe so a debt to him was owed.
“Make sure your Blarabian ass lets someone know what you need before it gets too late. We here for a reason. No one man has to shoulder the load alone.”
The madman was tucked back into his hole, and my friend was back out. He knew just what to say to strike at the heart of any man and I felt the conviction to do as he asked. “Says zhe one who built zhe equipment for his revenge and didn’t tell a soul. But I hear you, Priest.”
“Good. Give her a few hours and she’ll be on the way.”