2
“What about Damien’s ass?”
Priest’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Cou like he was irritated. “Yacouba, why do you constantly bring him up? He’s fed. He’s watered—”
Cou sighed like he was getting sick and tired of Priest’s shit. “He’s not a gotdamn houseplant, Jahmir.”
“The way he went against God he deserves to suffer this way. Besides, his father is there to keep him company.” The whole room bust out laughing because this man was referring to a damn skeleton.
“I thought you took out Cardinal’s body.”
“I did. He’s started talking to the air. The delusions have set in. It’s comical to watch him berate the man for all the sins he committed for him. I take recordings to make sure there’s nothing else we need to know. I’m sure he’s going to expire soon.” Priest was having way too much fun accounting all of this for Ori and I knew he was reliving putting an end to his enemies.
“You’re sure or you hope?” Ori was still laughing and I had a feeling he was going to take a trip to Atlanta soon.
“I don’t care either way. I’m indifferent to his suffering. My life is content without him in it and with the seeds they planted burning in the same fire as Cardinal. He will be given the same treatment as his father’s corpse.”
“Not you making these niggas a part of the church bizarre every year!” Yacouba was laughing and I had to admit this shit was hilarious.
Priest shrugged as he touched the cross that hung on his chain. “They are doing more service to God in death than they ever did in life. Seems fitting.”
“You good.” Elijah finished wrapping my finger and my upper collar bone. I pulled out the money I had for him and he looked down at it like it was a snake. “You already paid.”
Elijah looked offended by the wad of money I had in my hand and he knew I wasn’t going to keep it.
“It’s called a tip, bruh. If you don’t take it now you’ll just find it in your account later. It makes me no mind.” I held it out and he took it while shaking his head.
“‘Preciate it, bruh. You know how to handle them so let me know if you need anything else.” He dapped me up before putting everything else in his travel case. His kit was a custom stainless steel travel piece that he’d airbrushed himself. It was all the advertisement for his work that he needed because the design was fire.
“I’m good. Plane is waiting for you. I know you anxious to get back home.”
With a face identical to his brother’s, he grinned like he was envisioning what was waiting for him. “Much as I love kicking it with y’all my girl is home. I’m sure you already know how that feels.”
I felt him because I wanted to fast forward hrough all this so I could get to my zibā. “I do. Be easy getting back.”
“Shit. Y’all got my ass feeling wealthy with these cars and private flights. Ori, get married in Hawaii so me and my girl can get a vacation. I’ll even cover the room.”
Ori’s eyes narrowed at him like Elijah had called him poor. “Bruh.”
Since he’d been drinking, I stepped in so Ori could chill. “We got you.”
Elijah dapped up everyone in the room before he headed to the jet to get back to his girl.
“You ready to head out?” Couba was already up getting himself together as he asked the question.
I pulled my shirt over my head before I responded. “Let’s get this done. The sooner I sleep, the sooner I can meet my Vanya at the altar.”
Movement near the entrance to the area of the private lounge we were relaxing in caught my eye. I watched Quentin make a move and had to laugh at what had his attention.
“ Hatman arezouye marg dare .”
Everyone’s head snapped up since they’d been around long enough to know pieces of both Persian and Arabic. Midas’ ass was fluent and was probably wondering who had a death wish. His eyes narrowed when he spotted Vanya’s ex.
I messaged Quentin to let him through but took note that whatever membership or clout he had in this place needed to be revoked immediately.
“What are you doing here?” I hadn’t bothered to stand up as I watched him glance around the table at the men I had with me. He looked like his adoptive father had when he looked at me: like he thought he was better than everyone here. Not one of them gave a fuck and leaned into the conversation we were having.
“What’s this I hear about you marrying Vanya?” His question caused chuckles to ripple through our group and I could only pull out my phone and begin to look through the paperwork I had on this man.
“Say, Xerx, what you doing?” Yacouba’s ass picked the perfect time to instigate because I had to remind Johnathan of who he was dealing with.
“I’m attempting to see how well my friend here is insured.” I kept digging through the paperwork to find what I was looking for.
“Insured for what?”
I glanced up from the device a sinister smile conveying the seriousness of my words. “Life insurance policies. You know zhe zhing zhat zhey have you pay into for your entire life and zhen zhey short you when you actually die. How much coverage do you have?”
He frowned at me like he was completely offended. “Why is it any of your business?”
He disgusted me because he couldn’t recognize his own hypocrisy. “Why is my marrying Vanya any of yours?”
“She’s my—”
“Not a fucking zhing. She’s nobody to you, remember? Why is it zhat you cannot get zhis zhrough your head? It is truly exhausting to deal with you. Wallah , I will have to buy my zibā an island for zhe strengz it took her to stay married to you.” I leaned forward bracing my elbows on my thighs, praying I kept my cool. The devils that lived on both my shoulders had my foot tapping as I envisioned putting my size thirteen up his ass.
“Xerxes, since when are we benevolent with livin’ corpses? Yoo care aboot ‘is finances?”
I laughed at Liam’s question as I went back to strolling through the documents. “I’m trying to see if I will have to kick in for any portion of his funeral and I’m trying to plan accordingly. You should be happy I’m a man who makes calculated financial decisions. Zhat way, you know I can always provide for my wife. Since you’re so worried about her well-being.”
“ Homie , I doubt that you could afford anything that has to do with me.” He pulled back his shirt sleeve to show a Rolex that would be impressive to some but meant nothing to us. He paid for labels to impress people, we invested in bespoke jewelry that spoke to our tastes, our wealth and our station. Johnathan only wore that watch because of how he wanted people to perceive him. Men like me and my friends didn’t give a fuck about the opinions of others.
I drummed my hands on the smooth surface of the blue agate table that was backlit for a unique effect. It was the only motion I could do to keep myself from strangling this man.
“ Sadiqi , I have enough money to fast track a hundred years of research into a monz so zhe best and brightest could design me a humanoid robot to replace you in your life. And cutting zhat check wouldn’t even dip into my wife’s fun money for this week. I’m not normally one to brag, but if you want to make zhis a contest where we measure our dicks, our banks, our looks, our pedigrees or our personalities, I would win on every front.” I glanced up at him slowly because a brief look was all I could stomach without wanting violence to occur.
I was tired of having to impress upon this man that just because I was new in town didn’t mean I wasn’t connected enough to have him reduced to being an unpleasant memory.
“I dinna ken what wuid possess a man tae come and speak tae another as ‘e sits surrounded by an army? Is it a date wit’ death yoo wish us to provide? In ‘at we are well-versed.” Bhaltair had his sgian-dubh in his hand flipping it with his eyes trained on Johnathan. Liam was laughing but I knew he would be up just as quick if Jonathan wanted to act stupid.
“Xerx, why this man look casket sharp? I ain’t the darkest nigga on the planet, but why are his crevices brown but his skin pale?” Midas was studying Vanya’s ex like he was a science experiment.
“Because, cousin, he hates his Blackness so much, zhis nigga probably out here bleaching his skin.”
I sipped the special reserve that Liam made to commemorate his and Frankie’s nuptials and brought as a gift to celebrate mine. It was the only alcohol I had allowed past my lips tonight because I wanted these memories imprinted into my mind. More than this shot and I would be deboning this man like a flat pulled straight out the grease. Wouldn’t be nothing but a meat suit left behind if he kept bothering me.
Johnathan glanced around trying to find an ally because of the word I’d used but they all looked back at him unbothered. “You all would let him use that word? But get angry when white people do it. Typical Black hypocrisy.”
He spat out the word Black like it was an insult and every man in here was ready to end his life.
“This muthafucka really has a death wish.” Yacouba took a pull of his blunt to calm himself. They knew the kill was mine but Johnathan was adding more and more enemies with each breath.
I stood up, tired of him feeling as though he had the upper hand. Shoaib and Quentin were already behind him ready to put him out whenever I gave the word. I was several inches taller than him but didn’t underestimate his desire to be stupid.
“Zhat is what is so wrong wiz people like you. You only see what is presented to you and you do not take it as anyzing more. You never look beneaz the surface. I can say nigga, because I am one. That Nawlins born Black woman that birthed me ensured that I knew who the fuck I was.” My father’s gentle tone slipped out leaving behind my full southern accent. “Just cause you runnin’ round beggin’ folks to love you don’t mean I don’t know who and what the fuck I am. Ain’t shit hypocritical about me. I have the blood of kings and queens of two races, three continents and two ethnicities running through me. I’m Black: that’s my race because I would never let someone lump me in with white people. North America, Africa and Asia are my continents. Black American Creole and Persian are my ethnicities. If you need to delve deeper I’m African American, African, Persian, Haitian, Palestinian, Egyptian and French with a dab of English somewhere because you know rapey colonizers gonna be rapey colonizers. Now, with all that I am, one thing I’ll never be is somebody to fucking play with. So get the fuck outta my face before this nigga shows you why he’s that nigga.”
My devils had me standing toe to toe with this bitch and I mugged his ass, waiting on him to make a move.
He took two steps back and I thought he recognized that he’d fucked up. But I was wrong.
“I fucked her first. You’ll never be able to claim that.” I saw his eyes get wide as chairs scraped back but I held my hand out, hoping we wouldn’t have to clean up this man’s blood the night before my damn wedding.
I took a step forward, getting in his face and looking down on into it so he knew how serious I was. “For zhe way you speak about my bride I will have to do you even greater harm zhan I intended and your deaz was already going to be painful. Now it will need to be slow as well. But make no mistake, there is no longer a zhought of you in Vanya’s head zhat is not wrapped in disgust and regret. Her compliance was based on coercion because what seventeen-year-old girl marries her adoptive brozer if not zhrough force? In my eyes, you are nozing but a rapist. A man who should be put to deaz in the most painful of ways. Maybe I will have my maman commune wiz her ancestors. Put a charm on you so zhat your dik becomes as shriveled as your heart.” I reached over and yanked out a clump of hair from his head as he screamed in pain. He didn’t even try to fight back, just grabbed the side of his head as though I were killing him. “Is zhis activator?” I rubbed the strands in my hands and they were greasy as hell.
“Not this man running around with a Gina curl!” Yacouba’s unserious ass had us cracking up. I took out my handkerchief and wrapped his hair in it while also using it to wipe whatever product coated the strands off my fingers.
“You have been warned but you will continue to be stubborn enough to play wiz your life. Vhich is fine. It is only giving me more fuel to love my woman harder and to treat her better than she ever zhought possible. She was never meant to be your anyzing. You were a mistake she was forced into and one zhat she was strong enough to break away from. I am here to enjoy my night wiz my brozers. Go away while you still can.” I turned to sit back but he spoke up again.
“Vanya isn’t the type of girl that would be with a man like you.”
I turned, smiling slyly at him, because it was always a man with nothing who wanted to tear down another. “Oh really? How is zhe man you sent her on a date wiz? Talked to him lately? If I remember correctly, you tried to tell him zhat she would be up for anyzing . So insecure about her moving on zhat you would send someone who is clearly disturbed after her. Good zhings don’t happen to men like you.”
“What did you do to him?” He actually looked more concerned about the man I’d sent to hell than he had about his ex. Maybe Johnathan was a man who liked both.
“What would you have wanted him to do to Vanya? Since she’s no longer yours you feel as zhough it is alright for her to be taken advantage of? As zhough you didn’t do zhat enough? And what? You tink she’s going to run into your arms? Doesn’t zork zhat way. When she is in danger, she seeks safety, which she only finds in me and zhose around me. I would say you can’t compete where you don’t compare but zhat is far too simple of a statement. It would be like asking a singular atom to evolve into a genius. It would never happen. Quentin, Sho? Escort him out.”
“Tell me I can break something.” Shoaib remembered the way Vanya talked shit about their last encounter and I knew he wanted to redeem himself.
I held up the bloody plug of hair that I’d ripped out with a smile. “Not today. Maman wants to have fun.”
Sho grunted but relented as he and Quentin grabbed Jonathan up by his arms. He looked surprised, another reason I knew he would never learn from his mistakes. They’d already beat his ass once, but he somehow felt like history wouldn’t repeat itself. Those that fail to learn the lesson the first time…
It took a second for the fellas to sit back down. The unreleased anger at the disrespectful shit that was said about Vanya still keeping us all on high alert. I couldn’t blame them. I’d had an ever-increasing feeling of rage since I’d laid eyes on this man last summer and saw the way he spoke to Vanya.
“Auntie Babette ‘bout to put a root on him.” Midas sat back down and picked up the glass he’d been sipping on before we’d been interrupted. He leaned back with his ankle balanced on his knee looking like he was calm, but as his cousin I knew he wasn’t. He wanted to go after Jonathan and beat his ass.
“I zhink she likes him even less zhan me. You know how she feels about bullies.” I didn’t sit back down until I saw Quentin and Sho walk back into the lounge. From the way they were smiling, I was sure that they’d done something to him. I couldn’t be bothered enough to care. They knew to leave him alive so if they tortured him just slightly more before I got to kill him, it only added to what he deserved.
“Maybe she can make him act like his inner animal.” Ori’s deep ass voice spoke up from where he was sitting.
“Inner animal?”
“Yeah, a coon. Like every time someone calls his name, he… makes whatever noise a raccoon makes. Hol’ up, what noise does a raccoon make?” Ori paused like he was truly trying to remember if he’d ever heard a raccoon sound before.
Yacouba looked up from his phone with a strange look on his face. “It says raccoons make a chitter sound to communicate. Chitter even rhymes with nigger. I bet he be letting them folks call him that shit too. Probably the only way he can get his dick hard.” Yacouba almost made me choke with that supposition and I didn’t want to die before I had the chance to make Vanya my wife.
“Enough about him. I’m ready to relax.”
“When does everything start?” Priest was attempting to be the calm like he wasn’t on go like the rest of us when Jonathan was here.
“After the honeymoon. I want to enjoy spending time wiz my wife, celebrate our union and zhen end our enemies. For once, the old man outsmarted me because he knew zhe family wouldn’t be able to come because of mourning if he died beforehand. And our union would be looked down upon if we went ahead while zhe country mourned his deaz.”
“I’m shocked they’re coming at all.” Midas sneered at the thought of being in the same room as the other side of my family, as he always did.
“Gives zhem anozer connection to my fazer and his influence. Damn shame vhen a king needs zhe influence of a businessman to drum up good publicity.” They were the only wild card with tomorrow, but I had enough back up plans to ensure they stayed in line.
“When you’re a king set in his ways and refusing to actually do any of the good work you want credit for, it can go like that. But it’s no matter, all things end, especially the reigns of tyrants.” Midas held up his glass and the smile on everyone’s face signaled they agreed with his sentiment.
“I find so much of this to be prophetic.”
The tone of Priest’s voice gave me a chill and I was almost afraid to ask him to elaborate. His tone was serious and I prayed he was going to say something to ease my mind. “So much of what?”
“You and this woman. She’s your Esther.”
“I see Mir tucked Priest back into his cubby for the day. We about to get a word.” Ori was all smiles like he was truly wanting to be preached to in this lounge. Omega and Smoke had even tuned in from whatever brotherly business they were discussing to listen to us.
“I’m eager to hear what you have to say, Mir. For whatever limited time we have you with us.” Yacouba was joking around with this man like he was working with a full deck. This was the same man who delivered a death threat to his father/uncle from the pulpit. I was not about to play around with Mir and how powerful his words were.
“Y’all are all ridiculous but I’m serious. You are named after a great king. One who was born of a family that condoned polygamy but you and your father both abhor it.”
“Yeah… but zhat’s just common decency.” I was trying to understand where he was going with this.
“Your wife was taken in after being orphaned.” He looked at me with raised brows as though he were waiting on me to make the connection.
It clicked for me, and I shook my head at his parallel. “A situation I’m still researching but her adoptive fazer was no Mordecai.”
“Was Mordecai even as pious as we believe?” His brow rose and that shit had me sitting forward like this man had dirt on someone who lived way back in the 5 th century BC.
Ori chuckled and kept sipping from his glass. “Welcome back, Priest.”
“I digress. We have seen the sweet Esther. The one who stands up for those she loves. She for damn sure was going to help Frankie run away from this nigga last year.” He nodded his head toward Liam causing his diamond cross to throw rainbows in the dim light.
“Yoo ken she was more than ‘appy to t’reaten me in my own ‘ome. She’s got fire just beneath ‘er sweetness. She dinna flinch when my Frankie pulled the trigger.”
“So you have to decide if you’re going to have your sweet Esther or allow Amestris to come and play.”
“Isn’t zhat more for her to decide?” I thought back to the way she was helping Frankie beat that girl’s ass and had to smile.
“Your name sake did cheat on his wife and the result was her cutting off the breasts of his affair partner’s mother and feeding them to the dogs. I would say to tread carefully.” Priest gave his warning before he took a nip of the liquor Liam brought for us. That was probably what had his ass dropping prophecies.
“Since I have been faizful to her before our marriage, zhere is nozing zhat would tempt me from her after our vows are said tomorrow.” They didn’t need to know that Vanya and I had never slept together.
“No matter which version of her you pick, I know you’re going to do right by her. We toasted already, but I truly can’t wait to preside over this ceremony tomorrow. God has blessed you, Xerxes. Blessed us all even if we can’t see it yet.” His words were for Ori and he grunted his agreement. “Everything will be well. You’ve done your part, now it is time for Him to do His.”