Page 117 of Shâhzâdeh

“Bruh, had my wife working her fingers to the bone for the jewelry he’s gifting Vanya at the wedding. Had to pick that shit up and drop it off at the vault in my hotel.” Midas was doing all this complaining but he hadn’t had to handcraft a damn thing. Nev had been working on Vanya’s jewelry for a minute, and when they met she was even more excited to have her as a cousin-in-law.

“How much is it?”

“Seein’ as ‘ow ‘e gave Francesca a gold and diamond bracelet that e’en made me look twice fo’ our weddin’, I cannae imagine Vanya willnae ‘ave an entire suite of jewels tomorrow.” Liam was waiting like a gossiping old lady for Midas to fill him in.

I scoffed but closed my eyes because they should know by now I did nothing half-assed. “It’s tradition.”

“Cuz, you trying to have her out here with a fleet of haters. And since I know who all gone be there tomorrow I can’t even be mad about it.” Midas was laughing, but he wasn’t wrong. I wanted everyone who laid eyes on my woman to understand that she was loved and treasured beyond anything money could buy. But I would blow my money on her no matter what.

“Damn, we doing it like that, Xerx?”

I opened one eye and frowned at Yacouba. He was clearly waiting on me to say something judging by the smirk on his face. Everyone had come dressed in all black, an edict I hadn’t handed out but they’d somehow just done. The only thing not black on Couba were the flawless white diamonds in his fangs and the matching Cuban Link bracelet and chain. “I guess y’all don’t want zhe shit I got your ungrateful asses zhen?”

“Nobody said all that. Just like I told Priest when he had his shit last summer, all y’all got to do is come together with the themes and we got the rest. See how that worked out? All Xerx had to do was make the special brocade thing we wearing tomorrow. Saved all kinds of money.” Yacouba was singing my praises, but little did he know he’d touched on something I knew Midas was gone latch on to.

My second eye opened again because now he was playing in my face. “You know thosebrocade thingsare made with 24kt gold zhread, right?”

“Course hisBlersianass trying to show us up.I got my brizal party in gold zhread and shit.” His deep ass voice sounded ridiculous trying to mimic my accent. Yacouba chuckled, paused and I could feel him look at me. “How you get that done so damn fast?”

And there it was.

“He didn’t. It took like six months.”

I opened my eyes to glare at Midas as he continued to spill my business and all he did was laugh like he knew he was working my fucking nerves. He wasn’t about to let up, so instead of getting upset, I closed my eyes and let the needle be my peace, since he was intent on being the embarrassing older cousin. I wasn’t going to mess up my tranquility with their foolishness.

Without seeing his face, I could hear the confusion in Yacouba’s voice. “Six months? Y’all ain’t—”

“I had zhem designed zhe minute I stepped foot in Tehran after I saw her at Liam and Francesca’s wedding.” I had no guilt about the surety that I felt about marrying Vanya. I’d had my wedding clothes custom made and ensured they fit on every visit. The tailors had been sworn to secrecy and not a word had slipped. I picked everything up on my last trip because I had a gut feeling I would need them soon. And I was right.

“You really weren’t playing about getting your girl.”

I tilted my head toward where Jahmir sat without bothering to open my eyes. “Were you about yourDove?”

“No.” I could hear the joy in his voice as he answered me and it caused me to grin.

“At least it didn’t take him two years like you, P.”

“Everyone can’t kidnap their wives behind her last man, Cou.” Jahmir shot back at his big ass with ease.

I grinned hearing the banter around them and even Elijah’s ass was laughing. He’d been around long enough to see all our madness unfold and for us to see some of his. Most of his family worked with us in some capacity. One brother was our weed and edibles connect, another legal council and yet another worked with Dom. The only brother who wasn’t on our payroll was because he owned a towing business that was only local to Georgia. Kyan’s ass was also too much of a loose cannon, which was a lot to say with the folks that we had around us.

“Don’t be mad because I’m God’s favorite. You might be His mouthpiece and all, but it’s clear I had the easiest way of all this than y’all. And I have no issue with rubbing it in.” The grin in his voice was annoying so I knew seeing it on his face was irritating everybody. “If we’re dong arguing about all of this, we’ve still got at least two more of these to go through. I need to research Polynesian cultures to make sure we not about to step on Ori’s toes. Say, O, are we gone be walking around with grass skirts on and shit? Not like we wouldn’t, but I ain’t trying to have your girl eyeing the wedding party lustfully.”

Yacouba’s ass was poking the bear but thankfully he was keeping it light. For now. I knew they were trying to keep the talk of his wedding low because of the situation and because he didn’t want to overshadow mine. He should’ve known I wouldn’t care, but I needed him calm.

“We’re having a wedding not performing a ritual. You watch too much TV.” Ori always sounded like he was talking out his damn chest, which made it hard to understand his ass. Especially when he got to mumbling.

“Is she here?” That was the only question I had because even given her new status we hadn’t laid eyes on her yet. He grunted slightly before he responded to me.

“Yeah.”

I opened my eyes again at the gruff way he said that. “O, I understand zhat romance may not be zhe way you want to head into zhis wiz her, but maybe try not to scare zhe girl.”

“‘E likes the lass.”

All heads turned to Liam and I saw the smile on his and Bhaltair’s face.

“What makes you think that?” Smoke had his head tilted studying Ori’s face like it would show some type of tell he hadn’t picked up on. He, Omega, Sho and Quentin had been rotating in and out of the gathering despite me telling their asses to relax. If this building wasn’t secure then we were all fucked. They all ignored my ass and kept vigil.

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