Page 176 of Lau Ahi
“I wasn’t about to change my wedding date and shit it did his ass some good for it to be delayed. He got a fucking ring didn’t he?” When he crossed his arms indignantly I knew there wasn’t any use arguing with Couba. Especially not since everything worked out well for everybody.
“I don’t even know how to combat that.”
He playfully pushed me and; because of our equal size I didn’t move. “Cause you can’t. But we done talking about the past, how you gonna handle this nigga?” He nodded toward WJ and the look in his eyes meant Yacouba was plotting right along with Smoke.
“I can’t kill her brother. Would you be able to take out JJ?”
He didn’t hesitate despite how much I knew he loved his brother-in-law. “In a heartbeat if I thought his ass was on some fuck shit. Nothing comes before Jazzy baby and our son. She was born into that with them but shechosethis life with me. Eyes wide open without hesitation. If someone is causing trouble for her or Yasar, they gotta go.”
“I don’t really have the same foundation to stand on that y’all do.” Things had gotten better with us since we’d wrapped up the case but that didn’t mean they were perfect. I’d opened my heart to her, she’d been less guarded with me but it wasn’t on the level of Yacouba and his wife.
“You do your ass is just too afraid to reach out and accept it as fact.”
“You’re doing this romantic shit again.”
“I’m trying to put your ass up on game again. Y’all there, you both are too damn scared and scarred to realize it. But the time is going to come when it’s inevitable for you both to accept it. Faith coming back when she did and this chance coming at the same time isn’t a coincidence. It’s alignment. So stop tryingto fuck up what the stars have in store for you and accept the blessing. The life we live isn’t guaranteed so hold on to every good thing you can with both hands as long as you can.”
The festivities were in full swing and I was thankful that this weekend was finally here. Despite not saying who I was marrying to anyone, Cochran didn’t seem surprised to see that Asha was my bride. She’d been vetted enough to come to something like this and additionally needed to continue to be a good person on the inside.
Asha was dressed in the traditionalHabesha Kemisbut it had a slightly modern twist to it. The material was the same soft cotton and was in a stark white to show she was the bride. The embroidery at the hem was intricate and when I looked at it for the first time I had to wonder if she’d chosen to work the myriad of colors on her own or if it was Jada’s doing. The thick border of embroidery on her dress was set against an orangey-red that had deep gold embroidery throughout the length of the fabric. The neckline of the dress was off her shoulders displaying hints of her full breasts and her collarbones that had held me enraptured.
Who knew collarbones were so… stimulating?
The material gathered at her waist similarly to a wedding dress and there was traditional more colorful embroidery throughout the skirt and bodice. I had to wonder if this was ahint at what she would wear for the formal ceremony tomorrow or if it were the complete opposite. Knowing Asha, she was going to be as contrarian as possible with her wedding dress.
And I found myself looking forward to it.
I watched as she and her sister danced the traditional Habesha shoulder dance, which looked ridiculous when any of the other guests attempted to mimic them. Taking my eyes off them wasn’t something I wanted to do especially with the way Asha was moving her body. She looked free. Like the girl she would’ve been without the weight of her mother’s bullshit and her father’s wealth complicating her life.
Semira in the purest of all forms.
“God has blessed me with eyes to esee.”
I turned to listen to the heavily accented words of Xerxes’ uncle who had been newly crowned king after the death of his father, several of his brothers and all of his nephews in line for the throne ahead of him. I wouldn’t call that shit untimely because those fuckers deserved to die a long time ago based on what they’d done to Xerxes’ mother. And the current king was one who understood diplomacy and working for his people instead of thinking they were simply chattel to be used at his whim like his father had.
When I looked at him he was standing in a cream-colored suit with a linen wrap on his head. One thing I could say about the current king of Persia: he was far more humble and faithful than his father. He practiced his faith and in certain formal occasions covered his hair out of respect.
“Afshin, has someone caught your eye?” It was clear his words were the humble way he expressed his interest and I found that even that was respectful as hell.
He blinked as though it took him a minute to remember that he was alive. When he nodded slowly, the woven linen wrap that covered his head shifted as some of his curly hair peekedthrough from underneath. When he didn’t rush to cover it I could tell he was completely enthralled.
“I do not believe I’ve ever eseen a woman so beautiful in all my life.”
I studied him before glancing around the room with Xerxes and Yacouba trying to see who he was looking at.
“Where is she? We know everyone here. It’ll only be a problem if you’re talking about one of the women who are already taken.” Yacouba’s in love ass was now vested since I was the last of us besides Jem to get married. I was sure he would be eyeing somebody for her soon enough. Being in love had turned him into a romantic and he had no issue playing matchmaker, judging by the conversation we’d had at my bachelor party.
Wild times.
Of course getting married this year had been nowhere on my bingo card so who was I to judge his change in behavior? My getting married was the antithesis to my personality but I was ready to speak vows and join my life with this fiery woman dancing with her twin and making me feel in ways I didn’t want to.
I’m fucked.
“She is standing near your wife, Xerxes.” Afshin drew me out of the thoughts when he mentioned the positioning of the woman he was enthralled with. Because he couldn’t mean—
“Oh, boy.”
Yacouba scratched the back of his head and glanced at me ready to jump in between the two of us. We were all in suits, as Jada had planned a formal rehearsal dinner for tonight.The Warrenin Middleburg was the only five-star hotel in the DC area, and true to every other Warren property it was nothing short of perfect. Midas had tried to gift us the rental fee as a wedding present but I told his cheap ass he was going to have to give us an actual gift. We’d rented out the entire space,which comprised a large boutique hotel connected to a sprawling Georgian mansion. It had formal English gardens, a touch that I appreciated for my bride since we weren’t getting married in either of her home countries. I had her horse brought up so that she could ride him to relax and I knew she’d been on the trails part of the morning according to one of Alec’s men. The rest of the day was spent with her bridal party at the on-site spa. I glanced up and noticed who was standing next to Vanya and my brows furrowed.
