I curse myself for not being more diligent. I had combed through the cottage myself with security over a dozen times to ensure our home was safe for Zahra. And still I missed these cameras.
Azula smirks at me. “I’ll take your non-response as an indication you didn’t know she had hacked into the security system? I wouldn’t take it personally. Knowing her, she probably installed additional firewalls afterward to ensure no one else could hack in.”
Grabbing my laptop, I shove it into Connor’s chest. “Load the security footage of the room now.”
He fiddles with my computer for a few seconds, remotely connecting to all the cameras in the house and pulling up the footage of the meeting room.
Turning the volume up so everyone else in the room can hear, I take a seat at my desk.
“I appreciate your flexibility in meeting me in my home.”Zahra’ssoothing voice flows through the speakers.
“How could I turn down such hospitality?”Aleksander gives her a flirty smile as he takes in the plate in front of him.“What’s for lunch?”
“One of my favorites, Kalam Polow. It’s an Iranian dish. Rice, cabbage, spices, and mini meatballs.”Zahra settles in her chair, reaching for her cutlery.
Aleksander watches Zahra as she takes the first bite and swallows.
“No poison. I promise.”Zahra’s tone is light, and shegestures for him to join her, which he does enthusiastically, chuckling to himself at Zahra’s brashness.
My fists tighten around the arms of the desk chair, causing it to groan.
“Relax, man.” Aiden's tone is teasing as he shakes his head. “He’s nothing to warrant that reaction yet.”
“He’s alone in a room with my wife and is flirting with her,” I grumble.
“He’s said all of like, five words to her,” Aiden presses me, like when we were both kids and he had to be right.
“Well, he’s spoken to them flirtatiously, and that pisses me off,” I snap.
“Jesus. You two are a bunch of toddlers. And it looks like they’re about to start talking again, so maybe you can table the bickering for now, so we can actually listen in?” Azula rolls her eyes as she focuses her attention back on her phone.
“I have to admit that I was a bit surprised you reached out to my staff to request a private meeting. Especially given our families have never been allied before.”Zahra cuts straight to the point.
“Well, I was quite enamored by you at the charity banquet. I’ve met a lot of lethal and imposing men in my life, and yet none of them made as strong an impression on me as you did that night.”Aleksander rolls his sleeves up to his elbows as he leans in closer. Given the camera angle, I couldn’t say for certain, but I wouldn't be surprised if his eyes quickly trailed down Zahra’s body, checking out her figure.
The chair underneath me groans again.
“I appreciate that. With my father’s legacy, I knew I had a lot to live up to, and that the current Dons have their apprehensions about me?—”
“They can shove their apprehensions up their ass. None of them have the balls you do. Metaphorically speaking.”He smirks, layingdown the charm. Zahra, to no one’s surprise, doesn’t move a muscle.
“I can’t say I disagree with you. Which is why I’ll cut straight to it. What makes you think you have information that I would care about?”Whatever game Aleksander is playing, Zahra is clearly ten steps ahead of him, not revealing the fact that we have been spinning our wheels trying to find out who is behind the various attempts on her life.
“Between the near-fatal poisoning of the shooter at your banquet and the rat at one of your warehouses, I’m sure you’ve pieced together that this is much bigger than a few disgruntled voices. Someone really wants you dead. No matter the cost.”How the hell didAleksander know about the warehouse attack? If I was in the room with him, I’d immediately demand he tell me everything he knows.
Zahra, however, keeps her calm.“I handled the banquet shooter with ease. Everything else is just a rumor. An attempt to tarnish my name and make me seem weak.”
My heart twinges as I think back to our recent conversations. If only she could see herself how everyone else does.
“On the contrary. I think it shows what a threat you really are. Everyone sees it. Which is why they’re so hellbent on killing you,”Aleksander counters.
Zahra remains silent.
“Would you feel more enticed by what I have to offer if I talk more about the vulture tattoo? I’ve heard all your failed assassins carried that mark.”
I watch as Zahra toys with the cuffs of her blazer under the table. One of her subtle tells is that she’s nervous and trying to calculate her next move. She clicks her tongue.“Is that what you’ve heard?”
“Yes. Along with the fact that you can’t seem to tie it to anyone who could be a potential threat. You’ve scrubbed every securitysystem you could hack into—which I have no doubt is vast—and yet you’ve come out dry. If anyone would have been able to put the puzzle pieces together at this point, it would have been you.”Aleksander’s tone is a mix of matter-of-fact and the subtle hint of being impressed.
