Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 124836 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 624(@200wpm)___ 499(@250wpm)___ 416(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 124836 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 624(@200wpm)___ 499(@250wpm)___ 416(@300wpm)
He did know me.
And in these past days, he had clearly been paying attention.
He saw me in ways no one else ever had. And in that moment, I realized just how much I loved this man.
How deep our connection ran.
"Alright.” I watched his men race up the stairs. “So. . .”
But before I could say another word, Lei’s gaze shifted over my shoulder and the warmth in his eyes vanished, replaced by something cold.
Dangerous.
I followed his line of sight and saw them—the men standing by the front door.
Dressed in blue monk robes, they had their heads bowed slightly as if they didn’t want Lei to recognize them.
Uncle Song’s men.
Then, Lei slowly lifted his view to up the stairs and it all came together in his head. “Goddamn it.”
“I-I will deal with him, Lei.”
He moved fast around me, I didn’t know how I did it but I got in front of him, blocking his way to the stairs.
“Wait.”
He gazed down at me. “My father is up there with your sister?”
“Y-yes.”
His jaw clenched so tight I could hear the grind of his teeth. “How did you know that?”
“When the fireworks happened, I glanced over my shoulder and saw him in the window eating food with your uncle and my sister.”
“Eating food?”
“Yeah. They both had plates.”
“So, they’ve probably been up there with TT for a while?”
“Maybe.”
“That’s not fucking good.”
“I know, but. . .” I placed my hands on his chest, desperate to make him understand. “I’m going up there now to get her, but I need you to stay down here. If you go up there like this—”
“I’m going up—”
“You can’t. You’re not in the right state of mind. You’ve been drinking—”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re not, Lei. If you see him, things are going to escalate. You’re high, you’re drunk, and Leo is—”
“My father is what?”
“He’s sober—”
“I doubt it.”
“Still, I can talk to him. I can get TT away from him without this turning into a fight.”
Lei fisted his hands at this side. “That’s dangerous thinking, Moni. No one can talk my father into anything. He does what he wants when he wants. He’s not going to let you walk up there and take TT without a game plan in place. You don’t know him like I do.”
“But I—”
“No.” Lei’s voice was final, a low rumble of warning. “You don’t know him. You think you can reason with my father, but you can’t. No one can. And if you go up there alone, I won’t be there to stop him from taking you away.”
“Why would he take me away tonight?”
“The bigger question is why is he here now?”
“Maybe, he wanted to celebrate with everyone—”
“There’s a plan. Do you understand me?”
My bottom lip quivered. “Y-yes.”
“You don’t go up there by yourself. No matter what you say, I’m not letting that happen.”
“But—”
“We’re in this together.”
Pressure built in my chest.
“I can’t lose you, Moni. I can’t fucking see you hurt or. . .bothered or fucked with in any way and my father plans to fuck with us tonight. Do you understand that?”
My heart ached.
I swallowed hard. “Yes.”
“He didn’t come here for the fucking ribs or Chef Foo’s cooking. He has a plan and he’s about to execute it.”
“Fuck.”
“Fuck is right.” Lei glanced up at the stairs.
One would have thought that his men would have least yelled down that everything was fine, which told me all I needed to know.
Leo probably had them or there were more of his people up there stopping them.
And more important what was going on with TT?
In the window, she seemed to be having a good time with Leo and Uncle Song. I hoped that remained and she had no idea what the fuck was happening around her.
Lei let out a long breath. “We go up together and deal with this bullshit.”
“Should we get Chen or Duck?”
“Duck saw us run in. I told him to get people together. He’ll have the house covered making sure no one leaves.” Lei sneered. “I didn’t even know what was going on I just saw the fear in your eyes and knew there was threat.”
"H-hopefully, he doesn’t harm her or—”
“He won’t hurt her.”
Unfortunately, those words didn’t ease the tension in my shoulders.
“But you have to be prepared that we are about to walk in to bullshit.” He checked the right.
More of Lei’s men entered, telling me that Duck had probably sent them in there.
“Okay.” I steadied my breaths. “Let’s go.”
As I turned, I could see the stairs looming before us.
Tonight, it would be a dark and daunting climb with unknown dangers waiting at the top.
Lei's determined expression and the tense set of his jaw mirrored my own fears and hesitation.
Goddamn it, Leo. I just needed tonight to not have your craziness.
My mind shifted to a whirlwind of fear.
Lei grabbed my hand and squeezed. “It will be fine. We just need to get TT away from him, so he doesn’t use her in whatever he’s about to do.”