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)
I shifted my weight to my other foot. “It doesn’t matter.”
“You know what?”
“What, Einstein?”
“Sometimes, I put dirt on my face just so you would do that again the next time. Just so I would have that mothering moment with you. I just didn’t know that’s what I was doing.”
My eyes watered.
I frowned at him. “Stop it.”
“That’s why I care about you so much.” He gazed down at the books. “That’s why I’ll bother Lei, hassle him, test him—because I need to know he’ll never hurt you, never disrespect you. Never treat you so bad that you lose that mothering spirit.”
I didn’t know what to say.
“I need to know that he’s worthy of you. And I won’t stop until he proves it to me. Until he puts a ring on your finger and marries you.”
To my surprise, my voice trembled. “You don’t have to do that.”
“You’ve been everyone’s protector, everyone’s caretaker. But who’s been taking care of you?”
“Lei is and all of you.” I cleared my throat. “But. . .let’s get back to the fact that you still need to respect Lei.”
“Do I?”
“Yes. Whenever you all brought females around, I may not have been the friendliest—”
“You glared at them.”
“I was respectful.”
He grinned. “Everyone knows not to bring a woman around Jo and you unless we are super serious about them.”
“We’re cool with the chicks—”
“You both size them up and frankly scare them.”
I widened my eyes. “For real?”
“Yes, Moni.”
“Well. . .be nice to Lei.”
He chuckled.
Smiling, I sighed and considered what he’d said earlier. “So. . .why did you make the whole distinction of who was asking you the question—the Mountain Mistress or Moni?”
“Your being Mountain Mistress means that Rowe Street Mob may have a strong chess piece in the East.”
“I am no one’s chess piece, Einstein.”
“You’ve put yourself in a position that I cannot ignore.”
“But you will ignore it because we’re family.”
“If we are truly family, then your being in this position should also benefit the family.” He tilted his head to the side. “Do you understand me?”
“You want me to have Four Aces do things that benefit Rowe Street Mob? Is that what you’re asking?”
“Isn’t that what family would do?”
“I’m the Mountain Mistress of the East, not the South.”
“You don’t even know the East, but you do know the South. You grew up there. Surely, you have considered it home.”
“But the South didn’t put me in a position of power. In fact, I never knew you all ran the South. Meanwhile, the East didn’t hesitate.”
He frowned. “So, your loyalty is with the East?”
“When it comes to Diamond Syndicate business, yes. But when it comes to family, then I will always have everyone’s back.”
“Everyone?”
“Lei, Banks, my sisters, you, and everyone else.”
He stopped leaning on the bookshelf and walked over to me. “Perhaps, I should be clearer.”
“You should.”
He stopped in front of me. “I want favors from you. Mountain Mistress favors.”
“Einstein, that’s not happening.”
“Just two or three favors for your first year as Mountain Mistress. Just to put Rowe Street Mob in a higher position in the Diamond Syndicate.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “You’re asking me to get Lei to play favorites, Einstein.”
“You’re asking me to play favorites too, by not bothering Lei.”
I shook my head. “Bullshit.”
He eyed me.
“How about this? Forget about the favors and let me be clear with you.”
He stopped smiling.
“If you get Marcelo or Banks to do another power play against Lei for a bullshit reason, then I’m coming for you, not them.”
Einstein showed no emotion on his face. “Banks told me that Leo chose you for Lei. Apparently, it was a big well thought-out plot.”
“He did choose me.”
“I always respected Leo’s way of thinking. Always many, many steps ahead.” And just like that, Einstein left me, went over to another bookshelf, and began perusing the titles. “Even now. . .his placing you in this position was very smart. His doing so. . .changed some initial plans we had for the East.”
“What plans?”
He picked up a book. “No need to discuss them now that you’re in the East.”
“Why not?”
“Because with you here, we would have to keep the East safe.”
I blinked. “You all planned on going to war with the East?”
“Atlas Shrugged.”
“What?
He turned around and held this new book in his hand. “I would like to borrow Atlas Shrugged too.” He gestured to it in his hand.
“You can take the book, but you should also take my advice.”
He quirked his brows.
“The smartest move that all of you could make is focusing on unity with the Diamond Syndicate, not looking outside of it.”
“But unity is not always good for money.” Einstein held onto his new books. “Well. . .I should go and give you two some privacy.”
I quirked my brows. “You two?”
He walked off and when I turned, I spotted Lei standing in the doorway with a furious expression on his face.