Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 90852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 454(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 454(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
Duck came closer and whispered, “Will we really let Uncle Leo out the gate?”
“All I care about is Moni being several feet away from him.”
Chen nodded.
“Now. . .if we can get my father after Moni is safe, do it.” I stiffened. “But right now, all I care about is getting Moni back to me.”
Chapter thirteen
Trust
Lei
I sat rigid in the passenger seat, every muscle tensed as we sped through the streets that bled into one another with a blur of endless blue.
The houses, washed in various shades from sky to navy, lined our route like a surreal river of stillness in contrast to the pandemonium unfolding within me. People dressed in cerulean, teal, and azure moved along the sidewalks.
My driver maneuvered the SUV with controlled urgency.
I kept my voice steady. “Do. Not. Lose them.”
“Understood, Mountain Master.”
I checked the rearview mirror.
A long line of blue cars trailed behind us.
Chen, Hu, and Duck sat in the back. Despite their neutral expressions, the car thrummed with a tense energy.
Chen had just got off the phone with the security at the East’s Main Gate. For now it was closed, they would not open it until Moni was out of the car and with me.
I turned back to face the front.
Ahead, the car carrying Moni, my father, Uncle Song, and several of their loyal men moved through the streets with a deceptive calm. My gaze was locked on it, trying to catch a glimpse through the windows, hoping to see that Moni was still alright.
Goddamn it. Nothing can go wrong.
I could see that somewhat. It looked like she was talking to my father, but I wasn’t sure. Every time the sunlight glinted off the glass, obscuring my view, a spike of fear stabbed through me.
What if my father decides to not honor our agreement?
The possibility was a living thing in my heart, whispering doubts and feeding my mind with paranoia.
If he takes her out of the East, then I race out too. I will not sleep until she is back with me.
Anxious fear squeezed around my chest so tight I found it hard to breathe.
I feared not just for Moni’s physical safety but for what my father could be whispering into her ear this very moment.
His manipulations were masterful, his intentions always shrouded in layers of deceit.
Fuck. Once I get her back, I’m surrounding her with at least thirty men. And she can never leave the palace.
The tension in my body was a coil wound tight, ready to snap.
“Lei,” Chen finally broke the silence. “It will be okay.”
“It better be.”
Hu spoke, “Once Monique is out of the car, are we going to make a move to capture Uncle Leo?”
I gritted my teeth. “100%.”
Chen sighed. “I think that would be unwise.”
I snapped my view to him. “He put a fucking blade next to her throat—”
“You need to trust that your father will honor the deal. He has more to lose if he doesn’t.”
I scoffed. “You think he cares about losing? The man has lost his soul, Chen. What’s a little betrayal on his part if it gets him what he wants?”
“It’s not about what he cares about losing, it’s about what he gains by keeping his word. He knows the stakes, Lei. And so does Monique.”
I scowled. “Moni is smart, but she doesn’t understand our ways, Chen. She doesn’t know the East like we do, or my father’s capacity for cruelty.”
“That may be true, but maybe that’s exactly why her plan will work.”
“How?”
“She sees things we can’t, because we’re too caught up in our own fears of Uncle Leo and the East’s traditions.”
I wanted to argue, to tell him that our fears were rooted in bloody truths, not mere shadows on the wall.
But his next words cut me off.
“Think about it, Lei. She stepped up today with a blade at her throat. She took control in a way that many seasoned leaders in the East might hesitate to. They’re all terrified of Uncle Leo and even you. Meanwhile, she made you both easily compromise.”
Duck nodded. “That’s not just courage; that’s a Mountain Mistress in the making.”
Chen shrugged. “I must agree with my brother. She’s not just living in the shadows of our customs but weaving her own legacy into them. Let’s trust her on this.”
His words hung heavy between us.
My heart ached.
Of course I knew that Moni had indeed stood her ground and forced both my father and me to come to some agreement when it all could have been a battle of blood right at my childhood home.
But. . .was love erratic?
Did it make one think in stupid ways?
Was it capable of turning even the most sensible person into a nonsensical fool?
Because right now all I wanted was her to be safe in my arms.
I didn’t care about how courageous she’d been or how much she proved to be a true leader in that moment.