Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 120336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 602(@200wpm)___ 481(@250wpm)___ 401(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 602(@200wpm)___ 481(@250wpm)___ 401(@300wpm)
They nodded, though I could see the reluctance in their eyes.
Jo hesitated for a moment, her hand lingering on my arm before she gave me one last look that said, we’re in this together.
I blinked. “We’ll. . .see her tomorrow.”
As they shuffled off toward their beds, I stood there for a moment, watching them go.
The tension of the night pressed down on me, but for the first time since Moni had been taken, I felt something I hadn’t allowed myself to feel in hours.
Hope.
She was surviving.
If she could survive, so could I.
I exhaled slowly, rubbing the back of my neck.
Tomorrow was a new day.
It would bring a new battle—one I intended to win.
My father had no idea what was coming for him.
Weeks earlier I secretly thought I might hesitate for a few seconds with killing my father.
Now. . .
Instantly, the image came to me as if it had been waiting all along, lurking in the corners of my mind.
The sword, Soaring Precious.
Sleek.
Polished.
Deadly.
In my mind, I stood over my father with the cold steel of the sword resting against his throat.
His eyes—those chilling, dark eyes—stared up at me, filled with that smug, condescending look he always wore.
But this time, he wouldn’t be in control.
This time, I held all the power.
He wouldn’t flinch.
Of course, he wouldn’t.
My father would die the same way he lived—arrogant, unrepentant, and cruel.
In the end, it didn’t matter to me how he died, just as long as he did.
I imagined driving the sword through his chest, feeling the resistance of bone and muscle before the blade sank deep into his heart.
I could see the blood pouring from the wound, hot and dark, soaking into the ground beneath him.
And I saw how his eyes widened and the smugness fading into nothingness.
I was going to kill him.
I wouldn’t hesitate.
This wasn’t just about revenge. It was justice—justice for everything he’d taken, for everything he’d twisted and broken in his endless quest for legacy.
Because tomorrow, I would fight like hell for the new family I’d just found—and the woman I would never let go of again.
When it was over, we all would finally be free.
Chapter thirteen
His Little Monster
Moni
We sat in the cabin that was located next to the target area.
It was small and cozy, made of sturdy logs with a sloping roof. The walls were adorned with antlers and other hunting trophies, giving the space a rustic feel.
The cabin had a distinct woodsy scent, a mixture of pine and cedar mingling with the rising smoke from the fireplace.
On the outside of the cabin, Leo’s men were busy.
I didn’t quite know what they were doing exactly, but my brain analyzed the sounds—wet slicing, the thud of bodies being dragged away maybe, someone retching while another laughed in spoke in Chinese.
All of it made my skin crawl. Whatever they were doing out there, it was more than just a cleanup.
At least I got to talk to my sisters and Lei.
I set the phone down and a strange sense of peace settled over me, warm and fleeting like the first rays of morning sun filtering through dark storm clouds.
Lei was taking care of my sisters. He’d let the Rowe Street Mob into the Palace without hesitation even giving Banks a room right next to theirs.
I smiled to myself.
Lei was being everything I needed him to be right now—a protector, a lover, a partner. And in that moment, I loved him even more than I thought was possible.
But then, the happiness curled tightly in my chest, cramped by sadness.
God. . .he sounded so worried.
I missed them all already—Lei’s loving arms, TT’s giggles, Chloe’s bold diva antics, Jo’s quiet strength.
I needed that. . .
Because, even from so many miles away, they grounded me, reminded me of who I was. Without them, it felt like I was floating just above reality, untethered and out of place.
And Lei. . .God, I missed him most of all.
The way his presence filled a room, steady and strong, like a fortress built just for me. The way he looked at me as if I were his only reason for breathing.
Sighing, I sipped the tea Song had placed in front of me earlier.
The warm liquid bloomed across my tongue and slid down my throat. It was a delicate flavor.
What is this? Jasmine, maybe.
Leo sat across from me, watching with a patience that felt more like a predator biding its time. His dark eyes were heavy-lidded, unwavering, the corner of his mouth tilted just enough to be smug but not quite a smile.
He was waiting.
What will his ass want me to do now?
I lifted the teacup to my lips again, relishing in the heat from the cup settling against my palms.
More of that bitter-sweet tea spread across my tongue.
It was good but even the tea couldn’t wash away the images burned into my mind.
The bodies.