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)
I blinked. “Yes. . .I’m. . .fine.”
“Good. Let’s go.” Song returned to walking.
I did the same.
Leo chuckled and put the finger in his pants pocket. “This is Yan’s finger.”
I put my view forward. “O-kay.”
“I didn’t realize I left that in the jacket.”
Well. . .that’s one way to respond to this situation. . .
My entire body went numb with terror, and my brain was unable to process the fact that I had just pulled out his dead daughter’s finger from his jacket pocket.
Leo let out a long breath. “I kept it.”
Clearly.
I shivered.
He continued in a casual, conversational tone. “I see it as a sort of. . .memento of her, you understand.”
No. I don’t understand.
He chuckled to himself. “Song thought I should just keep the ring, instead of the finger. But. . .the finger is hers. The ring is just jewelry. Keeping her actual flesh and bone. . .well. . .this way, a part of her is with me until I die. It’s dark, yet poetic.”
Again. . .that’s one way to look at it.
I didn’t know what fucked me up more, the fact that he had the finger and I touched it, or that he explained it so simply, so easily, like it was the most normal thing in the world.
I couldn’t breathe.
The world around me seemed to tilt.
I couldn’t tell you how I was able to keep pushing forward. Perhaps, it was fear that motivated my legs to move.
“I’m sure you understand, Monique.”
I opened my mouth but the words caught in my throat.
“You would do the same, wouldn’t you? For someone you loved that deeply?”
“I. . .” I blinked.
Song glanced over his shoulder.
I swallowed. “I would have just kept the ring.”
Leo laughed.
Chuckling, Song put his view back in front of him.
“Don’t worry, Monique. After my teachings, you just might start carrying fingers around.”
What? Teachings? Naw, man. I don’t need you to teach me about human fingers.
Still, those words swirled around me like an icy wind, chilling and disconcerting.
More thunder rumbled in the sky.
Leo picked up his pace, I had no choice but to follow, my legs burning as we hurried along.
The Palace was getting closer and closer.
Soon we approached the Palace’s service entrance, I could feel the shift in the air.
There, Bolin stood with several men and nodded at us. “Good evening, Grand Master.”
“Thank you for all of your help tonight, Bolin.”
Traitor.
Bolin did a dramatic bow. “Anything for you, Uncle Leo.”
My throat went dry.
I doubted Lei knew that Bolin had been helping his father all along.
My baby is going to have to clean up around here. I get that Bolin loves Leo but this is disloyal.
Bolin put his view on me and nodded. “Good evening, Mountain Mistress.”
Remaining silent, I scowled at Bolin.
Fuck you, dude. If you hadn’t helped, I could have been still at the cook-out and then getting dicked down later in my bedroom.
I turned away from him, refusing to give the traitor any more attention.
Leo caught that and smiled.
We rounded the corner and headed toward the back where the helipad was located.
Leo didn’t break stride. “You don’t like Bolin?”
I gazed over my shoulder.
Frowning, Bolin remained at the entrance with the Palace guards watching us walk off.
I rolled my eyes and put my view in front. “He is supposed to be loyal to Lei, not you.”
“This is true.”
“It’s not right.”
“He picked a side and it was mine.”
“I get it but you’re not the current Mountain Master.”
“Exactly.” Leo winked. “So what are you going to do about that later this week?”
“What do you mean?”
“Once I’m gone, how will you deal with Bolin?”
I touched my chest. “Me?”
“Yes, you. Lei isn’t stupid. He knows that it is a good possibility that Bolin is one of the people who have been helping me. However, Bolin is his cousin, he won’t make a move against him.” Leo pointed to me. “So what are you going to do about it?”
“I don’t know.”
“You’ll know after my lessons.”
I felt the pit of my stomach drop at his words.
What exactly did Leo mean by his lessons?
The word itself felt heavy, as if it carried the weight of something dark and twisted. My mind spun with possibilities, none of them good, each more terrifying than the last. I thought back to the mangled finger in his pocket and knew that whatever he planned to teach me. . .it would change me forever.
I just hoped it wouldn’t leave scars within my heart or soul.
The helipad came into view and parked neatly on it were the Four Aces’ helicopters. They were all sleek blue machines gleaming under the moonlight.
The rotors were still but the door was open on one of the helicopters.
We headed right to that one.
Song motioned to their men.
One of them jumped into the cockpit and began flicking on the lights.
Immediately, the helicopter's rotors started turning, slowly at first but building momentum with each passing second.