Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 108768 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 544(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108768 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 544(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
The shock of his sudden appearance snapped us both back to reality.
Still, Duck and I attempted a few more flurried movements, a couple of near-misses, and then. . .silence, stumbling, and sweating as we both retreated.
Chen got to Hu’s side. “No. More.”
They stood there, panting heavily with their eyes darting back and forth between us.
Chen patted down the collar of his jacket. “This has gone on long enough.”
Despite the rage still simmering within, I stepped back some more.
Duck, too, seemed to regain his senses, his eyes losing their fiery defiance.
I assessed him. A purplish bruise was forming around his left eye, which had swollen nearly shut. A thin trail of blood leaked from a cut on his split lip, dripping down his chin and onto his chest.
His hair was disheveled, and patches of dirt and sweat painted his face in a cruel mosaic of battle scars.
I instinctively brought a hand to my face, feeling the tender spots. My jaw throbbed in rhythm with my heartbeat, and I could taste the metallic tang of blood in my mouth.
A slight cut on my forehead stung as sweat trickled into it.
Although not as battered as Duck, I was sure I appeared badly beaten.
The tension of the fight gradually eased, replaced by the heavy silence of regret and confusion.
Chen remained between us. “We are family.”
I glared at Duck.
Chen got in my view. “What is this really about?”
I pointed to Duck. “Ask him.”
Chen turned his way. “Go ahead.”
Duck spat out blood onto the ground and then scowled at me. “It’s not right.”
“What’s not right?” Anger flared in me again. But it wasn’t the hot, impulsive anger from before. This was a colder, deeper anger.
An anger that sprang from hurt.
“I think you’re using Monique to run from your pain.” Duck frowned. “To run from the loss of Chanel.”
Once again, his words hit me. This time like a punch to the gut.
I edged back.
The truth of his words stung and I hated him for it but deep down, a part of me knew he could be right.
“And. . .” Duck wiped sweat dripping near his bruised eye. “And any other time, I would not care about what he was doing with a woman but since I stopped Monique from jumping off that roof, I have become protective of her.”
Chen turned to me. “What do you think, Mountain Master?”
I sneered. “Protective of her? That’s it?”
“Yes.”
“That’s why you took her panties from the pile? It was all about protecting her.”
Chen shook his head and scowled at his brother. “Do you have her panties?”
Duck sighed.
Chen’s voice went unsteady. “Give them back to her before she notices.”
Duck nodded and looked away.
Hu gazed at the both of us. “At least you two are talking. While Lei needs to get ready for Leo, we do not need to be truly fighting each other.”
“I agree.” Chen bobbed his head. “Is it not enough that we will be losing Uncle Leo and dividing our family even more? With these rough days ahead, we must stick together. Which means. . .”
We all focused ahead.
Chen let out a long breath. “Which means we must sacrifice.”
Everyone turned to me.
I widened my eyes. “What should I sacrifice?”
Duck spoke. “Could you even love Monique?”
“That’s enough.” I jabbed my finger in his direction. “Do not ask that fucking question again!”
“Why not?” Duck held his hands out. “Is it too scary to answer?”
“You think I don’t care for Monique?”
“You do.” Duck nodded. “But could you love her?”
“I’m not ready to even deal with that question right now.”
“Then, you should step aside.”
“That’s not going to happen.” I tried to get around Hu and Chen. “Come here. Let me explain why—”
“No. No. No.” Chen held up his hands and blocked me. “We are talking. Let’s return to talking!”
I roared, “I’m not stepping aside when it comes to Monique!”
“Alright, but—”
“Help your brother understand this so I don’t have to kill another relative this week!”
Hu got closer to Chen’s side. “I have something to say.”
We all looked at him.
“Lei should have the time to figure out what he wants to do with Monique.” Hu scratched his head. “Distraction or not, Monique is necessary for Lei.”
Duck rolled his eyes. “So we’re going to be like the Killer Crows and have Monique serve as Lei’s Stress Reliever?”
Hu lifted a finger, his movement slow, deliberate. “Are we all just going to dance around the fact that. . .after Chanel passed, it was clear to every single one of us that Lei might. . .”
I tensed, feeling a tightening in my chest.
The world shrunk around Hu’s next words.
He cleared his throat. “We all knew that Lei might. . .take his own life, once the mission of killing Uncle Leo was done.”
The silence that followed was deafening, every heartbeat echoing louder in my ears. I could feel their eyes on me, piercing, judging, worrying.