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 almost pissed myself.
Leo shook his head. “Anyway, Dima brought this on himself. He should know better than to surprise my son. You do not come to the East unless we invite you.”
“But. . .I feel like Lei and I had it together like. . .Dima and him talked and were cool—”
“No, Monique. A behavioral change only happens through emotion. You must push that emotion in them to change their behavior. And the emotion I always choose is pain and fear.” He took another hit of the joint. “I bet Dima won’t come uninvited again especially with anyone that he loves.”
Fuck.
I looked back out the window and saw that we were not only far from the East, but we were leaving Paradise City. “Where are we going now?”
“You still don’t know?”
“No.”
“Where would be a good place to have the final battle?” He laughed. “Mount Utopia. Of course.”
Oh shit.
I sighed. “That’s why you wanted Lei to train there?”
“I wanted him to be used to fighting with the challenge of elevation and the rugged territory. I heard from my spies that he had a decent fight with Duck on Mount Utopia, showing that he was more than ready.”
Song spoke. “And Lei even battled with Rowe Street Mob on the side of the mountain, killing Banks’s men super-fast. I saw the footage.”
Leo beamed with pride. “I believe he’s more than ready but taking you tonight. . .well. . .”
And then that hit me too. “Taking me would solidify is anger to kill you.”
“It would.”
“So this isn’t just about giving me lessons? It’s about further motivating Lei.”
“Which is your second lesson. Never ever do an action in the East for only one purpose. Have at least three purposes attached to it.”
“So there’s a third purpose to why you have me?”
He nodded. “You’re such a good student.”
“What’s the third purpose?”
“You’ll learn soon.”
Chapter four
Between Rage and Reason
Lei
TT clung to me, light as a feather in my hold.
Her small arms wrapped around my neck her breath was warm against my collarbone as her head rested on my shoulder.
I’d decided to carry her away because she needed to keep her eyes closed. TT didn’t need to see all the bodies on the ceiling.
Yet, while TT was light, everything else was heavily pressing down on me—fear, guilt, and responsibility.
I took a deep breath, fighting to keep my emotions in check.
Moni was out there with my father and I had no idea what he had planned for her.
He was always two steps ahead. Always pulling strings I couldn’t even see.
And Moni… she didn’t deserve any of this.
I should’ve stopped him. I should’ve fought harder. I should’ve. . .
I clenched my teeth and pushed down the panic threatening to consume me.
“Lei,” TT broke the silence. “I’ve been thinking about something weird.”
“Yeah?” I adjusted my grip on her, listening, even though my mind kept drifting back to Moni.
“There’s this pastor, R.C. Richards. He’s old now and retired but he’s always been real vocal about the Crownsville treasure stuff.”
“Okay?” I blinked. “What about him?”
“Every time someone gets close to finding some new clue to the treasure or talks about it; he comes out of retirement and does these viral sermons at his family mega church. He always paints this picture of how Crownsville was no good place and that it was more like Babylon.”
“He was alive then?”
“He said he was a kid during that time. He’s in his mid-seventies now.”
“And he seems very interested in keeping the view negative on Crownsville?”
“Yes. Says it was full of sinners and he acts like it’s his personal crusade to get the record straight.”
“How did you find out about him?”
“I’m always searching out everything that deals with Crownsville and he always came up.”
I frowned. “But what made you think about him now?”
“His son and family are big on White Christian Nationalism in Paradise City. But the thing is. . .the Bandit used Bible verses on the map. I don’t know. . .It just feels like that’s important.”
I considered it for a second, my mind torn between this strange map puzzle and my desperation to get Moni back.
TT spoke, “Maybe, it’s nothing.”
“You’re smart. If you think it could be something, then you’re probably right.”
She went silent.
“Anyway. . .I was taught that any little odd coincidence tends to be the biggest clue of all.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. And. . .” I got us to the stairs and we began to descend. “If you want to look into that possible pastor connection with Crownsville, I’ll make it happen.”
“Yeah?”
“Plus, I can get you a team of researchers or even go with you to talk to this pastor. Whatever you need, we’ll do it. Moni will just need to approve everything.”
Pure joy hit her tone. “Thanks, Lei.”
“Thanks for helping me not completely lose it upstairs.”
At this, TT squeezed me tighter giving me this reassuring warmth that I didn’t even know I needed. And for the briefest of moments, I felt a lot of tension ease up within me.