Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 124836 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 624(@200wpm)___ 499(@250wpm)___ 416(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 124836 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 624(@200wpm)___ 499(@250wpm)___ 416(@300wpm)
Instead, he let out a low chuckle, leaned back in his chair and placed that toothpick between his lips.
His face showed calm, yet the tension in his shoulders betrayed how pissed off he was.
Too bad.
I winked at him and leaned back too. “Maybe, next time.”
“Oh no, Lei.” Banks shifted the toothpick to the other side of his mouth. “Ain’t no maybe about it.”
Chen sat down on my left letting me know he had finished with being checked by Dima’s men. He leaned my way and whispered in my ear, “Einstein is with Moni and everyone else on the tour.”
The line of my jaw twitched.
“Apparently, Moni requested that he come.”
I was sure Banks and Marcelo heard that because they both grinned.
Why the fuck would she take Einstein with her? Does she still not understand that I don’t want other men around her?
I did my best to not show the annoyance on my face, but I was sure they saw it.
Meanwhile, Marcelo still had not relaxed those big fists of his.
Rowe Street Mob’s loyalty and protectiveness towards Moni was evident. They were willing to go to great lengths to shield her, even if it meant stepping into dangerous territory and calling bullshit Syndicate meetings.
And I had to admit that their protectiveness for her was a bit touching. It was obvious that they deeply cared.
A pang of jealousy twisted in my chest, though it was tempered by a sense of pride.
Moni was loved by many and that was something to be proud of. The depth of their feelings for her mirrored my own. Even more, Moni was central to our lives and the fact that so many people felt so strongly about her only underscored how special she was.
However. . .they needed to back the fuck off because now I was taking care of her and I would be the only one protecting her.
It was Duck’s turn to be checked.
Without hesitation, Duck came over to Dima’s men and simply handed his sword to them. “This is the only weapon I have, but feel free to put those soft, big hands all over my body and go very slow, not missing one inch of my sculpted abs.”
I held in my laughter.
One of the men flinched.
“Come on.” Duck raised his arms and got closer. “Don’t be shy and fair warning, the very big and hard pipe object in the frontal groin area is not a weapon for death, it is only a weapon for love.”
The short man edged away.
The tall man glanced at Dima. “I think he is clear, sir.”
Dima frowned. “Check him anyway.”
I chuckled.
The tall man began patting him down.
Duck groaned in pleasure.
The tall man paused and frowned.
Dima scowled at me. “Could you get your cousin in order?”
“If he enjoys the security check, who am I to police his feelings?”
Frowning, Dima went back to stroking the cat. I thought the little animal was completely asleep, but it rolled over onto its back and purred, coaxing Dima to rub her belly.
Wow. This is a new Dima indeed. Did the reporter do this?
I checked behind me to watch Duck’s security check.
The tall man’s face shifted to outright disbelief as he pulled out a handful of Chinese stars from Duck’s inside jacket pocket.
They were small, silver, and with sharp jagged edges that glinted in the sunlight. Perfect for throwing into an enemy’s neck and killing him instantly.
Duck showed a mocking shocked expression. “Oh my. How did those get in there?”
The tall man handed the stars to the short one.
“Those are not weapons.” Duck shook his head. “I am a fan of ancient relics.”
The guard’s scrutiny didn’t end there as he dove into Duck’s pocket and then pulled out. . .blue panties.
What the fuck? What is up with you and panties this year?
I suppressed a laugh as the guard cleared his throat and glanced at Dima. “Uh, sir? What should I do with these?”
Dima didn’t find it funny at all. “Let him keep the panties. I doubt he could use them as a weapon.”
“I could choke Banks with them, but thanks.” Duck snatched the panties from the man and placed them back in his pocket.
I tilted toward Chen. “Do you know who’s panties are those?”
Chen leaned my way and whispered, “Those are Thandi’s panties. Today, they had a bet on the beach and she lost.”
“What was the bet?”
“Who could hold their breath under water the longest. Little did she know that for her panties, Duck would have drowned himself.”
I snickered. “What was she going to get if she won?”
“Dinner at the Golden Unicorn.”
“Not a bad reward.”
The Golden Unicorn was the East’s only Michelin-starred restaurant, nestled in the heart of the culinary district. The opulent establishment combined traditional Chinese mythological themes with avant-garde cuisine.
They had a delicious entrée called the Dragon and the Fox. The dish featured tender fox meat marinated in a blend of rare spices, then grilled to perfection. It was accompanied by a smooth, golden dragon fruit puree on jasmine rice.