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)
A shiver ran down my spine. “Like I said I didn’t know who they were—”
“How did you end up with them?”
“Dad owed money to these gangsters that own a casino here in Glory—”
“What the fuck?!”
“And they were talking about putting my sisters and me into prostitution to pay back the money—”
“Who the fuck are these guys?!”
“It doesn’t matter. In all of that situation was when I met Leo—”
“Moni, you cannot be around Leo. He is dangerous—”
“I know.” I pulled the sheet over my bare breasts and hugged myself. “Banks, a lot has happened but through it all Lei and his men have had my back and kept me protected.”
“But you never called me?”
“Banks, I was thinking that you were no longer about that life. Maybe, if you didn’t keep that from me, I would have dialed you first. Instead, I was trying to keep you out of trouble.”
“So, this is my fault?”
“No. I’m just saying—”
“You call me when things go bad. Promise me that. Right now.”
“I will.”
“I mean it.”
“I mean it too. I will call you, Banks.”
“Okay.” He sighed. “We’re still in Glory. Give me the name of the casino, Moni. I can at least handle Unc’s shit while I’m here.”
“Uh. . .” I tensed. “No you can’t.”
“What do you mean I can’t?”
“Umm. . .” I closed my eyes. “So. . .uh. . .”
“Moni, what?”
“So. . .Dad is dead.” I opened my eyes.
There was a heavy pause. My confession hung in the air like a suffocating fog.
“Monique. . .are you serious? When?”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “A few days ago. He was. . .he was killed.”
Banks’ voice cracked; the tough facade momentarily broken. “How? Who?”
“Leo, Lei’s father. In some sick way, Leo thought he was helping me by killing Dad.”
Anger laced Banks’ voice. “That’s bullshit.”
“I-I know.” I was terrified with how Banks would take this.
“We might have had our differences, but. . .damn it, Unc didn’t deserve this.”
“No, he didn’t.” My eyes watered. “After that, I knew that I was involved in something messy. Dangerous. I decided not to call you. Instead, I thought it would be better for the girls to be safe in Paradise.”
A sigh came from the other end. “Moni, he was my uncle. You are my cousin. My favorite one. You know you have a special place in my heart. You can’t just be hanging around these guys like you have no options.”
“Banks, I know. I just wasn’t thinking.”
“I love you, Moni.”
“I love you too, Banks. I really do.”
“Unc is really dead?”
My voice shook. “Yes. . .”
“Fuck, Moni. You’re out there in Glory navigating around the Four Aces and Uncle Chris’s death. That’s not right. My mom has told you many times to stop dealing with all of this shit by yourself.”
“I didn’t want to bother you—”
“We are family!”
I stiffened.
Banks steadied his voice. “I’m sorry.”
“That’s okay.”
“It’s not.” Banks cleared his throat. “Moni. . .I love you. I swear I do.”
“I love you too, Banks.”
“You’re just one person.”
“I know.”
“Let me be more involved. I should have come out to Glory more. What the hell was I thinking? You guys needed a man in that place.”
“We didn’t need a man. I just had to get some footing—”
“You needed me. I should have been there.”
“Now is not the time to start blaming each other or ourselves, Banks. I have to bury Dad and help everyone get through this.”
“No, Moni. Let me.”
“What?”
“Let me take care of your father’s funeral. He was Rowe Street Mob at one time. One of the originals. We will give him a proper ceremony.”
A heavy weight lifted off my shoulders. “Okay. That would help.”
“Jo and the rest don’t know?”
“No.” I shivered. “I’m scared to do it.”
“Then, we will do it together, Moni.”
“That would help.”
“And. . .”
I raised my eyebrows. “And?”
“I think it’s time you considered moving to Paradise City. We need to be closer to each other so I can truly help out.”
“Well. . .as a matter of fact, after I’m done helping Lei, I plan to move to Paradise City.”
“Okay. Hold on. What do you mean that you are helping Lei?”
“He wants me to stick around with him until he kills Leo.”
“No. I’m coming up to get you. It would be too dangerous—”
“Banks, I already agreed.”
“You can’t just fucking hang with the Four Aces. They are not the Boy Scouts. They are deadly psychopaths—”
“It’s more than that. Duck saved my life. He pulled me off a roof when I was about to. . .fall—”
“Duck?”
“Yes. I could have been dead too.”
“Duck did that?”
“Yes, Banks. Duck saved my life. And. . .well. . .Leo. . . gave me a house and enough money to set me up for life—”
“Leo!?”
“Yes. And I know it may be fucked up but I am going to take a house from a man who killed my dad, but it wasn’t like dad was a saint—”