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)
Around me, the chatter and laughter finally resumed.
Thank God. I was about to run my ass off this mountain.
Still. . .despite the resumption of dining, the atmosphere remained charged. Conversations started up again, a gentle murmur of voices that filled the grand space.
But the undercurrent of curiosity and speculation about me continued.
I caught hushed dialogue, punctuated by discreet glances in my direction. Their eyes, some wide with wonder, others narrow with appraisal, flickered towards me between bites and sips of wine.
Man. . .they better stop looking at me.
On the right, a woman in a blue gown loudly laughed at something her companion must have said. Yet, even as she laughed, her eyes darted towards me and remained there for far too long.
I wanted to stir, but I kept my back straight.
On my left, a group of men with tailored robes, held glasses of brandy and spoke in low tones. Yet, even their gazes kept shifting my way evaluating and assessing.
There I was, in the midst of this mountain top gathering, feeling like a display piece in a museum.
Each bite I took was slow and deliberate, an attempt to appear at ease under all of these watchful eyes.
Duck leaned forward. “You're doing excellent.”
“Am I?”
“I would have fumbled and ran off. I hate being the center of attention.”
“I'm not a fan of that either.”
“Too bad.” Duck chuckled. “You will need to get used to that.”
Horror hit me.
“After Lei leaving you like this on the throne as if to say. . .”
“What?”
“That you're in charge until he returns—”
“Oh no. He didn't say that.”
“He basically did.”
“He did not.” I placed my chopsticks on the table, grabbed my glass of wine, and took a large gulp, hoping the alcohol would ease my nerves.
It wasn't lost on me that many people at the party immediately stopped eating and began drinking wine too.
One man with a neatly trimmed beard, watched me and raised his glass high. Then, he nodded and took a dramatic gulp.
O-kay.
Another group of women at a table near us, all held their glasses of wine in the air too and waved at me.
Waving back, I whispered, “Are they drinking wine because I'm drinking it?”
Duck scanned the space. “Oh I'm sure of it.”
“Well, how do I get them to just chill out and enjoy themselves?”
“Unfortunately, it can't be helped.” He snatched up a lobster claw and broke it. “Lots of people here want to be in Lei's favor, so if Lei thinks you should be on a throne in front of them, then they will try to win favor with you.”
“By mirroring me?”
“Is that not the best form of flattery?” He nibbled on his lobster.
“It's freaking me out.”
“It's all a game of power and perception here. You're sitting on the throne, even if temporarily. That holds meaning in these circles.”
I put the wine down and pretended to eat.
Everyone else did the same.
Chuckling, Duck put the lobster claw back on his plate. “This is hilarious.”
“It's not.”
“You have no idea what you got yourself into.”
“Well. . .according to Yan, I didn't get myself into anything. Leo did it.”
“Yeah, but you did something to get Uncle Leo's attention long ago.”
“I didn't.”
“You did.” Duck finished the claw and then wiped his hands. “By the way, getting Rowe Street Mob to guard you was a mistake.”
I frowned at him. “Yeah. I gathered that today.”
Duck selected a chocolate covered strawberry near him. “I should explain a very big fact to you.”
“And what's that?”
Duck twisted the chocolate strawberry back and forth between two fingers. “We're wolves. All of us. Wolves with sharp fangs and bloodied claws.”
I widened my eyes.
“And then you came around like a little lamb, innocent and sweet. Just trying to survive and do the right thing among criminals.” He grinned. “It was as if someone poured blood in the water to draw sharks.”
I swallowed hard.
“If I were Banks, I would have done the same. Put tons of men around you.” Duck nodded. “We're lucky he didn't start a war on this mountain.”
I stiffened.
Duck continued to study the strawberry as chocolate began to drip onto his fingers. “And if I were Lei, I would have done the same too. Break legs and arms. Put them all in the hospital.”
A cold shiver sliced up my spine. “And if you were me, what would you do?”
“Run.” Duck lifted his view to me and popped the chocolate strawberry in his mouth. It didn't take long for him to swallow it down, and I wondered if he had even chewed it at all.
But what he did take time with was licking the chocolate off his fingers.
Watching me, he slowly trailed his tongue around each finger, gathering up all the chocolate.
Ummm. . .
His tongue made small circles and strokes, before finally giving one last lap at the tips of his fingers to savor the remaining drops of chocolate.