11. Impossible
Chapter eleven
Impossible
Monique
Last week at this exact time, I was waitressing at the strip club, almost blinded by harsh neon lights and gaudy decor.
Every time I looked up at those lights, I’d dream of a brighter, different life, but knew that the chances of anything more for myself was very fucking dim.
Impossible, even.
Carrying heavy trays loaded with drinks and oversized bowls of salted popcorn, I remembered this one regular—a man that could have been my grandfather—who’d once whispered in my ear, “You don’t belong here.”
Always I wondered in my head. . .
Was he right?
But bills needed to get paid and my sisters had to eat and I was determined to give them better days. They could go to college. I would do double shifts half-naked in those heels to make it happen.
Their future success served as my motivation.
So nightly, I navigated a floor littered with leering eyes and outstretched hands. There was Carl, the club’s manager, who never missed an opportunity to demean me. Yet, I’d always bite back my retorts, reminding myself of the bigger picture.
And every glance felt intrusive.
Every comment, evidence that in the club, I was nothing more than an object to gawk at.
An ass to grab and smack.
The weight of those stares, those touches, was almost unbearable, but I carried it, like a dancer on a tightrope, never showing the world how close I was to falling.
To say I would be exhausted at the end of that job would be too tame a word. My feet always throbbed with pain due to being imprisoned in six-inch heels that felt more like medieval torture devices than footwear.
I’d often stare at my sore, aching feet at the end of the night, wondering how my life had come to this.
Had it been Mom’s cancer?
Dad’s neglect?
Or did I make too many bad decisions?
Then there was the stank of stale beer and cigarette smoke clinging to my clothes, hair, and skin.
Some nights, I thought the stank would never wash away.
Some nights. . .I knew with all certainty that I was trapped in that life forever.
And now. . .
Four men in matching blue uniforms carried me up the winding mountain path as if I were Cleopatra herself.
ME!
The same girl who just last week was dodging groping hands and jeering comments.
Now, I was perched on a blue cushioned chair attached to gold poles, my weight balanced carefully in these men’s arms. My gown and earrings cost well beyond an average person’s monthly salary.
And if any of those guys from that club was here and made the slightest move to touch me inappropriately, Lei would slice off their hands.
How did I get here?
The weight of my impoverished past felt distant, as if I’d shed a skin that was no longer needed.
Perhaps I had.
Maybe this was my divine metamorphosis.
I gazed up at the sparkling stars twinkling in the sky and yearned for an answer to make sense of this impossibility.
The night air ran fragrant with nature’s perfume, a stark departure from the acrid smells of the strip club.
Instead of neon lights, I was bathed in the soft glow of lanterns. Their golden beams danced on my skin and made it shimmer.
Wow.
The men carrying me moved with a synchronized grace. Their strong hands were steady, their postures respectful.
Duck kept their pace on my left.
Lei’s other man, Hu walked on my right.
The rhythmic shuffle of feet echoed in the stillness of the night, interrupted only by the occasional rustle of leaves as we all moved up the mountain path.
My pulse quickened, not just from the sudden elevation, but from the surreal shift my life had taken.
I breathed in deeply.
Cool mountain air filled my lungs. It was a mixture of pine, moist earth, and a faint sweet scent I couldn’t quite place.
I returned my attention to all of those glowing lanterns that peppered the path ahead and above. Their gentle light created a dreamlike ambiance, transforming the mountain into a stairway of stars.
How did they make everything so beautiful, so fast?
I couldn’t help but question if this was actually a dream.
And if it were real, what price would I have to pay for such a drastic change in fortune?
Even more. . .did I deserve this?
Who was I. . .to be carried this way?
To be ravished?
To be spoiled?
And. . .did I really belong here?
I chose not to answer those questions. To do so would possibly make me sad.
Instead, I decided that although this was a life apart from the one I knew I was more than ready to embrace it.
I want to feel like this all the time. I want to. . .be worthy. And feel worthy. And for my sisters to have this same experience.
I trembled.
All I had to do was get some sense of control in these next days and figure out how to navigate this new world of dangerous men.
How the hell will I do that?
Slowly, I turned my head and gazed over my shoulder.
Walking next to Chen, Lei watched me.
The heat from Lei’s gaze penetrated deep, and for a split second, my entire existence, my heart, my soul revolved solely around him.
It wasn’t just the intensity of his eyes but also the sheer power radiating from his stance.
Tonight, he was the embodiment of ancient royalty, reimagined for a modern age. Those intertwining gold dragons on his robe hinted at a legacy of power and prestige, and though I tried to deny it, he looked nothing short of majestic.
He is truly the Mountain Master.
Yet, even as my heart rate increased and a warm flush spread across my skin and my nipples stiffened, I couldn’t let myself get entirely lost in his allure.
Turn around.
I swallowed and did just that, steadying my breathing as much as I could.
Don’t forget the screams. Or the blood splattered on his face. His chest.
Beneath that irresistibly handsome exterior was a man capable of causing serious fucking harm.
What did he do to Banks’s men? And what will Banks do when he finds out?
Terror rushed through me.
Lei had an insane, dangerous side, one that I could never afford to forget.
Swallowing hard, I tried to refocus my thoughts and whispered to myself, “I will have to confront him about that.”
The soft rustle of fabric drew my attention to my left. Duck looked up at me.
Tonight, Duck’s hair—that cool mix of silver and black—was all pulled back and knotted on the top of his head. The silver hairs shined in the moonlight. “Monique.”
“Yes?”
“Confronting Lei might not be the wisest decision for this evening.”
I parted my lips. “No?”
“No.”
“But Duck. . .if I don’t say anything, Lei will just keep doing whatever he wants.” I made sure my voice was low. “Tonight, he had these women in the tent ready to force me to put on blue clothes. They all had handcuffs. That was insane.”
Duck’s nostrils flared slightly. “For real?”
“Yes.”
He spoke through clenched teeth, “Don’t worry. I’ll deal with Lei—”
“No.” I shook my head. “I don’t need you to deal with it. I want to do it myself.”
“Monique, it would be impossible for you to—”
“Thank you, but Banks, you, and even Lei, don’t get to just. . .tell me what to do.” I placed my hands in my lap to stay calm. “And there’s no need for you to fight my battles.”
“After what happened on the roof. . .”
I tensed, hating the reminder that I had been ready to jump to my death.
Duck sighed. “After that. . .I told you that I would protect you.”
I gave him a sad smile. “And I appreciate that, but I need to learn how to protect myself too. I have to be able to confront Lei and stand up for myself or. . .all of this will never work.”
His eyebrows knitted together in irritation.
The gravel crunched beneath the steady footfalls of the men carrying me. This far up, the ground must have shifted from dirt to a rockier terrain.
I studied Duck. “However. . .I do need your advice or even any suggestions on how I could get through to him. Lei needs to know that he can’t just do whatever he pleases with me.”
“Lei is a man of traditions.” Duck put his view ahead of him. “His actions are governed by a set of codes that have been put in place by his father. It’s not easy to sway him with just words, unless those words hold weight in tradition.”
I frowned, trying to process that statement. “So then. . .I should know the traditions?”
Duck shrugged.
“Is there a. . . I don’t know. . .a website or handbook that lists Four Aces codes and traditions?”
Duck actually chuckled softly. “A website?”
“Don’t laugh at me.” I smirked. “This is all new.”
“No. There isn’t a website. But there is a book.”
I quirked my brows. “Oh really?”
“In English the book’s title means the Essence of the Cloud Dragon .”
“O-kay.”
“Anyway, the book is like a. . .foundational guide for the Four Aces, detailing our codes, rites, and ceremonies. We have to know it front to back before being initiated.”
I blinked in surprise. “And I can get this and read it?”
“You’re not supposed to.”
Disappointment hit me. “No?”
“It’s secret.”
“Damn it.”
“There’s also a historical log, detailing every significant event for the Four Aces. It starts back when Lei’s father, Leo, founded us.”
“So. . .I can at least get that and read it?”
“No. That’s a secret text too.”
I frowned. “Duck. . .what the fuck, man?”
A low chuckle left him.
“And now you’re going to laugh.” Still smirking, I shook my head. “You must like taunting and teasing me.”
“At least, I can’t be the only one being teased.”
I paused.
A little of the humor left his face. “Did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight?”
“Umm. . .no.” I bit my bottom lip. “You look nice too.”
On the other side of me, Hu loudly cleared his throat.
I checked him.
Hu scowled at Duck. “Perhaps you should check on Lei. The mountain is getting steep. He may need your help.”
Duck rolled his eyes. “Okay, Straw Sandal.”
I straightened my posture as if I were in trouble too.
But before Duck headed back, he whispered, “Which side of the bed do you usually sleep on?”
“The right,” I murmured.
“Check under your pillow later this evening.”
I met his gaze. “Thank you, Duck.”
He simply nodded, his gaze lingering on me for a moment longer than necessary, and then he walked to the back.
Okay. . .what will he put under my pillow? The books? Or something else?