Savage Throne (Ruthless Legacy #5)

Prologue

On the Edge of Control

Lei

I stood outside the door with my hand hovering over the knob.

Every instinct in my body told me to go inside and get Moni.

They’ll come out and I’ll just have to fight my father in the hallway.

The air around me ran thick with tension.

There’s no way I’m letting them take her away.

I began pacing.

Rage and frustration surged through me.

Each second that passed was a blade twisting deeper into my chest.

Moni was in there with my father, and there was nothing I could do about it.

Not yet at least.

My jaw tightened.

I could feel the muscles in my face straining as I fought to keep control. But it was a losing battle and I could sense my restraint slowly unraveling like a ball of yarn.

I curled my fingers into fists, digging my nails into my palms as I tried to contain the anger boiling inside me.

Come on, Moni. Say bye to TT and then come back out.

Sweat trickled down my forehead as I struggled to hold on but I knew it was only a matter of time before I exploded.

Tonight, you die, father.

The monks—my father’s puppets—stood in the hallway silent, watching me.

And Dima—he was still outside being held on the carousel.

Why the fuck would he kill the cat?

The rest of the guests at the cookout continued with no worries. Music boomed off in the distance along with laughter and chatter.

My nerves frazzled.

How are you going to get Moni out of here, father? You know it would be a battle with me. Sure, you have Dima but. . .you know I can’t be without her. . .will it be another blade to her throat? What’s your exit plan?

I kept trying to think of ways I could get Moni back that wouldn’t end up with more dead bodies for the week.

But with my father, there was always a catch.

Always something I didn’t see coming until it was too late.

Currently, the door in front of me represented a wall—one I couldn’t tear down with sheer force alone, even though every muscle in my body screamed to act.

But TT was in there and my father had guns on Dima and Rose.

I hate being this powerless.

Then, I heard the sound of footsteps, heavy and urgent, approaching from my side.

Who’s that?

I turned my head to the right.

Duck.

Slowly, my cousin took in the monks and me standing in front of the door. Thank God he brought a mini-army upstairs along with Hu.

“Lei?” Duck scowled at the monks. “Am I going to like what’s going on?”

“Not at all.” I spotted Lan with her sword out. “Where’s Chen and the rest of Moni’s ladies-in-waiting?”

“Thandi and Fen took Chen back to the palace. He was close to passing out on the dancefloor.”

“Good, make sure they stay with Chen. We’ll update him tomorrow morning.”

Hu got to my right, “and how about you update us right now.”

“My father and Uncle Song are in the room with Moni and TT.”

Duck let out an exasperated breath.

Hu shook his head. “Let me guess, Uncle Leo has some plan.”

“He wants to take Moni,” I sighed. “He grabbed Dima and Rose at the carousel and killed the cat to keep them still.”

Lan parted her lips in horror.

More of my men filled the hallway. Their expressions were hard, their weapons at the ready.

My father’s monks shifted uncomfortably, knowing their time on this earth would be winding down soon.

Duck turned to the monks. “Should we grab Dima or take care of these monks?”

“We can’t move until I have Moni.”

Duck glanced at the door, then back at me. “You know he’s not leaving without Moni.”

“And I’m not letting him take her.”

Duck rubbed the back of his neck. “And if we don’t have a choice?”

“Meaning?”

“Leo’s not going to let you fight him tonight, which means he has several back up plans to ensure he can take her away. So. . .”

“What?”

“You may need to let her go for tonight—”

“That’s what she said.”

“Moni is smart and Uncle Leo won’t kill her.”

I turned to face Duck fully. Anger rose in my chest. “You’re telling me, I should just stand here and watch as my father takes her away?”

“We have to play this smart. If you go after him now, it’ll be chaos. You know that’s what he wants.”

Every word Duck said was true and it hit me like poison.

I hated the blunt honesty of it all.

The last thing I wanted to do was let my father walk out of here with Moni but Duck was right. Charging after him without a plan, without knowing exactly what he had up his sleeve, would only make things worse.

I gritted my teeth, glaring at the door as if I could burn it down with my eyes alone. My father’s voice echoed in my mind, his manipulations, his cold, calculated control. And Moni—Moni was in there, stuck in his grip.

I had to stop this.

But I couldn’t be reckless.

Not now.

Duck’s voice interrupted my thoughts. “We’ll get her back, Lei. But if you go after her tonight, it’ll be exactly what Uncle Leo wants. You need to be smarter than him.”

Smarter? I don’t know how to be smart when she’s concerned. I can’t even think when she’s not near me.

I took a deep breath trying to clear the haze of rage from my mind. Massive currents of frustration boiled within my veins.

“If I can grab her from my father in this hallway then I will have a chance.”

Duck and Hu exchanged glances then Duck nodded. “Fine. We’ll help.”

Hu lifted his gaze to the ceiling and his expression twisted into disgust.

Blood had long dried in streaks down the walls. His face paled, and for a second, he looked like he might be sick.

“Jesus Christ,” he muttered. “Can we get a break this month?”

“Not at all.” I didn’t bother looking up. The sight had already been burned into my mind—all those dead bodies, nailed and roped to the ceiling, mangled and twisted with their lifeless eyes staring down at us as if in silent judgment.

The door clicked softly, letting us know that it had been unlocked.

It’s time.

My muscles tensed.

My body coiled, ready to spring into action.

The next sound was subtle, almost too quiet to notice in the thick tension that gripped the hallway, but it was unmistakable—the door was opening.

I braced myself raising my fists.

Come on, Father. Let’s have the battle in the hallway.

I was more than prepared to fight my father right here, right now.

The door creaked as it swung completely open.

Someone stood in the doorway.

It wasn’t my father.

Nor Uncle Song.

It was TT.

She stood there, small and fragile. Those big brown eyes stared up at me not in shock or fear but very peaceful and calm.

Far too calm for everything that was happening.

There was something else in her gaze—something that told me she already knew what was going through my mind.

Her lips trembled as if she wanted to say something but wasn’t quite sure what to say.

However, she didn’t look scared.

Not of me.

Not of this situation.

In fact, she looked. . .intrigued.

I lowered my fists and scanned the room fast. That was when terror replaced my frustration. “Where’s Moni, TT?”

She fidgeted with the edge of her shirt. “Moni went through the secret passage with Uncle Song and Uncle Leo.”

Noooooo. What the fuck does that mean?