24. Meatball Gate
Chapter twenty-four
Meatball Gate
Monique
True to Lei’s prediction, Chen’s impatient knocking on our door echoed through the room well before dawn.
Lei groaned in utter annoyance.
Yawning, I dragged myself from the comfort of his arms and rolled over. A sense of disorientation lingered as I grappled with the harsh intrusion of reality.
The knocking continued.
Then, Chen’s irritatingly chipper voice sounded on the other side. “You know the proverb, Lei. Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”
Lei rubbed his eyes. “I’m probably going to break his legs before the day is over.”
Chen knocked again. “Up. Up. Up.”
I yawned again. “I may help you.”
Lei yelled, “Come in!”
The lock jiggled.
Next, Chen burst into the room, holding two cups of coffee and a blue leather bag. “Good morning, my friends!”
Lei sat up in bed. “Give me the coffee.”
“Unfortunately, these cups are not for you.” Chen wagged his finger at Lei. “You know the rules. No caffeine while training.”
“Yeah. Yeah.” Lei rose from the bed, showing off an impressive erection that pressed against his pajama pants.
Yeah. . .it’s pretty damn big.
Disrupting my thoughts, Chen walked over and handed me a cup of coffee. “Hello, Monique.”
“Hi and thanks.”
Chen beamed with pride. “I see that you are not in handcuffs. I would say this is serious progress.”
“Thanks for reminding me.” Lei grabbed the diamond handcuffs off the nightstand.
Chen scowled. “You cannot train while handcuffed to Monique.”
The handcuffs dangled in Lei’s hands. “We still have to get to the Mount Utopia. I can have them on her during the ride to—”
“Correction.” Chen took a sip of his coffee. “Yummy. This coffee is really good.”
Lei grumbled. “Correction?”
Chen lovingly gazed at the cup of coffee and smiled. “Oh yes. You will be working out in a van with Hu and me, while Monique rides in one of the SUV’s with Duck.”
I turned Lei’s way.
Rage blazed in his eyes as his nostrils flared. “Excuse me?”
“We cannot spare any minute. We are now rapidly counting down to your battle with Uncle Leo. Now it is seven days.” Chen headed over to Lei’s side. “Even in the confined space of the back of a van, there’s still a good range of exercises you can do to stay limber and activated on the way to Mount Utopia.”
“What the hell am I going to do in the back of the van?”
“Neck stretches, shoulder rolls, arm circles, seated twists, core engagement, leg extensions, grip strength—”
“I got it.” Lei glared. “Regardless, Monique can be in the van with us as I—”
“No, she cannot. Remember, the key here is maintaining a range of movement and flexibility in the tight space, while keeping the blood flowing and the muscles warm. Once the van hits Mount Utopia, you are fighting for the rest of the day.”
Lei held out his hands. “What does that have to do with Monique being inside of the van with us?”
Chen pointed to Lei’s erection.
Frowning, Lei gazed down, widened his eyes, and folded his hands in front of the big bulge. “That is a. . .typical morning happening.”
Chen rolled his eyes. “Have you forgotten that I wake you up every morning? This is not typical.”
My cheeks flushed.
“We need you focused.” Chen shook his head and sipped his coffee. “We leave in five minutes. Wash up, Mountain Master.”
Grumbling, Lei threw the handcuffs on the bed, grabbed the blue leather bag from Chen, and stormed to the bathroom. “There’s no need for Duck to escort Monique in the SUV. Find a new person.”
Chen took another sip of coffee. “So you want me to pick someone Monique isn’t comfortable with to take a long ride up to the mountain by herself? I think that would be a rather disappointing drive, especially since she had quite a day yesterday. Are we considering her needs, Mountain Master?”
Riding with Duck would be better, but I won’t fight it.
“Fine.” Lei groaned in annoyance and slammed the bathroom door behind him.
Chen turned to me. “Did you sleep well?”
“I did.”
“Are you nervous?”
“Everything is happening so fast I don’t know what to be.” Still holding my coffee, I rose from bed.
Chen frowned. “I apologize for our kidnapping you. I plan to solve this situation soon.”
“I don’t see myself as being kidnapped, Chen.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“I am. I want to help Lei.”
“Good.”
I raised the cup to my lips and sampled the coffee. The sweet creamy liquid slipped down my tongue.
This really is tasty.
“By the way, this is a good time to have a much needed conversation.” Chen lowered his voice. “Duck is my brother.”
I swallowed and looked at him. “O-kay.”
“I am convinced that Duck may be growing feelings for you. In any other time, that would be no problem.”
I lowered the cup.
“However.” Chen pointed to the diamond cuffs on the bed. “I believe we should proceed with caution in these days to come.”
Embarrassment hit me. “I don’t plan on doing anything with Duck.”
“Even better.” Chen nodded, but didn’t drink his coffee. Instead, he kept that stern expression. “I am glad you feel that way. However, Duck cannot feed you again.”
“I know.”
“I decided that Duck should ride with you on this journey to Mount Utopia so that you both could have a proper conversation about future behavior.”
I quirked my brows. “Are you asking me to have a talk with Duck about no more flirting?”
“Exactly.”
“I already planned to talk to him. Although I must explain to you that it was me that was flirting with him, yesterday.”
To my surprise, Chen grinned. “I know my brother very well. His philosophy is that if he can get food into the woman’s mouth, then he can get his cock into her mouth too.”
I widened my eyes.
“Also, people are whispering about what happened.”
“Why would they be gossiping about that? Nothing really happened.”
“They are calling it, Meatball Gate.”
“Wow.” A blistering headache began to form. “I think everyone is blowing that out of proportions—”
“Lei has never walked out of a dinner like that, and let us not forget that he glared at Duck and then grabbed you to go with him—”
“Lei just lost Chanel and has to fight his father, so he isn’t acting in his typical way.”
“Your lipstick was on his mouth.”
I bit my bottom lip.
“Personally, I am happy that you are here. Before you, I couldn’t get Lei to sleep, eat, or take a shower.”
My heart ached.
“Your presence in less than one day has slowly brought Lei back to life.”
I gazed down at my coffee.
“I just want you to be careful in how you move from now on. Everyone will be watching you.”
I looked at him. “Why?”
“Unfortunately, I do not have enough hours to explain it all to you. Just trust me.” Chen took a long swig of coffee, headed over to the bathroom door, and knocked on it. “Your time is up, Mountain Master!”
Lei growled from the other side. “I’m coming!”
“Oh. I almost forgot.” Chen dug into his pocket and pulled out my phone. “I needed this to try and track Leo, but it didn’t help. Here you go.”
“Thanks.” I took my phone from him.
The abrupt opening of the door signaled Lei’s entrance, instantly seizing my attention.
Damn.
He emerged shirtless, and the man was a stunning display of strength and raw masculinity.
Jesus. . .
His muscles were perfectly chiseled and taut, flexing and relaxing rhythmically as he walked.
My. My. My.
I took an appreciative sip of my coffee. Its sweetness failed to distract my mind from the sight before me.
My gaze traced the jagged scars that were scattered across his back. Surely, he must have got them from countless battles.
Maybe. . .I could sit in the back of the van while he exercises.
I continued to drink in the sight of his tight blue training pants clinging to his defined legs. They outlined the strong muscles of his thighs and calves.
Warmth spread throughout my body.
Ummhmm.
I took another sip of coffee, as well as another stolen glance.
He caught me watching him.
The coffee cup paused midway to my lips.
Our gazes locked.
A spark ignited in my core as his tongue slipped out, running over his lips in a tantalizing manner.
Alright now.
It was such a small gesture yet charged with a quiet desire that made my heart flutter.
A silent conversation happened between us. It was carnal and raw as fuck. Tons of dark promises and whispered sexual fantasies.
Every desire, every thought was transmitted from my eyes to his in a smoldering exchange that burned with an intensity of pure lust.
Fuck around and you will be training with me in the bedroom.
Chen loudly cleared his throat. “Are we ready, Lei?”
Second by second, Lei twisted his face in rage, directed his view to Chen, and narrowed his eyes. “Must you always interrupt. . .things?”
Chen shrugged. “Seven days.”
Lei let out an exasperated breath and stormed away. “I will see you on Mount Utopia, Monique.”
I watched his muscled ass move under the blue fabric. “I will definitely see you too.”
Chen followed. “Duck will be waiting for you in the lobby in ten minutes, Monique.”
Lei stopped at the door. “I should have a conversation with Duck before we leave—”
“We do not have the time, Lei, and trust me, there will not be any meatballs on Duck and Monique’s journey to Mount Utopia.” Chen opened the door. “Duck will also be riding in the front while she rides in the back. There will be adequate space.”
Grumbling something, Lei headed out of the door.
They both disappeared into the hall.
The door closed.
For some reason, I glanced at the handcuffs on the bed and bit my lip.
Will this day be as crazy as yesterday?
I directed my view to the balcony opening. The sun had yet to peek over the horizon. A deep indigo served as the sky.
I need to get ready.
Sipping more coffee, I turned on my phone.
Instantly, a symphony of beeps and vibrating occurred, letting me know that I had a flood of voice mails, texts, and missed calls.
Fuck.
I looked down at my phone and spotted five missed calls from Chloe followed, along with a barrage of text messages. Each text was a desperate plea for understanding, for context, for some reassurance in the face of our abrupt and unexplained departure.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
A pang of guilt hit me. I’d been so wrapped up in grief, shock, and Lei’s insane world that I had forgotten to check back in with my sisters.
They still don’t know about daddy. How will I tell them?
Ten missed calls came from Jo.
Damn it. I am going to have to talk to them before Jo rushes back here.
The final missed call was the most unsettling. It came from Banks, earlier this morning.
Shit. That can’t be good. What’s up with that? Did something happen?
Banks, always maintained a calm, composed demeanor and seldom felt the need to check in unnecessarily. His call was a sharp reminder of the escalating seriousness of the situation.
Good morning to me.
I finished my coffee, walked over to the closet table, and set the cup down.
Time to fix this.
I went into the group text that I always kept with Jo and Chloe and began typing. They wouldn’t be up this early, but it would be good for them to wake up to a message.
Me: Hey, guys.
Me: I love you and I am fine.
Me: I didn’t have my phone
Chloe: Wtf?!!!
I frowned and typed.
Me: Stop cursing.
Jo: Where are you?
Chloe: For real!
Me: I’m in Glory.
Jo: But where? I had my chick take me to the apartment.
Jo: You weren’t there.
“What, Jo?” I scowled. “Oh my God. What if Leo had been there?”
Me : Keep your ass in Paradise, please.
Chloe: Why can you curse, and I can’t?
Me: Because I’m grown, and you’re not. Jo, where are you now?
Jo : In Paradise.
Me: Good. Stay there.
Jo: But why is some old Chinese guy living in our spot and cooking rice.
I froze in my spot.
The phone beeped again.
I pushed through the shock and read the message.
Chloe: What’s up with that? Are we renting the place?
Trembling, I dialed Jo’s number fast and placed the phone against my ear.
She answered on the first ring, “Moni, what is going—”
“What happened with the old man, Jo? Tell me everything.”
“What?”
“The old man, Jo.” I shivered. “What happened? Are you okay?”
The sounds of some cartoon tv show played on her side. She must have been watching television with TT which meant they had all stayed up last night, worried about me.
Damn it. I dropped the ball.
“First of all, Moni. Dude was mad cool, so yes. I’m fine.” Jo actually sounded like she was smiling. “Leo even gave me a grand and told me that he was protecting our place.”
You two are on a fucking first name basis.
“O-okay.” My heart boomed in my chest. “Tell me everything that happened—”
“No, you tell me what is going on. Dude is basically living in our place with a bunch of monks, playing 50’s rock and sipping wine—”
“What?!”
“Yeah. You didn’t know that?”
“Umm.” I placed my hand on my forehead. “Okay. So. . .that’s Leo—”
“Yeah, that’s what he said.”
“And umm. . .Leo got rid of the Snow and Dutch problem—”
“He said that too. What I’m not getting is how you even wound up meeting dude in the first place—”
“Remember that I went to look for Dad at his spot in Chinatown?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s how I met Leo.” I trembled. “He gave me some money and helped. Now let’s get back to you. After you talked to Leo, then what happened?”
“Leo wouldn’t let me go back with my chick. He said that he didn’t like her vibe, so he sent her off and one of his monks brought me back to Paradise.”
My eyes watered. “So. . .you are. . .okay?”
“I already told you I was fine, Moni. What the fuck is an old man going to do to me?”
I exhaled all the tension I had been holding in my heart. “Stop cursing.”
“Anyway, the monk likes hip hop.”
I scrunched my face in confusion. “I’m sorry. What?”
“I synced his car to my phone and played classic Tupac. He went crazy, yelling out all the words.”
“Umm. . .o-kay.”
“We arrive in Paradise and that’s when things really got ballistic.”
I went over to the bed and sat down on it. “What do you mean?”
“Even though he was a monk, dude had a rich blue Cadillac with an iconic gold grill. Plush cream leather. State-of-the-art sound system—”
“Jo!”
“What?”
I gritted my teeth. “Get to where shit got ballistic.”
“Oh yeah. We enter the South and people start following us on bikes and wearing green clothes. Next, Banks rolls up with a whole crew holding guns. The monk parked in front of the house, and you should have seen Bank’s face when I got out of the car.”
“What do you mean?”
“Bank’s eyes popped out and all that. He was so surprised I was getting out of the monk’s car. Then, he started screaming for me to get away from Yong.”
“Yong?”
“That was the monk’s name. Yong.”
“So, then you get away from Yong and then what happens, Jo?”
“I don’t know because Banks rushed me into the house like I was a little kid. Either way, minutes later he was back in the house barreling me with questions, and I told him about Leo.”
“Okay.” I shrugged. “Did it seem like Banks knew Leo?”
“Shit. For some reason, when I said Leo’s name, Banks looked like he pissed his pants.”
“Oh.”
So, Banks knows Leo. Well yeah. . .he knows Lei.
Jo continued, “Then, I showed Banks the grand. He was telling me I had to give it back and I’m like fuck that shit. We need that to eat.”
My head pounded some more. “Stay in Paradise. I will be there to grab you all in seven to eight days and then—”
“Eight days!”
“Jo, it’s all types of weird shit I am into right now, but I am fine. I’m just helping a friend who helped me with the Dutch and Snow shit.”
“So, this Chinese guy?”
“Yeah. Something like that. And you can keep the grand because I have more money—”
“You’re not hoeing or anything? Right?”
“What? No.”
“I’m just saying, Moni. You’re going to be gone for a week. What’s that about?”
“I’m helping a friend .”
Jo’s voice lowered. “If you need a break, I get it. But, if it is some really crazy shit that you are doing for us, I want you to stop.”
“It’s not a break. It’s a task. A mission. And I’m fine.”
“You better be. What about school for Chloe and TT?”
“Well. . .” I rubbed my forehead. “We are actually going to move and put them in another school.”
“We’re going to do what?”
“Yeah. We’re done with Glory.”
“Chloe is going to be pissed.” Jo chuckled. “Please let me be in the room when you tell her.”
I frowned. “Do you like Paradise so far?”
“Hells yes. Anything is better than dusty ass small Glory.”
“Stop cursing.”
Jo groaned. “Either way, I’m digging Paradise. There are tons of comic bookstore jobs here, so I could have something quick.”
“Good because we have a. . .house.”
I think.
Jo shrieked. “A what?”
“You heard me.”
“Moni?”
“What?”
She whispered, “You’re really not hoeing?”
My frown deepened.
“I mean. . .if you can hoe to get a house, Moni, I’m not mad or anything. I just want you to be careful.”
“I’m not hoeing, and again, I am fine.” I sighed. “Is Banks there?”
“Oh yeah.” Jo sounded nervous. “I should have said this part.”
“What part?”
“Last night, Banks left with Marcy and some others to go to Glory to find you. They haven’t returned yet.”
“Shit.”