12. The Sword and the Promise
Chapter twelve
The Sword and the Promise
Lei
Moni’s voice was a balm to my soul, washing away the pounding headache, the fear, the tension that had gripped me all night.
Relief flooded through me so fast I nearly staggered.
My voice went hoarse with emotion. “Moni?”
Chloe shrieked.
Jo got closer.
TT left the bed.
“Yeah, it’s me,” she said softly. “I’m safe. I just wanted to let you know before you drove yourself crazy.”
My heart swelled and for the first time in hours, I felt like I could breathe again. “Where are you? Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine.” She assured me. “I can’t talk long but I’ll see you tomorrow. Just. . .trust me, okay?”
Tears burned at the corners of my eyes, I clenched my jaw to keep them from falling. “Where are you?”
“I love you.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“You know I can’t answer that.”
Soon Chloe was off her bed too and heading my way.
“Lei?” Moni whispered and I could hear the weight behind that single word—soft but strained, as if it took everything she had to say my name.
It wasn’t the Moni I knew.
Something is wrong.
My heart tightened in my chest like a clenched fist. This wasn’t the woman who greeted me with stubborn grins or the one who fought me tooth and nail over the smallest things.
This was someone else entirely—a ghost version of her speaking from somewhere far away, somewhere dark.
“I’m here, Moni.” I kept my voice steady. “I love you so much. Stay on the phone as much as you can.”
There was silence for a moment, the kind that crawled under your skin and stayed there. I could hear the sound of her breath hitching and my grip on the phone tightened.
She was holding back, I knew it.
I could feel it in every hesitation, every tremor in her voice.
What did you do to her, Father? I’m going to fucking kill you.
“Moni, talk to me,” I urged, a little sharper than I intended. “Tell me what’s going on.”
She sniffed softly and I knew—dammit, I just knew—that she was close to breaking, but wouldn’t let herself do it.
“I. . .I can’t.” Her voice cracked like fragile glass. “H-how is everyone?”
My jaw clenched so tight it hurt.
I wanted to reach through the phone, hold her, tell her everything would be okay. But all I had were words and they felt useless against whatever nightmare she was living through.
“I did everything you wanted me to, Moni. Your sisters are in the Palace along with Banks, Marcelo, Gunner, and Einstein. They’re all safe and comfortable.”
“Seriously?” A little joy hit her voice. “You let all of Rowe Street Mob stay.”
“I did.”
“Oh my God.”
“I knew you would want that. Banks is in the room right next to your sisters’ room. They all decided to stay in one room by the way.”
“Chloe and Jo are super protective of TT.”
“They are.”
“Thank you, Lei.”
“Any fucking thing you want I will do. Now tell me where you are, Moni. If he is close by, then just give me hints.”
Then I heard it—that deep voice, low and commanding, laced with the sort of threatening control that made my skin crawl my entire childhood.
“No, son,” My father said. “We are on speaker. There will be no hints or clues.”
That fucking bastard!
Every muscle in my body tensed.
Fury rose hot and fast in my chest.
I knew better than to explode—not yet—but the rage simmered just beneath the surface, threatening to boil over.
Of course, my father was there looming over her like the damn wraith that he was, keeping her under his psychopathic thumb.
I inhaled sharply through my nose, forcing my voice into something calm even though it was anything but. “Moni, listen to me.”
I steadied myself as much as I could. “Your sisters are safe and they will remain that way. In fact, I’m here with them now.”
There was a beat of silence.
Then her voice came through, softer, sweeter, like sunlight cracking through a storm. “They’re there with you now? All of them?”
“Yes. Do you want to talk to them?”
A small sound escaped her breath of relief. “Please.”
“Everyone, Moni is on the phone.” I hit the speaker button. Immediately, the room filled with the sound of life.
“Moni!” TT’s voice was the first, bright and relieved. “I love you! We’re fine! You’ve got this!”
Moni broke down on the other side. It was the sound of laughter and sobbing all mixed together.
Oh, baby. What did he do? What did that fucking sick bastard do?
“Moni!” Chloe joined in, practically vibrating with excitement. “We’re in the Palace! Queen energy! Are you okay? I miss you so much.”
“I’m fine.” Moni sniffled. “I love you too. Enjoy the Palace!”
Jo stood there for a second, frozen, her face crumpling as tears filled her eyes. She wiped them away fast, as if embarrassed by the display but the emotion lingered in her expression.
Moni spoke, “Is Jo there? Can she hear me? Jo?”
I brought the phone closer to her.
Jo’s voice was thick with emotion. “When are you getting back? Your man is losing it.
A sad chuckle left Moni. “I’ll be back soon, sis. Take care of him for me. Please.”
“I got you.”
“Thank you.”
“We love you, Moni.” Jo hugged herself. “Are you okay? Please, tell me he didn’t hurt you.”
“I’m fine.”
“You don’t sound fine. You sound broken.”
“No. I’m fine. Trust me and I love you guys too.”
And for a moment, I could almost believe everything was fine.
Almost.
But I heard it—beneath the love, beneath the relief, there was exhaustion in her voice and this weight of sorrow that she couldn’t hide.
Whatever my father was putting her through, she was surviving it.
She wasn’t broken.
Not yet.
But she was carrying more than she should have to.
“You girls need to head to bed. It’s super late,” Moni told them gently. “Really late in fact. Go to sleep, okay? I’m fine. I’ve got this. I’ll see you all tomorrow.”
Jo bit her lip, and her eyes still shimmered with unshed tears. “Cool. I’ll make sure they go to sleep.”
“I’ll even listen to Jo, Moni. At least tonight.” Chloe nodded furiously, as if trying to convince herself that everything would be okay.
TT swallowed. “We’ll be fine, Moni. Don’t think about us tonight. Only think about yourself. Then. . .you’ll win.”
Moni laughed—a soft, tired sound that made my heart ache. “I promise, TT. Good strategy. I’m going to be okay.”
Goddamn it.
I could feel it—the strength in her, the sheer force of will it took to say those words and make them sound real.
She was doing everything she could to keep us all afloat, even when she was drowning in misery.
And God help me, I was so fucking impressed with her.
How is she able to do that?
It was hard not to be proud that she was holding her ground, even under my father’s evil, oppressive shadow.
Proud that she hadn’t let his darkness consume her.
But with that pride came stress—a gnawing worry that coiled in my gut like a viper.
She passed one of his little tests. That’s what happened.
I had to be right because if she were still standing and was even able to do something huge like make a call to me. . .then that meant she was pleasing my father in ways I couldn’t stomach.
It meant she was playing his game, doing whatever it took to survive.
And passing with high scores.
The thought of her having to do that, to navigate those murky waters alone, made my blood boil.
Before I could say anything, my father’s voice cut through the moment like a blade.
“That’s enough,” he said smoothly. “The call must end.”
“Wait!” Jo suddenly shouted. “You better not hurt her, old man!”
There was a beat of silence on the other end.
Then his voice came out calm. “I would never harm family. Never.”
What about Yan?
The call ended with a soft click and the silence that followed was heavy and suffocating.
You are harming her. Not physically, yet you are in her head. I can hear it in her voice.
For a moment, none of us moved.
Her sisters stared at me.
Their emotions flickered across their faces—hope, fear, love, and a fierce need to protect Moni.
I stood rooted to the spot.
Numbness crept over me.
I didn’t know what Moni had done to get that phone call but I would give her the world when we reunited.
Because her voice had saved me tonight.
Had God answered my prayers?
Had He made it happen to show me the evidence of His power?
Or was it the both of them—God and Moni working together to make sure all of us survived?
It didn’t matter.
I wouldn’t question it.
No.
I would bask in it.
I would cover this moment of hearing her voice over my soul like a blanket.
I would replay the phone call over and over until I fell asleep.
I put the phone in my pocket and looked at her sisters. “Well. . .that was good.”
“It was.” To my surprise TT stepped forward and wrapped her small arms around me in a tight hug.
What? Why is she doing this?
Her warmth pressed into my body, grounding me in the moment.
Before I could react, Jo and Chloe followed. Their arms wrapped around me too, creating a cocoon of comfort I didn’t know I needed.
Oh my God. I. . .love them already.
I stood there, frozen, unsure of what to do with the sudden affection. I wasn’t used to this—being hugged, being held like I mattered to someone.
Not outside of Moni.
It wasn’t until Chloe leaned her head against my chest that I felt it—a single tear slipping from the corner of my eye, trailing down my cheek.
Tonight, I’d cried more than I had in several years.
These sweet sisters weren’t hugging me just for Moni. They were hugging me because, in that moment, I needed it too.
I wiped the tear away quickly but the warmth of their embrace lingered, sinking deep into the cracks I didn’t know were there.
This is truly my family now.
Not just Moni, but these girls too—Jo, Chloe, TT.
They were part of this, part of me.
Tomorrow, I would fight for them too with everything I had.
I gently pulled away, offering them a small, grateful smile. “Thank you. I really needed that.”
“Yeah.” TT nodded.
I cleared my throat. “Alright. Moni’s orders. Let’s all get some sleep.”
They nodded, though I could see the reluctance in their eyes.
Jo hesitated for a moment, her hand lingering on my arm before she gave me one last look that said, we’re in this together .
I blinked. “We’ll. . .see her tomorrow.”
As they shuffled off toward their beds, I stood there for a moment, watching them go.
The tension of the night pressed down on me, but for the first time since Moni had been taken, I felt something I hadn’t allowed myself to feel in hours.
Hope.
She was surviving.
If she could survive, so could I.
I exhaled slowly, rubbing the back of my neck.
Tomorrow was a new day.
It would bring a new battle—one I intended to win.
My father had no idea what was coming for him.
Weeks earlier I secretly thought I might hesitate for a few seconds with killing my father.
Now. . .
Instantly, the image came to me as if it had been waiting all along, lurking in the corners of my mind.
The sword, Soaring Precious .
Sleek.
Polished.
Deadly.
In my mind, I stood over my father with the cold steel of the sword resting against his throat.
His eyes—those chilling, dark eyes—stared up at me, filled with that smug, condescending look he always wore.
But this time, he wouldn’t be in control.
This time, I held all the power.
He wouldn’t flinch.
Of course, he wouldn’t.
My father would die the same way he lived—arrogant, unrepentant, and cruel.
In the end, it didn’t matter to me how he died, just as long as he did.
I imagined driving the sword through his chest, feeling the resistance of bone and muscle before the blade sank deep into his heart.
I could see the blood pouring from the wound, hot and dark, soaking into the ground beneath him.
And I saw how his eyes widened and the smugness fading into nothingness.
I was going to kill him.
I wouldn’t hesitate.
This wasn’t just about revenge. It was justice—justice for everything he’d taken, for everything he’d twisted and broken in his endless quest for legacy.
Because tomorrow, I would fight like hell for the new family I’d just found—and the woman I would never let go of again.
When it was over, we all would finally be free.