28. Do Something About It
Chapter twenty-eight
Do Something About It
Lei
The sound of the DJ’s music from the cookout drifted through the garden. It was a stark contrast to the violence simmering under the surface of the table that I sat at.
In fact, the high-energy beats and laughter seemed a world away.
“Let’s just get this over with.” I glanced around the table. “Maybe, we should start with Banks, since he’s the one that went crying to Mommy.”
“Thank you, Lei, but I’ll be the one starting.” Dima gestured to his man who held a recording device.
The man came over, turned on the device and placed it at the center of the table.
“We are now on the record. This is an official Diamond Syndicate meeting addressing Law 480. The complainant is Banks from Rowe Street Mob. The defendant is Lei from the Four Aces.” Dima pulled out his notebook and laid it on the table. “I ask that any threats or attempts of violence are avoided, so that Barbara Whiskers and I can get to that carousel.”
“Sounds good to me.” I nodded. “However, let’s put on the record that Banks came to the East with weapons to attack me.”
Marcelo spoke, “And add that Duck attempted to sneak Chinese stars into the meeting.”
Dima scowled at the both of us. “Silence.”
I pursed my lips.
Dima glanced at me and then him. “Will this be our future? You two constantly bickering like children over a new toy?”
“It won’t be our future, Dima.” I shook my head. “Because I’m no fortune teller, but something tells me that many of the people across the table from me, may not even be here in the days to come.”
Marcelo frowned. “I want the record to show that Lei made a threat towards us. Therefore, in the future, if I so happen to crack his face bone into many shattered pieces it was due to this intense feeling that I needed to protect myself.”
“It wasn’t a threat.” I wagged my finger. “It was merely a premonition.”
“Enough.” Dima looked down at his cat who had opened her eyes. “Even Barbara is annoyed at this childishness.”
With that, Dima patted the feline who responded with a purring sound before nuzzling back to sleep. "Let's get on with it. Banks, go ahead.”
“Yeah.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “Let’s hear it.”
Banks cleared his throat. “Lei spotted my cousin in Glory after tracking his father. Apparently, his father had put the tracker on my cousin so that would happen.”
Dima turned to me. “And upon meeting Moni, when did you realize that she was Banks’s cousin?”
“I had some knowledge that she had relatives in the South. It wasn’t until much later in the day when I realized that she was related to Banks.”
“And when you discovered that connection, what did you do?”
“I proceeded with my wants and needs.”
Banks shifted in his seat. “What the hell kind of answer is that?”
Dima sighed. “Could you expound, Lei.”
“Expound?”
“Elaborate. Explain. Give a fucking account.”
“Oh yes. I can expound.” I uncrossed my arms, placed my hands on the table and threaded my fingers together. “We should start at the moment I saw Moni. I was not in my right mind over Chanel’s death and my need for revenge. Add that to the record.”
Dima nodded. “Your mourning will be taken into account.”
“So when I saw Moni, I felt this massive sense of. . .peace and. . .I just wanted to keep her near me.”
Marcelo glared. “That’s no fucking defense for not calling Banks or me.”
“Later that night, I saw her dressed in this gown and. . .and it was then that I decided that I wanted her.”
Banks sneered.
“So, I pulled the handcuffs out that I’d already had in my pocket for her—”
“Handcuffs!?” Banks hit the table.
Chen raised his hand. “I would like to add something to explain the handcuffs.”
Dima nodded. “Go ahead, Chen.”
Chen adjusted his glasses. “Earlier that day, Monique had saw her father’s dead body, became so overwhelmed with grief, stress, and heartbreak that. . .she tried to jump off the building to commit suicide.”
Banks parted his lips. “What?”
Chen pointed to Duck. “My brother saved her, leaping off the cliff too right as she. . .well. . .he saved her. Please add that to the record.”
Banks blinked and looked at Duck. “She said something about Duck having her back, but she didn’t. . .break that down too much.”
“Surely, it is understandable that she didn’t want to admit all of that,” Chen continued. “When Lei and I saw this. . .situation, we rushed out onto the balcony and Lei. . .who had clearly been mentally unstable himself, put handcuffs on her wrist and his so she wouldn’t harm herself anymore.”
Dima opened his notebook and jotted down some words.
Gunner looked down at the table.
“Still. . .” Marcelo wore this sad expression. “All the more reason to call us once you knew, I could have—”
“By the time I knew,” I shook my head. “I didn’t want her to leave my side and wasn’t going to let her leave my side even if she wanted to go.”
Marcelo quirked his brows. “Excuse me?”
“You fucking heard me.”
Banks looked at Dima. “You heard that? His own statement says that is kidnapping.”
Dima turned to me. “Perhaps. . .you should. . .expound. . .”
“Aww.” I touched my chest. “You want me to further explain?”
“Yes.” Dima frowned. “And do so quickly.”
“I saw her. I wanted her. Very badly.” Glaring at Marcelo, I leaned forward. “And so I took her and I’m not giving her back to anyone . Ever.”
Now do something about it?
Banks pulled the toothpick out of his mouth and I knew deep in my core that he was ready to risk it all and fight me.
Violence radiated off him as he twisted that toothpick in his fingers from side to side over and over.
Knowing his right-hand man very well, Marcelo placed a hand on his shoulder.
That didn’t stop Banks from twisting that toothpick.
“Alright. Thank you for your. . .explanation, Lei.” Dima tapped his pen against the notebook. “However, I think that we are missing the most important part of this.”
“Naw, Dima.” Banks shook his head. “Motherfucker sounded clear to me.”
“He did.” Dima nodded. “However, did Moni want to leave. I think that is the bigger question.”
“It doesn’t matter if my cousin wanted to leave.” Banks voice rose. “Motherfucker wasn’t going to let her go anyway. He just said that. In fact, I sent men to the goddamn mountain to protect her and I still haven’t heard from them. Where are they?”
I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms over my chest. “You mean you sent men into my territory without getting approval from me—”
“Chen okayed it.”
“Chen’s not the Mountain Master. I am and that was my fucking mountain.”
Marcelo sneered. “Where are my men?”
“Healing on that very mountain. Many of their injures should be good to go by the end of the month. In fact, God willing. . .” I grinned. “Most will even be able to walk.”
All three of them shifted—Marcelo, Gunner, and Banks.
I focused all of my attention on Banks. “Let’s be real about why you sent those men. You knew Moni didn’t want to leave, so you sent those men as a test just to show her that I was a monster.”
“And you passed that test, you fucking psychopath.”
“Here’s a little wake-up call for you, Banks. I never claimed to be anything but a monster. And once your cousin saw it, she accepted it.”
“Bullshit.” Banks looked at Dima. “Do you believe it?”
Dima spoke, “I agree with Banks on this one. The sort of woman that I am learning that Moni is, makes me think she didn’t take to kindly to that sort of display of violence.”
I gritted my teeth.
Dima wrote a note. “Did she want to leave in that moment?”
“Moni’s not a helpless damsel in distress. She took charge on that mountain and ended up positioning herself to be a Friend of the Four Aces .”
Dima looked up from his notebook. “You didn’t answer my question.”
Chen jumped in. “There was not a clear declaration from Monique that she wanted to leave in that moment.”
Dima watched me. “Was it inferred?”
I undid my fingers and ran my hand through my hair.
Dima looked at the device. “Let the record show that Lei from the Four Aces is avoiding the question.”
I sighed. “She probably wanted to leave in that hour but by the end of the night she was fine with staying.”
Dima raised the pen in the air. “Or did she feel forced to stay?”
Banks scoffed.
“Listen.” I unfolded my arms and placed my hands back on the table. “We are together now. Regardless of what happened on that mountain, she has stepped into the position of my Mountain Mistress. She has her own men—”
“She has your men.” Banks pointed at me. “That doesn’t count.”
“My father gave her an army of men.”
Shock hit everyone’s faces, even Duck. It appeared that Chen had not told him about her new properties.
I continued, “He also gave her several properties within the Four Aces that puts her on equal footing with me. So much that. . .she may be making important decisions in the future that would not only impact the Four Aces but our position in the Diamond Syndicate. And if you don’t believe me, then ask her.”
Marcelo and Banks exchanged glances.
Dima scribbled notes.
Marcelo eyed me. “I want Rowe Street Mob’s lawyers to go over all paperwork that she has signed and will have to sign in the future.”
“Is that what you want?”
“Yes.”
“Fuck you. That will never happen.”
“Fuck me?” Marcelo touched his chest and then pointed to me. “No. Fuck you—”
“Alright. Alright. Fuck everybody.” Dima closed the notebook. “I’ve heard enough.”
We turned our views to him.
Dima’s cat purred as if to second his impending judgment.
Dima’s gaze swept over us all before he cleared his throat. “After reviewing the details and hearing all parties involved, I have reached my judgment.”
I sat back in my chair, trying to keep my expression neutral, though the anger seethed just below the surface. I was ready for whatever was coming, but I didn’t like the way Dima’s eyes narrowed as he prepared to speak.
There were many ways he could lay down his judgement. Execution if he truly wanted to, but that would never happen. Some had gone into his dungeon for violating Law 480, but I knew he needed me to handle my father so I was pretty sure that was out.
Therefore, he could hand Rowe Street Mob a judgement that would give them more power and place them in a higher position with the Diamond Syndicate.
And then there were all types of penalties.
“Regarding Law 480,” Dima continued, “it has been determined that it was not violated in this case."
Oh.
I blinked.
Thank you, Dima.
Chen blew out a long breath on my side as if he had been holding it in this whole time.
Dima continued, “The records and testimonies indicate that while Lei's actions were extreme and unorthodox , they do not fall under the purview of Law 480.”
Marcelo’s face reddened with frustration.
Dima shrugged. “The law is designed to address specific inhumane breaches toward Diamond Syndicate family. Things like a Syndicate family member raping, beating, kidnapping, and/or killing another’s family member for no excusable reason but greed and other wicked things.”
Banks hit the table. “Are you kidding me? He admitted to kidnapping my cousin. He clearly didn’t follow the law!”
“He admitted that he would kidnap her, but she sounded like a willing party throughout at least 90% of her stay—”
“What about Stockton Syndrome?”
“You mean Stockholm Syndrome and I bet that if I had Moni come to this table, she would confirm that she was very willing .” Dima gestured to Lotus Blossom. “Banks, would you like your cousin to give her statement? She expressed that she wanted to earlier.”
Marcelo answered for him. “No.”
“I didn’t think so.” Dima closed his notebook. “In this situation, Lei’s actions, however questionable , do not constitute a clear violation in regard to Law 480.”
The cat purred louder.
“Barbara agrees with me.” He stroked the cat’s fur as if to emphasize the point.
Banks opened his mouth to retort, but Dima held up a hand. “Let me finish. While Law 480 was not violated, it does not mean Lei’s actions were without consequence."
What?
I tensed.
He continued, “The Four Aces did not handle the situation appropriately.”
Chen wiped away the sweat beading on his forehead. After tomorrow, I would have to give my cousin a short vacation. His stress levels were climbing higher and higher each day.
Dima pointed to me. “For that reason, the Four Aces will be penalized.”
I spoke through clenched teeth, “What kind of penalty?”
Dima’s gaze turned cold, letting me know that all patience had left him and if I did push it. . .he was more than willing to risk any rules and shoot all of us.
His position as Syndicate Leader meant that him and his men were the only ones at the meeting with weapons. And I knew for a fact that he had two guns under that open suit jacket of his.
Fine.
I pursed my lips.
Dima scowled at me. “The East’s next shipment of firearms to the South will be free of charge.”
Goddamn it.
This month, Marcelo had ordered a large shipment of firearms, including rifles and automatic weapons. He was expected to pay around five million for it all.
Marcelo curled his lips into a smile.
Dima raised one finger in the air. “The South will not be required to pay a single penny. This is a gesture of goodwill to mitigate the consequences of the Four Aces’ actions.”
My anger flared. “ I am footing the bill?”
Dima remained impassive. “It is my judgement.”
Banks smirked. “What about my men? The ones Lei beat up?”
Dima shook his head slowly. “I do agree with Lei that you sent those men to be injured deliberately, as part of a test . As such, Lei will be expected to ensure their recovery by the end of the month. However, Rowe Street Mob will be required to compensate them for any financial damages incurred during their treatment.”
Dima’s gaze turned back to Marcelo. “Furthermore, your actions were not without fault either. Rowe Street Mob should have come to me as soon as they knew Moni was involved. Acting independently in Diamond Syndicate territory warrants a small penalty also.”
"Most of it happened in Glory,” Marcelo offered.
“That still covers the Diamond Syndicate territory. Shall I draw you a map?”
“No,” he grumbled. “What’s the penalty?”
Dima’s voice was steely. “I was told by my people in Glory that a hotel was destroyed due to a childish fight between Rowe Street Mob and Four Aces. You will foot the bill for that and any other damages that involved you all acting on your own.”
Marcelo looked pissed.
Dima placed his notebook in his jacket. “Meeting adjourned.”
With that, he picked up Barbara Whiskers, stood, and headed toward the carousel.
Dima’s men waited around for us to leave, making sure that we would not fight.
Immediately Rowe Street Mob rose together and headed away with very pissed expressions.
I glanced at Chen. “Not bad.”
Chen shrugged. “Your taking Monique cost us five million dollars.”
“As far as I’m concerned, that’s a deal.” I stood and shrugged. “Moni’s worth way more than that.”
Chen groaned in annoyance. “Just make sure that from here on out we handle things under the Syndicate law.”
“Sure.” I walked off and kept my voice low. “That’s of course besides us killing Marcelo.”
“About that.” Chen sighed. “I think that we should not proceed—”
“Did you see how he greeted her—”
“Yes, I did, but if Marcelo dies not even Dima would need to use brain power to solve the case. Everyone would think it was you.”
“Let’s just find a way—”
“I firmly believe that we cannot do this and I will not help you.”
I frowned. “Okay. . .let’s discuss this again in a few weeks.”
Chen rolled his eyes.
I headed toward Lotus Blossom.
Now that all of the Syndicate bullshit was done, it was time to get back to celebrating with Moni and her sisters.
And why the hell did she want Einstein to go off with her?