31. The Third Damn Time
Chapter thirty-one
The Third Damn Time
Moni
Lei remained in the doorway. His presence was imposing and his eyes were locked onto Einstein’s retreating figure with a look that could have turned anyone to stone. I could see it in his stance—the tightly coiled muscles, the set jaw, the flash of something dangerous in his eyes.
Lei looked like he wanted to tear Einstein apart, piece by piece.
Without saying goodbye, Einstein strode out of the library and Lei directed his view to me.
Tension thickened in the room, but at least his expression softened and that dangerous flash left his eyes.
Lei stepped inside. “Your sisters sound like they love the house.”
“I think they do.”
“My aunts are helping them set up their new clothes.”
“I bet they are.”
Lei closed the door behind him and the lock clicked. “We should talk.”
“We should.”
Lei’s gaze shifted to dark and unreadable. “I know you grew up with many in Rowe Street Mob, but I would rather you not be alone with them.”
“Are you referring to my talking to Einstein in here by ourselves?”
“I am.”
“That’s family.”
The line of his jaw twitched. “Still, don’t be alone with him or others.”
“I can’t promise that. If the situation calls for it, Lei, then I will be alone with them.”
He stepped forward. “Then, make sure the situation doesn’t call for it.”
I raised my eyebrows. “How long were you standing there?”
“Long enough to hear your unwavering loyalty for the East.” Lei stopped in front of me, keeping five feet of space between us.
I held his gaze. “Since I have you here and am feeling pretty damn bold today, we should talk about your plans for the South.”
Lei’s eyes narrowed and his jaw twitched. “What plans?”
“Whatever plans you have.”
“There are no plans.”
I studied him. “Are you lying to me?”
He looked away. “The grill off will be soon. Everyone had been heading down there, so we should—”
“You locked the door like we had all the time in the world. Now we don’t?”
“I changed my mind. It would be better to end this cookout faster—”
“Or you’re avoiding this discussion.”
“We said we would talk about Marcelo and his bullshit later.”
“Now is later.”
“No. Later would be in a few days.”
“Do you have plans for the South that involve death and/or violence?”
That line of his jaw twitched again.
"We will talk about this later.” His refusal to discuss it only confirmed my suspicions.
Whatever he was planning for the South, it wasn’t anything good. That realization sent a chill down my spine, but I couldn’t let it show.
Like his farther, Lei was calculating, always thinking five steps ahead.
I sighed. “Whatever you’re planning, I need to know.”
He didn’t move, didn’t blink. For a moment, it was as if he was made of stone.
Then, he exhaled sharply, his eyes darkening even further. “They came to the East with bullshit.”
“And it was handled. Right?” I blinked. “What happened in the meeting?”
“The Four Aces was financially penalized which ended up being a fine—”
“Then, it’s settled.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Marcelo had his arms around you and then he lifted you up in the air which means that he probably had his fucking mouth on your chest or neck—”
“He didn’t.”
“He was testing me—”
“And you did fine—”
“No.” He shook his head. “I don’t like to be played with and Rowe Street Mob must understand that.”
I swallowed hard. “So what are you going to do? And don’t lie to me.”
“We’re not doing this right now.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re not going to like the answer and I don’t know how to avoid saying it to you.”
“So? Couples have difficult discussions all the time. As long as we are honest and respectful toward each other during the conversation, everything should be fine.”
He pursed his lips.
“So. . .” I held out my hands. “What are your plans for the South?”
He ran his fingers through his hair and looked everywhere else but me.
“Okay then. Tell me why you don’t want Jo in the South.”
“It would be better for all of you to be settled in the East which means not visiting the South for a few months—”
“Are you insane?”
Lei scowled.
“We will go in and out of the East whenever we please. We don’t need to sit in the East to get used to it.”
“I don’t want you in the South.”
“Why not? What are your plans for the South?”
His jaw clenched and he finally met my gaze again. A storm swirled in his eyes. Then, with a low, measured tone, he said, “Do you remember what I did to Banks’s men?”
My breath hitched. “You’re going to beat Marcelo up?”
“Or. . .more.”
“More? What the fuck does that mean?”
“I’m not going to let him continue to disrespect—”
“What does more mean?” I headed over to him. “Because like. . .we already talked about this on Mount Utopia and we discussed this in the garden last night. And I made myself very clear that you will not harm them because they are my family. So. . .honestly, I’m confused.”
“Your blood runs through Banks’s veins but not Marcelo, Einstein, Gunnar or—”
“Now you’re telling me who my family is?”
“This is why we should table this conversation for a later time.”
“No. I want to talk about this now because it sounds like you’re on some bullshit.”
“Me? No. It’s them.”
“Let it go. Forget about the damn hug. I handled it.”
“I’m not letting that hug go.”
“I handled it.”
“You did enough for that moment, but I didn’t get my chance.”
“Lei, this is not high school. You will not be fighting Marcelo over me.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t want to do this right now. What I want is to kiss you and touch you for a few minutes before we head outside.”
“Promise me that you won’t fight Marcelo or plan any violence in the South.”
He pursed his lips.
“Lei. . .promise me.”
“You want honesty?”
“Yes.”
“And I want his blood and his brain splattered all over the fucking pavement.”
I widened my eyes in horror.
The silence in the library was deafening. Thoughts raced through my mind, colliding with each other so rapidly that they were turning into an incoherent mess.
“You can’t. . .do that,” I barely managed to whisper. “It would ruin me. . .it would ruin us.”
“I will never touch Banks, but Marcelo—”
“No.”
He parted his lips.
“Like. . .hell to the no. If something happens to Marcelo, then. . .”
He raised one eyebrow.
“Lei. . .I could never stay with you.” I shook my head. “Let it all go.”
“Another man had his hands all over your body. Do you understand who I am? How I grew up?”
“Lei, we’re building something here. It’s healing. It’s new love. It’s bettering the East. Don’t fuck everything up by breaking my heart.” I touched my chest. “Because. . .I wouldn’t survive if Marcelo weren’t on this Earth anymore or if any of the others were seriously harmed. We discussed this already. Tell me you understand now.”
He stood silent.
My heart pounded.
I stared at Lei.
The raw intensity in his eyes and the cold determination in his voice from earlier. . .it all terrified me in a way I hadn’t expected. This wasn’t just about a grudge or wounded pride; this was about something much deeper, something that could destroy everything we had built together.
“Let it go.” I shivered.
He didn’t respond immediately, just kept his eyes on me, a storm of emotions swirling in their depths.
I could see the conflict in him, the push and pull of his loyalty to his selfish possessive ways and his feelings for me. But I knew I had to reach him, to make him see reason before it was too late.
“You’re angry, Lei and you have every right to be. Marcelo crossed a line, but violence isn’t the answer. Not this time. Not with everything we have at stake.”
He clenched his jaw, looking away from me as if he couldn’t bear to hear my words. “It’s not just about anger, Moni. It’s about respect . If I let this go, if I don’t respond. . .they’ll think they can do whatever they want to you—”
"Never. You’ve proven yourself time and time again. The South knows you’re a force to be reckoned with. But this—this isn’t about proving anything to anyone. This is about us. About our future. And if you go down this path, if you let your anger control you, then. . .”
“Then what?”
I tensed. “You’ll lose me.”
His gaze snapped back to mine.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to stay strong. “I love you, Lei, but I can’t stay with someone who would kill my family. You asked for my loyalty and I’ve given it to you. But you have to understand that my loyalty to my family runs just as deep. Marcelo may not be perfect, but he’s still my blood. If you go after him, you’re not just going after him—you’re going after me , too.”
"Moni—”
“It’s the truth.”
He parted his lips and then closed his mouth.
“And I don’t want to talk about this anymore. This is the third conversation and I’m still standing in the same position of no violence. No death. What the fuck, Lei?”
I could see the internal battle he was fighting. I knew this wasn’t easy for him. He had been raised in a world where power was everything, where respect was earned through fear and violence.
Leo was his father for God’s sake, but we were trying to build something different—something stronger, based on trust, mutual respect, and love.
He sneered. “So just stand by and let Marcelo do whatever he wants?”
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. “No. I said death and violence are off the table. You want to hurt him any other way, then. . .all is fair in love and war.”
“Any other way?”
“Be petty. Hit him with his money or something like that under Diamond Syndicate Laws and all that, but don’t kill him, Lei. Jesus Christ.”
His mouth tightened in a thin line.
I stepped closer, grabbing his hand and pulling him toward me. His body was stiff, rigid with the anger he was barely holding back.
I knew what he wanted to do—what he was capable of doing—and it terrified me.
But I couldn’t let him go down that path.
Why is he so fucking stubborn sometimes?
“Lei,” I got on my toes and kissed his cheek, hoping to soothe the fury simmering beneath the surface. “You don’t have to do this.”
He looked down at me. “Moni. . .”
"You want to kill Marcelo and it isn’t because of any love for me, it’s about power. It’s about control. It’s about showing the world that no one can touch what belongs to you without facing the consequences.”
Slowly, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him even closer, pressing my lips to his in a gentle, lingering kiss. I poured everything I had into that kiss—all the love, all the hope for our future. I needed him to feel it, to understand that this was worth more than any revenge he could ever seek.
And as I kissed him, I felt his body start to relax, the tight lines of tension easing away as he responded to me.
Groaning, his hands found my hips and he pulled me closer, deepening the kiss.
When I finally pulled back, my lips were just inches from his.
I whispered, “If you respond to every slight with violence. Then, that’s not love, Lei. That’s fear. And fear isn’t what’s going to hold us together.”
“I barely understand what you’re trying to tell me. It’s all foreign to how I was raised.”
“Well this is why you’re different from Leo. You have your Mom inside of your heart too and you’re always willing to listen to me and change.”
For the first time since walking in the library, he smirked, “Is that right?”
“Yes. You plan to listen to me all of the time because I’m the smartest person that you know.”
His smirk grew into a full-blown smile. "The smartest person I know, huh?"
"Absolutely."
He leaned in, whispering against my lips, "And what if I told you that it's one of the things I love most about you?"
My heart fluttered at his words. "Then I'd say you have excellent taste."
This time, his lips met mine in a kiss that was deep and tender, a kiss that spoke of everything we had been through, all the pain and all the passion, all the fears and all the hopes.
As our lips moved together, I felt a warmth spreading through me, chasing away the cold dread that had settled in my heart earlier from his wish for death.
He let go of my waist and cupped my face with his hands as if he were afraid I might slip away, if he didn’t hold on tight enough.
God, I’m absolutely in love with him.
His kiss deepened, becoming more urgent as if he were trying to convey everything, he felt for me through that one simple act.
And I responded, pouring my own emotions into the kiss, letting him know without words that I understood, that I was with him, that we would face whatever came our way together.
I just wanted him to sink into my love and let go of all that bullshit hate.
When we finally pulled back, just a fraction, he rested his forehead against mine.
And I tried to catch my breath.
My lips tingled from the intensity of the kiss, but all I could focus on was the look in his eyes—a look that told me he felt it too, that he was as lost in me as I was in him.
“Lei,” I whispered.
“Yes?”
“Do you really want to get revenge and miss all of this?”
He tensed against me. “This?”
I moved my head away. “All my sweet kisses. I like to think that I’m a good kisser.”
“You are.”
“If you don’t let it go, you will lose my kisses. . .and more.”
"You’re playing dirty.”
“I must.”
“I don’t like the idea of letting go.”
“But you do like the idea of fucking me?”
“Never question that.”
“Well how could I not? You’re all focused on Marcelo, instead of being good at this cookout so you can get a show.” I knew he was trying to keep a stern expression but a smile broke out on his face instead.
And then he shook his head. “I really am pussy whipped.”
I blinked. “Lei, can you stop saying that?”
“I am.” He lowered his hands and captured my waist again. “You’re telling me what to do and I’m over here considering it like it’s fucking law.”
“That’s not being pussy whipped that’s having a good loving relationship.”
“Says the one that’s in control.”
I laughed. “I am telling the truth.”
“You’re using your pussy to control my mind.”
I sucked my teeth.
“And it’s working.”
I tensed. “Is it?”
“Yes.”
“You’re going to let it go?”
“I don’t want to, but. . .I don’t want to lose you either.”
“After this third conversation, you are finally going to drop any plans for the South?”
“I don’t want to.”
I pursed my lips.
“But. . .I. . .yeah. . .I’ll let them live.”
“Jesus Christ.”
“Chen and my father thought I shouldn’t do it anyway.”
“What the fuck? You already talked about bothering the South with them?”
“It was brought up.”
I wanted to ask more, but then suddenly, Aunt Min’s voice rang out from outside, echoing through the library like an unwelcomed intruder.
“Monique! Lei! Where are you two?!” Aunt Min’s voice boomed, crackling slightly with feedback from the speakers, making it even more grating on the ears.
The noise was so sudden, so jarring, that it broke the delicate spell Lei and I had been under.
I smiled. “She must have grabbed the DJ’s microphone.”
Lei groaned in annoyance.
Aunt Min’s voice rose even louder. “I hope you two are not doing anything naughty! We are all very hungry and it is time for the Grill Off!”
I got out of his hold. “You heard her. We should head out and watch my new chef whip Banks’s ass on the grill.”
Lei grumbled under his breath, “This fucking cookout.”