42. This is Bigger Than Treasure
Chapter forty-two
This is Bigger Than Treasure
Moni
As I stood there, frozen in shock, the image on the iPad burned into my mind. The dead white cat, limp in Dima’s lap, its fur stained with blood. Dima’s tears flowing down his face as he stroked the cat, trying to comfort a creature that was already gone. Rose sitting beside him, lost and suffering.
My heart clenched painfully.
Leo had done it—he had crossed a line that wasn’t about power or control. He had hurt Dima in the most intimate, unexpected way. And now, he sat here, watching us with that eerie, emotionless smile, as if the death of the cat meant nothing.
Because to him, it probably didn’t.
It was just a move in his twisted game, a means to get Dima’s attention and remind him who held the power.
But to Dima?
To Rose?
God, they would be broken. This didn’t seem like it was just a pet.
Dima would be shattered.
And Rose—how would she feel knowing that she was possibly the reason Dima’s cat was dead?
A sense of dread washed over me.
What if this broke them?
My throat tightened and I had to force myself to breathe.
I did my best to appear as calm as I could, but on the inside, I was crumbling.
Because I knew—this was just the beginning.
Leo wasn’t finished with us yet.
This was only the first step in whatever twisted plan he had in mind and I was terrified of what would come next.
We stared at Leo, waiting for the sick bastard to answer us.
When he did, he simply shrugged. “I know you’re not happy with that image on the iPad, but I just wanted you to see why you should be careful during my visit here. I wouldn’t want to harm Dima tonight. Not when all is going well with the Diamond Syndicate.”
Now that Barbara Whiskers is gone, all might not be well.
He placed his view on me. “I believe after this cookout Rowe Street Mob and the Four Aces, will be on a path to harmony.”
I frowned. “Dima will be pissed about Barbara Whiskers—”
“ I did that. Not Lei. He will want revenge from me . If Lei is victorious, he will show Dima my head tomorrow night. All will be fine.”
Song—finally done licking the plate—sighed and set it down on the table next to him. “I think it is time to go, brother. Moni is here. If Rowe Street Mob finds out what’s going on, things can get tricky.”
I blinked. “What do you mean? Moni is here. W-what does that have to do with anything?”
TT frowned as she watched me.
Whatever he wanted, he would get it.
I know this motherfucker isn’t about to kidnap me again.
Lei must have understood my thinking too. “Fuck no. You’re not taking Moni anywhere.”
“We must.” Leo held up his free hand. “Now, why don’t we all take a deep breath and enjoy this moment together? No need for rash decisions. You know what happens when people act recklessly.”
I gripped Lei’s arm, my own fear barely contained.
He was on the edge and I knew what he was capable of when pushed too far. But this wasn’t just about us.
It was about TT, Dima, and Rose too.
“Lei,” I whispered. “Please. . .think about TT. Think about Dima and Rose. We can’t let him hurt them.”
Lei’s fists clenched at his sides. Rage radiated off him in waves, but he didn’t move. His eyes stayed locked on Leo. “Please. . .father. . .don’t do this.”
Leo sat back, clearly enjoying the control he had over us. “Now, where were we? Ah, yes. The map. TT, show Moni and my son the rest of the verses.”
TT scratched the side of her head and then cleared her throat. “Okay.”
She continued to point out verses on the puzzle, but all I could hear was the ticking clock of Leo’s threat, looming over us like a noose tightening around our necks.
And Leo—he just went back to smiling that cruel, soulless smile.
My stomach twisted and I couldn’t stop the trembling that had taken over my hands.
The image of the dead men on the ceiling flashed in my mind again too, and I knew—whatever game Leo was playing tonight, this would be dark and possibly nasty.
When TT finished saying all of the verses she spotted on the map, she looked up at me. “I think that all of these will point us to the treasure.”
Leo's eyes glimmered with this calculated intensity as he placed his other hand on TT’s shoulder, like a serpent coiling itself around its prey. “This little girl will not only fully unite the Diamond Syndicate, but she will make us the most powerful and richest organization in the world. Do you understand this?”
Lei scowled. “You think a treasure at the bottom of the lake will have all of those effects?”
“It’s what you all will do to get to the hidden treasure that will unify and strengthen the Syndicate.” Leo moved his hands from TT’s shoulders and then he placed them on the map. Soon, he trailed his fingers across the jagged daggered surface and made a huge circle around the town. “All of this is Dream Lake now.”
Lei’s voice showed he could care less about any of this. “We know that.”
“Yes, son. But. . .in order to get to the treasure,” Leo looked up at us. “you’ll need to drain Dream Lake.”
What?
The room fell silent.
The weight of his words hung in the air like a thick fog.
Lei stepped forward. “That’s impossible.”
His father chuckled. “Is it?”
“It’s a massive lake, father,” Lei countered. “Do you realize how many people would oppose that? Environmentalists alone would raise hell.”
Leo didn’t blink. “Dima is running for mayor, isn’t he? Has he told you?”
“He mentioned it, but I’ve been busy chasing after a psycho maniac. Dima will officially announce it to all of the Syndicate once you’re dead and we can go back to everyday business.”
Leo put his view on the iPad that still showed Dima and Rose on the carousel, surrounded by monks with guns. “Dima will need the votes in order to win. Of course he has the North, but everywhere else in Paradise City will be tricky. We have 1.4 million registered voters in the East.”
Lei narrowed his eyes, clearly not liking where this was headed. “What does that have to do with anything?”
Leo grinned, that eerie smile still twisting his face. “That’s why politicians always want to come to our galas, isn’t it? To prance around, shake hands, and gather favor with our people. The East holds heavy voting power. If Dima wants the East’s votes, he’ll need to back the idea of draining the lake.”
I sucked in a sharp breath, trying to keep my racing thoughts together.
Leo was playing at something bigger than just the treasure. He was weaving politics and power into this mess, manipulating the situation to his advantage, turning everything into a chess game where every piece was a means to an end.
Leo shifted his gaze to me and that sinister grin never wavered. “Monique, I bet you can get Marcelo, Banks, and Einstein to jump on board. The South has strong political influence as well—another million voters.”
I pursed my lips.
“With both the East and the South pushing for it, draining Dream Lake won’t seem so impossible.” Leo turned back to Lei. “And you can talk to Kashmere. The West would want the lake drained too.”
Lei leaned his head to the side. “Would they? Typically, they don’t want people in the West messing with their property due to history.”
"Yes. Yes. This is true.” Leo tapped the map. “But it’s their land, their ancestors’ bones lying at the bottom of Dream Lake. Their history that was covered up when their town was flooded.”
I widened my eyes.
He continued, “The properties that were supposed to pass down through generations, to build their wealth, is buried down there too. Draining the lake would give them back what’s rightfully theirs. It would put the West in an undeniably powerful position. Kashmere would be an idiot to not want that lake drained.”
Goddamn it. He has a point.
The air in the room grew heavier as Leo’s words sank in.
He was right, as much as I hated to admit it. Dream Lake was more than just water—it was history, secrets, wealth buried under years of forgotten legacies.
If Kashmere and the West got their hands on that land, it could shift the balance of power in the West. . .and Leo was counting on it.
I spoke, “But many in Paradise City wouldn’t want the lake drained. Top people whose families probably rose to power due to what was done to Crownsville.”
“Very true, Monique. However, that’s the point of putting Dima in this political position. It’s our city when it comes to crime, but now let it be our city in all ways legal too.”
Lei sighed. “So. . .this isn’t just about treasure.”
“Exactly.” Leo’s smile widened. “Yet, the treasure is the key, son, to open the door to everything else. And once it’s uncovered, it will be the catalyst for everything else. The power, the land, the wealth. . .it’s all there, waiting to be taken by the Diamond Syndicate.”
I considered the other part too. “And. . .any secrets about Crownsville’s Week of Blood will probably be revealed too.”
That was when TT smiled. “And the ghosts may leave and rest in peace because of that.”
“Maybe.” Leo chuckled. “Just maybe. I’ve been around Dream Lake at night. When I first came here, I had nowhere to sleep so I camped out on a bench right by the lake.”
TT widened her eyes. “And did you see ghosts?”
“No. I just felt them. They whispered to me, but I could barely understand them. My English wasn’t as good then and they were speaking so fast.”
I parted my lips.
“But those ghosts never bothered me. Later Kenneth Jones found me on the bench and he was shocked that I was still alive.”
TT turned to him. “Why?”
“At night, the ghosts haunt anyone that isn’t Killer Crows or from the Jones bloodline. And it’s not a nice haunting. They toy with people and drive them to their deaths.”
I stared at the map.
Leo sighed. “Kenneth told me to come to his mansion and sleep inside, but he also said that. . .”
I put my view back on Leo.
“He said that the ghosts probably had a plan for me or my family. That was why they didn’t mess with me.” Leo shook his head. “I never paid much attention to that because I never was around that lake again at night. I didn’t even think about it when Chanel had brought Lei a dagger to his initiation ceremony saying the ghosts wanted him to have it.”
What?
I tensed.
“It was only much much later when Lei started being at the Jones property at night and getting more daggers and. . .never being haunted by the ghosts that I realized. . .maybe just maybe the ghosts left me alone long ago due to Lei.” Then, Leo raised his hand and tapped the side of his head. “And why would they want to protect Lei? Why give him the pieces to a puzzle that would eventually be a treasure map? My son didn’t care about the daggers or any treasure, so why should Lei get them? Was it because they knew the daggers would be safe with him? Or. . .”
I shifted uncomfortably. “Or?”
Leo pointed his finger at TT. “Or did they know that one day those daggers would get to this bright little girl who’s innocent heart is passionate about finding the Bandit’s treasure and revealing all the things done to them? A little girl with Jones blood running through her veins.”
My stomach twisted.
“Of course, these are all guesses but. . .things are going to get more and more interesting once that lake is drained.” Leo let out a long breath. “I think you should have TT go to Dream Lake at night and see if the Bandit comes out to speak to her.”
TT opened her mouth in shock and looked to almost pass out. “Oh my God! Could I, Moni?”
I swallowed. “Let’s just first. . .get through this week, before we start heading to a haunted lake.”
“Aww.” Leo slowly rose. “You are quite correct. I did go on a detour. It is time for us to depart.”
Lei tried to take a step forward.
I got in his way. “Dima. Rose. TT.”
Lei sighed.
Song headed my way. “Do not worry, Lei. It will just be one night away from her, nephew.”
"I don't care if it's just an hour away from her," Lei shot back and then grabbed my arm. "I don't like this. Not one bit. Not after everything that's happened."
I had to admit, I shared his sentiment, but I knew that Leo would easily kill Dima and Rose without any regret. “Leo, let me say goodbye to Lei and then TT, please.”
“Of course.” Leo crossed his arms over his chest. “I have a few things to say to TT, so you and Lei can go out in the hallway and say your goodbyes.”
My nerves flared. “What are you going to say to my sister?”
TT rose to stand. “It will be fine, Moni.”
That told me that Leo had probably been hanging with TT probably the whole cookout. It took a minute for her to be cool around strangers, but he had made quite an impression, possibly helping her solve the dagger puzzle map too.
Song gestured at me. “We need to hurry, Monique. If you’re going to say goodbye to Lei, then do it now.”
Damn it. This motherfucker really is going to kidnap me again. . .
Lei took my hand in his and led me out of the room.
And I could see from his expression that he had a plan to not let me go. It was all in his eyes. There was no way he would be okay with this.
However, I couldn’t get Barbara Whisker’s dead body out of my head and the way Dima continued to stroke her fur.
No. We better not play around with Leo tonight.
No matter what Lei said out in this hallway, I had to get him to understand all the things that were at stake.
The only problem was. . .would he listen?