Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 112567 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 563(@200wpm)___ 450(@250wpm)___ 375(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112567 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 563(@200wpm)___ 450(@250wpm)___ 375(@300wpm)
My frown deepened. “There’s no God.”
Chen cleared his throat. “It’s going to start getting dark soon and. . .we’ve had a rough day. Perhaps we should follow our aunts’ strategy and check in at the Royal Palm too. It could be our headquarters. We can start back up in the morning—”
“There’s nothing but us animals on this planet.” I shook my head. “No God. Just vile creatures roaming and preying, fucking and killing.”
“Lei.”
I looked at him.
“You need a break, cousin.”
“I can’t rest.” I gritted my teeth. “I have to finish this before he hurts more—”
“You’re not a machine.” Chen placed his hand on my shoulder. “A robot could keep going without having to deal with emotion, without needing rest or food.”
“I don’t rest until—”
“You need to sleep!” Chen moved his hand and then brushed down his jacket as if raising his voice wrinkled his clothes. His next words were calm. “You need food. Something you have not considered for days.”
“I slept on the way here and I had a bowl of rice this morning.”
“You slept for barely thirty minutes, and that bowl of rice was yesterday morning. And you didn’t eat the whole bowl, you had two spoonfuls of rice and pushed the bowl away.” Chen held out his hands. “I’m concerned.”
“Put your concern somewhere else.” I looked over his shoulder and gazed at Monique on the balcony. “If there was a God, then why would He take Chanel away from me? And why would He take Monique’s father away from her? She seems like a good person.”
“Everything happens for a reason, Lei.”
“Meanwhile, God let my father live. That’s bullshit.” I fisted my hands. “He let him run around and kill everyone in his path.”
“Later in our life, death makes sense.”
“Fuck making sense.” I clenched my teeth. “Fuck God.”
On the balcony, Monique left Duck’s hug and stepped back. Her mouth moved. I couldn’t tell if Duck was responding to her, since his back was to me. But she began frantically talking to him.
I quirked my brows. “Chen, tell me what Monique is saying to Duck on the balcony.”
He turned around. “You want me to read her lips?”
“Yes.”
Sighing, he squinted his eyes. “Okay. She’s saying. . .something about a sister. No. Several sisters.”
Monique pointed in our direction.
“Okay.” Chen nodded his head. “She is telling Duck to give the money to her sisters.”
I raised my eyebrows.
Chen squinted. “They’re in the South of Paradise.”
That’s right. She has family in the South.
On the balcony, Duck bobbed his head.
Monique stepped back. Relief covered her face. She gave him a sad smile and said something else.
“What did she say?”
Chen frowned. “She said, ‘thank you, Duck.’”
My body tensed.
Monique turned around and then she ran in the wrong direction.
What is she doing?!
Instead of heading to the penthouse, she raced toward the balcony’s edge.
Duck sped after Monique.
No!
“Stop her!” Frantic, I rushed forward too, leaping over dead bodies and shoving cops out the way.
Chen hurried with me. “She’s trying to kill herself!”
No shit.
Each step Monique made forward my heartbeat increased. Duck was so close to her. He reached out to grab her and missed by an inch.
I slid the glass door open so fast my fingers burned. “Get her, Duck!”
“Don’t do it, Monique!” Duck reached for her arm.
Three feet from the ledge, she leaped in the air.
“Get her!” I roared. The words vibrated through my whole chest. My soul ached as I pushed myself to go faster. I was almost there.
But her body propelled forward.
God, no!
She rose higher, soaring ahead. Her feet touched the top of the railing.
“No!” My throat burned.
Fast, Duck leaped after her and grabbed her waist.
Watch out!
For a second, I thought they both would fall over the balcony. In mid-air, Duck whipped his feet in the opposite direction, twisting him and Monique backward. They both crashed to the ground.
I got to them and fell to my knees.
Duck let Monique go and spun away.
I grabbed her hard by the arms and yanked her up to me. Rage blazed through my blood. My eyes must’ve been wild and crazy.
Monique shook in fear.
“Is that what I needed to see today?!” I reared my face in her view. Barely two inches separated our noses. She trembled. I tightened my grip. “You think I needed to see another beautiful woman’s dead body this month?”
“No,” she cried.
“Is that what you thought?!”
More tears left her eyes. “N-no.”
“Kill yourself in front of someone else!”
“I-I’m sorry.”
“Okay, Lei. She’s fine.” Chen tried to move me away from her. “Calm down.”
I didn’t let her go. I kept my grip. Frantic, I assessed her body. I lifted her arms, checked her hands, and turned over her palms. I went to her legs next, making sure she didn’t break a bone or sprain an ankle.
She blinked. “I’m not. . .hurt.”
Dried blood smeared her face. She was shaken and distraught. More tears spilled from her eyes.