Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 124836 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 624(@200wpm)___ 499(@250wpm)___ 416(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 124836 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 624(@200wpm)___ 499(@250wpm)___ 416(@300wpm)
But the true highlight was their signature dessert dish named after the restaurant.
The Golden Unicorn dish was a decadent, show-stopping dessert that was adorned with real gold. The mousse was made of some hard-to-get white chocolate from the mountains. The chef had told me once that the mini unicorn-shaped cakes that sat on top of the mousse took them several hours to make.
One had to consider the fact that Chinese Unicorns—known as Quilin—did not look like the unicorns of the West. They were not horse-like creatures with a single spiral horn.
The Quilin was a more complex and majestic being. It had the body of a deer, hooves of an ox, a dragon-like head, and a pair of antlers on its head; Its mane and tail flowed with flames.
Either way, due to all of the great care of the restaurant’s chef and staff, the Golden Unicorn restaurant had a six-month waitlist.
So Thandi wants to go to the Golden Unicorn and Duck is holding on to her panties. Interesting.
Done with the security check, Duck sat down on my right.
Too intrigued by these new details, I leaned his way. “Thandi?”
“She’s too sexy to resist.”
“But did you try?”
“Of course I didn’t.”
I smirked. “And the Golden Unicorn?”
“I’m on the waitlist. I bullied them into putting me in the top twenty.”
“Say the reservations are for the Mountain Master. That should get you all the way to the top. Take her next week.”
Duck’s face lit up. “Are you trying to get a kiss from me, cousin?”
“Save your kisses for Thandi.”
Dima loudly cleared his throat, ending our conversation. “I believe we should begin.”
I nodded, hoping this bullshit would end quickly.
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.”