Page 3 of Cruel Devotion

I eyed him. “Get out of the ring.”

“What are wereallytalking about right now?!” Chen’s voice, usually calm and collected, now raised an octave in clear distress. “This isn’t the way.”

Hu rushed into the ring.

He positioned himself squarely in front of me acting as some sacrificial human barrier. “We need to think all of this through before we do something we can’t take back.”

His words momentarily grounded me but my focus was unyielding, fixated on Duck.

“It could have been a duck?” I tried sidestepping Chen, shifting to the left in an attempt to regain a clear view of Duck.

But Chen was right there, mirroring my movements.

His gaze flicked rapidly between Duck and me as if trying to calculate the best way to defuse the volatile situation.

“Think about it.” Chen tapped the side of his head. “Is it reallyMoniqueyou’re both fighting for? Or is it the exhaustion, the pain, the trauma of everything we’ve been through this month?”

Duck sneered, shifting to his right, but then Hu joined the situation and matched Duck’s movement.

Hu held up his hands. “I really think Chen might have a point.”

“I understand how alluring it can be,” Chen continued, his voice more composed now, weaving logic into his plea. “When there’s stress, loss, and so much blood spilled, our minds. . . they sometimes latch onto something, orsomeone, as a distraction. It’s like. . .when you’re so hungry, even a plain loaf of bread seems like the mostdeliciousfeast. But once you eat properly, you realize it was just ordinary bread. Nothing more.”

I paused for a moment considered his words and glared. “So you’re saying Monique is just a plain loaf of bread?”

“What?” Chen blinked his eyes. “No. I’m saying that you both are mentally and emotionally over-stressed and currently. . .you two are now making Monique. . .a diversion to the real problem. . .which is grief, sadness, and loss.”

Hu remained in front of Duck, continuing to help Chen block us.

Chen sighed. “I’m saying, maybe once all this chaos with Leo is settled and things go back to normal, you both may find that what you feel now, for Monique, might not be as deep or as real as you think. Emotions can play tricks, especially when the heart is heavy.”

I put my view back on Duck. “Did you see when I put the handcuffs on her wrists?”

Duck nodded. “I was there.”

“Was that not a big enough sign tonottest me when it came to her?”

Duck targeted me with an angry gaze. “Are you still in love with Chanel?”

It was like my cousin had slapped me hard in the face.

I froze.

Duck raised his eyebrows. “Or did your love for Chanel slip away the minute Monique made you moan?”

My finger shook as I stabbed it in the air. “This isn’t about my feelings for Chanel, this is aboutyourbehavior when it comes to Monique.”

Duck pointed at me. “You’re the Mountain Master—”

“Damn right I am.”

“You can have any woman you want in the East. Most Eastern women have shirtless pictures of you, hidden in their underwear drawers. Wives, fiancées, girlfriends. They’re dreaming about you. They’re willing to leave everything behind just to be with you—”

“And we’re talking aboutyourleaving Monique alone to fight Rowe Street Mob and then you’re thinking you can turn around and take her panties—”

“You’re not even going to truly love Monique.” Duck began to pace. “If you want to put your cock in someone pickanywoman in the East or go to your harem—”

“You think thatyoucan tellmewho to fuck?” I tried to maneuver around Hu and Chen. “Goddamn it! Chen! Hu! Get out of the ring! Now!”

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