Page 9 of Cruel Devotion

Duck nodded and looked away.

Hu gazed at the both of us. “At least you two are talking. While Lei needs to get ready for Leo, we do not need to betrulyfighting each other.”

“I agree.” Chen bobbed his head. “Is it not enough that we will be losing Uncle Leo and dividing our family even more? With these rough days ahead, we must stick together. Which means. . .”

We all focused ahead.

Chen let out a long breath. “Which means we must sacrifice.”

Everyone turned to me.

I widened my eyes. “What should I sacrifice?”

Duck spoke. “Could you even love Monique?”

“That’s enough.” I jabbed my finger in his direction. “Do not ask that fucking question again!”

“Why not?” Duck held his hands out. “Is it too scary to answer?”

“You think I don’t care for Monique?”

“You do.” Duck nodded. “But could youloveher?”

“I’m not ready to even deal with that question right now.”

“Then,youshould step aside.”

“That’s not going to happen.” I tried to get around Hu and Chen. “Come here. Let me explain why—”

“No. No. No.” Chen held up his hands and blocked me. “We are talking. Let’s return to talking!”

I roared, “I’m not stepping aside when it comes to Monique!”

“Alright, but—”

“Help your brother understand this so I don’t have to kill another relative this week!”

Hu got closer to Chen’s side. “I have something to say.”

We all looked at him.

“Lei should have the time to figure out what he wants to do with Monique.” Hu scratched his head. “Distraction or not, Monique is necessary for Lei.”

Duck rolled his eyes. “So we’re going to be like the Killer Crows and have Monique serve as Lei’s Stress Reliever?”

Hu lifted a finger, his movement slow, deliberate. “Are we all just going to dance around the fact that. . .after Chanel passed, it was clear to every single one of us that Lei might. . .”

I tensed, feeling a tightening in my chest.

The world shrunk around Hu’s next words.

He cleared his throat. “We all knew that Lei might. . .take his own life, once the mission of killing Uncle Leo was done.”

The silence that followed was deafening, every heartbeat echoing louder in my ears. I could feel their eyes on me, piercing, judging, worrying.

Tension gathered in my shoulders. I turned, my gaze darting around, wanting, needing, to escape the intensity of this moment.

In fact, the idea of plunging down the mountain’s path held a momentary allure.

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