Page 71 of Cruel Devotion

Lei had an insane, dangerous side, one that I could never afford to forget.

Swallowing hard, I tried to refocus my thoughts and whispered to myself, “I will have to confront him about that.”

The soft rustle of fabric drew my attention to my left. Duck looked up at me.

Tonight, Duck’s hair—that cool mix of silver and black—was all pulled back and knotted on the top of his head. The silver hairs shined in the moonlight. “Monique.”

“Yes?”

“Confronting Lei might not be the wisest decision for this evening.”

I parted my lips. “No?”

“No.”

“But Duck. . .if I don’t say anything, Lei will just keep doing whatever he wants.” I made sure my voice was low. “Tonight, he had these women in the tent ready to force me to put on blue clothes. They all had handcuffs. That was insane.”

Duck’s nostrils flared slightly. “For real?”

“Yes.”

He spoke through clenched teeth, “Don’t worry. I’ll deal with Lei—”

“No.” I shook my head. “I don’t needyouto deal with it.Iwant to do it myself.”

“Monique, it would be impossible for you to—”

“Thank you, but Banks, you, and even Lei, don’t get to just. . .tell me what to do.” I placed my hands in my lap to stay calm. “And there’s no need for you to fight my battles.”

“After what happened on the roof. . .”

I tensed, hating the reminder that I had been ready to jump to my death.

Duck sighed. “After that. . .I told you that I would protect you.”

I gave him a sad smile. “And I appreciate that, but I need to learn how to protect myself too. I have to be able to confront Lei and stand up for myself or. . .all of this will never work.”

His eyebrows knitted together in irritation.

The gravel crunched beneath the steady footfalls of the men carrying me. This far up, the ground must have shifted from dirt to a rockier terrain.

I studied Duck. “However. . .I do need your advice or even any suggestions on how I could get through to him. Lei needs to know that he can’t just do whatever he pleases with me.”

“Lei is a man of traditions.” Duck put his view ahead of him. “His actions are governed by a set of codes that have been put in place by his father. It’s not easy to sway him with just words, unless those words hold weight in tradition.”

I frowned, trying to process that statement. “So then. . .I should know the traditions?”

Duck shrugged.

“Is there a. . . I don’t know. . .a website or handbook that lists Four Aces codes and traditions?”

Duck actually chuckled softly. “A website?”

“Don’t laugh at me.” I smirked. “This is all new.”

“No. There isn’t a website. But there is a book.”

I quirked my brows. “Oh really?”

---