Page 29 of Savage Throne
TT looked down at her hands and my rage rose.
“Calm down, Banks.” I sneered at him. “Taking anything out on TT is only going to get you and me fighting.”
“This motherfucker.” Still, Banks let out a long breath and looked at her. “Sorry, TT. You know I wasn’t trying to be mean to you. I’m just pissed about the situation.”
TT nodded, but still didn’t look up. “I know.”
Duck returned. “The helicopters will be ready to start transporting everyone in five minutes.”
Banks put his view on Duck. “Where the fuck was you when this shit went down?”
Duck didn’t appear the least bit pleased with Banks speaking to him. “I was at the same place you were, doing the Electric Slide—”
“Yeah, but I wasn’t supposed to be on guard. Maybe, if you were doing your job—”
“Don’t think you can come to the East and tell meanything.”
“My cousin should have been safe here!” Banks jabbed a finger at the air and then put his view back on me. “If you are going to make her the Mountain Mistress then treat her like that and get more men on her. I had men on her and you fucking killed them on Mount Utopia. If they were here, instead of there. . .things would have been—”
“What?” I leaned my head to the side. “Those shitty guys you sent—the ones I broke apart in minutes—what exactly were they supposed to do to my father?”
“They could have helped!”
“They couldn’t help themselves from me. So then why would you even think for one minute that they could have done anything, butdietonight?”
“Like I already said before, Moni shouldn’t be here in the East—”
“Shut the fuck up, take your people outside and wait for the helicopters before I decide to take out all my rage on you, and we have more bloodshed on this property tonight.”
“Eh,” Banks grabbed the machete and began to head my way. “Who are you talking to like that?”
I went down two steps. “Come here so you can hear me better—”
“Lei, please don’t fight my cousin.” TT spoke and I froze.
Marcelo and Gunner blocked Banks.
“That’s enough.” Dima stepped forward. His voice was steady and he was calm and measured—far too calm actually for someone with his shirt still splattered in dried blood.
However, that calmness set him apart from the storm of emotions swirling around all of us, and I knew immediately that whatever he said next would hold weight.
“Everyone needs to stop.” Dima’s voice was quiet but it carried an authority that demanded attention.
The room silenced in an instant, even Banks put the machete up.
He locked eyes with me, as if trying to gauge whether I could handle what he was about to say. “This isn’t a situation that can be solved with fighting or rage tonight. Leo is counting on that, counting on us to act out of fear, to be reckless. That’shisgame and we can’t play it. Not when Moni is with him.”
I clenched my fists, forcing myself to breathe.
Dima was right, but it didn’t stop the fear gnawing at me. But I had to stay grounded, had to be smart, for her.
“And unfortunately, Lei is right.” Dima put his small notebook back in his pocket. “We wait until tomorrow. Not out of fear but out of strategy.”
Banks frowned at Dima. “What the fuck does that mean?”
“Leo has made his move. Tomorrow night, everything comes to a head with the battle. That’s our advantage.”
“Advantage?” Banks spat the word out like it tasted bitter. “How the fuck is it an advantage when Moni is with him?”
