Page 87 of Savage Throne
I knew what I would look like to them—a weak ass Black woman, powerless, unworthy, face tight with fear, a lamb to be easily led to the slaughter.
Every man inside that tent would be measuring my worth, calculating their chances of outmatching me before I could act. They’d see me as nothing more than an intruder to be conquered, but I’d make them realize their mistake before they had the chance to move.
They would soon learn otherwise.
Fuck them. It’s me or them. And it damn sure won’t be me.
My fingers pushed the flap aside and I stepped into the space where death and destiny were tangled together.
This is it. No turning back.
Chapter fifteen
Blood and Loyalty
Moni
Once I stepped inside that tent, the scene unfolded fast before me.
Each detail was vivid and sharp.
Closest to me, a dozen Chinese men sat around a rectangular table, moving Mahjong tiles here and there, completely caught up in their game.
The low hum of conversation at that table died down the second I crossed the threshold.
To my right, three men reclined on cots, reading books. One looked up, then tapped the other, and their focus shifted and locked onto me.
Beyond them, the space opened into some sort of makeshift military camp, alive with motion and purpose, despite the tension that now thickened the air.
Clusters of men huddled around low tables, sharpening blades and swords.
Another group sat cross-legged on the ground, murmuring in low, clipped tones.
A few more practiced martial arts stances far in the back.
But what really grabbed my attention was the group of five men barely twenty feet from me, huddled near a standing board covered with photographs.
What the fuck?
My breath caught in my throat when I recognized who were in the photos. They were images of me, Jo, Chloe, TT, and Lei. Each picture had been seared into the board like a twisted shrine of my life, of everything I had fought for.
Naw. Fuck that. They were plotting about killing my sisters or something?
That was all the motivation I needed.
By now, every pair of eyes had snapped to me, and their expressions shifted from curiosity to something far darker.
My heartbeat roared.
Hot searing adrenaline pumped through my body in a frantic surge that left my vision ringing.
This is it. No more doubts.
Movement came at the table.
I put my view there.
This big guy at the table—a tall, wiry man with a scar trailing from his temple to his jaw—cocked his head, and a smile formed, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
