He’d brought powerful men down to their knees, but he couldn’t seem to find the right motivation to convince a petite, Creole woman to accept his role as head of The Family Council and to share her life with him.
Position, clothes, money, cars meant nothing to her. Material things couldn’t break through her wall of ice. It forced him to take drastic measures. He hoped she’d start to come around, but he didn’t think that day was today. Even now, she looked through him as if he weren’t standing just a few feet in front of her. Dammit, if she would just cooperate, he would give her the world. Instead, she had the nerve to look down her nose on him after all he’d done for her. Maybe he should have left her ass in the United States; then he wouldn’t be pining for a woman who wanted nothing to do with him.
“You asked to see me?” Her gloved hands were clasped in front of her as she donned a silly grayish maid’s uniform. It did nothing to bring out the color of her satiny smooth, latte colored skin or eyes the color of dark chocolate that at one time sparkled like diamonds when they were focused on him. Her hair was a joke too. She wore it in a tight bun knowing it would piss him the hell off.
Chang remembered how he had once been allowed to run his fingers through the thick mass of hair, and how it looked when it was fanned out across the silky sheets of his bed. To anyone else Laurette was the picture of submissiveness. He knew better. What she didn’t say with words, she made known in her actions. Her appearance was defiance in itself.
“Yes, I asked to see you. I’m tired of playing these games. Aren’t you?”
Laurette spoke evenly. “What games would that be? I’ve been nothing but honest with you.”
“You know what the hell you’re doing! Why are you dressed like a maid!?”
“Because you’ve decided that for me to see my children I had to pretend to be the help.”
“I’m done with this. I’ve given you time to sulk. We both know how this is going to end.”
Her head tilted slightly. “I don’t think you do. I’ve been honest with you about everything. Unfortunately, you can’t say the same.” Her voice was tired, strained. “I just want out. I want out of this relationship and out of this house. I want to take my children back to my country.”
He scoffed at that idea. “That will never happen, and if you ever think about taking those girls, I promise, you’ll disappear just like that man in my office.”
Laurette wrapped her arms around her body. She couldn’t believe the words that spewed from his mouth. “Who are you?”
Chang’s voice lowered. “I’m the same man you fell in love with.”
For the first time, Laurette lost her cool when her eyes landed on his and flashed with anger. “No. That’s not true. You’re nothing like that man. You made me believe the fairytale only for me to wake up in a nightmare. You were never the man I fell in love with. You’re a murdering, lying bastard!”
“A nightmare?” Chang looked around in disbelief. “You live in the lap of luxury! How the hell are you living in a nightmare?”
“Not only do you keep me locked up like a prisoner—You. Kill. People! People die if they don’t follow your orders.”
Chang gritted his teeth. “You want to leave so bad? Then leave! You’re free to walk out of that door anytime you want, but Gina and Nina, they stay here. If they don’t get to know their mother, it will be your fault.”
The mention of her girls’ names made her chest ache. “You’re a monster, Chang. I can’t . . . I won’t allow myself to love a monster.”
Chang yanked Laurette by the back of her head to only inches away from his face. He could feel the warmth of her breath on his lips. Her closeness almost made him take her right then and there. He’d been walking around in a semi-state of hardness since the night she’d witnessed the messiness in his office. The last two weeks had been the hardest, and he planned to put an end to that tonight. “I’ve been a patient man, but my patience has run out. I want you in my bed waiting for me in the next hour.”
“You do not lack for someone to keep your bed warm. Still, you would force me?”
Chang placed angry lips over Laurette’s as his hands snaked down to grip her neck and hold her in place. He pressed his needy body into hers. Both her lips and body stiffened. Laurette put her hands in-between them and pushed against his chest. She refused to open for him. Her refusal only seemed to make Chang angrier. After a moment of not being able to get Laurette to acquiesce, he shoved her away from him.
“If you think treating me cold is going to keep me from being inside you tonight, you’d better think again. Now, get out and get ready.”
She was furious. Laurette straightened herself up and walked out of his office with as much dignity as she could muster. Yes, she was trapped in this house and his country, but she would figure something out. She would bide her time until the perfect opportunity came, then she would take Gina and Nina and leave.
As she left, Laurette almost knocked Jiang Lee-Xiou over when he meandered inside. He waited for her to be completely out of the room before speaking. “Son, I don’t think threatening and bullying is going to work with Laurette.”
Chang walked back around to his desk and sat down. “Stop eavesdropping in my house. You don’t need to worry about my love life.”
“A woman needs a soft hand, not a hard one. You can’t continue to use those girls against Laurette. It will only backfire on you. They need their mother.”
Chang never looked up from his desk. He picked up a document and began to read it. “That’s why she’s here.”
“As a maid. Not as their mother.”
He shrugged. “She chose her fate. She could have had everything. I would have given her anything her heart desired.”
“You weren’t honest with her about who you are and what you do. You can’t be angry that she doesn’t want any part of your other life.”
“What I do doesn’t affect her.”
“You can’t be serious. There are bars on the windows and security everywhere. You’ve turned Xiou Manor into a prison. You have enemies seen and unseen. It affects all of us.”
“If you don’t like it here father, you are free to leave just as she is.”
Jiang couldn’t seem to get through to Chang. When or how his son had changed so much was a mystery. Maybe he could appeal to his love for his daughters. “What are you going to do when Nina and Gina are old enough to go to school? You can’t keep them locked up here forever.”
“I still have a few years left before I have to deal with it. When the time comes, I will make sure they have the best education.”
“And, Laurette? How long do you plan to keep her here?”
“She can leave whenever she wishes, but the girls stay.”
“That’s emotional blackmail. She won’t leave those girls, and you know that. Are you going to punish her by allowing her to watch those girls grow up, yet not able to tell them she is their mother?”
“She could change this situation at any time. All she has to do is welcome me back into her bed and her heart.”
“You can’t force her to love you.”
Chang finally looked up into his father’s eyes. “I’m one of the most powerful men in China. I can force anyone to do anything.”
Chapter 1
Present Day
The cold hard barrel of my gun bumped directly up against the back of Nina’s skull. “Did you honestly think I was going to let you get away with everything you’ve done scot-free?”
Her voice trembled. “This isn’t China, Gina. You won’t get away with this here.”
“Actually, I will. Your list of enemies is so long that even IF someone suspected me, a first-year law student could get me off.”
Nina slow clapped. “You are Chang’s daughter. I’ve got to give it to you. I wasn’t expecting you to be the one.”
“As are you. However, I should have been the first person to come to mind.”
*****
Six Months Prio
r . . .
Gina Lee-Xiou
Nina.
The blood in my body ran cold as I realized my sister—the one whose face was identical to mine—had just tried to kill me. She actually made an attempt on my life.
Hours before I’d been lying on my stomach on the ground of a private airstrip, rocks digging into the palms of my hands, and bullets flying over my head. Bullets only missing me by accident, but not missing Brody. He lay there with a hole in the center of his chest and blood gushing out of it. The memory was made more difficult knowing it was her. She was responsible.
For about five seconds, I couldn’t think, I couldn’t breathe. What the hell ever happened to Am I my sister’s keeper? Apparently, Nina missed the memo on that one.
As hard as I tried to make it clear that she was now an adversary, it wasn’t until I saw her name at the bottom of that text message that she truly became my enemy. The small part of me that was relieved to know she was alive . . . died. I was now afraid that when the time was right, I would show her the same mercy I’d shown Mr. Wong—maybe even less.
I responded to Hahn’s text.
Why don’t I already know what the hell Nina’s been up to these past fifteen years? I hate flying blind. Do I at least have her phone number?
The seconds of waiting for his response ticked by like the melting of a glacier. Then the numbers finally appeared on the screen.
I put the number into my phone and typed out a message. I’d never meant anything more in my life than this text. It wasn’t long and drawn out. It simply stated—I’m coming for you.
After I pressed the send button, my hardened eyes looked up into the gaze of the physician. “I want to see him.”
“Ms. Lee-Xiou you must be a relative . . .”
I wasn’t in the mood. I didn’t care what the rules were. I was going to see Brody. “I wasn’t asking you,” I glanced at his name tag, “Dr. Weller. What room is he in?”
He looked at the small band of armed security in the hospital waiting area, and my bloodied and disheveled appearance before responding. He was nervous. I saw his Adam’s apple move up and down as he swallowed. Good. He had reason to be. “Brody hasn’t been brought down from recovery yet.”
Irritated, I rubbed the back of my neck. “That’s not the answer I was looking for.”
He cleared his throat. “Right. Of course. I’ll make special arrangements for you. It might take at least an hour before he’s settled into his room. Maybe during that time, I can have a nurse take a look at some of your cuts and bruises.”
Jamal’s voice was steady but firm. “That’s a good idea Ms. Lee-Xiou, and you can also reach out to the Windhams. Remember, they haven’t been contacted yet.”
My eyes drifted from the physician to Jamal. His loyalty to Brody was deep and obvious. That was the only reason his words resonated with me. The firm set of his jaw and his tightly controlled focus brought me out of my anger filled haze. The Windhams. Brody was close to his family, and they needed to know what was going on.
It was strange, I could shoot someone without a second thought, but something about contacting his parents did weird things inside of me. I was out of my element. What did I know about family? What was I supposed to say to them? Hey, I met your son a couple of days ago, we had a really good time, and then he caught a bullet that was meant for me? You should get down here because he’s in bad shape and possibly has only hours to live? Crazy.
I wasn’t a coward. The phone call had to be made, and it needed to come from me. Slowly, I nodded. “I’m fine. I’ll call them, but I’m not leaving this hospital until I’ve had a chance to see Brody.” I turned to a couple of my guys. “I need clean clothes. Bring me something that will be appropriate for meeting the Windhams.”
*****
Nina Lee-Xiou Manchetti
Nina should have expected something crazy like this from her. For as far back as she could remember, Gina had always been cunning and conniving. She never knew how to walk away from a fight. Still, here Nina stood in this dime-store restaurant surprised to see that fiery mass she once called home burning to the ground. She would never admit it but Gina once adored that place, and that was one of the reasons she wanted it. Nina hated every moment she had spent in that house. Still, rather than give it to her, Gina had her goons burn it down.
Some lessons would be harder for Gina to learn than others. Nina wasn’t that naïve little girl from when they were children. That was her advantage. Gina would underestimate her, but Nina knew her better than anyone.
Nina nodded, and the few people in the restaurant stood. They were with her just in case Gina had decided to get all gangsta. She wasn’t stupid. Nina had become enemy number one, and if she hadn’t been, it'd only be a matter of time before Gina found out that she was the one responsible for the incident on the tarmac. Too bad, she wouldn’t get another chance like today to solve her problems.
The voice of my bodyguard, Jonah Masters, brought me back to the present. “Ms. Lee-Xiou where to now?”
“Back to the hotel. We’ll wait there until it’s time to execute our plans.”
Chapter 2
Several hours later, Jonah entered Nina’s hotel suite. “The van’s downstairs and everyone is in place.”
“Good. I’m ready.”
“Are you sure you want to go? We can handle tonight on our own and call you when it’s over.”
“No. I need to be there for this.”
Jonah couldn’t disagree more. As hard as Nina tried, he wasn’t sure if she had the stomach for what was about to go down.
“Can I ask you a question?”
Nina nodded. “Of course.”
“Why? Why do you need to do this?”
Her smirk gave none of her thoughts away. “You have no idea how loaded a question that is.”
Jonah couldn’t imagine having the kind of relationship Nina had with her sister with any of his family members. He scratched an old scar above his eyebrow with his thumb. “Not that it matters, but I’m just curious, what happened between you and your sister to cause your feelings for her to be akin to hate?”
Nina went to her closet and pulled out a black raincoat. “It’s hard to explain. I’m not sure that anyone who didn’t grow up in the Chang household could fully understand.”
Jonah wouldn’t let it go. “Help me to understand. You were gone for fifteen years; you were free of your family. Why come back?”
Over the past few months, Nina had become very close to Jonah, and if he weren’t working for her maybe she would act on her attraction. He wasn’t very tall, less than six-feet, but there wasn’t an ounce of fat on this man. She was a sucker for the dark and brooding type. Jonah fit the description to a T. The black hair, scruffy beard, and hooded eyes were all instant turn-ons. But, for now, Nina could only focus on her goal.
Jonah took the jacket and held it open, while she put her arms through the sleeves. “It’s complicated.”
He tried to get answers, but it was evident Nina didn’t want to give them. For now, he’d leave it alone. Maybe after some time, when she trusted him more, Nina would explain this all to him. In the meantime, Jonah would do what he was paid to do. At the moment when he didn’t think Nina was going to elaborate, she did.
“All I can tell you is that Gina always thought she was the smartest person in the room and that I was a little idiot. It drove me crazy. Honestly, I don’t know when I started to loathe her. To some degree, I think a part of me always did. In an even more twisted way, she was my mother and father’s favorite child. I resented it and her. I always knew there would be a day that I would resume my life as Nina. I just needed to bide my time and now that day is here.”
“You are twins. I thought twins had a special kind of bond.”
Nina laughed out loud. “Most probably do, but she and I do not. Because of Chang’s profession and shady dealings, the only person I was able to spend time with was Gina and my cousin, Joseph. I had no choice but to try and get
along with her. I tell you, I hated every minute. But, I dealt with my life as a Lee-Xiou for as long as I had to and not one moment longer. The day after I graduated high school, I hopped on a plane to the United States and got as far away from my family as I could.”
“Why? Were they really that bad?”
“My life at Xiou Manor was unbearable.” Frustrated, Nina pushed a strand of hair that had fallen into her face behind her ear. “I’ve told you that before. You know that. And, considering you’ve been planning this coup with me for a while, it’s surprising that you’re still asking that question.”
“Good point. I can understand your feelings for Chang. He has a lot of blood on his hands, but Gina?”
Nina arched an eyebrow as she pierced him with a hard glare. “Don’t let her fool you. She’s the spitting image of Chang. I hope you can see that.”
“Yes, I know she’s been known to be cutthroat too.” Jonah waffled his head from side to side. “But, it seems to me that the damage she’s done has been out of retaliation more than anything else.”
Nina’s face turned stone cold. “Interesting . . . does she have you under her spell already or did you forget about the text she sent me?”
Jonah couldn’t help but think Nina started this war with her sister. She came after Gina. It wasn’t the other way around, so his initial thought still stood, but he kept it to himself. Instead, Jonah responded. “No. Of course not. I’m on your side. Again, I’m just trying to understand your motivation, and how you two came to this place in your relationship. I still don’t get what made you want to take her down like you do.”
Nina hoped that Jonah was as loyal as he seemed. Unfortunately, one never knew someone else’s reasons for doing anything. Given the circumstances, her suspicions were heightened. Her eyes narrowed. “Know this; Gina will do whatever to whomever if it means getting what she wants. She studied our father like a book and would do anything for his approval. She always followed his instructions down to the letter. If he said ‘jump,’ Gina said ‘how high?’ She never challenged him, and she was probably the only one who could.”
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