The Rules Series

by LaShawn Vasser

  “I want everything that will says I’m entitled to.”

  The will doesn’t mention her. Ooooohhh. “Okay. I get it. You came back for the money, not your daughter.”

  “Maybe both.”

  What was I hearing? Who was this woman sitting in front of me? It wasn’t Nina Lee-Xiou, the sister I’ve always loved more than life itself. Anger I’d never felt before rose up from deep inside of me. “What the hell do you mean maybe both? You’re not going to go anywhere near Cecily.”

  “Aren’t you being overly dramatic? Look . . . let’s just get these papers signed, and we’ll figure everything else out later.” Her words were spoken so flippantly I could barely wrap my mind around them. “If I get what I’m entitled to maybe I’ll disappear again.”

  She came back for the money. THE MONEY! I had to keep it together. I breathed in deeply through my nose then calmly responded. “I see.” Nina had Chang’s blood running through her veins after all.

  I had heard enough. I stood and walked over to the door then opened it. “Gentlemen, please come back inside. I think we’re ready.”

  Between Woo and Associates, my lawyers, and Nina’s, the room was packed tight. She walked over and had the nerve to sit in the chair where I’d been sitting. She’s lucky the death stare I gave her didn’t actually extend to her physically. Instead of completely losing it, I walked around the table and took a seat opposite her.

  I could have melted Nina’s lawyer with my eyes when he spoke. “While we were in the waiting room, your administrative assistant provided us with a copy of Chang’s Last Will and Testament.

  I leaned over and whispered into my lawyer’s ear. He stood. “Excuse me. I need to make a phone call. I’ll be right back.”

  Mr. Woo blew out a frustrated breath as he responded to him. “Gina, we reviewed your set of documents before these surprising developments occurred. You can begin signing your copies, and I’ll have Lucy prepare another set for Nina.”

  I said nothing and started to sign the papers. Just as I was about to put my signature on the last document my lawyer returned.

  He sat back down and leaned over to whisper into my ear exactly what I wanted to hear. Fantastic.

  I signed the last document. “Finished.” I stood as did the rest of my team. “How long before everything is recorded, and I can start making decisions.”

  Nina’s lawyer cleared his throat. “You mean you and Nina. All assets are to be divided equally.”

  I ignored him as if he hadn’t said a word and stared directly at Mr. Woo for his response.

  “Immediately. You and Nina can start making decisions now.”

  I nodded. “Great. One of my Associate lawyers will stay to wrap things up. By the way, I’m putting everyone in this room on notice that Woo and Associates will be relieved of their duties after the paperwork is completed.”

  “W–what? What do you mean?” Mr. Woo honestly had a look of surprise on his face.

  “I’ll explain this in the simplest of terms. You’re fired. My lawyers will take over handling the Chang Lee-Xiou Trust immediately.” I glared at Nina and her team. “Any Lee-Xiou business will be dealt with by my legal team.”

  Nina pushed herself back from the table and stood forcefully. “You can’t do that!” She pointed her finger at me then back to herself. “We have to agree.”

  I turned steely eyes on her. “As far as the Chinese government is concerned, you’re still dead. You’re a ghost. You don’t even exist. The only reason you’re standing in front of me is because I’m deciding how I’m going to handle this situation. You get one warning . . . be careful little sister. You don’t really want to go head to head with me. You won’t win.”

  I started to walk out of the office but needed to make one more thing clear. “You go near Cecily, and I promise you . . . there won’t be any doubt whose corpse they lower into the ground.”

  As we left the room, my attorney nervously rubbed his jaw. “You can’t go around making public threats like that. It can make things difficult for you.”

  “I’m not worried about that. I pay you very well to make my problems go away.”

  He hid his sigh underneath his breath. “It won’t take Nina long to reestablish her life with the Chinese government. The will is clear. Nina is entitled to half of everything. Whatever your family problems, you will have to make decisions together.”

  There was a time when that would have been music to my ears but not today. “I know. I’ll figure something out about that. In the meantime, we don’t have long to get our house in order. First things first, I need to get to the United States. We’ve got to take care of this RICO mess.”

  Chapter 9

  I sat in the backseat of my limo with my head thrown back against the headrest. If I could just close my eyes for a moment maybe the burning sensation would go away. Briefly, I let them flutter closed. I was exhausted and just needed to rest them for a moment.

  The twenty-three-hour flight from China to Washington, DC was brutal, and not taking so much as a fifteen-minute nap in-between to prep for this hearing was even worse. Add to it a sister returning from the dead, and anyone would understand why I hadn’t slept since Nina showed up for the reading of Chang’s Will. They should probably give me an award for not massacring anyone standing within five feet of me.

  I still hadn’t been able to process it. She was alive—alive. Yet, Nina was so different from the vibrant young woman I’d grown up with. The girl who wanted to save the world and didn’t want any part of Chang or his money had come back for . . . the money? It just didn’t add up. It would make more sense if someone cloned her from alien and demon DNA.

  The Nina I knew wouldn’t stay away from her daughter or husband for fifteen years, only to return asking for the one thing she claimed she never wanted. None of it made any sense. My head was spinning trying to make heads or tails of it.

  A drink would be fantastic, but probably not the best idea this early in the morning and right before the hearing. I needed to focus and get my mind right.

  The chirping of my phone caused me to open my eyes. It was a unique ring I’d programmed into it. As the screen lit up, I traced the image of Cecily Manchetti’s beautiful face. Her big brown eyes had so much life and hope in them. They hadn’t been tainted by us. Her smile was still sweet, innocent, and it actually reached her eyes. While she had the Manchetti name Cecily was the spitting image of Nina and me. The billowy hair not wanting to be contained in that rubber-band, the caramel complexion, even the curvature of her oval-shaped face. That was all Laurette.

  It was emotionally difficult having to keep up with my niece’s life through text alerts and bribing people. The most recent bribe went to the Assistant Principal at her school for providing me with pictures and information. Ever since she was a little girl, I’d always received updates about what was going on in her life.

  My lips curved into a bit of a smile knowing last semester Cecily had gotten all A’s in her classes. I couldn’t be more proud than if she were my own daughter. Unfortunately, I had to love her from afar. That’s just how it had to be. Knowing she was loved and cared for made it a little easier to deal with. I would always keep my eyes open to make sure that never changed.

  The small smile spread broadly across my face as I gazed at the image coming through my phone. Cecily was shaking Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s hand at some empowerment summit in New York. With my dying breath, I would do anything to keep that twinkle in her eyes and that look on her face.

  My smile faded as I blew out a long tired breath, while trying not to think about the “what if’s.” It was a waste of time wishing that things were different. Nina and I being in her life would do more harm than good. We’d already hurt her enough. Hopefully, Cecily would never know the depths of our deception.

  The privacy partition window was lowered halfway down. “Ms. Lee-Xiou, we’ll be pulling up toward the entrance in a few minutes.”

  Max had been
silently sitting across from me the entire time. He spoke up to the driver. “Our security got clearance to park in the Capital garage. Follow the instructions that I just text you.”

  “Got it, Mr. Lee.”

  I nodded to both of them, and the window immediately went back up. It was time to put an end to this RICO situation.

  *****

  Max and I walked down the halls of Congress and headed toward the sub-committee conference room on Natural Resources. My new lawyer was going to meet me there. After our marathon prep meeting yesterday, I knew it would finally be handled right.

  I was parched. Some water would be good to refresh my dry throat. I looked around for a water fountain. Did they even make those anymore?

  “Ah. There’s one.” I made a mad dash for it. Unfortunately, some idiot wasn’t paying attention and was backing out of a conference room while talking to someone. I didn’t move out of his way fast enough before he bumped into me. Dammit! Arms flailing, I felt myself falling backward.

  Another pair of strong arms quickly reached out to catch me before I hit the floor. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean . . .”

  I held on to his arms feeling the steely muscle underneath his expensive gray suit as I looked up into the most gorgeous pair of blue eyes framed by the sexiest pair of eyelashes I’d ever seen. I couldn’t believe how strong my voice sounded when I felt anything but. “You almost knocked me down.”

  That lop-sided grin was pure sin, and I was a sucker for a chiseled jaw-line with just a bit of a shadowed beard. His gaze staring into mine left me feeling wobbly-kneed and even a little breathless. It had been a long time since I’d felt an immediate attraction to someone.

  “I never would have let that happen. I’ve got you.” His husky voice was sexy as hell, but hearing him say I’ve got you was even sexier. I couldn’t remember the last time anyone had uttered those words, if ever. Was that my heart rate speeding up? This was madness. We were locked in an awkward embrace in the hallways of Congress, and I was acting like a silly teenager because a sexy man was showing me some attention. Get it together, Gina. I stiffened and pulled myself up straight, with his assistance.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” His voice was full of concern.

  Another voice joined the conversation. “Are you okay?” This is the one time Max could disappear. I turned to him. “I'm all right.”

  My tone was clipped when I returned my gaze back to the man who knocked me over. “You should be more careful.”

  “I should, and I apologize again Ms. . . .?” His eyes twinkled as if he were flirting.

  If he were flirting—too bad. This wasn’t the time or the place for me to get wrapped up in silly indulgences. “Like I said be more careful.”

  “Gina!”

  I swiveled around to see my lawyer yelling out to me from down the hall. I turned back to the handsome stranger.

  “At least I now have a first name.” He extended his hand. “I’m Brody Windham. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Gina.”

  I just stared at his hand before returning my gaze back to his face. “I’ve got to go.”

  “Something about the way you’re looking at me makes me want to get your last name . . . maybe even ask you out for dinner.”

  Men were so intimidated by me that his confidence alone was almost enough for me to want to give him my last name and accept his invitation. Once he knew, he would probably respond to me just like every other man. Unabashedly, I checked him out slowly from his expensive Italian leather shoes, a custom-tailored suit that fit those broad shoulders perfectly, all the way up to his hundred dollar blonde haircut. It was so perfect; I wanted to run my fingers through it just to mess it up.

  I kept my face blank with only a hint of a smile. “Gotta go.” I didn’t respond to his fishing expedition one way or the other. If he really wanted to take me out to dinner he would find out who I was, and if that didn’t scare him away, then maybe I’d accept.

  Chapter 10

  “If you want to put this RICO inquiry behind you, then I need you focused. Not flirting with some random in the hallway.”

  “I am focused, and just be glad I’m not flirting with Alexandro. Does he even know you’re here?”

  “Let’s get a few things straight, Gina. You and me . . . we’re not friends. We’ll never be friends, so you don’t get to ask me personal questions about my husband. I flew to DC at the drop of a dime for one reason and one reason only, and that’s to keep your bat-shit crazy sister away from Cecily. If this will help in that effort, then I’ll do all I can to ensure your success.”

  I hated Braylee Hinsdale with every fiber of my being. She was, unfortunately, the best at handling complicated matters with Congress, and considering she created the mess, she was the perfect person to unravel it. “The feeling is mutual. I would never have called you if I had another choice. You know . . .” I took a deep breath and spoke slowly so that I could check my rising temper. “You really should be very careful hurling insults my way.”

  “You should know by now your threats—they don’t scare me, but I’m glad we understand each other. Anyway, Brody Windham is not the one you want to mess with.”

  “I’m not interested in some snivel-nosed politician.”

  The look Braylee tossed my way had me cringing in my stilettos. I hated when she thought she knew something I didn’t. She had this haughty air about her that just drove me crazy. If I didn’t know that she loved Cecily like her own daughter, I would have knocked that smug look right off of her face.

  “He’s not a politician. He’s the money behind the politicians. He’s also a playboy extraordinaire.”

  “Really?” I raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. Hmm . . . maybe he was interesting enough to look into. A no-strings affair might be just what I needed.

  Braylee started packing up her paperwork from off of the conference table and putting it into her briefcase. “Focus Gina.”

  My eyes turned hard as I looked at her. I was doing all I could not to snap. “Don’t tell me that again.”

  Braylee never looked up from gathering her things. “We need to get through this inquiry without killing each other, while doing everything we can to keep your sister from destroying Cecily’s life any further.”

  Was she crazy? Did she really think I wanted to be in the same room with her? “Me being here—with you—is proof enough that that’s what I’m trying to do!”

  Braylee just stared into my eyes.

  I could see that she hated me just as much as I hated her. One of these days, I wouldn’t be able to keep my temper in check, and it would be a knock down drag out fight between us, but today wasn’t that day.

  I could see, for just a moment, Braylee let her emotions get the better of her when she snapped. “Where has Nina been all this time anyway? What has she been doing for FIFTEEN years?”

  She deserved to know at least that much, and I’m sure she wasn’t waiting around for answers from me. Her people were already researching it. “I don’t know, but I have people digging into it.”

  “Good. Keep me posted.”

  “No. I won’t. How about you handle this inquiry, and I’ll handle Nina.”

  “That’s what you’re paying me for, and I expect a hefty check for doing it.”

  “You’re the reason I’m in this mess!”

  “No, you’re the reason you’re in the mess. I’m putting you on notice, if Nina starts sniffing too close to my family, Alexandro is not above handling things his own way. And, you should understand . . . neither am I.”

  “What you mean is that you’ll call your ex-lover, Xavier, to handle your dirty work?” That touched a nerve. That mask slipped just a little. Good. Braylee needed to leave the gully stuff to those of us who got our hands dirty. She’d probably never even had a speeding ticket.

  We glared at each other for another moment before the door to our office opened, and her assistant peeked inside. “They’re ready.”

  For now, we had an unspok
en alliance; a truce you could say. I was preparing for war, and this was step one. “Let’s get this done.”

  *****

  The past four hours, in front of idiots, had me wanting to hang myself. I smiled sweetly, never lost my cool, answered every question, and made it through seemingly with flying colors.

  As much as I hated to admit it, Braylee Hinsdale was everything her reputation said and more. God, I hated that woman, but I needed to tie up all of these loose ends so that I could focus on both Nina and those members of The Family, who were giving me hell.

  After the inquiry was over, Braylee and I debriefed, and she said she’d call when the word came down. My business was finished so Max and I left the Capital offices. We headed for the elevators to the parking garage. He pressed the button, and we went down two levels. When the doors opened, we walked out to where the limousine should have been waiting, but it was nowhere to be found.

  “Where’s the car?”

  “It should be he—.”

  Something flew past my face and caused me to whip my head around. Before Max could finish the word “here,” his hulking body crumpled to the ground. A silent gunshot to the head hit him right between the eyes.

  My heart started pounding. I dropped low to the ground. “Shit!” There was no need to feel for a pulse. His glassy eyes staring at me were proof enough that he was dead.

  Heat whizzed past my left ear. Someone was out here shooting at me! I was out in the open like a sitting duck. “How the hell could this happen in a US Government garage?” Where’s his gun? I hated to fumble around inside a dead man’s pockets, but I had to do what I had to do. I felt the cold steel against the tips of my fingers and wrapped my hand around it just as another shot was fired.

  It missed me but shattered the windshield of a nearby car. Crawling on my hands and knees, I managed to get behind a car for cover. Suddenly, I felt something hard hammer into my body knocking the wind out of me as I fell to the ground. It was as if I’d been hit by a massive truck. Someone had barreled into me knocking the gun out of my hands. I tried to struggle against the heaviness that covered me.