"Depends. Are you ready to set up funerals for your son and daughter?"
Da Han leaped up from his chair, snatching his cell from his desk and turning the speaker off. "What the fuck did you say?"
"To clarify, we have your son Li and daughter Xiù. But don't worry, our people are taking good care of them... for now," Nico said, mocking Da Han's earlier taunt.
"You listen to me, you son of a bitch! If anything happens to my children, I will burn this city to the fucking ground toget to you. Do you hear me, you deaf motherfucker?!" Da Han threatened, spittle flying from his mouth in his rage.
"Now that was just rude," Nico said.
"Just tell his ass what the fuck I said," Da Han said through gritted teeth.
"Oh, don't worry, I will. Word for word."
There was some silence, and Da Han heard a man's chuckles from the distance. Apparently, Rico found his threat humorous.Let something happen to his son, and he won't be laughing,Da Han thought.
"My brother is willing to negotiate since you have Zindel and one of the Lords' men. Our friends are dear to us as well, so he proposes a sit-down."
"I want proof that my children are okay," Da Han demanded.
"And we want the same," Nico said, and by the quick response, Da Han could tell that Nico was asking and not Rico, but the two men were probably of the same mind. It was only rational to ask for proof of life.
"Fine. I'll send you proof, you send me proof, then we'll call and set up a time. Is that fine with you?" Da Han asked.
"Sounds fair. You have our people, and we want to get them back. We have yours. Of course, your son is next in line to take over the family business, and your daughter is your top assassin now that Stephen Yeoh is dead. I think you understand who has the real leverage here. You're a smart man; I don't have to explain it to you, I'm sure."
"I understand. Send the fucking proof," Da Han said, then ended the call. As much as he wanted to throw his phone while releasing a slew of curses in Mandarin, he needed it to receive the proof.
"What are you going to do, boss?" Chen asked because he knew their plan to force the Castiello family and the Lords out of Chicago, New York, and Orlando just went up in smoke.
"Call Yufei and Tian Yu, have them send me proof of Zindel and whatever the fuck that other guy's name is... Snoopy," Da Han ordered. Capturing the Lord was just a bonus, one that he'd been proud of until he got that phone call about his children.
"Yes, sir," Chen said, then made the calls.
Da Han raked his fingers through his hair and sighed. "Rico and I need to meet up. There's no fucking way I'm leaving my children at his mercy." He turned to face the large bulletproof window. "Fuck!" he screamed, and that's when the door to his office opened and his wife entered.
"What's going on?" Mèng Yáo asked.
"The fucking Castiellos took Li and Xiù. Just when I thought I had them by the fucking balls, they pull this shit," Da Han said.
"Those assholes. They started this war," Mèng Yáo said in annoyance.
Da Han looked down when his phone buzzed, and his wife joined him at his side. He opened the message to see a video of Li, looking bruised and beaten, as well as Xiù, who looked to be in worse shape as she was lying in bed with an IV hooked to her arm. But both were alive, which was what he wanted to see.
"Did they torture them?" she asked.
"I don't think so. Li was at a safe house last I'd spoken to him, and he had plenty of men keeping guard. It would seem like the fight was brutal," Da Han said as he studied the video.
"They didn't go down easily," Mèng Yáo said, noting the injuries.
"Of course not; they're my children. But how the hell they got captured in the first place with the army I sent him, I want to fucking know," Da Han snapped. When he received the video of Zindel first, he watched it along with his wife.
"He's a pretty one," Mèng Yáo said. "If I were there, I'd cut his face to give him a scar to remember me by."
The next video came through of Snoopy.
"Oh, he's handsome too, even with the bruises. I bet Yufei would have fun with him," she said.
"At this point, we can't do anything to them. I'm not risking the lives of my children to be petty," Da Han said. Then he sent the videos to the number that called him, which he was sure was an encrypted phone.
