The Rules Series

tilted my head slightly as I squinted to make out the once beautiful features of this seventy-ish-year-old man. My guys worked him over pretty good. Don’t get me wrong; I respected my elders, I really did, but I had to use him as an example. I didn’t want anyone else thinking they could pull a stunt like he did again.
It was too bad it had to be Mr. Wong, because I’d once had a fondness for the man. He’d spent many a night holed up with my father in his office. They were the best of friends. Every now and again, when Nina and I were girls, he would bring us candy. Oh well.
Now, he sat in front of me beaten, battered and unrecognizable.
“I’m so sorry about all of this Mr. Wong. I had hoped you and I could come to some kind of understanding, but I realized when your people tried to kill me that we were at an irreconcilable impasse.”
He grunted and attempted to speak through busted, bloody, swollen lips. His words were more like gasps and hard to make out, but I understood them. “The Family will never accept you.”
I moved to get just a little closer. Gently, I pushed his still mostly black hair away from his eyes. I placed his head in the palms of my hands as I cupped each swollen cheek. I began to squeeze. Every time he attempted to blink, I increased the pressure—slowly—so that it forced the congealed wounds on his face to re-open. Blood oozed all over my hands.
“You want to play? Let’s play. Just understand, it didn’t have to come to this. You made your move, and it didn’t work. The biggest mistake of your life was your failed attempt to kill me. Honestly, I never wanted to go to Plan B, but you left me no choice.”
He groaned in pain. My hands clenched his face as if they were a steel vice.
“They don’t have to like me, but they will accept me as the new head of The Family. You, on the other hand—it won’t really matter whether you accept me or not because we both know that you’re not going to walk out of this room.”
His voice was raspy . . . weak. “If you kill me there will not be enough members to establish a quorum, so no vote can be taken. You’ll never get what you want.”
“Are you still underestimating me, Mr. Wong? I know the rules like the back of my hand. See, if the remaining living members, emphasis on living, vote unanimously to establish a quorum—and you know they will—you might as well start congratulating me now.”
Silence.
“Hmmm? Nothing to say, Mr. Wong? I’m doing my best to be as respectful as possible in this messed up situation. That’s why I came down here to see you when I could have been in my office working on Xiou business, but I’m old school. You and Chang taught me well even if you didn’t know it. What was it he used to say? Always look the walking dead in the eyes before you put them to sleep. Any final words?”
He nodded slowly. “Rot in hell, Gina.”
I released him and wiped my bloodied hands down the front of my skirt. “Probably, but it’ll be a good long time before I get there. You, on the other hand, will get there very soon—sooner than what was necessary. That is what happens when you attempt to assassinate me and fail.” I took a quick peek at my watch. “I hate to end it like this, but I do have several more meetings today.”
I backed away from him and turned to one of my men. I nodded giving him the signal to kill him. Sadly, this was going to be the end of an era.
He managed to whisper-yell at me. “You won’t get away with this, Gina. My family will avenge my death.”
I turned back around then raised my blood-stained hand and waved it dismissively back and forth. “I’m the lioness of this pride. The weak will always follow the strong. You know they’ll fall in line just like all of the other families.” I paused then snapped my fingers. I remembered something very important. “Mr. Wong, when you get to hell . . . please tell my father I said, ‘Hello.’ ”

Chapter 2
Day 50 of Chang Lee-Xiou’s Mourning
The mourning period was over. Daddy dearest’s memory could finally be buried along with him. Thank the gods above or below whichever-the-hell. No more waiting for approval. No more pretending to be in mourning when what I really wanted to do was tap dance all over his grave. No more looking over my shoulder for whatever fate he had planned for me, and no more following his rules. For as long as I walk this earth it will be my damn rules.
I couldn’t even put into words the difference a day makes. I literally almost skipped into Chang’s office, which had been locked up since the day he died. For the sake of appearance, I observed nearly all of our Chinese traditions including the forty-nine days of mourning until midnight last night. At 12:01 am, this house was nothing but a flurry of activity. My staff had been instructed to turn this place upside down and transform this house to my specifications.
My personal assistant pulled every piece of black clothing out of my closet and gave it away to charities. Unless I was forced to endure another mourning, I would never wear that damn color again. Forty-nine days of black wore on my nerves. Red was my color