Page 11 of Sweet Dominion

Monique

Leo’s smile widened. “Do you see how much I care for you, daughter?”

I had no words.

Even if I did have words, I didn’t have the ability to speak them.

All I could do was just stare at Yan’s severed head in the box. A cross had been gruesomely carved into her forehead and the wound was deep and still fresh.

Instead of Yan’s brown eyes, two large blue marbles stared out lifelessly from her eyelids, giving her face an eerie, doll-like appearance.

What? The? Fuck?

A delicate gold crown rested atop her head.

It was a grotesque mockery of royalty.

Her mouth was parted wide, frozen in a silent scream that spoke of unimaginable terror and pain. She surely did not die in her sleep. Leo did some fucked up shit to her before she passed.

Blood soaked the blue satin sheet her head lay upon and the vibrant color contrasted horrifically with the crimson stains.

Panic struck me like a physical blow, my body reacted violently.

My stomach churned and bile rose in my throat as I fought the overwhelming urge to vomit.

And my hands trembled uncontrollably, barely able to keep hold of the box’s lid.

This isn’t happening. Right?

The room spun around me.

Death lathered the space.

Still, I couldn’t look away but every second felt like an eternity of agony.

Oh my God. I shouldn’t have told him. I fucked up.

Guilt hit my heart.

Leo’s calm, firm voice broke through the haze of my terror. “Like I said before this is a symbol, Monique. A symbol of my trust in you and of how much you mean to me. I am putting all of my faith, all of my bloodline, intoyoubecause. . .you are my daughter.”

But. . .it’s not safe to be your daughter. I mean. . .you just killed your own daughter so. . .I don’t think I need a psycho father. I’m good. . .

More important, what did you say to a man who killed his daughter for you?

Thank you?

That didn’t seem like quite enough.

Good job?

I don’t know about that.

I wanted to scream, to cry out in anguish and fury, to run the hell away and hide, but I forced myself to remain composed. I couldn’t afford to show weakness in front of a man who was clearly insane and would probably kill me if I showed too much weakness.

Lei. . .come get this crazy man. . .

I turned to Song now understanding why he refused to come close to the table.

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