Page 126 of Sweet Dominion

“Is this car from the movie or a replica?”

“When they filmed the movie, they had four versions. This is one of them.”

Oh damn. So. . .straight from the movie.

TT bobbed her head.

And I had thought his aunts were going to be the big spoilers for today.

Jo got in the car and just slipped her hands over the leather. “Pure money. I’m not driving it. Not a lot, anyway. This is going to be more like a museum piece than a car. I don’t want to put too many miles on it.”

"Drive it, Jo.” I headed over. “You’ll need to get back and forth to your job and you’re taking Chloe and TT to their new schools every morningandpicking them up.”

Jo laughed. “Chloe can’t get inthiscar. She’ll have to take the bus or something.”

I frowned at her.

Jo laughed some more and got out of the car.

Lei returned his view to TT. “For some of the shots in the movie, the producers got permission to film downtown in the East.”

“Here?” Jo came closer. “For real? I mean. . .I remember something about them shooting in Paradise City, but. . .”

Lei continued, “For the scenes that highlighted Phantom’s heritage, they shot them downtown and one of the battles were right in front of my family’s Fortune Cookie company. It was the battle where Red Cobra killed his mom.”

TT leaned her head to the side. “But how did you get the car?”

“As part of the deal, my father was to receive two of the cars after the movie wrapped up.”

Jo’s eyes darted to him, filled with wonder and disbelief. “Is that a usual thing? How did that happen?”

Lei’s smile turned a bit weary. “My father can be very persuasive when he wants to be.”

He sure can be.

“Yeah. Well. . .” Jo bobbed her head. “I uh. . .hey, man. I just. . .”

I watched her. “What, Jo?”

Jo pointed at him. “I still need to figure you out and everything, but I am grateful for this gift. Like. . .this made my year. I won’t lie.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

"And. . .you get one more gift.” Lei put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a second set of keys.

Now what is this?

I figured it might be an apartment or something which was too damn much. I felt like the car was already a lot but like Jo, I was grateful. I’d already planned to get her one. However, the Blue Phantom’s vehicle would weaken any car purchase I got her.

Jo and I looked at these new keys.

He dangled them in from of her. “These are the keys to your new comic store in the East.”

I parted my lips in shock.

No, Lei. We’re not doing that.

Jo frowned, her earlier joy fading as suspicion took its place. “Thanks a lot, but I already work somewhere else.”

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