Page 217 of Sweet Dominion

Several of Lei’s men kneeled on the floor with their heads bowed and the cold gleam of gun barrels pressed against their skulls.

Guns that the monks held.

And there was this eerie stillness that filled the hallway, punctuated only by the faint, distant sounds of the party outside—muffled music and distant laughter—which was all completely out of place in this new reality we’d stumbled into.

The rest of Lei's men lay crumpled on the floor, blood seeping from cuts across their faces.

They were definitely unconscious.

Or worse.

Their weapons were scattered, disarmed, their bodies contorted in awkward positions that told me the fight had been brutal but short.

Efficient.

A masterclass in violence.

Lei got in front of me, keeping his body between me and Leo’s men as they kept their guns on his men’s heads.

Rage laced his voice. “You pull out guns in Lotus Blossom?”

One of the monks spoke, but didn’t look up. “We apologize, Mountain Master, but the Grand Master ordered us to—”

“And you will die with him this evening.”

I swallowed hard, trying to process the scene.

“Mountain Master, your father would like you to come to the little girl’s bedroom for a discussion andthenyou can kill us afterwards.”

“Take your fucking guns off my men.”

They glanced at each other and then obliged, each putting the weapons up one at a time.

Lei kept that grip on my hand as he led us forward.

My eyes darted to the bodies sprawled across the floor.

Some of Leo’s monks were down too, their blue robes now darkened with streaks of blood. The sweet, metallic tang of it hung in the air.

Oh God.

I looked at Lei.

His whole body was coiled like a spring, ready to snap. Every muscle in his frame tensed with fury, but beneath it, I could see the sharpness of his mind working, trying to figure out the next move.

He was pissed, yes, but he wasn’t stupid.

They may have been outnumbered on the entire property with Four Aces down below and Rowe Street Mob.

However, up here, Leo’s men had the upper hand.

The blue-robed monks—maybe a dozen of them—stood silent and watched us.

While their guns were back in those holsters, I knew they could still kick my ass.

Enough is enough. After tonight, I’m keeping a gun on me. And I will be practicing every fucking day.

Never did I want to be in this position again, especially with my sisters now in the East.

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