Page 87 of Sweet Dominion

Diamond crowns sat on top of their heads.

Are they going to a ball afterwards?

I gazed down at my blue sundress, feeling absolutely underdressed.

Lei sneered. “There are the trouble makers.”

“Be nice.”

He prowled forward.

Aunt Suzi glanced over her shoulder and spotted us. Her eyes lit up with excitement and she headed over, her gownshimmering with each step. “Moni! Lei! You’re just in time to see the final preparations!”

Lei yelled, “Get all of this shit out of here!”

Aunt Suzi shrieked in shock. “What?!”

Aunt Min turned around. “Did you call all of thisshit? Why I ought to pull your pants down, bend you over my knee, and smack that little bottom with my sword.”

I smirked.

Lei continued forward, “This is not a seven-year old’s mermaid birthday party this is a cookout.”

Aunt Suzi held out her hands. “Everyone loves mermaids at all ages—”

“Get all of this out of here. You’re going to scare her sisters away—”

“Scare?” Aunt Suzi stepped back like she’d been slapped. “How dare you? We are going to thrill them. Give them dreams of magic and—”

“It is a cookout. We just need tables, chairs—”

“No. No.” Aunt Min shook her head then gestured for one of the waiters on the side to come over—waiters that I had no idea had been standing over there in their glittery blue leotards and one foot seashell headdresses.

How the hell did I miss them?

Aunt Min pointed at the waiter who stepped forward. “Come and give the Mountain Master a dirty martini. He needs to relax.”

Lei took all of the ridiculously dressed men in. “Waiters?!”

Aunt Suzi grinned. “Who else will carry around the cocktails and hors d'oeuvre?”

“This is a cookout, not a gala—”

“A cookout can mean many things.” Aunt Suzi looked him up and down then checked me out. “When are you two going to change? You both look like you’re going to a picnic.”

“Aunt Suzi, a picnic and a cookout are very similar. Casual.” Lei gestured to the orchestra. “Get them out of here too—”

“We must have music—”

“We have it,” Lei said. “I was told by Chen that Rowe Street Mob requested an extra helicopter for the DJ.”

I widened my eyes. “What?”

Lei nodded at me. “Yeah.”

I rolled my eyes. “They need to chill out and stop requesting so much—”

“Oh, don’t worry. They’re not the ones being ridiculous right now.” Lei glared at his aunts.

---