Page 89 of Sweet Dominion

I sucked my teeth. “Lei.”

Aunt Suzi spread her hands out. “After all that we have done today—”

“That is the problem.” Lei’s scowl deepened. “You got an invitation to a cookout, not an order to party plan.”

“Do not worry, sister.” Aunt Min waved him away. “We do not need an apology. Oh no. We perform our beautiful works in the name of a power that is greater than even the Mountain Master.”

Aunt Min frowned at him. “But one day he will say sorry. It is when we are long gone, buried in the ground six feet deep.”

Lei groaned in annoyance.

“That is when he will say sorry and thank you.” Aunt Min bobbed her head. “That is the moment he will have gratitude for what we have brought to his life and it will be too late.”

Aunt Suzi jabbed at the air. “Absolutely too late.”

The conversation was cut short by the unmistakable sound of helicopters approaching.

Everyone looked up and two dark blue helicopters came into view, carrying a massive blue box suspended by cables. And this box could have held at least three elephants.

“Ha!” Aunt Min pointed to it and narrowed her eyes. “The nerve of you, Lei, to say thatweare going too far when you are planning something outrageous too.”

I eyed the giant box. “What's that, Lei?”

He nervously shrugged. “Small surprises for your sisters.”

I raised my eyebrows. “That doesn't look small at all.”

Aunt Suzi snickered. “Small, he says. I can’t wait to see how big it is.”

Super nosy, I headed back to the helipad to see if I could figure it out.

What the hell did Lei do while I was sleeping?

Aunt Min and Aunt Suzi came along, sashaying with those ball gowns.

Lei got to my side and kept my pace. “What are you doing?”

“What did you get my sisters?”

“You’ll see when I give them their presents.”

“Lei, they don’t need presents.”

“What?” Aunt Suzi chuckled. “They have to get presents. We’ve been shopping all day.”

“They do not need to get presents.” I quickened my steps. “The mermaids and all of this is enough. Plus the house is gift enough too—”

“Leo gave you the house. We never got a chance to give you and them anything.” Aunt Min increased her pace too. “And anyway, Moni, you should never block our presents. It is the gift giver that has the most fun. Do not take that away from us.”

Jesus Christ. I can see right now. Everyone is going to spoil the shit out of my sisters.

I wasn’t sure if that was good thing or not. Granted, my sisters and I had experienced some tough years.

Presents, doting aunts, and mermaids would be a nice change.

The helicopters carefully lowered the massive, heavy box to the ground.

We stopped a good twenty feet from where it had been placed and as the dust settled, I could see that the box had several enormous bows on the top.

---