Page 91 of Sweet Dominion

There was Banks—I hoped he wouldn't cause a scene when I let him know about the move.

My hands trembled.

As if hearing my thoughts, Lei grabbed my hand. “Everything will be fine.”

Please, God. Let him be right.

His reassuring touch soothed my racing pulse, grounding me back to the present—ourpresent, entwined together in this new life we had made for ourselves.

Slowly, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding.

In the distance, the helicopter was no longer just a sound but a visible entity, dark against the soft hues of the sun.

My palms began to sweat as I watched it descend towards Lotus Blossom. The rumbling of its engine echoed.

Duck got to my right and pointed near the entrance. “Why is there a carousel?”

I continued to look at the sky. “Your aunts.”

“Aww.”

“There’s mermaids in front of the house too.”

“Real ones?”

I snapped my view to him. “Duck, mermaids aren’t real?”

“We don’t know that.” Duck looked that way. “Wow. Those are definitely mermaids. This is going to be the best cookout ever.”

“Let’s hope.”

He moved his view to the sky. “How old are your sisters again?”

“Jo is twenty. Chloe is seventeen—”

“But about to turn eighteen soon?”

I snapped my view back to him. “Duck, don’t make me hurt you.”

“Oh no. I was just asking.”

I continued to side-eye him. “TT is eleven.”

“Okay. I’m assuming Jo is off limits.”

Lei tilted forward and frowned at him. “Moni’s sisters are our family now, so yes. They’re off limits.”

“Oh.” Duck sighed. “I just heard they were hot.”

“Who the hell told you that?”

Duck shrugged.

I tapped his shoulder. “Keep your meat balls and panty grabbing away from my sisters.”

Duck held his hands up. “Who me? I’m always a perfect gentleman.”

“You showed your penis to my ladies-in-waiting.”

---