Page 214 of Sweet Dominion

He spoke to one, “Get upstairs and make sure her little sister TT is safe. Don’t startle her, just look in and wait for us in the hall.”

Fuck.

Lei put his view back on me. “You think you can still hide when you’re nervous from me? I love you too much. It’s impossible.”

His words hit me hard, like a flood of warmth and security washing over my fear.

He did know me.

And in these past days, he had clearly been paying attention.

He saw me in ways no one else ever had. And in that moment, I realized just how much I loved this man.

How deep our connection ran.

"Alright.” I watched his men race up the stairs. “So. . .”

But before I could say another word, Lei’s gaze shifted over my shoulder and the warmth in his eyes vanished, replaced by something cold.

Dangerous.

I followed his line of sight and saw them—the men standing by the front door.

Dressed in blue monk robes, they had their heads bowed slightly as if they didn’t want Lei to recognize them.

Uncle Song’s men.

Then, Lei slowly lifted his view to up the stairs and it all came together in his head. “Goddamn it.”

“I-I will deal with him, Lei.”

He moved fast around me, I didn’t know how I did it but I got in front of him, blocking his way to the stairs.

“Wait.”

He gazed down at me. “My father is up there with your sister?”

“Y-yes.”

His jaw clenched so tight I could hear the grind of his teeth. “How did you know that?”

“When the fireworks happened, I glanced over my shoulder and saw him in the window eating food with your uncle and my sister.”

“Eating food?”

“Yeah. They both had plates.”

“So, they’ve probably been up there with TT for a while?”

“Maybe.”

“That’s not fucking good.”

“I know, but. . .” I placed my hands on his chest, desperate to make him understand. “I’m going up there now to get her, but I need you to stay down here. If you go up there like this—”

“I’m going up—”

“You can’t. You’re not in the right state of mind. You’ve been drinking—”

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