Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 124836 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 624(@200wpm)___ 499(@250wpm)___ 416(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 124836 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 624(@200wpm)___ 499(@250wpm)___ 416(@300wpm)
Jo stared down at the keys and then looked back at Lei. “This is my car?”
I chuckled.
Lei nodded.
“Al-right.” Jo went over to the car but still checked over her shoulder a few times like she thought the police were about to jump out and take her to jail. “I’m going to get in. . .my car.”
Lei nodded again. “Do whatever you want.”
TT gazed up at Lei. “Can I ask you something?”
Lei put his view on her. “Sure.”
“Is this car from the movie or a replica?”
“When they filmed the movie, they had four versions. This is one of them.”
Oh damn. So. . .straight from the movie.
TT bobbed her head.
And I had thought his aunts were going to be the big spoilers for today.
Jo got in the car and just slipped her hands over the leather. “Pure money. I’m not driving it. Not a lot, anyway. This is going to be more like a museum piece than a car. I don’t want to put too many miles on it.”
"Drive it, Jo.” I headed over. “You’ll need to get back and forth to your job and you’re taking Chloe and TT to their new schools every morning and picking them up.”
Jo laughed. “Chloe can’t get in this car. She’ll have to take the bus or something.”
I frowned at her.
Jo laughed some more and got out of the car.
Lei returned his view to TT. “For some of the shots in the movie, the producers got permission to film downtown in the East.”
“Here?” Jo came closer. “For real? I mean. . .I remember something about them shooting in Paradise City, but. . .”
Lei continued, “For the scenes that highlighted Phantom’s heritage, they shot them downtown and one of the battles were right in front of my family’s Fortune Cookie company. It was the battle where Red Cobra killed his mom.”
TT leaned her head to the side. “But how did you get the car?”
“As part of the deal, my father was to receive two of the cars after the movie wrapped up.”
Jo’s eyes darted to him, filled with wonder and disbelief. “Is that a usual thing? How did that happen?”
Lei’s smile turned a bit weary. “My father can be very persuasive when he wants to be.”
He sure can be.
“Yeah. Well. . .” Jo bobbed her head. “I uh. . .hey, man. I just. . .”
I watched her. “What, Jo?”
Jo pointed at him. “I still need to figure you out and everything, but I am grateful for this gift. Like. . .this made my year. I won’t lie.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
"And. . .you get one more gift.” Lei put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a second set of keys.
Now what is this?
I figured it might be an apartment or something which was too damn much. I felt like the car was already a lot but like Jo, I was grateful. I’d already planned to get her one. However, the Blue Phantom’s vehicle would weaken any car purchase I got her.
Jo and I looked at these new keys.
He dangled them in from of her. “These are the keys to your new comic store in the East.”
I parted my lips in shock.
No, Lei. We’re not doing that.
Jo frowned, her earlier joy fading as suspicion took its place. “Thanks a lot, but I already work somewhere else.”
He kept the keys in the air. “But now this is yours.”
Jo shook her head. “I don’t know about that.”
Lei lowered his hand holding the keys. “Why not?”
“There’s something weird about this.” Jo stepped back, creating distance between her and the keys as if they might bite her.
“Okay. Do me a favor and think about it.” Lei didn’t push the topic further. He simply pocketed the keys. “The comic store in the East will be waiting for you when you’re ready.”
I see what you’re doing.
Lei was trying to get my sisters to stay in the East as much as possible, to keep them close. There was something unsettling about it and I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was trying to tie them to this place, to his world, in a way that might not be entirely fair to them.
You do know that they can come and go out of the East whenever they want. . .and me too.
Annoyance poured over me.
Jo murmured a quiet “thank you” for the car before walking off, her shoulders tense, but I could see the hint of a smile tugging at her lips. The car had made her day, even if she wasn’t ready to accept the comic store just yet.
However, as Jo walked away, I leaned closer to Lei and lowered my voice so only he could hear. “Nice try.”
He glanced at me. “Meaning?”
“You don’t ever want her to go to the South.”
His tone was casual, but I caught the dangerous edge in his words. “It would be nice if her trips to the South could be avoided in the near future.”