“I’ve been in this world a lot longer than you, Katherine. You don’t understand the dangers you will face. You don’t understand how strong you have to be to become Black.”
“One, don’
t call me Katherine. My name is Kai.”
He shakes his head.
“And two, you don’t understand the strength required to be Black. You failed, remember? Enzo’s father won, not you. You have no right to think you know better than me the strength it takes.”
My father sighs, falling back in his chair in defeat.
I win.
But it doesn’t feel like a win. It feels like pain.
“I don’t want to ever see you again,” I say.
“Fine, then stop summoning me and I’ll never see you again.”
It’s not enough. I want him out of my life forever. I consider going outside and retrieving Enzo’s gun, but then I think better. That’s not who I am. I’m not cruel. I will not kill my father.
“I want you to leave Miami. I want you to move to California or Canada or Belize or Ireland. Anywhere that’s hundreds of miles from me. Anywhere not connected to the sea or Miami.”
He cocks his head. “I can’t exactly leave Miami or the sea when I’m a captain.”
“You aren’t a captain anymore. You’re fired.”
That gets his attention. His face goes pale. “You can’t fire me.”
I cock my head to the side. “Did you forget the rules you helped to create? While the games are being played, Enzo and I have equal control of the company. And I’m currently in the lead one to nothing. So I have plenty of power. And I’m firing your ass, effective immediately. This ship’s next mission will be to get your ass to the farthest away land, away from me.”
“You can’t fire me,” he whispers like I just ripped out his heart.
“I just did.”
I stand, effectively dismissing him. I never plan on seeing my father ever again. It’s not the same as killing or punishing him for what he did to me, but it’s enough.
He stands too, facing me. And I can tell he has more to say, but it’s too late for an apology. I won’t change my mind about firing him.
I walk to the door and open it. Enzo’s eyes meet mine, searching to see how much pain I’m in, but the pain is gone. My father no longer exists to me.
Enzo smirks when he reads my face.
“My father is fired. Tell the men they are to drop him off at port as far away from here as possible and to promote the second in command.”
Enzo raises an eyebrow.
I step closer to him and whisper so only he can hear. “And if you have a problem with me ordering that without discussing with you first, we can have a discussion about you meeting with my father first and beating the shit out of him.”
“I don’t have a problem with you making the decision. It’s yours to make.”
I nod. “And thank you for beating the shit out of my father. He deserved every punch.”
He grins.
My father walks to the door where I’m standing. He glares at Enzo like he’s the devil. He is, but he’s my devil. The kind I can trust to protect me. The kind who fucks up and then makes up for it. Not the kind that sells me and pretends that is somehow saving me.
My father leans over to me, alcohol heavy on his breath as he says, “There is so much more you don’t know, Kather—Kai. So much more. Find the truth before Enzo does. It’s the only way to win.”