Page 16 of End It All

"Not my problem."

"I can make it yours," he threatened.

As we’d talked, I had made my way to the door and leaned on it. Honestly, it was the best view of him. Now, however, I pushed off the doorjamb and waltzed back to the bed. My hand rested behind me where I pulled out a knife and twisted it around in the air. I got in Blake’s face until our noses nearly touched and the blade of my knife kissed the creamy white flesh of his thigh.

"Make a mess, and I'll be forced to remove the appendage."

Blake glared at me, his gaze flickering down to the blade for a brief second before meeting mine head-on once more.

"I hate you."

My lips stretched into a huge smile. "Aww, really? I'll be sure to make this a core memory. Blake Vitale, a nobody, hates me." I put the knife away just as my phone buzzed in my pocket. I headed for the door, checking to see just who was calling me. "Try and be a good pet."

"Quincy!"

I shut the door, cutting off his screams. My apartment wasn't fancy in the least bit, nowhere near what I used to live in. But the rooms had thick as fuck walls which was why I paid forty-five hundred in rent every goddamn month.

"Mr. Hayashi," I said, answering the phone.

"Is it done?"

"Yes, sir. The package you requested should be on your desk."

There was a moment of silence over the line that filled the muscles between my shoulder blades with tension. I was never sure how the boss would react or what he'd say to me. Since I joined the yakuza at twelve, I'd been seen as the boss's bastard son's friend. A shitty title but one I stuck with for years. It still hung over my head no matter how often I showed myself capable.

"Good," was all Mr. Hayashi said.

"If there is?—"

"Quincy, you have worked under Harlow for years and you've proven yourself with Kei."

My heart pounded hearing what I'd been working toward for years. "Yes, the?—"

"I'm not finished," Mr. Hayashi said, cutting me off.

I promptly shut my mouth.

"You are an asset. Moving forward, I am placing you under Daiki, my oldest. He will be running…"

Wait, what? Anything else that came out of Mr. Hayashi’s mouth was lost in the sea of disappointment and confusion. I worked my ass off, showed how capable I was, and he wanted to put me under another son? And last I checked, Daiki was working on running the hotel enterprise here in America.

"Sir, that's not?—"

"Quincy, you weren't expecting for me to put you in a leadership position, were you?"

"I've been nothing but loyal."

"Yes, to Harlow."

"No, not just him," I tried to argue. I'd given my all to the organization. Yes, I had loyalty to Harlow, and that would never not be the case, but I'd proven myself time and time again.

"???????????????????????????????????????????????."Some aremeant for greatness and some are meant to be the stepping stone for others.

A part of me always knew I wouldn't be able to move past a certain level within the organization. Being half-black was a point against me. It was never meant for me, but it still stung.

"I understand."

"Daiki will give you orders from now on." The phone call ended without another word.

---