Page 167 of Rhet

My father smooths his hands over his hair. Over the weeks more of his edges have begun to turn white.

“Carson’s bid was approximately twenty-five to twenty-eight million” he pulls at his cigarette. The red embers appear bright before turning in to grey ash.

“My bid was enough. How do you know about Carson?” I ask my stomach twists thinking about Zeeta.

He flicks his cigarette in an old astray on the side table.

“I have little birds everywhere even in your office,” he smiles tightly.

I say nothing, even though I am angry with Zeeta, I will not mention her to my father.

“I heard Julian was panicking when he found out your woman made the bid for you?” He rubs his lip and squints.

Again, I stay quite waiting for him to say it all.

“She made your bid. Who is she working for?” he grunts.

“Me, I gave her the authority to,” I lie, wondering who she was working for.

“Lies. I had hopes for you by now you could have been the head of the Quarter Masters.” He forms a fist and slams it on the sofa.

“The power you would have attained. If only you would have listened to me!” he screams.

I refuse to be drawn into my father’s anger.

“You have no power not within the Quarter Masters, now you’re about to lose the Waterfront” he screams.

Red blotches appear on his face.

“You keep failing again and again. Now your tramp has taken away your power.” He screams. His hair flings out in a mess.

He passes his hand over his head and smooths it all back “You have to fix this.”

I stand and pick up my jacket and turn to leave “See yourself out.”

“Don’t you dare walk away from me. I wish you were dead and not Trent” he states as he pulls me by my shoulder.

I stop mid stride as those words slashed through me. I shrug him off.

“You think I don’t know that. You call me a failure, but you think I don’t realize you stopped wearing your Quarter Master ring,” I flick my head at his hand. He instantly forms a fist and tries to hide it.

“How dare you,”

I throw my head back and laugh “How dare me? They kicked you out of the Quarter Masters. They must have grown tired of your ways. You lost your power there.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” He mutters, his face contours with disgust.

“You failed mom when you screwed behind her back with countless women. Bringing her a new son.”

“What did she do about it? Nothing.”

“She should kill you,” I say out loud.

My father points at me and shakes his finger, “Gia knew the kind of man I was before we were married.”

“What kind of man is that? Immoral, selfish, mean, powerless …weak?” I let my jacket drop from my grip.

“Shut up boy before I hurt you.” My father’s eyes look wild his breathing is becoming erratic.

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