Page 165 of Kai
“Why did I bother making new friends, you’re wondering,” Father continued. “I had enough dough not to care. But it wasn’t the dough my friends wanted. It was my cooperation they required in exchange for something precious.”
Something precious. What could that be?
“So, he did join the NWO,” Dash muttered, his face hard. “The bastard betrayed his country.”
“They got the leverage needed to secure a solid business association.” Father’s fury tightened his jaw, and yet he kept his tone even. “I gave them money, influence, access. I needed time to decide on an itinerary, but once I settled on it, the whole damn thing went sideways.”
I rubbed my eyes. What did he mean by that?
“No forgiveness for me,” he said. “But if I go on the cruise, and the boy does his job, my travels will buy you a little time.”
I traded a knowing look with Dash. He was the “boy.” Father had called him that whenever he wanted to rile him, which was most of his life. My father had tasked Dash with our protection and, so far, he’d done an amazing job.
“Do you understand, Cece?” Father demanded. “I sail on, so that my dream can live.”
His dream?
“The yacht leaves soon. You’re thinking. Why you?” Father shook his head and took a breath. “Your sisters are tooweak. I tried to make them strong, hard, unbreakable, like me. But I failed. Thena can run the Astor conglomerate, but her integrity gets in the way. She’s too honest and eager to please to be of use to me.”
“His loss,” Dash whispered to Thena. “He never got to know the steel in you.”
“His criticism is a compliment to my choices,” Thena said.
“Affie’s got the goods,” Father went on. “But she’s a party animal. She’ll never amount to anything. As for Missy, well, poor, pitiful girl. Nothing there but kindness and goodness. She faints atboo!” He made a show of waving his hands in the air. “She’ll be the first to go. They’re gonna eat her alive.”
“Angel, you’ve proved him wrong already,” Javier said, even before I could. “You are quiet strength, and you’ve survived your father’s enemies when he didn’t.”
“I don’t faint anymore, and ‘they’ didn’t eat me alive.” Missy’s gaze remained dry. “What a shame. Father never learned there’s nothing weak about kindness.”
My heart ached for her, for all of my siblings, but it also soared. My sisters? They were strong, and nothing Father could say would destroy them now.
“But you, Cersi, you’re different.” Father’s words pummeled me like a bat to the head. “I succeeded with you. You don’t take shit from anybody, and that includes me. You’re vicious, and you stand up for yourself. You’ve got a solid brain, and vengeance sings in your veins. You’re my work of art.”
The air whooshed out of me. Was he right? Had he hardened me into his own likeness?
“You arenotlike him.” Kai’s murmur carried a rare edge of fury. “You’ll never be like him.”
I’d been close, but my path had crossed Kai’s, and I’d taken charge of the chisel. I wasn’t Father’s work of art anymore.I was my very own work in progress.
“So, Cersi, I dare you.” The intensity in his stare iced my guts. “Why am I going on a pleasure cruise? Hate me, yes, but avenge me. Redeem me, and above all, keep my dream alive.”
The recording cut off. A spectral silence fell upon the room. The things Father had said were awful, and yet, this wasn’t new. What had changed?
The only deviation from the norm was that he’d asked for help.
Myhelp.
“What is this dream he keeps talking about?” Missy’s features scrunched as she frowned. “He had only one goal. To be the richest man in the world.”
The others muttered in agreement, but Dash traded a curious look with Kai. The gleam in their eyes told me that, like me, they were both pondering every word Father had said.
I asked myself: what was Father’s ultimate dream?
And suddenly I knew. His dream had never included me or my sisters, not directly, anyway, but he did haveadream. He’d done everything in his power—including lying, cheating, and stealing—to achieve his dream.
“Sorceress?” Kai rubbed my arms, working some heat into me. “Are you okay?”
“No.” I was far from okay.
