right. It can’t. No time like the present to let him know I’m walking away for good.
He stalks into his office and I follow, swallowing a groan when I glance at my watch.
“You look good,” he says in a stiff voice. “Big plans tonight?”
I give a curt nod. “Charlotte’s dad is hosting some business gala. She asked me to take her.”
Dad’s jaw twitches. “And how does she feel about you leaving for Chicago?” he asks, a harsh edge to his voice.
“I don’t know since I haven’t told her about it.”
“Don’t you think you should clue her in?” He settles himself against his large dark wood desk. “It’s over, Xander. You can try to avoid it, but the end of the road is here. I’ve given you plenty of chances and you’ve ignored my instructions every chance you get. I can’t risk that you’re going to cause any more trouble than you already have.”
“Trouble?” I shout. “How have I started trouble? I’m the only one of your sons who actually recognizes a problem and does something to resolve it. You, Phoenix, Jase...none of you address anything! You bury your heads up your asses, hoping and praying shit gets better. But nobody does anything!”
“Don’t you dare disrespect me that way!” Dad bellows, slamming a fist on the top of the desk.
I let out a frustrated sigh. “Look, I’m sorry for saying that, but it’s the truth, Dad. How many times have I come to you to fix things in the organization? And when this Moretti thing became real, I tried to connect the dots. Me, nobody else. In fact, it’s like everyone else is ready to roll out the red carpet for the scumbag! We have leads...real leads! But nobody wants to run with them. I don’t know if it’s because they’re scared or plain fucking stupid, but the longer we wait, the closer to extinction we get.” I take a few steps closer to him. “Do you want to lose everything, Dad? Because I don’t.”
“Xander, this has been my life forever. Do you really think I want to hand over everything we’ve built to Moretti?” He sweeps a hand over his head. “But you have to realize when you act on your emotions, it makes you vulnerable. Maintaining a steady head...and hand...will help you prevail. It helps to keep your eyes open and focused so you’re aware of everything going on around you. Letting your anger grab hold of you and guide your actions makes you more of a target because you miss what’s right in front of you.”
“Missing something that’s right in front of you because you need to think it to death isn’t exactly a solid plan, either,” I grumble.
“You’ve been clouded, Xander. Conflicted. Ever since Charlotte got back to town. I can’t have your focus in so many directions. It will get you hurt...or worse. You need to remember what’s important and where your priorities lie. There is no room for a girl, no less a girl whose father appears to be mixed up with a very dangerous element that is trying to challenge our existence.” He folds his arms over his chest. “I know you think you can do it all, but I’m here to tell you that it’s impossible. You will fail. You cannot play to more than one master. It may have worked when you were younger, but the stakes are just too high now. I need to know I can trust you to accept your family responsibilities, which is why you need to go to Chicago. Under Phoenix’s guidance, you won’t have any distractions. You’ll focus on the threats to our organization and help tighten our borders, all while coming up with new opportunities for us to expand.” He quirks an eyebrow. “It’s exactly what you said you wanted.”
I let out a deep sigh. “I did say I wanted that. For years, all I wanted to do was make you proud, to show you I have what it takes to be a force in this family.”
“You were never in it all the way,” Dad says.
I furrow my brow. “Yes, I was. I did what you asked. I made you plenty of cash. I—”
“You were never in with both feet,” Dad repeats. “You think I missed that, Xander? Tell me, was I supposed to throw more responsibility at you while I watched and wondered what you were going to do next to ‘prove yourself’? I tried to guide you, tried to help you find your