Kai follows me back to the group still gathered on my yacht. I don’t like any of them here without my permission. And I tell them that with the way I stomp back.
I haven’t been in control of day to day operations in a while. Langston has done a lot for me, and I’ve given each individual head control of their section. It hasn’t been important to demand perfection from all of them when I was dealing with so many personal things. And I would have had to involve Kai in every single decision.
Now, I don’t have to.
A tiny thrill at having my full power back jolts down my spine. I like the power. I like being in charge. I like being commanding.
And I’ve missed it.
I glance behind me at the woman standing behind me who looks more timid than I’ve seen her in a long time.
And I would trade it all way to have one more hour with her.
I square my shoulders back to the small crowd. I can’t let them see the love I have for her. My vulnerability. If I do, then they might mistake it for weakness.
I don’t know whether Kai is going to try to compete in this game or not. But I have this uncontrollable desire to try and win. I like winning; I like power; it’s bred into my pores.
“What are you all still doing here? Don’t you have a job to do?” I growl, my voice practically shaking the yacht.
All five of my crew members stand taller. “Yes, sir,” they say in unison, as they start to head toward the edge of the yacht.
“Wait,” Archard says.
They all freeze, but are clearly terrified. I punish my team for disobedience or disloyalty. I’m the only person whose orders they follow. I’ve killed men who didn’t follow my orders when it risked others’ lives.
Quickly, they realize their mistake when they see my snarl and start moving again, ignoring Archard.
“Fucking wait, you cowards,” Archard screams.
They all look at him but keep moving. They won’t stop until I give them the word to.
Archard huffs in frustration. “Will you tell them to stop? They can’t judge you if you order them away.”
I give one nod, and all five of them stop.
Archard exhales, clearly frustrated by the whole scene. He thinks he has power because he’s the company lawyer and is ensuring the contract is enacted. That doesn’t mean he holds any power. As soon as the games are over, I’m firing his ass.
“They must remain near enough to judge your actions every day,” Archard says.
“How are they supposed to do their jobs if they are following me around all the time?” I bark.
“It’s the rules. I didn’t create them. They don’t have to follow every move you make, but if you stay on this yacht, they need to be on the yacht. If you go to one of the bars you own, they can follow in their own cars. And they will have to lead their individual teams from wherever you are or assign a new person to lead in their absence.”
All five pairs of eyes glare at Archard. They all worked hard for their jobs. They won’t give up their positions easily, not even for a month.
My eyes cut to them. “Lead from afar.”
Five pairs of shoulders relax, and they no longer act like they want to kill Archard. “But if a crisis happens, if we are attacked, if something happens under your jurisdiction, then you drop this stupid game responsibilities and do your damn job or you’re fired. You may be able to judge me, but I have the power to decide whether you still have a job or not. I still have the power to decide if you are punished or not. Understand?”
“Yes, Mr. Black.” Their voices ring together.
Black. They already think of me as Black—their leader.
Maybe threatening them doesn’t sound like the best way to get them to vote for me to be their leader. But they all respect me for it. They know I would jump in front of a bullet for them.
A phone buzzes in Clifton’s pocket. He looks horrified, but reluctantly pulls it out of his pocket to answer.
He turns his back and mumbles into the phone so none of us can hear his conversation.