Playing The Game - Book Four in The WSU Series

- Chapter Twenty-One -

"Don't be like that, Kian."

"What do you want?" I ask as I turn the corner away from prying eyes, "can't I talk to my son?" My father smiles as he stands in the middle of the corridor, with no care in the world. "No, you can't," like the rest of us, everything my father does has a motive. I guess you could argue that's where me and Kai got it from, "I saw you with Lizzie." He points out by motioning his chin behind. "Have you been watching me?" I ask my tone purposely sarcastic, "wow dad, that hurts."

"I see that the Young has agreed, but where's the ring?" He speaks in a hushed tone, "an engagement ring is the least of my problems." My father wants information— I want something better, I want Dominic Young dead. Not to be morbid at a party or anything. "You didn't come home for Christmas," he states the obvious, "I stayed in Pullman." Truth be told I didn't want to go home, and I know neither did Lizzie. Someone had to keep an eye on her. Especially after her fleeing, thank god for the fact I put a tracker on her phone.

"With your little fiancé?" He asks, mocking me. "She's a fool— really believing you've changed and that you're sorry for your past," my father laughs which echo off the walls. "I underestimated you, making the girl you've only loved fall back in love with you," he steps closer, "to only then betray her, again." He emphasizes the 'again,' I have betrayed her, I fucked us up last time and I'll do it again. "That's cruel son," his twisted smile back on his face, I shove my hands in my pockets so I can fight the urge to beat him up, here and now. "What can I say? I was taught by the best."

"Kai should be more like you," my father states, "he's unhinged, reckless if you will." I nod in agreement— we all know, the media just thinks he's a rich kid living his life, partying, taking drugs, drinking, etc... But I know it's because of this life, our lifestyle. My fathers put him off for now but Kai is furious about it, he loves what he does. "I'm sending him to Pullman," he declares as if Kai wouldn't have told me earlier when he was watching from across the room. "Next year," I say, thankfully Blake argued for it, I couldn't imagine being in WSU with my younger brother. He'd get us both into trouble, more trouble than I'd need.

"As long as no girl fucks him up even more like she's done to you," for once I agree with him, "don't worry— Kai Bliss isn't a fool, nor will he ever get close enough to a person to feel something other than lust." My father nods in approval of my response, "very well, he will be watched obviously. I'm assuming once you finish in the summer you'll move back to New York?" He guesses, "have you told Lizzie she'll have to finish college," he mocks knowing that I won't force her to move out here.

"You're getting soft Kian, you'll be married by then— you have the control, you tell her what to do and she'll do it." I scoff at the obvious mindset he has, "patriarchal control much?" For once this night I laugh, at my father. "I wouldn't have to use that as an excuse for her to listen to me." Lizzie knows what happens when she doesn't listen, "you'll fall, and that's your biggest weakness, never mind the West. Your fucking emotions will get in the way of how you control— don't let people see you care." I step closer to my father, over the years I've grown taller than him. I look down at the man who I call dad, "if the West think I care about my fiancé, then they are more stupid than you." My wife, they'll have a bigger problem on their hands.