The Six: Genesis | A Reverse Harem Novel

Forty-One

An ultimatum?

My father issued an ultimatum?

He stares at me from across his office, arms crossed with a dark look twisting his features. I return the glare, fisting my hands so hard blood pools at the surface and leaves crescent-shaped marks on my palms. I can't find the ability to care. They'll heal.

"How could you ask me to augment him?" I explode a second time, damn near splitting at the seams. "You can't ask me to do something like that!"

Ryker simply raises an eyebrow. "I wasn't asking."

Red bleeds into my vision as my heart rate jumps. Iris is in my head, her voice droning about my vitals and the danger. Chris is in the recess of my thoughts. His presence is the only thing keeping me from going completely mental.

I want to rage. I want to tear this place down with my bare hands and keep tearing until the trees are uprooted. Does he not remember the risks? Does he care?

"I'm not going to augment Charlie to go to the office. I need to do this to ensure my company survives, and this isn't one of those times where I'm asking permission."

Twenty minutes ago, I sent Chris and Charlie away. This discussion—tension—building with my father was going to break into a massive argument. We rarely argued, despite disagreeing on many topics, but I couldn't hold this in any longer.

There's such a thing as too much power.

"If you want to be in a public space with a million different variables, then yes, you do." He held up the index finger of his left hand when my mouth opened. "Stop! I'm not finished, Blue. His job—and Chris'—is to protect you from harm. That is their single obligation and it doesn't matter what I ask or demand of them. They will do it without question or their families will be choosing their caskets. Understood?"

"No! I don't understand, nor will I."

I'm exhausted. My head is pounding and my jaw aches from clenching it. Tears gather in my eyes and my throat is closing, fighting off frustration and exasperation.

This isn't a game.

Augmentation has never been a game.

At least, not for me.

Technological advances mean nothing if we are not careful. If we aren't, we become the people I was spending billions of dollars to thwart. They wanted this tech to do horrible things—to hurt others and destroy what they deem dangerous.

I don't want those things. I want change. I want diversity of thought and action. There are so many children living underprivileged lives who have so much to give to the world.

The rich aren't the ones who lose. The poor are.

"You will somebody. You'll understand how everything I've ever done is to keep you safe." His voice lowers to a whisper, growing morose and sweet with affection. "When your parents died, and I found out they trusted you with me, it changed my entire life. Me, the man who never wanted children, suddenly had an eight-year-old genius to take care of."

"I know. You made it clear you never wanted children." I roll my eyes and laugh. "I'm glad I disrupted your tidy life."

"I am, too." He smiles. "And I'm sorry for the reasoning, but my mind is unchanged. You'll augment Charlie to travel to the office. I realize and understand you are augmented, intelligent and can protect yourself, but you'll do better not having to worry if Charlie is okay."

My brain stalls.

He's right. With Charlie in the mix, it changes the dynamic. I've sparred with Chris and am intimately acquainted with his body and capabilities.