Page 54 of Brutal King

“If a restaurant fails, you point to Lee. If a restaurant falters, it’s Lee. And if a restaurant is not the most successful of them all, you blame Lee.”

Another grunt.

“Dad, admit it. Lee had to close his Hong Kong restaurants as well when China took over. It affected all businesses.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Dad finally said. “Even before that, Lee was already getting all the business. If China hadn’t stepped in, Lee would have taken over Hong Kong.”

“Dad, do you hear yourself? Have you ever stopped to think that maybe it’s because he’s offering customers what they want? Have you ever considered that his restaurants might serve better food? Or that they are managed more efficiently? Have you ever thought of that... dear old Dad?”

“Don’t take that tone with me, young man. The only reason you go to this school and wear your fancy clothes and eat gourmet food is because I fought to make my restaurants a success.”

“Fine,” I said, raising my hands only to let them fall back and slap my thighs. “So, you worked hard. That still doesn’t excuse your...”

“Lee is an unscrupulous, underhanded, conniving lowlife,” Dad cut in. “I know him. He’ll do anything to win, to succeed and to demolish the competition.” He came around his desk to look me straight in the eye. “Lee is a worm who’ll befriend you only to stab you in the back. A relationship with him or his family will ruin a man.”

“But Katrina comes to this school; your school. Doesn’t that say something about the respect he has for the Errol King name? Why would he send his only child, the heir to his empire, to a school he didn’t respect? He wants the best for his daughter, and he knows that the best is here... right here at the Academy.”

Grunting, he turned away.

“Dad, be reasonable,” I said bringing my tone down to a calmer level.

“Keep away from that girl,” he said with a dismissive wave. “That Katrina Lee is trouble. Mark my words. She’ll only bring you misery.”

“I have kept away from her, Dad... and you know what? I’ve been miserable.”

He turned to me with a sardonic grin. “You don’t know misery, Kobe. My young boy, you don’t know what it is to have your heart trampled on, to learn that a girl is sweet on you just to get information for her dear old father. You stay away from her. Don’t associate with her. Don’t talk to her. Hell, don’t even look at her. Her family is out to destroy us, and I trust that you will do your part to keep that from happening.”

“But, Dad...”

“That’s all, Kobe.” He returned to his chair, sat down and punched a button on his phone to resume his call.

Chapter 16

Kat

I SAT AT THE SMALL kitchenette table, staring blindly outside. The project was over, and it had been destroyed by the King family. I still couldn’t believe it.

The door to the dorm room opened and Layla quietly entered the room.

“You okay, Kat?”

Nodding, I grumbled some unintelligible and vague response.

“I heard about what happened at Ginger.” She sat down across from me. “I’m so sorry, Kat.”

“The Kings have made it impossible for us to open on time. I can’t believe they would play so dirty. This is so unfair.”

“Are you sure, Kat? Are you sure that the Kings are behind this?”

I shrugged. “Their name was written there in big, bold letters. Errol King wanted to make sure we knew he’d done it.”

She shook her head. “It doesn’t make sense, Kat.”

“And yet, there it is.” I clasped and unclasped my hands. “And there’s more.”

“What do you mean?”

“Kobe and I were working on that project together.”