Page 132 of Malice and Surrender
“Ha!” I barked out before I could stop myself. “Now, who’s the terrible liar?” I dug around in my plastic bag and pulled out a couple of packages of candy. I tossed one at Kai, and he caught it. “Don’t ever play poker. You'll lose.”
“What’s this for,” he asked, staring at the gummies.
“People tend to eat them,” I said, smiling as Kai glared. “I’m not sure what the wildlife does with them.”
Kai made a snorting sound like he almost found my joking insult amusing. “And you have a sense of humor, good to know. One that is going to get you killed, but it makes me like you a little bit more,” he said and tore open the package.
I glanced at the large window and the guy behind the cash register staring at us as if expecting things to turn into a shoot-out.
“Well, we seem to be at a stalemate because I’m not continuing with you following me,” Kai said.
“Another asshole move. I shouldn’t be surprised after you stormed my home, attacked Jace and me, destroyed my sitting room, and almost shot us all. For no reason, I might add.”
“I had my reasons, just not ones you’d agree with,” he said, and fuck, he sounded way too much like Jace. I just couldn’t picture either of them sharing Raine with one another, but that was a problem for another day. One problem at a time.
“Fine. I’ll make you a deal,” I offered.
“I’m not really sure you’re in a position to make deals,” Kai said.
“Maybe not, but I will sit here and watch you like a fucking annoying ass fly and stick to you like glue until you either shoot me or lead me to Raine. So I’d take the deal.”
Kai glared, and I was sure it scared a great many people, but this was Raine we were talking about, and I wasn’t about to back down. He could fucking forget about it.
“I wouldn’t tempt me with shooting you,” he said and dumped the last of the candy in his mouth.
“I’m sure it is tempting for someone used to simply taking whatever they want. The thing is, I don’t think that’s the real you. At least not the you before prison, but what do I know?” I rubbed at my chin as I analyzed his glare. “Maybe you really are the type that if you want something, you just take it. You don’t like someone. You shoot them in the face.” Wisely or unwisely, I took a step toward Kai. “I honestly don’t give a fuck what you do to me, but I’ve never done anything to you, and you’re the one that will have to live with my death on your conscience.” I took another step so that I was standing at the trunk of my car. “And if Raine ever finds out what you’ve done…well, you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to know how well that will go over.”
“Okay, it’s official. You’re fucking annoying me.” Kai pushed away from my car and stood with his hands on his hips.
I shook my head and sighed. “I’m right, and you know it, Kai. From what Raine has told me about you, one thing was made very clear. She said that you had a good heart. She said that you stood up against bullies and that it was breaking her heart to see how much you’ve changed. How much she no longer recognized you. How much who you’d become scared her.”
It was like I punched him in the stomach. All the anger fell from his face to be replaced with uncertainty. I had a feeling that people didn’t call Kai out much. They probably weren’t brave enough or didn’t care.
“Raine still sees the good in you, and I think I see it too, but this….” I pointed my finger up and down his body. “This attitude and the threatening to kill me because I was Raine’s friend and dared to look out for her when no one else did. Because I fell in love with her and her beautiful soul that was broken when we met. Because I would lay my life down for her. None of those are reasons.” He licked his lips, and I could see him warring with his inner demons, whatever those were.
Kai cracked his neck and sucked in a deep breath. “What’s this fucking deal?”
“Pull out your phone,” I said, and he slowly reached inside his leather jacket. “Now go to text messages and send whatever message you want to this number.” I held up my phone with my number glowing across the face. A moment later, fuck off, came in, and I smirked. “Perfect, now I will know it’s you.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m going to turn around and go home like you want. You want this time with Raine alone. You want to try and convince her to just be with you. Go for it. I won’t stop you. What I want is to know she’s alive and well. So as soon as you find her and know she’s okay, you’ll text me and let me know she’s alright.”
“And? What’s the catch?”
“No catch. You try and convince her to come home and be with you or whatever you want, as long as you don’t hurt her again. Then you will piss me off, and I may not look it, Kai, but I’m a lot smarter and more resourceful than you’re giving me credit for.” I smiled wide. “Just make sure she is doing well and stays that way and text me that she is, and I’ll call it fair.”
“I don’t understand.”
I smirked. “You wouldn’t.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Kai growled, his hands immediately balling into fists. Okay, he was like Jace if he was on steroids. I wanted to shake my head but watched a few cars driving by, minding their own business, before I answered.
“It means that what you fail to realize is that at the end of the day, what happens from this moment onward has nothing to do with you, me, or Jace.” I paused, and Kai cocked his head as he stared at me. “The decision is Raine’s.” I shrugged. “If you truly love her the way you seem to, then you’ll eventually see that, and you’ll have a choice to make.”
I stepped up to Kai, and at first, he didn’t back away from my door as I reached for the handle, but I waited patiently until he finally stepped away. Opening it halfway, I stopped before I got behind the wheel and looked at Kai.
“For the record. I don’t see a monster when I look at you. I see who Jace and I would’ve become if we hadn’t had each other. There’s time to heal Kai if you let yourself. You just have to give yourself the space and stop telling yourself you’re no longer worth the effort.” I slipped behind the wheel, and Kai remained standing in the same spot as if I’d frozen him in place.
