Kai Villalvazo’s Nemesis (The Kalon Tetralogy #1)

Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

brACKETS (INTERLUDE) — SOBHH? FT. NIVO she was clearly terrified of Kai.

“Looking forward to my death? That’s not ethical, kücük tavsan .” He looked amused despite his aloof, void eyes.

“You don’t give a shit about ethics.” I folded my arms.

“Hmm, you're a fast learner, I'm sure we won't have a problem this season.” He breathed for a minute, some vapour hanging in the air before evaporating. “Ethics are your thing. It's shocking when you lose them.”

“I don’t think you even deserve an ounce of my goodness.”

“It's good to know I have that kind of effect on you, and I'm not complaining.” He leaned forward until his icy, manly fragrance was burning deep in my lungs and soul. “Your bad side interests me more. The untamed, wild personality under this perfect girl facade. I'd love to see you vulnerable and stripped bare to the bone, your features raw with emotion. That turns me on.” His dark, richly accented tone became so prominent, the reverb rumbled deep in my womb and caused unexpected havoc.

His triple scar and slit brows made him look ten thousand times more intimidating.

Just the mere attraction to him heightened my resentment towards him.

Kai was so fucking deranged; it was actually…intriguing.

I had always taken note of the heavy darkness that hovered around me whenever he was near, the goosebumps that I instinctively got whenever he was looking at me. The high pulse rate I got whenever he got close or whenever we made eye contact.

I knew exactly what he was trying to do. He was trying to push me right into his world. He wanted to manipulate me until I was on the edge of insanity. Until my entire life was wrecked and unstable.

There was a blurred line between intelligence and madness, and I knew he was waiting for me on the other side.

But I'd never cross over. Not if I could help it.

“I don’t like you, Vazalo. Get your head out of your ass,” I said nonchalantly, despite my burning skin and flushed cheeks. I didn’t even want to think about the warmth between my thighs.

“We don’t have to like each other to have sex. It is merely a physical transaction that satisfies both parties. And while the foolish one will involve the heart, it's not recommended. It will get messy.” He spoke as though he was talking about the weather.

He was impossible. The bane of my fucking existence.

“There is no physical attraction between us.” I huffed.

“Your thighs are clenching and your lips are parted. Your eyes are partially dilated, too. The less you fight it, the easier it becomes for you, kücük tavsan .”

“You clearly know me better, so I won't bother arguing with you. Anyways, we should be up and ready by 6:00 a.m. tomorrow. No excuses and no slacking.”

“Overambition is hindering your potential. Let’s set realistic goals.” He brushed me off as if I had no idea what I was saying.

My fists clenched at my sides as I deeply inhaled, attempting not to take his comment personally. I might as well tell Coach that his pairing skills are shit and that I wasn’t going to compete for a superior position this time.

I was about to walk away when he calmly gripped my wrist and brought me close to him. The proximity was suffocating me, but he didn’t care. If anything, he probably liked the idea of me choking to death.

He chuckled darkly when I glared at him, his lips barely making a tangible movement as his vicious gaze skimmed over me. I wanted to crawl into the deep snow and just hide from him completely.

“Feisty. You’ve never been spanked before, have you?” His question took me off guard and I blinked a couple of times.

“None of your business?—”

“I guess that’s a no. That’s why you run your pretty little mouth like this. It hasn’t been put to good use.” His gloved hand moved to cup my jaw and he methodically tightened his grip each time I resisted. He was so calm and unsurprised, as though he had predicted my reactions.

His thumb was pressing a particular spot against my neck that was pacifying my emotions and disarming me. It was like he had been trained on how to manage people’s emotions.

I slowly realised that I had lost control. And as I lifted my head and got sucked into the gold and silver spiral of insanity, my skin burned where he touched me. My breaths were shallow as he studied me like a captivating art piece in a museum.

“You drive me so mad. I'm always tempted to kiss the living fuck out of you.” His resonant drawl dropped by an octave, coiled in slips of silk and silver. My breath hitched as the same look from before consumed his features for a moment too long, and I involuntarily turned my gaze away.

“You're a psychopath,” I whispered without looking at him.

“Smart girl. At least you’ve got some of your facts right.” I could feel him smirking, completely unaffected by my statement. He flexed my jaw so we were making eye contact again, his silver eye unnaturally bright in the natural light.

I wasn’t scared of him. I wasn’t scared. I was a big girl, and big girls are brave. I'm brave ? —

“I'll give you a chance, kücük tavsan . We’ll follow your plan and be ready by six since you believe we will have enough energy for the ride at the time and a better state of mind. And on those terms, if you fall asleep for whatever reason before we make a final stop, I’ll kiss you. You have two sleep strikes and after that…” His warm breath simmered against my cheek, it made my stupid nerve-endings tingle. “I fuck you, however I see fit.”

“That’s not fair,” I protested, but he tightened his grip on my jaw until I could hardly talk. Fear gripped a small part of me, but I concealed it before he could smell it.

His pupils were pulled taut as the wild look in his eyes intensified by a fraction. I had walked straight into the devil’s den and something told me I wouldn’t make it out easily.

“Not every strategy requires fairness if it's going to be beneficial to both parties.”

He loosened his grip to let me talk. “And how exactly am I benefitting from this, Vazalo?” My voice was daring and unwavering.

“You get to prove to me that your impulsive decisions are reliable. Then I won't have a choice but to conform to your say. I’ll even convince Coach to make you captain.” He was looking down at me from an intimidating angle and it made me uncomfortable. “And if you lose dismally, you get an unforgettable night of pleasure.”

“You're awfully confident that it's going to be unforgettable. It might be the opposite,” I said smugly. If it provoked him, he chose not to react at all. He didn’t even flinch. Instead, he smirked a little, revealing a canine.

“I never make promises I can't keep, kücük tavsan .” He roughly let me go and I fell on my ass. He nonchalantly stepped back, straightened his massive board on the snow-covered ground, stepped into his bindings, then secured them while I glared at him. “6:00 a.m. Think wisely. You have fourteen hours to spare. You know where to find me if you change your mind.”

And with that, he skilfully carved his way down the mountain.