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

Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

? YASMINA ?

I hadn't slept this well in a long time.

In fact, I hadn't slept this peacefully at all. Especially in the dark.

I had not woken up in the middle of the night. I had not seen any dark shadows in my dreams. This time, there were unicorns and candy floss in my dreams.

Well, not literally.

I snuggled more against my source of warmth, sighing happily at the glorious feel of heat seeping into every pore of mine. I had forgotten my surroundings for a good minute until I felt his chest heave slightly.

Then it finally clicked.

I was all cuddled up with Kai. Again.

I opened my eyes, the room slowly coming into peripheral. I blinked a couple of times then slowly looked up to a sleeping Kai.

Fascinated, I leaned my arms against his strong chest. His grip on me was so rigid and firm, and every time I shifted, it steeled further.

I giggled quietly as I traced his cheek and barely got a reaction. He was gone, out like a light. It was the first time seeing him do something very normal.

Even in his sleep, he looked ready for war, like any slight shift in energy would provoke him. Kai's beauty was so undaunted, intimidating, and absolutely enchanting.

His face was firmly sculpted, contoured in all the right places and he was just God's way of boasting His artistic skills.

My face lit up when an idea came to me. I reached over to my black marker on my nightstand, then carefully opened it aside so he wouldn't smell it.

This was going to be so fun. I was probably going to regret it, but oh well.

We all die at some point.

I filled his thick, dark brows, then drew a fake moustache along the top of his upper lip. He didn't even flinch a muscle as I drew all sorts of shapes on his face. I finished off my art by writing 'Snow Szn' on either of his cheeks, then involuntarily traced the three faded scratches on his left cheek with my fingertips.

I wonder what happened to him. The scars seemed too deep to be a cat's doing, and it was definitely something bigger. Something…terrifying.

I shuddered at the thought then took a couple of pictures of him, all in high quality mode. This will probably ever be the only time I'll write on his face, and I was surprised he didn't feel anything.

Now I had some leverage.

And after much contemplation, I pried myself out of his grip and gave him my pillow, which he easily squeezed the life out of, assuming it was me. I guess he was a cuddler.

I took pictures of the dark dawn, then an aesthetic one of my headphones and grey novel by the lamp. My headphones had been returned two weeks ago, but they seemed a little bit…modified.

They looked new and crisp, and they even smelt new. I had simply shrugged it off then asked Kayden to check for any trackers or any other devices that the culprit could use to get leverage on me.

It was still 3:00 a.m., and we were supposed to be on the road by seven. We had adjusted the time because I had fallen asleep yesterday when I wasn't supposed to.

I posted a carousel of the pictures, the first one being Kai's hilarious face. He was definitely going to see it, and so was the entire school. That would be enough damage, he'll handle it.

Kayden was obviously the first to see it, adding a few comments sprinkled with dark humour underneath it. I was surprised to be seeing him active on social media. In fact, I was shocked he even had an account. It was recent and he had only one bike-related selfie there, but it had forty million likes.

He wasn’t even smiling, but the girls and guys were going crazy in the comments. He was really handsome, more so with the toothpick he always had between his lips.

Soon enough, Yelena, Kendrick, and Penelope were commenting, too, and before I knew it, there were over a hundred of them and two hundred likes in five minutes.

Take that, motherfucker.

People were stunned to see that I had gotten this close to the cold, unfriendly Kai, hence why it instantly went viral. People were resharing and reacting to the picture and I smiled in satisfaction.

I went back to sleep, this time on my own side. And by the time I woke up at five, Kai was nowhere to be found. I bit my lip as I thought of how he probably reacted to having his glorious face drawn on.

The room strongly smelt like him and it was an indication that he had showered. Even his bag was packed. He must be downstairs.

I set up my speaker then took a shower as well. After layering my outfit, I packed my stuff and headed downstairs.

The smell of freshly baked bread, steaming, rich coffee and warm, melted butter met my nose and I sighed at the heavenly aroma.

Kai was downstairs, as predicted, setting up the table in his usual stoic face. He had gone to the trouble of making omelettes, sausages, and many other delicious breakfast items.

Hell, he had even made a small cake with grey icing. My favourite colour.

Why was he being this nice? After what I did to him?

"Good morning," I beamed, taking my seat and watching his sexy hands knead the dough so naturally, it made my resentment ten times stronger despite the contraction in my abdomen.

Seems like he's good at everything.

His face was clear of any markings I made this morning.

"Hmm." Was all his response as he sprinkled some flour, then moulded his dough before twisting it dexterously.

He must have been a chef at some point. Or he is currently one.

"Is there anything gluten-free?" I inspected the table and his smirk told me that this was his form of payback.

Derailing my eating regime. Smart comeback.

And because I was hungry, I didn't have much of an option. I had to eat what he had made with gluten. Some heavy carbs.

"My vegetables?—"

"Non-existent. You forgot them in the car and well, it's now compost." He gave me a careless half-shrug and I gritted my teeth in irritation.

He was ten steps ahead and it infuriated me. How was I going to start my day off without some health juice or a green salad? And keep my body in shape?

"I'm surprised you forgot. I thought you were smarter than that," I retorted, my day already taking a turn for the worst.

"It wasn't a priority, therefore, I never put it in mind. Besides, you should be a responsible gardener." He spoke so calmly, it actually made me so mad.

This was a fucking joke to him.

"I don't see why you need to fuss over those rotten leaves when you have a breakfast buffet before you. Stop acting like a spoilt brat," Kai added with strong nonchalance. Despite inhaling, I couldn't stop my mouth from speaking back.

"How about you stop acting like an asshole? The world doesn't revolve around you. I eat what's best for me and you can't force me to eat what I don't want. What if I'm allergic?"

"Good thing you're not, so start eating." He put the bread into the furnace then washed his hands.

"No."

"Suit yourself." He gave me a bored glance before tearing a piece of the fresh bread. The steam rose into the air, the aroma wafting into the air as he spread some butter onto the fluffy, white interior.

My mouth involuntarily watered as the butter melted, and I watched as he ate the tender bread. It was making me hungrier and he knew it.

"Stop staring at me and help yourself. I will push you out of the car if your stomach growls today." The firmness in his voice told me he probably wasn't joking.

"I see why no one likes you. You don't deserve it." I rolled my eyes and before I could reach for the coffee jug, my breath was constricted by Kai's strong, large hand.

His presence was like a vicious hurricane, destroying everything in its wake, and the venomous look he was giving me didn't help, either. The devil was slowly taking over and he tightened his grip until I was paling.

"You enjoy testing me, don't you? You're about to get on my last nerve, and I don't have many. So fucking watch it." My heart raced as his dark, threatening voice seared my eardrums. He loosened his grip, but didn't completely let go. The fury that blazed in his eyes was manic, horrifying.

Deadly.

This was the first time seeing him lose control, and I found it…intriguing.

So, I am capable of getting a reaction out of him.

"You're so sexy when you're mad." I smirked, wrapping my own hand tightly around his strong throat. “I suggest you watch it, too. I don’t fuck with you.”

"You just don't know how to keep your mouth shut, do you?" His expression didn't change and it shook me to the core. I'd never known anyone to be this diabolical, it made my skin crawl. I rolled my eyes at his comment, amused that he thought I wouldn’t challenge him.

Kai was very unpredictable; I couldn't tell what he was planning behind his void eyes.

"And you don't— ah!" I gasped when he tugged my hair backwards so roughly, my roots ached. My head was tilted at an unnatural angle and with each passing second, that maniacally interested look he often got was growing intense.

His free hand was even clenching and unclenching, the thumb tapping the knuckle of his index finger rhythmically. A habit that he often did when he was thinking, calculating, and especially upset.

"If you roll your eyes at me again, I swear to fuck you'll be very sorry." He fisted my hair harder when I smiled maniacally. He forcefully let me go and I calmly dusted myself off, calling him a dickhead under my breath in the process.

He had definitely heard me, but chose not to react.

We didn't talk for the rest of breakfast, and I finally tried his food after swallowing my pride. It was too heavenly to resist. I even finished the braided challah bread by myself, suppressing my moans and hums at the deliciousness.

He was a good cook; I’ll give him that. But what I wasn't going to give him was that satisfaction. Not after he acted like a total asshole.

After breakfast, we were on the road again, and this time, I didn't hesitate to sleep. I was on a mission to push his limits; see how far we'd take this rivalry and who would back out first.

That would definitely not be me.

I woke up when he stopped, and I realised that we were parked in front of a store. Hopefully they have some health juices or something to make me feel better about myself.

Right now, I felt good. His food was the best I'd eaten. But give it a few days, and I would feel bloated. And I never snowboarded well whenever I was bloated.

Hence why I avoided certain foods altogether.

"Are you coming?" he asked me, and regardless of the monotone in his drawl, I could tell he was trying to make amends.

"Are you going to pay for everything?"

"Will that make you feel better?" He raised a brow and I involuntarily grinned. I thought I saw a silver of relief in his eyes, but it was gone in the blink of an eye.

"Actually, it will." I nodded as he got out of the car.

"So let's go." He shut his door and I got out as well.

I followed him into the cute store and squealed loudly when I saw the large espresso machine on the counter and the fridge with a variety of small, clear bottles with different kinds of health detoxes. Kai looked at me in partial shock and amusement. In fact, my squeal had captured everyone's attention.

"I hope you're not buying laxatives, kücük tavsan ," he warned and I laughed, shaking my head.

"We have to snowboard to the finishing line, so no." I shrugged, moving to the counter and inspecting the lattes. "You should try the matcha or chai latte. Good thing about the chai latte, it's naturally sweet."

Kai barely reacted to my comment, instead, staring at the different gummy bears they had. I rolled my eyes when he wasn't looking then turned to the barista, who was already staring at me.

He was doing it secretly because Kai looked intimidating and devilishly rough as fuck. Especially with his scar and different-coloured eyes.

"Hey. Can I order a matcha latte?" I requested and the barista guy moved closer.

"Sure thing. Um, do you have any milk preferences?" He was so busy admiring me, I doubted he'd get my latte right. But I wasn’t one to underestimate an infatuated man.

"Oat milk, please."

I moved to the fridge and picked a bunch of health drinks, gluten-free pastries, and some brownies.

When I was done choosing my pastries, I moved back to the barista guy's counter and as expected, my latte was ready and steaming. He had made some pretty latte art with the matcha in the shape of hearts.

"Really random, but you're really beautiful," he breathed, and I tilted my head slightly. I normally didn’t respond to compliments, but I wanted to push Kai’s buttons.

"Thank you, you're so sweet." I maintained eye contact and he shifted slightly. Arousal. It was a familiar reaction.

"I'm sure you taste…" he trailed off, the colour instantly draining from his features and the fear marred his entire face. He was even trembling now.

The scent of incense, icy aqua and man surrounded me, and I sighed as I realised why the barista guy looked like that.

"Finish that sentence, seychas ." Kai's calm voice promised destruction and it made me shiver. His accent had thickened, and the silence stretched across the café. Now .

Malevolence literally oozed from his aura and it weighed down the entire atmosphere.

"I-I'm sorry dude, d-didn't mean to?—"

"I'm not going to repeat myself. Come on, let's hear it." I looked up at him and gasped in horror when I saw him flipping a razor-sharp, shiny switchblade between his long fingers.

Beneath the composure lay pure, unfiltered hatred. I could see it in his lifeless eyes. The silver one had a glint, and that wasn't a good sign.

Not good at all.

"You have five seconds." He was becoming increasingly pococurante, it was now scary.

Calmness should usually bring relief, but when it was on Kai, it was frightening. He was like an atomic bomb, waiting to explode any second.

"Kai, it's okay. He didn't mean it." I held his arm and a tiny flash of thought reflected in his features. He paused for a long beat, glaring venomously at the barista before finally responding.

"You got lucky. Next time, I won't be so nice, now fuck off.” Kai used the barista's dish towel to clean his switchblade then put it away. The guy basically tumbled out the backdoor.

Phew.

He lifted one finger and another barista, a girl this time, came to the counter. She didn't dare look either of us in the eye, fearing she'd suffer the wrath of a switchblade.

“ Bespoleznyy ,” he muttered under his breath before addressing the barista. "Get me a chai latte, then put all her stuff on my tab." Despite the near psychotic move he'd made a few moments ago, I couldn't help a smile. Useless .

"I thought you weren't listening." I gave him an amused stare.

"Well, I was listening." He leaned against the counter. "Does that make me sweet?"

He heard my conversation with the barista. And if I wasn't mistaken, he was jealous.

"Not really, no." I sipped on my latte, licking the warm froth from my upper lip. His jaw clenched slightly, then he did something unusual.

He smiled.

It was small, but still a smile. The furthest his lips had stretched since I met him.

"Don't worry. You said the chai latte is naturally sweet, maybe that will help." He looked optimistic and I laughed so loud that he flinched in surprise. It was the first time I was letting this loose around him.

I didn't know how much I had needed that until I was doing it. I sighed at the end, patting his strong shoulder before receiving my large plastic bag full of my purchases.

"I hope it does, you need that." After that, I walked back to the car, a broad smile on my face.

Maybe I could manipulate him after all. He had a few weak spots and I was going to play on them until he hated me.

Or better, himself.