Chapter 15 #2
“Kai!” Bella broke free from Mrs. Bea’s wall of punishment and ran to him. Ever since our dinner at The Gilded Lamp, she had become obsessed with her precious Kai and talked about him nonstop. Kai picked her up for a hug.
Mrs. Bea was also on the move, marching indignantly to Kai. She spoke to him in a hushed voice, presumably complaining about Bella not completing her punishment and about sending the “right message” to a seven-year-old.
Whatever she said elicited an irritated answer from Kai. “You’re punishing her on her first day of boarding school. How does it help to destroy her confidence when she’s living away from home for the first time?”
Seeing that she finally had someone in her corner, Bella grabbed the opportunity to whisper something in Kai’s ear.
When Kai spoke again, it became clear Bella had filed a complaint about her confiscated fez.
He eyed Mrs. Bea coolly. “Bella doesn’t go anywhere without her hat.
I assumed an experienced nanny would understand the importance of consistency to a seven-year-old.
” He was calm but spoke with such authority that anyone would second-guess themselves.
Mrs. Bea had no problem putting us in our places, but the Prince of Darster lit a fire under her ass within thirty seconds of his arrival. She wordlessly returned Bella’s fez, hung her head, and made herself scarce.
Ha! Served her right. Suck on that, Mrs. Snobface. I had to busy myself with clearing more dishes to hide my smile.
Bella was on top of the world, rejoicing in her victory. Her eyes lit up when Kai put the fez over her braided brown hair. She threw her hands around his neck for a hug so tight it warmed my heart from across the room, and I chided myself for not standing my ground earlier.
Stefan had compelled me to try it the nanny’s way, but in less than thirty seconds, Kai’s words convinced me that my gut was right. He thought the way I did, but he could twist people’s arms into doing what he wanted. If only he had arrived a few minutes earlier.
I shook my head as soon as the thought crossed my mind. What sort of witchcraft had Kai done on me? How could I wish for his presence after another one of his manic, lustful episodes last night?
He put Bella down and strode toward me. “Ready to go?”
I frowned. “Go where?”
“It’s the first day of school. We need to drop off the kids, then meet their dorm mom and teachers.”
Color me surprised. “You want to meet their teachers?”
“I got them into the school. I’m listed as their guardian. Why wouldn’t I want to meet their teachers?”
Oh.
I thought Kai wanted to play house with us, but I never expected him to participate in the ongoing responsibilities of parenthood.
Stefan sounded relieved. “Thanks, man. It’ll be great if you can go with them.”
Just like that, Stefan shouldered his responsibilities to Kai. The twins speared him with a look of disappointment. Kids picked up on energy and sensed Stefan’s rejection. Nevertheless, the boys accepted the compromise, and Stefan returned to socializing with his new buddies.
Although I didn’t care to spend more time with Kai, I didn’t push Stefan to change his mind.
Perhaps it was for the best if Kai came along with us.
I was concerned about the kids fitting in with the elite children of this school, but Kai could tip the scale in our favor.
My fear of the kids being treated like pariahs was now alleviated with the Prince of Darster coming along to grease the wheels.
No one in their right mind would bully his kids.
With that resolve in mind, I went upstairs to change into my scrubs. I was scheduled for a shift and would have to go straight to the hospital after dropping the kids off. It meant extending my time with Kai, but I felt relatively safe in broad daylight.
I grabbed my purse and finally located my phone, which was dead. Plugging it into my portable charger, I made my way back. Ruby stood beside Kai, whose eyes tracked me while I descended the stairs. It was impossible to breathe when he stared at me like that.
“How’ve you been?” she asked him.
“Fine.”
Ruby snaked an arm around Kai’s neck and purred, “It’s been a million years since we hung out—”
“And lots has happened since,” he cut her off, lowering the arm around his neck. “For one, I got married. It’ll be good for you to remember that. Instead of flirting with me, stay on top of the job I gave you.”
The brush-off wasn’t gentle or subtle. Not even Ruby Sarafina could fake a smile in the face of such rejection. She pursed her lips and returned to the dining table.
Why hadn’t Stefan shut her down the same way?
Ruby was transparent and basic—she wanted to forge influential connections and used her sexuality to wrap men around her finger. Stefan didn’t see it, but Kai had no problem dismissing her advances. Perhaps there was one man in this world even Ruby Sarafina couldn’t seduce.
The knowledge brought a smile to my lips, which greatly annoyed Kai. “Got everything?” he asked irritably.
I frowned. “Sure—”
“Then let’s go,” he snapped.
I looked him up and down. I shouldn’t care if Kai was angry, but I couldn’t tamp down my curiosity. “What the hell’s your problem?”
“Is that how you react when another woman hits on your husband—by smiling?”
For a second, I thought he was referring to Stefan. Then I remembered that Kai was my legal husband.
I fell from the sky. Did he expect me to be jealous? I barely knew him, and at best, tolerated his presence. There was no sugarcoating it, as I said, “Why would I care if Ruby hits on you?”
“How about because we’re married, and it’s disrespectful?” he spoke with venom, grinding his jaw.
I shrugged. “It’s not a problem for me. You can sleep with her if you want.” Maybe then he’d leave me alone.
Kai didn’t talk to me after that. He froze me out entirely, which somehow irritated me more.
“August, grab your bag from the living room. Jamie, don’t forget your vest. Put on your shoes, Bella.
” He gave the kids a plethora of instructions, pretending I didn’t exist. He shoved past me, grabbed Bella’s suitcase, and told the boys to get in the car.
As we departed for school, I couldn’t help but spare one last look at the dining table. Stefan and his friends traveled for work, rarely reporting on-site. They had nowhere to go, so they decided to keep the party going. Plus, Stefan wanted to show them the karaoke room.
They cheered and hooted, snagging two bottles of tequila from the bar. Ruby followed them upstairs. I suppose she was staying, too.
The sight was disturbing, but I said nothing to Stefan as I walked out. Not even goodbye.