Chapter 4
Seeing him hurts worse than she imagined it would, after all this time.
Trouble is here, Trouble has walked into the room. Trouble in the Navy Suit.
It’s ironic; when Nick had her in his grasp, he rarely called her, rarely asked to see her. He completely took her for granted in the way a Trust Fund Baby takes everything for granted. Playing off that cool distance of his, keeping her emotionally at bay at all times while setting her desires on fire in ways that he shouldn’t have. Then, the minute she realized she was a fucking side piece and wanted nothing to do with him, he realized what he’d lost .
…and he wanted her back.
Kara’s been ignoring him. Ignoring the calls. The various texts. Even though she’s wanted to give in and see him more than once, being the ‘other woman’ is a hard pass in her book. In fact, it makes her feel sick, terrible. Lower than low, being an unknowing victim in his faithlessness.
Lifting her chin slightly, Kara meets his piercing blue gaze across the terribly outdated room and then looks away.
He makes a disdainful noise in his throat, passing her by as if she’s meaningless. As if she’s just a rather boring part of the scenery. A rather bland office plant, in fact.
Nicholas Havenwood-Calais wants her back because he likes the power struggle she represents. It’s a power struggle that Kara finds herself desiring in an all-consuming fashion…and she hates herself for that terrible fact. The truth is, she misses all the dark ways he made her feel alive.
Kara is well aware that he thinks she’s being a brick wall out of sheer masochism. That would be a lie; she takes no pleasure in having to hold him at an arm’s length. She still fucking dreams about him and wakes up feeling destroyed.
He hurt her, right behind all the walls she once built around her vulnerabilities.
This viper of a lawyer got right under her skin; Nick got under all the armor she built to keep herself safe after a lifetime of childhood abuse.
He’s looking at the DA with some form of unkind amusement. “Trading tips and tricks before meeting with me, I see. Well done, Melanie. Still as tactful as ever.” The sarcasm and derision in Nick’s tone could not be more obvious.
Melanie looks pained, her mouth stiffening. There doesn’t seem to be any fondness between the two of them. “You’re five minutes early.”
“You expected me to be late, is that what you’re so bluntly insinuating?”
The DA looks exasperated already. “If blunt is what you’re looking for, then yes.”
Derrick is studiously keeping a blank face, though Kara knows he isn’t overly excited to see this intruder to their meeting. “Charming as always, Nicholas.”
Tilting his head just so, accompanied by a little hint of a false smile, Havenwood-Calais replies, “I have a reputation to uphold, Derrick. You don’t seem to be dealing in much business these days, old boy. Losing your touch?”
The words are a low blow, meant to knife Derrick where it hurts. After getting an unfavorable outcome in the Debra Mills case and losing Gale Clarke as partner of the firm, things have been bumpy. Gale’s departure certainly being the worst of it, taking scores of clients with her.
“Maybe if a certain someone hadn’t poached my partner from my firm…” Derrick starts to say with blatant accusation.
Throwing himself down into one of the very uncomfortable chairs, Nicholas grins widely, the grin that makes him look like he’d be a nice guy to deal with instead of a complete asshole. His tropical eyes glitter. “ Whoa , you know I can’t take credit for that, Benson. Love to, but that was all your fault. Maybe you shouldn’t screw your business associates.”
Melanie makes a noise of disgust, looking at Nicholas in disbelief. She drums her bitten fingernails against her desk. “My office is not the place for the pair of you to air your disgusting, petty grievances. Book a meeting for that on your own time, gentlemen. Preferably not here, where I must suffer your company.”
Derrick’s face has turned an interesting shade of purple and Kara feels her jaw clench in sympathy. The slime. She wants to claw Nick’s bright eyes out of his skull and squish them between her fingers.
As if he’s one to talk, she thinks snidely, insides coiled up like snakes. He’ll go to bed with his enemies.
She keeps her mouth shut because Kara shouldn’t throw stones. She’s as guilty as anyone of committing her own brand of shamefulness. It wouldn’t be wise to get caught in this mud-slinging contest. Nick has a lot of dirt on her, as it were.
Seemingly pleased that Derrick has no desire to contest the statement levied at him, Nicholas turns his sadistically gleeful gaze towards Kara, nearly sucking the air from her lungs. God, she’s forgotten how intense he can be. “You’re unusually quiet for someone who never holds her tongue.”
“You assume I have anything to say to you.” Kara replies, unpleasantries in her eyes. Just because she dreams of him doesn’t mean she has to be nice to him.
His eyebrows rise at that, as if to say, touché’ . That sensual, dangerous mouth opens, ready to say more cutting things, but Melanie appears to have had enough of him. She raises a hand, face stern. “Enough. Unlike some, I run a civilized shop. This is a case concerning the people of this city and I won’t have professionals squabbling over trivial personal rivalries on the taxpayer dime.”
Nodding his agreement as he stands up, Derrick says with professional candor, “I think it’s about time we go. You know how to reach us if you need more details and background knowledge.”
Clasping his hand tightly, Melanie gives him a short, tired smile. “I appreciate your help. I know you and Kara worked hard on aspects of this with the Mills case. If things were different and you had a client, you’d be leading the charge on this sticky situation still.”
Still lounging in his seat - though Kara doesn’t know how he makes it look so comfortable; the chairs are like rocks - Nicholas watches them be escorted to the office door. A hint of ugly flashes in his eyes, there and gone. “It’s for the best that they divorce themselves from this case completely, Melanie,” he lays out with a deceptively pleasant look on his face. Kara knows he’s pissed, danger lurking behind his gaze. “They have a conflict of interest.”
“Oh? What conflict is that?” Derrick asks, annoyed by his rival’s continued existence.
Those pale eyes fall on Kara, making her heart pound even harder. His lip curls slightly. “Your lackey is personal friends with Paxton Brooker’s financier. She might be an issue supporting the case going forward. In fact, she probably has a vested interest that this doesn’t go in your favor.”
How dare he say that! As if I’d stand behind such a horrid crime! I’m nothing like him.
Kara’s jaw drops open. The absolute nerve of this man, to insinuate that she would play both sides. “That’s a bald-faced lie, you slimy two-timing sleazebag! Besides, if we’re in the game of pointing fingers, you’re friends with that same financier, too!”
The District Attorney’s eyes go wide in shock at Kara’s outburst. Derrick looks at her apologetically.
The sneer on Nick’s face grows wider, seeing the way that Kara’s face has already heated with emotion. This is it; he goaded her into acting the way he wanted. She stepped right into his game, but it’s too late to stop now. He knows how hot her blood runs.
He loves the fight in her.
She snarls at him, hating his stupid, handsome face. Hating that she still dreams of him at night. Hating herself for wanting him, even though he’s no good for her whatsoever. Despising the fact that she still wants a man who took advantage of her in a limo, so many months ago, without her consent. It’s a dark, bizarro world she’s found herself in. “What benefit could I possibly get from Paxton Brooker going free? Absolutely no benefit! Dietrich-”
“Wait.” The DA looks lost. “Dietrich? As in Dietrich Bittinger ? What does this have to do with him?”
Before anyone can answer, Nicholas gestures to Kara and drawls, “She’s fucking him.”
Everything melts into a vision of red. It feels as though there are fire ants, crawling under Kara’s flesh, biting her, gnawing her to bits. “ How dare you!? ”