Chapter Twenty-Two

Kai went from holding her hand to wrapping his arm firmly around Kara's as they walked away from her cottage. She stilled her racing heart as he led her away. It was just Kai, she had nothing to fear.
"You see, I've been very worried of late..." said Kai.
Kara glanced up at him. "What about?"
He looked forward, his eyes scanning the land. "My dreams... of owning my own farm and ranch... like François. It's taking too long to come true."
Kara nodded. "All you need is patience, Kai. And hard work."
Patting his arm in reassurance, she glanced over her shoulder. They weren't that far away from the main houses. Kai tugged on her arm, forcing her to face front again and she frowned at the action.
He sighed. "Yes, patience. But see, I no longer have patience. If I continue saving for my own farm, I'll be old when I'll finally have enough money. I cannot let that happen."
She looked up when his voice hardened. "Hey, your dream is going to happen. Just believe in yourself," Kara murmured, but he only shook his head.
"When? When will it happen? I have nothing. I must make something of myself."
She stopped walking and stared up into his eyes. He was serious about this. Well, it made sense. This was the guy's life-long dream they were talking about.
"So what do you plan to do?" she asked.
He finally looked down at her, their arms still linked as they stood about fifteen feet from the path that led to the river.
Kara felt her skin prickle at the assessing way Kai's eyes looked at her.
"Kai?" she said.
He shrugged. "I have no choice," he murmured.
Kara frowned. "What do you mean?"
He didn't respond, only looked at her and slowly, his hand went to his pocket.
"Karen?!" came an angry yell. Both of them froze and looked back at the main houses. Lucas was stalking toward them like an angry bull on a rampage.
Kara felt her heart lift in her chest at the sight of him approaching and she felt a sense of safety envelop her. Kai quickly unwrapped himself from her and stepped back.
Luc reached them with a glare dark as a vampire's soul, turning his grey eyes nearly black. Kara grinned at him, delighted by his arrival and absolutely undisturbed by his deadly expression.
He ignored her and studied the guy besides her.
"You," growled Lucas. "You're one of the stable boys, oui? Kyle?"
Kai stared up at Lucas with slightly widened eyes. "Yes... er, no. Yes, I am a stable worker and no, my name is Kai."
Luc waved a dismissive hand as he pinned Kai with a look. "N'emporte quoi. Écoute-moi très bien. Si je te vois encore près d'elle, je vais te tuer. Est-ce compris?"

Kara saw Kai's hands visibly tremble as he quickly nodded and she felt a tremor run down her own back at the lethal calm in Luc's voice when pronounced those words.
"Good," said Lucas as he grabbed Kara's hand, holding it in his own. Giving Kai one final soul murdering glare, he stalked off, his damsel in distress dragging behind him.
Only, Kara didn't want to be a bloody damsel, she wanted to be kick-ass! And never would she admit to Luc that she was in distress. So he could play hero and rub it in her face? Hah! Never.
She threw a glance over her back only to see Kai strangely disappearing down the river path. He was strange. If Lucas had yelled at her like that, Kara would have ran home and dived under the bed in fear. Or she would have bit his arm and told him not bloody yell at her.
Gathering her strength, she yanked her hand out of Luc's vice grip and he spun around to face her.
"What is the matter with you?" Kara asked, massaging her hand.

He glowered down at her. "What's the matter with me?! I'm not the one prancing off with stable boys to God-knows-where when I have some psychopath out to get me! How could you go with him when you hardly know him? What if he had some tricks up his sleeve, then what? Mon Dieu!"

Kara settled her hands on her hips and matched his glare. "First of all, nobody was prancing off to anywhere! Secondly, Kai is harmless."
Lucas lifted his brows. "He had his hands on you!!"
"His hand, it was only one. Also, that is definitely not reason enough to threaten him with murder!"
Clenching his jaw, Luc looked away and Kara nodded with a triumphant smirk.
"That's right, Lucas Cartier, I understand French and your threatening to kill that young man was shameful!"
Luc rolled his eyes. "He was up to no good."
"No, he wasn't," she responded with a huff. "And even if he had been, I would have had him on the ground and in pain the second he tried something.” She raised her chin stubbornly. “I know how to hurt men."
He shrugged both shoulders. "Fine! Go back and find him and put that to the test."
With that, Lucas turned and stalked away.
Kara watched his retreating back with an expression of slight shock.
"Hey!" she called running to catch up. "Hey, don't leave me."
Lucas gave her a side glare when she caught up with him, but still threw an arm over her shoulders to tug her against him as they walked.
She peaked up at him. "You're mean."
He glanced down into her expressive green eyes. "Yes, but only to those who deserve it."
Kara narrowed her eyes. "You're saying I've deserved it since the first time we met?"
She waited for his answer, ignoring the voice in her head that was telling her that she actually did deserve him being mean to her. What with her stealing his money and everything, but Kara quickly shut down those thoughts. He deserved it, in her opinion and she was sticking to that.
Lucas tugged her closer. "I'm not mean to you," he defended and she scoffed.
"Yes. You are." And she could think of more than a few events to prove that.
He watched the activity surrounding the stables, distracted by it and placed a soft kiss to her head.
"I'm sorry, ma petite," he murmured and missed the open mouthed expression on Kara's face.
She resisted the urge to touch where he kissed her forehead so... gently. And he'd said sorry. She was joking, but he'd said sorry and with a kiss and he'd called her...
Kara looked away, swallowing. No. Away with those foolish thoughts! So what if Lucas had kissed her forehead? Anybody could do that. Even old Fred at the stables, although she'd really thank him not to.
Kara said nothing more and when they got to Celeste's kitchen door, she darted out from under Luc's arm. She wanted them to stop thinking she was in it with Luc, not aggravating the matter by appearing wrapped in each other's arms.
There was nobody in the house so Kara went all the way to the front door where she found them loading the car outside. Zavier spotted her first and came running.
"Kara!" he screamed in delight. She grinned and threw her arms wide open, catching him in them to carry him back to where everybody stood. Luc joined them at that moment and Kara saw Isabelle snicker as they approached them.
"I'm going home now, Kara!" yelled Zavier and she made a sad face.
"I'm going to miss you. And Rayan. Where's Rayan?"
"Oh, he's with the horses in the tables. I will miss you, Kara," he told her adorably.
Celeste stroked a hand over Zavier's head. "Her name is Karen, mon petit," she corrected. Kara froze. Oh, crap. She'd accidentally told the loudest child in the family her real name. Unsure what to say, she remained quiet.
Zavier shook his head with a giggle. "Non, Tantine Celeste. Her name is Kara!"
Kara laughed awkwardly and Celeste shook her head at Zavier.
"But it's Karen, Zav."
Zavier's shoulders slumped and his mouth drooped. "Noo... I like Kara. Her name is Kara, I don't like Karen!"
Isabelle groaned. "I smell a tantrum," she murmured as she leaned against the car tiredly. "And over somebody's name, no less."
Kara shrugged apologetically as Raphaël appeared and offered to take his son. She gladly gave him Zavier, not knowing what the hell you're supposed to do when a kid starts crying.
Isabelle shook her head at Zavier's jumbled up explanation to his father about why he was upset.
She turned back to Kara and took her hands. "Oh, yes! Before I forget, I have your cheque. Please...pleeaasee, can I have that painting now?" she pleaded with puppy dog eyes.
Luc stopped halfway through stroking his beard. "What painting?" he asked before Kara could say anything.
Isabelle put her nose up. "Oh, Kara is a marvelous artist," she announced. "That's right, I have an artist friend and I'm buying her very first painting."
"No, you're not!" Luc said with a frown.
Isabelle snapped her fingers in his face. "What's your problem? Spill it!"
Lucas swatted her hand away. "Go and spend your money bags elsewhere, Isabelle. Kara-en... Karen loves that painting and she's keeping it," he said, ignoring that he'd slipped up on her name and turned to face Kara. "I'll pay the equivalent of what Isabelle's paying if you'll keep your painting."
Kara gaped at him. What the heck was he doing paying her so much money for her to keep her own damn painting? She shook her head. "I need the exposure of my art, Lucas. I want to be a full time artist and letting go off pieces that I love will come with the job."
She studied his concerned expression and felt her heart warm. He really wanted her to keep it. Kara sighed as Lucas nodded curtly. Sure, she loved her painting, but she needed money. She'd paint better ones in no time at all.
Isabelle pursed her lips. "Okay, how about... you let Lucas pay for the painting and you get to keep it, but you let me display it at the Art gallery?"
Celeste hummed and nodded as she kept Luna from falling out of her arms. "That's a great idea."
Wide eyed, Kara stared at them and all three stared back at her.
"Art... gallery?" she whispered like it was a top secret, quickly covering her mouth afterward. "An Art gallery... my painting?"
Isabelle's heart warmed at the pure disbelief that came with joy in Kara's eyes.
"Of course," she confirmed with a nod. "A friend of mine owns the gallery and she would be thrilled to display such a great piece."
Kara swallowed, breathing deeply to avoid the tears clogging her throat.
Her painting in an Art gallery.
"Oh... my God," she whispered as a few annoying tears spilled over and Isabelle wordlessly drew her close and wrapped her in a hug.
A few hundred feet away, under a tree and besides the flowing water of the river, stood a trembling Kai. He swallowed to moisten his dry throat as the men surrounded him.
The one with the black clothes stepped forward and pulled out a shiny gun.
Kai paled. "No, please! I need another chance and I will get her. She trusts me and I can use it! Please!"
The man with the gun glanced up, his eyes dark and unforgiving. "Tomorrow night," he said with finality, asking for no argument.
Kai nodded quickly. "Done. Tomorrow night... I'll have her."