Page 58 of Dissension

It pains her that he can’t understand why theycan’t be.

She reaches out, taking his hand and pressing it to her cheek in fondness. “Telling you ‘yes’ won’t make either of us feel any better.”

“I can’t stand seeing you with him,” he tells her bluntly, allowing her to see a flicker of that aggressive envy in his gaze. “I hate watching him walk around with you, like you belong to him.”

“I know. Iwishthings were different. I wish…” She looks away. She can’t say she wishes that she never knew he was engaged, not out loud.

His expression goes shuttered and tight with emotional pain. “You know I can’t do what you want me to do, Kara.”

He’s speaking about the engagement to Claire.

Kissing his palm before dropping his hand, Kara says sadly, “You could. You’re just too afraid to do what must be done. You don’t see it for what it is; your mother controlling your life and your happiness. But I know; I’ve been there before. It’s why I cut my father out of my life.”

Nick steps back and shakes his head, eyes dark. “There’s nothing about your experience that’s like mine. I’m not destroying plans my mother put in place for the best of my family just-”

“Justwhat?” Kara interjects harshly. “Just for some poor backwoods girl?”

He winces at her tone. Stepping closer to her, Nick cups her cheek, thumb brushing her lip sensually. His eyes consume theway her lip submits under his thumb, wetting his skin. “Don’t make it like that. It’s not like that-”

“But it is, Nick.” Kara shakes her head sadly, stepping away. “It is. And I wish it wasn’t.”

When she leaves, her heart is heavy.

Chapter 22

Unsurprisingly, Kara does not call off her PI, despite all of Nick’s urgings. She simply cannot put the puzzle pieces in place to understand his angle. For now, she must assume he is playing a game from his court, trying to manipulate her in his favor. He’s done itbefore.

But what if he’s not? Kara torments herself wondering if she’s making a mistake. She’s never seen him this adamant about her not doing something. Then again, his client has never beenso closeto prison time. There is that.

Problems for another day. Kara has her own immediate problems to fuss about.

Stepping into Dieter’s main estate, Kara hears a familiar female voice from the formal dining room, a space filled with crystal and fine china.

“…I made the changes to the contract for the engagement withKellersman’s Holdings. You’ll see the new percentage cuts in place as directed,” Gale is saying just as Kara enters the room. Her blue eyes land on Kara with a faintly surprised smile. “Oh, Kara. I didn’t realize you’d be coming today, friend.” She gestures awkwardly to the paperwork spread across the dark wood table. “Dieter has been giving you quite the sum of work these days.”

“…yes.” Kara is still digesting what she just heard. She’s the one who wrote theKellersman’s Holdingscontract, stating the cut Dieter would be getting from the partnership. Why is Gale here, talking about the same contract, about making changes to it? She tries not to let her unease show. “Hey.”

Gale’s smile falters slightly. Dieter naturally looks unbothered from his seat at the head of the ornate table, despitethe knowing look in his gaze. “There’s my favorite chickadee. Late as always.”

Unsettled anger is quietly growing under the surface of her outward calm. “What were you guys just discussing?Kellersman’s Holdings?” There’s an edge in her voice that Kara can’t seem to hide.

Gesturing to a stack of familiar papers, Gale blithely states, “Oh, this? I hope you don’t mind, but Dieter had me make a few changes. Routine. You did a great job with the contract by the way. I’m so impressed with how far you’ve come this past year!”

The flattery does not cool Kara in the slightest. It’s becoming clearer to her now that both of the people before her operate in a manner meant to charm others into a false sort of comfort. “What changes had to be made?”

Gale blinks, as if suddenly realizing the nature of Kara’s stiff demeanor. “Just the percentages of Dieter’s take for the upcoming support in their business. We moved the twenty percent up to forty for the duration of the partnership, unless Dieter is bought out of it.”

“That’s practically robbery,” Kara intones flatly in disbelief, staring Dieter down. “They came to you for support in their business, not for you to push money into it and then suck out nearly all the profit-”

Dieter pretends to yawn carelessly. “Such is life, chickadee. I don’t-”

“Run a charity,I know.” Kara feels a scowl shaping her face, making it unpleasant. “But you and I both know there’s a difference between helping and being a predator.”

His eyes take on that empty sort of look as he holds her glare. It flickers away quickly though, as if it never were, leaving Kara feeling even more angry. He rarely rises to the bait, he’s too fucking calculated for that, isn’t he?

Packing up her fine leather purse, Gale gets to her feet and comes over to hug Kara. “You know that’s not for us to question. We simply write and read the contracts.”

Kara’s mouth drops open slightly in disbelief. Does Gale not care about the ethics or morality that should be observed in this? It makes Kara feel slimy, as if she’s been used to write something meant for better means, only to have it swapped for something far worse.

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