Page 94 of Where the Wind Whispers

Violet hurried behind, now deciding that she wouldn’t let him figure it out and calm down. Something was wrong, although if she were honest, things had been wrong for a while.

And getting worse by the day.

She knew her father’s games and the violence was wearing on Kaz.

She saw it in his attitude and the way he was snappier than usual. To anyone, really. She was not an exception to the rule, though he did temper his reactions whenever it was just him and her alone. In those moments, he was almost back to his normal, relaxed self.

Or as much as he could be.

But his behavior was showing his stress, too.

His frustration led him out of the house more often than he was in it. He missed dinners, a doctor’s appointment for the baby, and brushed off those who only wanted to help.

And he did all of this with the response that he had shit under control.

Violet didn't think Kaz did—not at all.

She thought he was losing control slowly, that he felt like he was behind in whatever game her father was playing, and that he would wind up the loser. He probably didn’t know what was going to happen next, or where Alberto’s next play was going to come from.

She understood why he was behaving like he was.

She just didn’t know how to help him.

Therein was the difference.

“Kaz, wait,” Violet yelled at his back as he took a right and headed up the stairs.

“Not tonight, Violet.”

“Kaz!”

“Zatknis’!”

Violet stumbled on the bottom step, stunned that he’d told her to shut up without so much as a moment’s hesitation. “Kazimir!”

“Not tonight, Violet. Fuck.”

Her hand tightened hard around the wooden banister, her anger rising at his cold dismissal. Yet all she saw as he rounded the top of the stairs was his back before he disappeared.

It took all of three seconds for the shock to wear off before Violet’s anger took hold again, and she flew up the stairs, her blood rushing in her ears. She could count on one hand the number of times her husband had treated her like he just had—one time, only tonight. They had their occasional spats, ridiculous arguments that were settled before either of them were even in bed sleeping the same night.

This was not the same.

Sure, she understood very well that this was nothing more than a by-product of the situation they were currently in. Kaz’s stress was manifesting in the worst way—he likely felt as if he was failing her, himself, and their family.

She knew all of this.

It didn’t stop her from feeling that bubbling rage as she shouted his name once more, and a slamming door answered her back.

Once she was on the second-floor wing, she realized Kaz had disappeared into the main bathroom, down the hall from his office. She briefly considered going to their bedroom, letting him figure his shit out, and then waiting for him to come to her.

But pride was a bitch.

Violet wasn’t about to allow this evening to happen again. Not the business in the house or the fighting while the baby slept. Surely not his rejections or his horrible fucking behavior.

It just wasn’t going to continue.

Simple as that.