Kiss the Villain

For days, Gareth continues to meet Kayden at his apartment and have sex with him. Gareth worries he is becoming obsessed with Kayden—something he’s worked never to become again. 

Niko attempts to rally Gareth and their other friends to attack the Serpents, but they all decline. Gareth is bitter over Killian’s mending relationship with their father. When Niko insists, Gareth provokes their friend Vaughn, the fifth member of the Heathens, by sending him a picture of Yulian with Kayden. Though Gareth is unsure about the nature of Vaughn’s relationship with Yulian, his provocation works.

After days of being ignored by Gareth, Kayden has Jethro hack Gareth’s phone to obtain his location. Though Jethro warns Kayden against his growing interest in Gareth, Kayden ignores his friend, feeling alive for the first time in years. 

Kayden finds Gareth at an archery range, upset and drenched from the rain. They argue, and Kayden forces Gareth to let him drive them home. They find a black cat underneath Gareth’s car, and Kayden discovers that Gareth is frightened of animals, which he makes fun of. Rather than leave the cat in the rain, however, they gather essentials from a vet and make plans to drop it off at a shelter the following day.

Kayden watches as Gareth slowly comes to a truce with the cat, relieved because a lack of empathy toward animals is, in his opinion, textbook antisocial personality disorder behavior. They name the cat Moka. Kayden contemplates how best to use praise and scolding to balance Gareth’s behavior. They discuss the symbolism of Gareth’s crossed arrows tattoo and Kayden’s snake tattoo. 

Kayden confronts Gareth about his anger at the archery range, and Gareth admits that he believes he’s been replaced as his father’s favorite and now lacks purpose. He also admits that he’s angry over Kayden’s relationship with Yulian, who can openly be affectionate with Kayden while he cannot. Kayden promises to limit physical touch with Yulian, and after Gareth falls asleep, decides to abandon his plan for revenge on Gareth’s grandfather in order to protect Gareth.

Gareth texts with QuietRage, whom he’s deduced is actually his friend Vaughn. Vaughn probes him about his feelings for Kayden. In class, Kayden gives Gareth a scathing review of his performance during the mock trial, despite winning. Gareth leaves after being publicly remonstrated in front of the class, and as he walks about campus, he wonders at the pain he feels from Kayden’s threats to his GPA and poor assessment of him. He reflects on their growing intimacy and his acceptance of his sexual preferences. When he meets Morgan, a classmate, by chance, he finds he can no longer stomach her attentions, especially as he knows she’s leading on someone who has genuine feelings for her. He berates her for doing so and leaves.

Gareth goes to Kayden’s office, and Kayden has him lock the door. As Kayden initiates sexual punishment on Gareth for his behavior in class, Gareth finds himself crying, which puts an immediate stop to the proceedings. They argue over the humiliation Gareth endured in class, and Gareth lets slip that Kayden’s behavior is akin to his former French teacher, who’d made him feel special and then used him by kidnapping him to demand a ransom. Gareth’s family found him and killed the man. 

Gareth expresses the pain he feels with Kayden’s disapproval and social distance in public. When Kayden promises to do neither any longer, they have sex, and Gareth believes Vaughn might have been right: He has feelings for Kayden.

Days later, Kayden watches from afar as Gareth socializes with a girl in revenge for Kayden’s silence toward him that day. Kayden grows concerned over Gareth’s increased attachment to him, which he’s noticed in Gareth ever since he admitted to the events with his French teacher. 

Later, they argue over Gareth’s temper, and Kayden imposes boundaries on how Gareth lashes out and his unreasonable demands on Kayden’s attention. As things become heated between them, Niko finds them. He erroneously believes Kayden is intimidating Gareth and tries to fight with him, only for Gareth to stop him. Kayden overhears Niko ask if Kayden is the man Gareth had once spoken about before, the only man he’s ever felt an attraction for. Kayden’s pleasure at overhearing this is short-lived, however, when Gareth tells Niko their relationship is nothing serious.

Two weeks after realizing his feelings for Kayden, Gareth reflects on their relationship and how he’s only had one serious relationship before. He asks for advice from Vaughn, his mother, his father, and his grandfather on how to show love for and take care of Kayden. He attempts to buy expensive gifts, but Kayden has him return most of them. 

Killian bothers him about being in love with someone and antagonizes him over possibly stealing the “girl” that Gareth has his sights on. Though he feigns being unbothered, Gareth worries about the longevity of his relationship with Kayden.

When Gareth arrives at Kayden’s apartment, he finds Kayden feverish and in the throes of a nightmare. Gareth takes care of him and falls asleep next to him. When he wakes, and despite Kayden’s persistent fever, they have sex, during which Kayden reiterates his desire to own/claim Gareth. Gareth takes the lead but remains submissive. 

Afterward, Gareth floats the idea of moving to the US, where they could have a public relationship. Kayden declines and vaguely explains that his family wouldn’t accept their relationship. He also wouldn’t be able to visit his mothers. He asks for more time, and Gareth asks if they’re in an official relationship, which Kayden confirms. Later, while Kayden is on campus, Gareth receives a video from an unknown number that depicts Kayden’s wedding.

Kayden receives a call from his mother, Rachel, who calls him by his full name, Kayden Lucas Davenport. She demands to know whether he moved to the United Kingdom under Rachel’s last name—Lockwood—to avenge his deceased wife, Cassandra. Rachel berates him for lying about letting Cassandra’s death go, but he promises that he only has one more name left on his list to fully avenge her. Jina gets on the phone to scold him, especially for keeping Gareth in the dark. 

After they hang up, Kayden resolves to tell Gareth the truth. However, he then receives a call from Gareth, who accuses Kayden of cheating on his wife with Gareth before hanging up. 

Kayden contacts his associate Simone, who was working for him by operating under a false identity as Gareth’s private investigator, Nadine. He orders her and Jethro to hack Gareth’s phone to find the origins of the video. He returns to his apartment, where he finds blood everywhere but no Gareth. 

Then he receives a call from Declan, Cassandra’s brother. He accuses Kayden of hiding Gareth from him, which is a problem, given that the last name on their mutual “list” is Gareth’s grandfather. As he threatens Declan to stay away from Gareth, Kayden receives a transcript of messages that Declan has sent Gareth, which explain Kayden’s true identity as the heir of Davenport Corporation (the largest import/export corporation in the US), how Cassandra had been raped and killed by a senator and his friends, and how Kayden had been taking his revenge ever since. The last message invites Gareth to meet Declan.