Sinner Like Me by Avril Ashton

Ten

“You brought him?” Vince kicked the door closed and rounded on Kane, anger warring with embarrassment on his face. “I thought—”

“You thought what?” Kane looked him up and down. “He’s my husband, he goes where I go.”

Something popped and Kane looked over his shoulder. Syren had opened the bottle of champagne and was doing a slow look around the room. “I’m sure Kane told you I don’t drink alcohol, so this must be for you and him.” His lips twisted. “Where are the glasses? Or was he supposed to drink it off your chest?”

Syren’s eyes called out for blood. Kane shook his head slightly. He didn’t want Syren to have to fight this battle, not when Kane was there and capable of doing it himself. Syren sat in one of the chairs in the room, and Kane turned back to Vince. His friend—former friend now—and ex-partner just stood there.

“Let’s say I hadn’t brought Syren with me, Vince. Let’s say I’d come here all by myself. What do you think would have gone down?” He cocked his head. “Do you think I’d have succumbed to your well-planned seduction? Do you think I would have jeopardized my family for you?”

Vince’s face grew redder. He glanced at Syren then at Kane, expression so wounded. “I just— We just needed some time together.” The words were tinged in desperation, the likes of which Kane had never heard from Vince.

Syren made a sound.

“This was disrespectful,” Kane barked at Vince. “You disrespected me with your actions tonight. You know nothing about me if you think I’d cheat on someone I’m committed to, or ever leave my husband.”

Vince stepped forward, a hand out, and Kane sidestepped him with a grunt of distaste. He’d tried for nice. He’d tried to make sure he kept the friendship he and Vince had developed over the years working together, but Vince didn’t care about any of it. Right now Kane didn’t care about hurting feelings, about burning bridges.

“I made a huge mistake,” Kane said. “Turning to you when I wanted someone else. I told you that, I apologized at the courthouse. How much clearer could I have made it, Vince? How should I have spelled it out so you knew you didn’t have a real chance before Syren came into my life, and the instant he did, it was a wrap?”

Vince blanched. “I was there first. I waited for you to finish grieving Bailey. I waited for you to see me.” He pounded his chest. “I’m not about to let some well-dressed criminal push me out of the way.”

“You think I’m well-dressed?” Syren queried. “Thank you. That means so much.” The words weren’t threatening, but the tone said differently.

“I’m not your fucking prize to win,” Kane told Vince. “And even if I was, you’d have lost. And you will continue to lose, again and again. I don’t want you, Vince. I never did. I used you to try to forget Syren. I used you because he wasn’t there. I used you, can’t you see that?”

Vince stood there, defiance in the set of his jaw and in his eyes. He wasn’t listening to anything Kane was saying. He wasn’t getting the message. Frustration boiled in Kane’s gut.

“There’s a reason I never slept with you, Vince. I didn’t want you that way. There’s a reason I am where I am, with my family. It’s where I want to be, where my heart is. I’m not about to let anyone fuck with my happiness or threaten my family.” He balled his fists. “I will drop you where you stand.”

Vince’s composure crumpled bit by bit, color leaching off his skin. “I love you,” he said simply. “Is that so hard to understand? Does it make me a bad person for loving you?”

“Not if you’d kept that shit to yourself,” Syren answered quickly. “But since you decided to be all stalkerish and a pain in the ass then yes, you’re a bad person.”

“Babe, I got this.” Kane glanced at Syren. His husband winked at him.

“Oh, I’m sorry. G’head then.” Syren waved at him.

Kane smiled. He knew this wouldn’t be the route Syren would take to deal with Vince.

Violence wasn’t off the table, but Kane had dibs on that. He sank into a chair and watched Vince. He didn’t recognize the man anymore. How did Vince go from being in the closet to this, attempting to derail Kane’s relationship?

“You kissed me,” Vince said. “You kissed me.”

“And that kiss gave you leave to do all this?” Kane waved his hand at the room. “It’s been ages ago, but yes, we kissed. That was it. Nothing more. I moved on, Vince, and trust me when I tell you I do more than kiss my husband. You don’t see him acting the way you do.”

“To be fair, I’d act much worse.” Kane shot him a look and Syren shrugged. “Full disclosure, Marshal.”

Vince dropped to his knees in front of Kane and grabbed his hand. Kane jerked away. In his peripheral vision he saw Syren move.

Damn it.

The glint gave away the knife Syren had at Vince’s throat. “I warned you about touching what doesn’t belong to you, didn’t I?”

“Syren.”

His husband ignored him. “Now, my Marshal is a nice guy. He wants to believe your ass isn’t as cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs as you appear, but you and I know differently, don’t we, Vince?” He bent and spoke the last bit at Vince’s ear. “He might not want to spill your blood, but I’m not suffering from that particular affliction. I will gut your disrespectful ass in a New York minute.”

“Syren.” Damn it, this was Kane’s battle to fight, but Vince was hell-bent on ignoring anything he said. “Put away the knife, babe.”

“You’re not right for him.” Vince held himself still as he addressed Syren. “He’s not your equal. You’re lucky he has you.”

Syren sputtered. “I’m lucky— Dude, do you know anything about me? My marshal hit the jackpot with me.”

Kane had to grin. “I am a lucky bastard. I have a gorgeous husband, Vince, one I will never, ever leave. I have a daughter I will kill to protect. I have a family I’d dare anyone to try to break up.” He pushed Vince away and got to his feet. Vince remained on his knees. “I thought I could keep our friendship. I never wanted you gone completely from my life. But you have no business being anywhere near me. You can’t be trusted and you have no idea how hard it is for me not to have my husband do what he wants with you.”

“I’d have some of my guys pay you a visit,” Syren said. “Give you a proper beat down.”

A gleam appeared in his eyes and Syren cleared his throat. “Kane never wanted to hurt you, Vince. I can’t say the same, and if you even so much as look us up in the phone book I will have to end you.” He shook his head. “It won’t be pretty.”

“Vince, you won’t ever find what you’re looking for with me.” Kane grabbed Syren’s hand. “I’m in love with my husband, and the fact that you knew that and didn’t let it deter you proves you’re not the man I thought you were. It appears I thought more highly of you than you did of yourself. Don’t ever contact me, my family, or my friends. If you come near us I won’t think twice about kicking your ass.”

“I just want to be happy again.” Vince hung his head. “I lost it and you...” He jerked his head up. “You made me feel it. You brought it back.” His eyes filled with sorrow.

“I’m not where you find happiness,” Kane said gently. Something was wrong with Vince, he saw that now. Something was off in his head and Kane’s heart hurt for him. “Take that vacation you were telling me about. Get some rest. Relax.”

Vince pressed the heel of his palm to his eyes. “I’m so tired,” he whispered. “Of fighting. Of hiding. Of lying.”

Kane frowned. “What are you lying about?”

“Being close to you made it better.” Vince’s eyes pleaded with him. “Please.”

Syren’s fingers tightened around Kane’s. “You need help,” Syren said softly. “You have to get some help, Vince. Don’t let whatever is happening beat you down.”

Vince’s nostrils flared. He jumped to his feet and advanced on Syren.

“Whoa.” Kane put a hand on Vince’s chest, halting his movements. “Don’t even think about it.”

“I’ve been so good and I lose him to you,” Vince raged at Syren. “You with your fucking suits and those weird eyes. You’re like all the other common criminals out there, and with all your sins, you get to have him and I don’t?”

Kane shook his head. Vince needed more than they could give. Words weren’t working.

“Vince. You can’t lose what you never had.”

Syren gazed up at Vince. “Vince, trust me, you’ve never met a sinner like me. You never will.” He winked. “One of a kind.” He tugged on his suit. “Now, my husband and I are jet-lagged, so we’ll be going.” His tone softened. “I hope you get some help because I think you really need it. But make no mistake, I will never forget what you tried to do here tonight. And if I were you I’d sleep with one eye open.” He walked away, over to the door, and stood waiting.

“You need some time alone to figure out your life,” Kane told Vince. “You also need to talk to someone. A shrink or anyone who can help you find answers. You don’t love me, Vince. Maybe you see me as safety, but you don’t love me. Love is what I see when I look into my husband’s eyes. Love is what I feel when my daughter hugs me. Love is what I have now, and it’s what I will never give up. Not for anything or anyone.” He turned his back on the tears falling from Vince’s eyes and walked out of the hotel room, hand in hand with his husband.