Sinner Like Me by Avril Ashton

Five

A slammed door woke Syren. At least, it roused him from the deep sleep he’d been enjoying. Footsteps in the bedroom made him lift his lashes. Blinding light assaulted his eyes and he groaned and rolled onto his stomach, burying his face in a pillow that smelled like Kane.

“Your breakfast is getting cold.” Warm lips brushed his ear and Syren shivered.

“Go away,” he muttered into the pillow. “I need more sleep.”

“No.” Kane smacked his blanket-covered ass. “What you need is to come to eat before O.G. takes the bacon off your plate.”

Syren shot upright. “That fucking dog!”

Kane laughed at him, standing there in pajama bottoms, his chest all naked and glorious.

Syren brushed the hair away from his face. “I’ll be down in a sec.” He rolled off the bed, naked as well, and made his way to the bathroom. “Keep your dog away from my food,” he said over his shoulder.

He ignored Kane’s chuckles and went about brushing his teeth and washing his face. He was going to tell Kane all about Monica. He needed to know and they had to come up with some kind of plan to keep Càtia safe while Syren figured out the best and quickest way to dispose of that hateful bitch. Threatening his family was unacceptable behavior, and Monica had to know that. Syren would deal with her, but first, he had to tell Kane. He’d been so scared after meeting with Monica he’d come straight back to Connecticut and pulled Càtia from school.

Good thing this was the weekend. They had a couple of days to think up something. But Càtia had to be protected. She was priority.

He finger-combed his hair away from his face. He’d wanted to tell Kane all about it last night, but the words stuck in his throat. He didn’t want to remind Kane of who he used to be. And he knew if Kane found out about Monica he’d want to help. Syren would never allow Kane to be in harm’s way. This was his problem, he had to deal with it himself. Speaking of which, he ran back to the bedroom and sent out a group text to a few of his friends.

He had friends. And he had Kane, who needed an explanation. And who apparently wanted Syren to fuck him. Talk about a shock. He’d never seen that particular request coming. His heart hurt but saying no was the right thing. He couldn’t. Couldn’t do what Kane wanted. He hoped Kane would understand and let the topic drop.

He hoped.

After pulling on one of Kane’s t-shirts that reached almost to his knees, he made his way downstairs and frowned at the quiet. In the living room, he stepped on one of Càtia’s dolls and almost lost his balance.

“Càtia, please pick up your toys.” He walked into the living room and looked around.

Kane sat at the table, but no Càtia. “Where is Càtia? She left her doll on the living room floor.” He picked up Kane’s glass of orange juice and drank.

“I had Nina pick her up and take her to the park.”

The glass of juice slipped from Syren’s fingers and shattered on the floor, liquid splashing everywhere. “What?” His body felt encased in ice, and he couldn’t hear anything but the roaring in his ears.

Kane grabbed his arm. “She’s with Nina. What’s the problem?”

“No! Call Nina.” Syren grabbed Kane’s shoulder. “Call Nina. Tell her to bring Càtia back now.” He spun around, slipping and sliding on the floor as he raced out of the room.

“Syren!” Kane was following him, but Syren couldn’t slow down.

“Call Nina,” Syren roared. He couldn’t find his phone. “Càtia’s in danger.”

He raced up the stairs and into the master bedroom. His phone was on the bed and he snatched it up. His fingers trembled so badly he couldn’t manage to swipe the screen. His vision blurred. Càtia and Nina were out there, unprotected. He got the phone to work finally, and it dialed but just kept ringing and ringing and ringing.

“Answer, Nina.” He collapsed onto the bed. “Answer, damn it!”

Kane walked into the room, his phone at his ear, his face a mask of fury and anger and fear. “Nina. Nina, where are—” His face went blank then it was full of terror, all in his eyes, all on his face. Terror.

Syren fell to the floor on his knees.

“Who is— Yes. I’m listening.” Kane’s voice was a hard monotone. He moved the phone from his ear, put it on speaker. “We’re both listening.”

“Hello again, Faro.”

Syren closed his eyes. “Monica.”

“Yes. You should have listened to me, and all of this could have been avoided.”

“Please.” Syren clasped his hands together. “Don’t hurt them. Don’t hurt them.”

“I’m afraid it’s too late for that.”

“No.” Anguish tore Syren up. He couldn’t look at Kane. “Monica—”

“You have twenty-four hours to deliver the money you stole from me.” She sounded so calm, so sure of herself. “All fifty million, in US currency. I’ll call you back with more instructions.”

“Where’s our daughter and Nina, you bitch?” Kane’s roar brought goose bumps to Syren’s skin.

“Tsk. Tsk. Watch what you say to me, Mr. Ashby,” Monica said. “Otherwise I’ll have to tell your husband you were in the arms of another man yesterday, kissing him, touching him.”

Kane tensed.

“Your daughter is fine and will remain that way, as long as I get my money.” She paused. “The babysitter is a bit banged up, but she’ll live. For now.” She ended the call.

Kane flung the phone away. It landed on the bed. “This is what you didn’t want to tell me?” Kane stood over Syren. “This, this is why you’ve been acting strange?”

“Yes.” Syren struggled to his feet. He reached out for Kane, but his husband flinched away from him.

“Who was that?”

“Monica Delatorre. She wants the money that I took from Delatorre.”

“She has our daughter.” Kane’s voice was a broken thread of sound. He just stared at Syren. “She has our daughter.” He slumped against the wall and slid down to the floor, a hand over his eyes. “You knew she was a threat to us?”

Syren just stood there and nodded. “Yes.”

“And you didn’t tell me?” Kane looked up at him with red eyes. “Why?”

“I didn’t want you involved.”

“I am involved!” Kane jumped to his feet. “We’re married. I’m involved.”

“I didn’t want her getting near you. I knew you’d want to protect me and I can’t let that happen,” Syren whispered.

“It’s not your choice.” Kane pounded his chest. “You have no say in whether or not I protect you. Whether or not I lay my life down for you and Càtia. You’re my family and I would die for you. It’s my choice. Not yours. I needed to know!”

“I didn’t want you getting hurt.”

“And how did that work out for you?” Kane shook his head.

“I—” Syren choked. “I’m sorry.” He covered his face with both hands. “I’m sorry.” Kane turned to walk out of the room and Syren grabbed his arm, clinging to him. “I should have told you. I thought I could deal with her on my own, but I was wrong.”

“I’m so fucking angry.” Kane stared down at him. “I’m scared and I can’t—I feel so helpless.”

Syren knew that feeling, and he knew, too, that if he gave in to the fear, he might never recover. So he embraced the anger instead; that was a guaranteed motivator. Monica would be dealt with in a fitting manner, but he had to make sure he and Kane were alright.

I’ll have to tell your husband you were in the arms of another man yesterday...

He ignored the words. They weren’t important, not right now. One crisis at a time.

Kane’s phone rang and he pulled away from Syren. One glance at the caller ID and he looked back at Syren.

“This might be her again.” He handed Syren the phone.

“Hello?” He put it on speaker and sat on the bed.

“You don’t sound too good there, Faro.”

“You’re playing a dangerous game, Monica. One you’re guaranteed to lose.”

She laughed in his ear. “Don’t know about you, but my team is looking mighty fine. Mighty fine.” She rattled off an address. “Be there tomorrow evening at six with my money. I don’t have to tell you how things will go down if you deviate from the plans I’ve set. I know your husband is retired law enforcement, but I’m sure you know cops should never be involved.”

“I want to talk to Nina. Now.” He heard some shuffling and a muffled cry then Nina’s voice came on the line, shaking.

“Syren?”

“Nina.” His throat hurt. “I’m so sorry. How are you, how’s Càtia?”

“She’s okay, she doesn’t know what’s going on.” Nina paused. “I told her we’re going on an adventure with one of Papa’s friends.”

Syren doubled over. Strong hands caught him, held him.

“Nina, what about you?” Kane asked. “Are you okay?”

“I will be.” She sounded too vague for Syren.

He fisted his hands. Monica was dead. “It’s going to be okay,” Syren told Nina. “I promise. I’ll bring you two home safe.”

He heard the smile in Nina’s voice when she said, “I never doubted that for a second.”

“Enough.” Monica came back on the line. “Time’s wasting, Faro. Tick tock on my money.”

“Time will continue to waste unless we speak to our daughter,” Kane said.

“Daddy?”

Syren buried his face in Kane’s chest. He shook so badly he could hear his teeth chattering.

“Hey, baby girl.” Kane kept his voice soft and low, but his words trembled nonetheless. “How are you?”

“I’m fine. Auntie Nina and I are on an adventure with Papa’s friend.” She paused. “Her hair’s really big.”

“That sounds nice.” Kane’s voice cracked and he cleared his throat. “Papa wants to say hi.”

“Hi, Papa!”

Syren swallowed. She sounded so carefree, so loud and cheery. So Càtia. “Hi, baby.”

“Papa, you and Daddy sound really funny.”

“That’s because we miss you and can’t wait to see you.” He could picture her with her head cocked to the side, so much like Kane.

“Okay. But not yet, ’cause it’s an adventure, so we have to do it right.”

“I know. Be good, okay? I love you. Daddy and I love you very much and we’ll see you soon.”

“I love you and Daddy, too. I have to go.”

Just like that, his daughter was gone. His body went limp, and if it wasn’t for Kane he’d have fallen to the floor. Syren held on to him, held on tight through the sound of his heart breaking.

“You have the time and place,” Monica said. “I get my money, you get your family back.” The phone clicked off.

Kane released Syren and got to his feet. “Son of a bitch!” He kicked the nightstand, sending the lamp tumbling to the floor.

Syren watched as Kane went wild, kicking and punching the wall. All the noise and ragged, heart-wrenching sounds Kane made as he grieved, and Syren could do nothing but witness it all. It was all his fault, after all. He couldn’t blame Kane for his anger. He had no words to soothe Kane. No real explanation for keeping Kane in the dark. He should have trusted Kane to have his back, but he hadn’t. Next to him, his phone beeped, signaling an incoming text message.

He picked it up. Two pictures, side to side. Kane and Vince. Kane’s hand on Vince’s face in one, and the next, they were in each other’s arms.

Kissing.

He was pretty sure if he’d been standing he’d have staggered under that blow.

“What is it?” Kane asked.

He exited the screen. “Nothing important.” Not right then it wasn’t.

Kane came over and knelt beside the bed. “I don’t care what you have to do, who you have to blackmail or bribe, we’re getting our daughter back.” His gaze was fierce as sweat poured down his face. “Do you get me? I want our daughter and Nina back.”

Syren nodded. “Yes.”

“Be who you need to be, do what needs doing. I’ll be right there with you. No matter what.”

He glanced at the phone in his lap. “Monica is going to have to die.”

Kane shrugged and got to his feet. “Oh well.”

* * *

Syren spenthours on the phone, calling in favors, and blackmailing anyone who hesitated. He didn’t have time for finesse. Now he had one last phone call to make.

“What’s up, man?”

“Billy, I need you to hack into Kane’s phone.”

“What?” Billy spluttered. “Why?”

“Monica Delatorre kidnapped Càtia.”

“Holy shit.”

“Yes, she called us on Kane’s phone and I need to know the location she called from. Maybe she’s still there.”

“Jesus Christ, I’m so sorry.”

“Save that sorry for Monica. Apparently, she’s on a suicide mission. Get to work on Kane’s phone. Let me know the instant you get something, and I don’t have to tell you to keep this convo between you and me, right?”

“Yeah, man, I got you. Lips zipped.”

“Thanks, Billy.” He hung up as the doorbell rang. He walked out of the bedroom and was halfway down the stairs when a loud voice rang out.

“Someone called for backup?”

He had to smile as Mateo Oliveros stepped into the house, his husband Tommy right behind him. Yankee cap perched atop his head, dark shades covering his eyes, Mateo was dressed in all black, in a t-shirt and leather jacket, belted jeans still sagging, the hems of his jeans jammed into tan Timberlands.

“Teo.”

Mateo stepped around Kane and looked up at Syren. “Dude, you look like shit.”

“You do know how to flatter me.” He walked over and pulled Tommy into a hug. The slender man’s dark hair was shaved on one side and he wore a simple white t-shirt with the words “Bottom’s Up” in black and black skinny jeans. “Thanks for coming.”

“Shit, you know we’d do anything for Ms. Càtia. Who else is gonna call me Uncle Matty?” Mateo looked Kane up and down. “Fed.”

“Teo.” Kane nodded at him.

“That’s Mateo to you, Fed.” Mateo hugged Kane, slapped his back, then stepped away. “Get that frown off your face, the cavalry’s here.”