Sinner Like Me by Avril Ashton

Seven

They opted to wait until dark. The hardest thing Syren ever did. But it was a good plan they’d come up with. Now he just wished that zero hour would arrive already. His body was a vibrating mess of nervous energy he didn’t know what to do with.

He paced. Hell, he even went outside to play fetch with a much-neglected O.G. The distraction didn’t work though. He kept replaying all that happened in the hotel room. He’d always tried to stay away from violence, preferring the less messy method of money and blackmail, but damn if he didn’t feel a sense of rightness when he pulled that trigger today.

Dishing out that kind of fury was not as hard as it should have been with his husband right there, watching his every move. Kane surprised him, killing that Rico guy. And Syren saw what he’d been trying to avoid, having Kane go down that road. Syren had no problems doing what needed to be done, getting his hands bloody, but he didn’t want the same for Kane. It was funny though; he’d been so fucking turned on when Kane pulled that trigger. It was all he could do to not attack the man right there, not to fall to his knees and blow him while Kane pulled his hair.

Damn. He squirmed on the couch. He did love it when Kane pulled his hair.

Focus. Focus.

They were still waiting for Billy, who was working to figure out who gave Monica the information she had on Syren. He didn’t think the culprit was anyone he knew. His inner circle was small and tight for a reason. The people he surrounded himself with were too loyal for that.

He never thought they’d turn on him. His money was on someone from Faro’s past. Someone he’d done business with, maybe. That list would be a very long one to comb through, and in the meantime, he had to sit on his thumbs and wait. Waiting had never been a word in his repertoire.

He rubbed his churning stomach. Kane had forced him to eat a slice of cold pizza, but Syren could barely hold it down. How was he supposed to eat when his daughter was out there alone with a fucking mad woman and God knew who else?

Jesus.

He rubbed his forehead. He could be strong, he had to be. It just...was hard. The hardest thing he’d been through, and he’d been through some shit.

The house phone rang. Tommy looked at Syren then at the phone since it was at his elbow.

Syren nodded as he leaned forward. “Answer.”

Tommy did, flicking his hair over his shoulder. “Hello?” He paused and then nodded.

“Yeah, this is the right number. Hold on.” He put a hand over the receiver then looked around. “Where’s Kane? It’s for him.”

“Who is it?”

Kane walked into the room as Tommy asked, “Who’s calling?” He lifted his head. “It’s Vince.”

Kane’s step faltered. He looked at Syren and Syren stared back, holding his husband’s gaze. “It’s not what you think.”

Syren smiled at the panic on Kane’s face. “What do I think?”

Kane glanced at Tommy. “Tell Vince I’m busy.” He walked over to Syren and sat beside him as Tommy hung up the phone. “That kiss wasn’t anything like you’re thinking.”

“Whoa.” Gabe stood over them, fury in his eyes. Fury directed at his brother. “You kissed someone else? You kissed Vince?” The words were loud bombs dropped into the quiet, and everyone turned and stared at them.

“Gabe, chill. It’s not a big deal.” Kane turned back to Syren, his expression apologetic, but his brother wasn’t having it.

“What do you mean? How do you kiss another man when you’re married?” Gabe stood there with his hands on his hips, staring down at Kane.

“Gabe, come on.” Rafe pulled on his arm, tried to get Gabe away, but he wasn’t having it.

“How could you do that?”

“Gabe—” Kane got to his feet, held out a hand to his brother, but Gabe knocked it away. “Damn it.”

“Gabe, it’s none of your business.” Rafe tugged on his husband’s arm again. Gabe shrugged him off and stepped forward to Kane.

“No, I wanna know,” Gabe said. “How do you do that? Kiss someone else when you’ve got Syren, when you’ve got a family?”

“You don’t know anything,” Kane started.

“Then make me understand,” Gabe shouted.

“Enough!” Syren roared. Everyone fell silent as he stood. “Gabe, thank you for trying to stand up for me, but I’m a big boy. I’ll deal with your brother when I’m ready. It’s not your job to defend me, but I appreciate that you want to.” He managed a smile. “I’ll be upstairs.” He walked out of the room, all eyes on him, and up the stairs. In the bedroom, he climbed onto the bed, shoes and all, and buried his face in the pillows.

He didn’t want to dwell. He just needed some time to think. To be alone. The sound of paws on the floor alerted him to O.G.’s presence. He rolled onto his side with a smile. O.G. sat beside the bed, staring at him. “You can’t come up, so don’t even give me that look.”

Kane had banned O.G. from being on the bed.

O.G. drew closer and licked his face.

“All right, damn it. Come here.” He opened his arms and O.G. leaped up, licking all over his face. “Ugh.” He closed his eyes. “Ever heard of breath mints, boy?” He hugged O.G. close, surrendering to the rough wet slide of O.G.’s tongue over his nose. “Damn it, dog. Don’t be doing that shit.” But he allowed it anyway.

“Get off the bed, O.G.” Kane entered the bedroom. “He’s not supposed to be on the bed.”

“Lots of things aren’t supposed to happen,” Syren said calmly. “Doesn’t mean they don’t anyway.” Still, he shooed O.G. off the bed and out of the room.

Kane closed the bedroom door with a sigh and got in the bed with him. “Come here.” He pulled Syren onto his chest. “I wasn’t kissing Vince. He pecked me on the lips, a goodbye peck. We met there at the courthouse, and I apologized for using him when I knew I was in love with you. I told him he deserved someone to love him fully, and that he shouldn’t settle for less.”

Syren shook his head. “I didn’t think you were kissing him or having an affair or whatever with him, but why didn’t I know about it?”

Kane shrugged. “Because I really didn’t see it as anything other than me saying sorry and goodbye.” Syren pulled his phone from his pocket and showed Kane the picture.

“Where did you get that?”

“I’m thinking Monica sent it to me. She’s had us under surveillance, remember?” Syren double-tapped the screen and zoomed in on Vince’s face. “You didn’t think it was a big deal, but he clearly saw it as something more.”

Kane swore. “Clearly.”

Vince’s heart was in his eyes, plain as fucking day. “He’s still in love with you, Marshal,” Syren whispered.

“Yeah, he—” Kane’s gaze danced away. “He told me he was.”

Syren digested that bit of news. “Obviously you didn’t do a thorough enough job of letting him know you weren’t interested.” He pulled away from Kane and sat up. “Now he’s calling our home.”

Kane sat up next to him. “I know and I’m sorry. I don’t even know how he got the number. I did nothing to lead him on, to make him think there was a chance. I swear.”

Syren shrugged. “You were nice to him. Because you’re a nice guy and you didn’t want to hurt his feelings.” Kane stared at him quizzically and Syren smiled. “I know you, husband.”

Kane kissed his shoulder. “You do.”

“Yes.” Syren leaned into him. “I know you, and I know you’ll want to deal with Vince personal-like before I get to him.” He lowered his voice. “We don’t want me to get to him.” Because he’d just shoot the son of a bitch. “He doesn’t care about the ring on your finger or our family. He wants you.”

“I’ll deal with it when this is over. I promise you that.”

And just like that Syren was alright, because his husband kept his promises.

Kane slid an arm around his waist. “Did you see how Gabe defended you?” he whispered. “I think he likes you.”

Syren bumped his shoulder with his. “No way.” He peered at Kane through his lashes. “You think?”

Kane grinned. “Oh yeah, he’s totally on your side now.”

“Knew I’d wear him down eventually.” He took Kane’s hand in his, traced the ring on his finger. “You killed a guy today.”

“Uh-huh. So did you.”

“You got me hard. The way you squeezed that trigger. I wanted to fucking devour you right there.” He panted, remembering.

Kane looked at him, expression incredulous. Eyelids low. He fisted Syren’s hair, brought them closer, nose to nose. “When you shot that dude in the throat, I almost came. Wanted to jack off on your face.”

Syren climbed him, sat on his cock, already hard. “We’re so fucking weird.” He kissed Kane’s neck, licked the pulse as it raced.

“Hell yeah.” Kane’s hips rolled, dick pushing against Syren’s ass. “Totally weird.” Their lips met, kisses wet and sloppy and nasty as Syren humped him.

Panting breaths, heavy sighs. Hair pulls and that cock poking at his ass, like flesh-covered granite. So hard. And Syren was dripping, wetting his panties. His blood sang an amazing tune as he loved on his husband. It was a moment of familiarity that was snatched away when his phone rang.

He groaned and rolled off Kane. It was Billy. He answered quickly on speaker. “Billy, what do you have?”

“Okay. I think we have a winner.” Billy sounded weary, burned out.

Syren would have to make up for monopolizing his time. Maybe a week in the Caribbean for Billy and his husband when all of this was over and done. “Monica’s had a lot of callers and visitors since her husband died, but only one has been visiting her consistently, and only that one person had her staying with him at his villa in Switzerland.”

Oh fuck.

“Who?” Kane barked.

“Casimir Zaretsky.”

Sweet motherfucking Jesus. Syren slumped against Kane. Bad. This was bad.

“What? Who is he?”

“Russian mobster,” Billy explained. “Delatorre’s biggest rival in the gun trade. He’s now top dog in that arena.”

And he wasn’t to be fucked with. As Faro, Syren had had to deal with him, but it came at a cost. Always at a cost. Jesus. Everything was beginning to come together, painting a picture Syren wanted to douse with gasoline and light afire.

“Thanks, Billy.” He ended the call as Kane grabbed his chin. Their gazes met.

“Who is he, this Zaretsky guy?”

Syren licked his lips. “He is who Billy said he is, and more. Much more.”

Kane’s eyes narrowed. “Are you-are you afraid of him?”

He knew his lips trembled, but he couldn’t help it. “Yes.”

“Why? What did he do?”

Kane touched him, touched his cheek, and Syren started shaking. Full body shakes. He kept his eyes open, kept his gaze on Kane’s face when he said softly, brokenly, “He owned me.”

Kane shook his head. “Wh-What does that mean?”

“He was the first man I was sold to when I was ten. He owned me, as Marcos.” The panic was fresh, the memories like a movie playing out in front of his eyes in 3D. He wanted to run away.

Kane’s face paled. He hauled Syren close. “Why is he still alive?”

Syren buried his face in Kane’s shirt. “I didn’t know who he was for the longest time. He was the only one I couldn’t identify. I was so young then, still so afraid, I wasn’t paying attention to names and markers to identify my early owners. Then I started working with Delatorre.” He pushed Kane away and sat back. “Casimir was his rival, but I didn’t know until I was ordered to meet with him, to broker a deal, that he was the first one to own me.” Syren took a breath. “There was something about his eyes, I couldn’t figure out why he gave me the creeps. But then he spoke.” The remembered horror flooded back. “His voice. I remembered it clearly. I couldn’t do anything without revealing who I was, and then he came on to me.”

Came on towas the softest phrase for what Casimir had done. He’d accosted Syren time after time, trapped him in a hotel room, and tried to get in his pants. He’d fucked someone atop his desk while Syren sat on the other side, trying to conduct business. Casimir was attempting to prove that he could do anything, that he was untouchable, and that he could have Syren at any time.

“Does he know who you really are?”

He shook his head. “No. I got sidetracked by Delatorre and gave all my energy to dealing with him.” But he never forgot.

“Then what does he want?” Kane looked and sounded confused.

“Me.” He inhaled, let it out slowly. “If I had to guess, he wants me. In his bed.”

“That’s never going to happen.”

Syren sighed. “He wanted what I would never give. Attempted to seduce me more than once. And the last time, when he bloodied my face and tried to take me without my consent, I slashed his face.” That was a good memory, the surprise on Casimir’s face. His expression as blood ran down his cheek. Syren had caught him off guard, left his mark. “I’d like to think this isn’t about just getting me in bed, or making me pay for turning him down, but he is that type.”

Casimir was vindictive and a fucking pervert. No way was that son of a bitch getting anywhere near him.

“Are you sure he doesn’t know that you’re that boy? Maybe that’s the reason he’s been coming after you so hard.”

Syren shrugged. He’d never know for sure unless and until he and Casimir met face to face. Disgust rolled down his back at the thought. “If he wanted to find me, he could. His money reaches into long dark places.”

Kane rested his forehead on Syren’s. “Whatever he does, we’ll deal with it together.” He shook Syren slightly, kissed his nose. “I’m with you all the way.”

Syren nodded. He’d have to deal with Casimir. He’d have to go down that road when he’d sworn he’d never do it again. He’d have to do it all to protect his family.

A knock came on the bedroom door. “Yo, climb off that dick, and let’s move,” Mateo called from the other side.

Syren glanced out the window. Yes. It was dark outside. Kane got off the bed and took his hand.

“You ready?”

Oh yeah. He was so ready. “I am.” Kane hugged him, kissed him, and then they were walking out of the room. Together.

* * *

The abandonedhouse didn’t look at all abandoned, but at least there weren’t any neighbors close by to hear any gunshots. So that was a plus. Kane parked the SUV under an alcove of trees and they all filed out. Pablo and Rafe went first, casing the place, running around back.

Mateo stayed near the SUV—actually he was on top of the SUV, laying on his stomach, his rifle all put together and ready to go. There was one light on in a room on the first floor, and one on the second.

Someone moved near the lit window on the first floor.

Syren’s phone buzzed and he answered quickly, “Go.”

“Two on the second floor,” Rafe whispered. “They’re watching TV.” He paused, then said, “The Monica chick is here, upstairs with the girls.”

Syren’s heart skipped a beat. “You got eyes on Càtia and Nina?”

“Pablo has eyes on them, yeah. How do you want to play this?”

Syren looked to Kane, who was also listening in.

“You two secure the upstairs, keep Monica alive,” Kane said. “We’ll take downstairs.”

“Done.” Rafe signed off.

“Let’s move.” Syren looked up at Mateo. “Do you have a visual?”

Mateo didn’t move a muscle. Hell, Syren didn’t even think the man’s mouth moved when he said, “Yeah. Got one standing by the window.”

“You can have him on my signal.” Syren moved with Kane, one step forward. “When we knock on the door.”

They raced to the house. Kane had his gun and Syren had his. And his heart in his throat. Fucking hell. He never wanted to do this shit again. They crept up the front steps on silent feet. Just as he put his hand out to knock, his phone buzzed. “Go.”

“Upstairs secure.”

He put the phone in his pocket and knocked. A second later a ping sounded, and the window to his left spiderwebbed. Something hit the floor and Kane kicked the door down. A body lay right there.

A shot rang out, the other guy in the room jumping over the couch and rushing toward them. Kane fired and missed by a fucking breath. But then the guy jerked once and crumbled with a surprised look on his face.

Mateo.

Syren didn’t wait for the body to hit the floor; he ran up the stairs with Kane on his heels. Sounds of a scuffle drew him to the room with its door open and he barged in.

“Papa! Daddy!” Càtia ran toward them and Syren fell to his knees. Kane was there too, all three of them hugging and him trying not to cry, but God. He’d never felt so much like breaking down. He buried his face in Càtia’s hair.

She still smelled like the coconut shampoo he washed her hair with, and she felt so warm and tiny and helpless in his arms. She felt like his daughter and he had her back. He lifted his head and handed her off to Kane.

His husband’s eyes were wet and red, and he hugged Càtia so tight Syren didn’t think she could breathe. He smoothed her hair and touched Kane’s face then turned to the room.

Nina sat crossed-legged on the floor, her face black and blue, lips swollen and cut.

“Nina.” He rushed to her, pulling her into a hug. “I’m so sorry.”

She shook her head and pulled back. “Don’t apologize.” Her face hardened as she looked over her shoulder at Monica where she sat, flanked by Pablo and Rafe. “I promised her she was making a mistake, but she didn’t believe me.”

“Guys, please take Càtia downstairs. Nina, too.” He nodded when Rafe lifted an eyebrow.

“Papa, I didn’t like this adventure very much,” Càtia said from behind him. “I didn’t do anything except sit and watch TV.” She pouted. “I’m sorry.”

Syren smiled. “Don’t be sorry. You’ll have an even better adventure soon, I promise.” He took her hand and gave her to Rafe. “Go with Uncle Angel. Uncle Matty is downstairs.”

Her eyes lit up. “Really?”

Kane chuckled. “Yes, baby girl. Really.”

Càtia tugged on Rafe’s hand. “Let’s go, Uncle Angel. I have to tell Uncle Matty about my adventure. He knows all about adventures.”

Rafe rolled his eyes but went along. Syren helped Nina to her feet and watched as she leaned heavily on Pablo as they left the room.

When only he and Kane remained, Syren turned back to a still-seated Monica. He sat down next to her while Kane circled her and stood at her back.

“I hear you’ve been dealing with Casimir Zaretsky.”

She didn’t talk, defiance in her eyes. She wasn’t dressed the way she’d been when they met in New York. Today she wore jeans and a white blouse, her hair pulled back into a ponytail. Still so very beautiful. The façade still so flawless.

“I bet you thought you were gonna get all he promised.” He chuckled. His phone buzzed and he answered when he saw Dutch’s name on the caller ID. “Dutch,” he answered on speaker.

“You ready for clean up?”

“I’ll need five more minutes before you swoop in.” Syren met Kane’s gaze. “Should be enough time, right?”

Kane nodded. “Just enough.”

“You’ll need three body bags.” He hung up and refocused on Monica, on her pale face and wild eyes. “Monica, you’ve got that look in your eyes. It’s the same look I saw in Thiago’s when I stabbed him in the jugular and watched him bleed out.”

“You killed my son! You killed my son!” She launched herself at him, but Syren was prepared. He grabbed her by the throat, held her aloft.

“Yes, I killed your son. Even chopped him up into bite-sized pieces and dropped him into the Pacific Ocean.” He cocked his head to the side. “Where do you think I’ll drop your body parts?”

“Casimir is waiting for you,” she spat. “He has big plans for you.”

Syren squeezed her neck, watched as her eyes bulged, and he took pleasure in it. “Yeah? Same plans he had for you? Sharing you with his ten closest associates, humiliating you, making you feel less than shit?”

Her eyes flashed. She didn’t have to say a word. He knew how Casimir operated.

“You should have known better, Monica, but I don’t even know why I expect more from someone like you.” He eyed her up and down with disdain. “Casimir could never have me so he used you to get to me, and here you are, thinking you could ever fuck with me.” He looked at Kane. “Take her.”

Kane stepped forward and grabbed her, holding her when Syren let go. He got to his feet and looked around. A coil of bloodied rope was thrown over in a corner and he picked it up, brought it over.

“My husband and I would like to convey just how we feel about you stealing our daughter from us.” He circled them, stood behind her, and wrapped the rope around her neck.

Kane held her when she jerked, and Syren pulled, tightening the rope into a noose.

“You’re gonna die tonight, Monica,” he whispered in her ear, “and you’ll die knowing I wiped out your entire family.”

She struggled, but Kane’s hold didn’t relent.

“I had no beef with you until you brought it to my doorstep.” He wrapped the ends of the rope around his hand and yanked. Her head fell backward. The sounds she made, gasping, choking, were so satisfying. “Allow me to finish what you started.”

Kane rose slowly, removing his hands from around Monica’s neck, and Syren kicked the chair forward with her in it while yanking the rope backward. A low crack and she was done.

He didn’t let go until Kane touched him, taking the rope from him. “Hey, it’s okay. We’re all done here.”

He looked up at Kane, saw nothing but love and acceptance, and he nodded. They were all done. “Let’s go.” One down. One more to go.