Brooklyn Sinners 3 -A Sinner Born (7 page)

The next day he went into work to get some paperwork done, then drove all the way back from Jersey to Connecticut later that evening to get ready for his date with Vince.

More than once during the course of the day Kane thought about canceling. Vince was right there with him at work. Though they were both too busy to talk, they were in the same building. He could’ve canceled, but Kane found he wanted this. He wanted to go out with Vince and get Faro and the day before out of his head. He wanted to be able to say he tried the dating thing, but it wasn’t for him. He wasn’t ready to move on.

He wasn’t wishing for the evening to be a disaster, he just wanted to get it over with and put it behind him.
An hour before Vince was supposed to show, Kane stepped out of the shower with a towel wrapped around his hips and stared at the clothes in his closet. Jeans and darkcolored t-shirts. Bailey had bitched about his wardrobe but was never fully able to convert him into anything more formal than the one suit he owned for important stuff.
He was more comfortable in jeans and that was what counted.
He chose dark jeans and a dark t-shirt then selected a black sport coat to liven it up, as Bailey was so fond of saying. They were only going to dinner and drinks anyway. Not to the freaking Met.
His doorbell rang as he stepped into the jeans and Kane cursed. What the hell? Why was Vince damn near half an hour early? He ran downstairs with his upper half bare, water from his still-wet hair dripping down his back, and yanked open the door with a curse.
“What the hell—” He blinked at the delivery man standing there. “Who are you?”
The guy looked from the piece of paper he held to Kane. “Kane Ashby?”
“Yes.” Kane frowned at him. “What is it?”
“We have a delivery for you, sir.” The guy waved behind him to the other two young men idling near a delivery truck.
“What kind of delivery?” Kane crossed his arms. He sure as hell hadn’t ordered anything. “Who sent it?”
“I don’t know that, sir.” He thrust a portable signing device at Kane. “Sign here, please, to acknowledge receipt.”
Kane took it, moving out of the doorway as the two men trudged up his walkway carrying a large flat box. Was it a TV? What the hell? There were no markings on the outside to determine what was inside and the men weren’t talking. With a sigh, Kane signed the device and handed it over to the first guy.
“Where do you want it, sir?”
Kane waved a hand behind him. “Just put it down anywhere. I have no idea what it is.”
They did then exited the house. He patted his pockets for his wallet, but the first guy shook his head as all three headed back to the truck. “That’s all right. We were already taken care of.”
Kane stood in his doorway, eyes narrowed as he stared after the truck as it disappeared down the street. Then, cursing a blue streak, he went into the house and shut the door behind him. He walked past the package where the men had rested it leaning against the couch and into the kitchen where he grabbed a box cutter.
Back in the living room he made quick work of the box and its wrappings then stood back with his jaw hitting the floor.
Sunset.
The painting was in his house. If he believed the delivery men, he was now the proud owner of
Sunset
and only one man was behind this. Christ. Why had he done it? Why? Was this some way to buy Kane’s affection? Faro had to know he wasn’t for sale. Not ever.
He took the painting with him up the stairs and into his bedroom. He leaned it against the bed and picked up his phone from the mattress.
Faro answered on the fourth ring. “How’s it going, Marshal?”
“Don’t you fucking ‘marshal’ me,” Kane yelled. “What did you do?”
“I take it my gift has arrived?”
“Gift? Is that what this is?” Kane sank onto the bed, a finger pressed to his temple. “Why? Why did you do this?”
“Why not?” Faro asked. “You’re obviously in love with that painting and I wanted to bring a smile to your face.”
“Do you think I’m for sale, that you can have me if you spend enough money?”
Faro chuckled. “It’s a nice thought, but no, never crossed my mind.” He paused. “The fact is, I knew the opposite would happen. That you’d yell and be angry.”
“And you did it anyway?”
“Because you deserve it. I can imagine you in that empty house, moping. You need some happiness and since you vetoed us, I thought
Sunset
was the next best thing.”
“God.” Kane wiped a hand over his face. “Could you be more of a cocky son of a bitch?”
“I could.”
Kane smiled. “I thought we agreed this was done. That you’d leave me alone?”
“Ah well, you talked and I nodded in the appropriate places.”
Kane smiled wider.
”How did the date with your partner go?” Faro didn’t quite pull off the innocence he strove for but Kane ignored it.
“I’m actually getting ready right now, he should be here any minute.”
“Hmm. Good,” Faro purred.
Kane narrowed his eyes. “Why good?”
“Now you’ll be thinking about me all evening.” He hung up.

They sat on Gabe’s back balcony overlooking the private beach as the sun set over the waters. Kane sat in one of the chairs while Gabe stood against the rails, his arms folded and a scowl on his face.

“You’ve been here for all of five hours,” Gabe stated. “When will you tell me about the date?”
Right. The date. Kane cut eye contact and stared off into the horizon. “There’s nothing to tell. Nothing happened.”
“You decided to immediately visit your loving baby brother for a weekend getaway because nothing happened on the date?” Gabe’s scoff made his disbelief loud and clear.
“I don’t care what you think.”
“Come on,” Gabe needled. “I tell you about me and Angel all the time.”
“That is not a good thing, bro.” Kane shook his head. “We are not chicks. I don’t have to talk about this with you.”
“Just tell me already.”
Kane scrubbed a palm over his face. “It was great, okay?” He lifted his shoulder in a helpless gesture. “We had fun, we talked. It was comfortable. It was easy. It was effortless.” And yet, he’d never been as happy as when he’d pulled up in front of his house that night. He’d never been so glad to escape into his big, empty house.
“Why do you look so sad then?”
“Because he’s not who I want!”
Gabe blinked at him, confusion on his face.
“Shit,” Kane cursed. “I-I told you I didn’t want to talk about this. Just forget it.”
Gabe crossed the small space and sat in the chair beside him. “What does that mean? I thought you were getting better with this. Bailey is gone and you—”
“Gabe. Please.” Kane held up a hand. “Let’s—I don’t want to discuss this.” He sighed. “I shouldn’t have come.”
“Of course you should have come.” Sadness shadowed his brother’s eyes. “I’m your brother and I love you. I just wish you didn’t waste your life like this. I wish you believed me when I say you can still grieve and live your life.”
“Gabe.” If only this were about Bailey. If only the excuse was really Bailey this time, but it wasn’t and Kane didn’t know how to voice it. He wished he felt what he felt for Vince, for anyone else. “Vince took me to dinner then we walked and talked for a while,” Kane said. “He held my hand in public. It was dark, but I knew it was a huge step for him. H-he kissed me again.”
Gabe grinned. “Did you enjoy it?”
“It was a nice kiss.”
“Well, that’s not good.”
Kane nodded. “I know. I kissed him back and the entire time I was wishing he were someone else.”
“I don’t think Bailey would mind you being with Vince,” Gabe pointed out and Kane had to burst his bubble.
“I wasn’t thinking about Bailey.”
“Well who the hell—” Gabe’s eyes rounded. “You met someone?”
“I met someone.” The worst kind of someone. The entirely wrong someone. The same someone he couldn’t stop thinking about. “I need your advice,” he confessed softly. “I’m out of my fucking league.”
“Who is he?” Kane could practically see the wheels spinning in Gabe’s head. “Someone you work with? Younger? Older?”
Kane frowned. “Older, really?”
Gabe shrugged and grinned. “Just throwing shit out there, tell me when something sticks.”
“None of the above.” Kane got to his feet and leaned over the railing, staring into the dark sand below. “It’s someone you know, actually.”
“Who?” Gabe stood next to him, damn near radiating excitement.
Admitting this to him was big. Gabe had been getting on his case for a long time to get out there, to live again. Kane didn’t know how his brother would react to hearing Faro was who’d piqued his interest after all this time.
“He’s a friend of Rafe’s.”
Gabe laughed. “Impossible, Rafe doesn’t have friends.”
“Faro.” He didn’t look at Gabe, instead Kane took a lungful of air then let it out as he spoke. Rapidly. “But nothing happened. Nothing will happen because we’re too different. He’s not my type.”
Beside him his brother had gone tense and quiet.
“Gabe?” He looked at his brother, but Gabe wasn’t returning his gaze. In fact his brother was doing his damndest not to look at him. “Gabe?” Kane touched his shoulder. “Hey, look at me.”
Gabe turned slowly and lifted solemn eyes to Kane. His face had gone pale.
“What’s wrong?”
“When did this thing with Faro begin? How did it begin?”
Kane recounted the tale to Gabe, beginning with the runner in New Orleans and ending with the gift of
Sunset
Faro had given him. All through his dialogue Kane watched as his brother’s expression grew darker and darker. Guess Faro was right, Gabe didn’t really care for him.
“
Sunset.
” Gabe nodded when Kane finished. “I know how much you liked that painting.”
“Yeah.”
“He had no right to do that,” Gabe spat. “He should know that you’re off-limits.”
“I— He’s the first person I—”
“No!” Gabe grabbed his shoulder. “Don’t go there, please. You don’t know who he is.”
Kane shook off his hold. “I’m not going anywhere, I already told him that.” He frowned at the fear in Gabe’s eyes. “What’s going on? You’re freaking me out.”
“Stay away from him,” Gabe said firmly. “You don’t know who he is.”
“Of course I know who he is.” What was he missing? “I know he works for Ricardo Delatorre. I know that.”
“No, you don’t know anything.” Gabe swore and turned away. “This is crazy.”
“What’s going on?” Kane asked again. “Just tell me already.”
Gabe shook his head. “I don’t— I can’t. Shit.” He picked his phone from his pocket and dialed a number.
Kane had never seen his brother so angry and flustered. He watched through narrowed eyes as Gabe spoke into the phone.
“You son of a bitch! You selfish son of a bitch!” Gabe yelled at the person on the other end. “Don’t you dare, you hear me? He’s off-limits. My brother is off-limits.”
Whoa! That was Faro on the phone? Kane took a step forward. “Gabe.”
“No.” Gabe shook his head at Kane while speaking to Faro. “He doesn’t know who you are, but I do and will tell him.”
“Gabe, what are you doing?”
“He’s here,” Gabe told Faro. “He’s right next to me. You will tell him who you are or I will. Do I make myself clear?”
What the hell was going on? “Tell me what?”
“I don’t care about that.” Gabe waved away whatever Faro said. “That’s your problem, your bed, lie in it. You pursued him, you sought him out and you have to tell him the truth.” He paused. “The sooner, the better.”
Kane gave up on trying to get answers and waited for his brother to explain himself. What did Gabe want Faro to tell him so badly?
“He’s been through too much.” Gabe pitched his words lower, but Kane caught them anyway and bristled. His baby brother was making him out to be something Kane sure as hell didn’t like. “Then fix it,” Gabe barked. “Tell him or stay away, because I’m promising you now, if you don’t tell him, I will.” He listened for a bit then said, “Fine” and held out the phone to Kane who took it suspiciously.
“Hello?”
“I don’t think your brother likes me very much.”
Faro’s voice made his skin tingle, but Kane ignored the reaction. “What’s going on? What does my brother want you to tell me?”
“I’d hoped to have more time before this came up.” Faro sighed. “He’s blackmailing me, that Gabe, but he’s right. You need to know.”
Foreboding slowed Kane’s heartbeat. “What? What do I need to know?” Was everyone in on this secret, whatever it was, except him?
“I’m out of the country right now,” Faro said softly, all traces of the flirty tease long gone. His tone was somber. “I need you to give me a few days to get back there, to see you and explain.” He cleared his throat. “Please.”
“I—you have two days.” Kane had no idea what he agreed to, but if it was important to Gabe and Faro, it was important to him.
Faro inhaled slowly. “Thank you.”
“Two days.” Kane ended the call and turned to his brother. “Care to explain what all that was about?”
“You really like him.” Gabe squinted at him. “It’s all over your face. You like him.” The last part sounded too close to an accusation and Kane bristled.
“I already told you, nothing is going to happen between us.”
Gabe leaned forward and clasped Kane’s face in his hands. “I don’t believe that for a minute.” He stared into Kane’s eyes and sighed. “He’s going to hurt you.”
Kane opened his mouth.
“It’s not an if or a maybe,” Gabe pushed ahead. “I’m telling you, because I know enough. He’s going to fucking lay you flat and I wish I could stop it.” He dropped his hand and pulled Kane into a tight hug. “I’m so sorry.”
Kane hugged his brother back, wondering why in hell he felt like sobbing so badly.

Syren stared at the phone in his hand, his heart in his throat. He swallowed and lifted his gaze to the two naked men staring back at him from the wide bed, their gazes concerned and more than a little bit curious.

He nodded and answered Casper’s question with the requisite lie. “Yeah. Everything’s good.” But it wasn’t and maybe after he spoke to Kane, it would never be again.

Derek, the darker of the two men pushed his dreadlocks from his forehead and moved out of his lover’s arms with a frown. “You sure? We can do this another time.”
“Yes.” Syren dropped into the chair at the foot of the bed and smiled at the men. “Just business, it can wait. This can’t.” He tugged on his tie, loosening it with one hand as Casper and Derek resumed their kissing.
This was their arrangement, his one attempt at physical pleasure. Watching the two lovers engage in their very energetic and sensual lovemaking. The only place he let down his guard long enough to take pleasure, here in Costa Rica where the single most important person in his life was carefully hidden.
“Oh yeah.” Derek threw his head back, banging it against the headboard as Casper climbed atop him and licked his chest.
Syren unbuckled his pants, loving how the sounds of the belt buckle punctuated Derek’s groans and Casper’s sighs. They were a beautiful interracial couple, Casper’s Dutch and Caucasian skin contrasting beautifully with Jamaican Derek’s dark-chocolate skin. They lived together on the beach in Costa Rica, co-owners of a bar and surf shop.
Syren envied them their happiness. He envied them their lives and he envied them their sex.
Casper’s dark-brown hair dragged along Derek’s sculpted torso as he dipped his head lower, kissing the tip of Derek’s purple-headed cock glistening with pre-ejaculate as his fingers cupped Derek’s balls.
Syren pulled his own shaft free from his pants and stroked himself. This was the only way he got off, the only way he allowed himself pleasure. For so long he’d been content with the status quo, but things were changing. He didn’t know yet if they were for the better.
“Fuck yeah. Suck me.” Derek growled and bucked up into Casper’s mouth. Casper groaned and sucked harder, the sounds so obscene Syren’s balls tightened.
“Fuck his mouth,” Syren ordered Derek.
The Jamaican grabbed a fistful of Casper’s hair, holding him still as he thrust up, sinking in then pulling free.
Syren swiped his thumb over his wet crown and licked his lips. He stared at the men through half-lidded eyes as Casper held himself still, his mouth a willing receptacle for Derek’s thick cock. While Derek fucked his mouth, Casper circled his hole with the pad of an index finger.
Derek grunted. The digits in Casper’s hair flexed then relaxed and Casper took advantage, dipping his head to rim his stiffened tongue over his lover’s entrance.
“Shit!” Derek widened his legs and bent his knees. “More, give me more, baby.” His accent grew thicker with his arousal.
Syren liked that. He squeezed his shaft at the base. “Give him some fingers,” he told Casper. “Let me see you stretch his tight hole.”
Derek whimpered. Syren knew from the many times they’d all three been together like this that although he was the bigger of the couple, taller, stronger and brawnier, Derek was the bottom. He loved being taken and Casper loved to give him whatever he wanted.
Syren circled his cock and jacked himself as Casper lubed up two fingers and fed them to Derek, slowly.
“Aww, yeah.” Derek dragged the words out as he reached below and pulled apart his ass cheeks. “Yeah. Fuck me. Ugh. Deeper.”
Casper gave him what he asked for so nicely, sawing into him.
Syren tugged his bottom lip between his teeth and imagined Kane doing that to him, fingering him until he begged for more. “Shit.” His balls ached deliciously, an ache he wasn’t familiar with. Kane’s eyes danced in front of his eyes and Syren sped up the pulls. He jammed his hips up, fucking into the tight fist he’d made.
On the bed, Derek crawled onto his knees and Casper lined up behind him, drizzling lube down his crack.
Syren shuddered and closed his eyes. That position wasn’t one he liked and usually when the two men went at it like that his arousal lagged, but he tuned out the room and the sounds Derek made as Casper thrust into him and drifted. Kane was in his head and with him, touching him where no other person had touched him in years, licking him, sucking him.
Even in his fantasy he felt the wet heat as Kane sucked him deep, took him to the back of his throat and hummed. Syren gasped and twitched. He lifted his hips and thrust up, trusting Kane to take care of him.
Rough fingers cupped his balls and tugged while even more fingers tested his hole, circled, pushed in. “Fuck!” Syren jerked and came in his fist, releasing hard, the orgasm pulling all he had from him. His head spun and breath rattled around in his chest as his hips worked furiously. He opened his eyes and stared down at himself, at his hand covered in his seed, then at the couple watching him with half-smiles from the bed.
“That was a good one, man.” Derek winked. “Seemed like you went somewhere else there for a bit.” He slid a palm down Casper’s chest. “Something’s different with you, I can feel it.”
Casper nodded. “Definitely.”
Syren wiped his hands with a nearby towel then shook his head and pulled a cigarette and lighter from his pocket. “No. Nothing’s different.” He lit the cigarette and took a deep drag. His limbs felt like wet noodles and his heart clamored inside his chest. “All’s good.”
“Uh-huh.” Casper jerked his chin. “Thought you quit?”
Syren blew out a smoke ring. “Tomorrow.”
Derek snickered and Casper pulled him close for a kiss. Syren watched them, the way they touched each other, so familiar and organic, as if it came so naturally. He’d seen them do that more than a dozen times and yet, today felt different, because now he wondered at it. He wondered what it would feel like to have that always.
He wanted their closeness. Their bond. Their love and their sex. For him those things went hand in hand. Getting naked with someone would take all of him, for so many different reasons. All of them too fucking heavy to be thinking about at a time like this.
“How long you here for?” Derek asked.
Syren shrugged. “Just got in, so likely the weekend.” That was usually the length of his trips to Costa Rica.
“Was she happy to see you?” Casper asked.
“Not at first.” Syren grinned. “There was a whole lot of pouting.”
Casper laughed. “She’s rather good at that.”
“Too good.” But she loved him and he loved her so nothing else mattered. He rose to his feet, tucked himself back in then zipped up. “Thank you for the festivities, gentlemen.” He waggled his fingers at them and Casper chuckled when the cigarette’s ashes floated to the floor. “I’ll see you both tomorrow when I take the madam out on the water.”
The men waved as he walked to the door. “Bright and early.”
That wouldn’t be a problem since he never slept anyway.