Page 82 of When Sinners Dare

“Probably.” The fact that that word just left my mouth surprises me, and I smile at the thought. Got to love her really, haven’t I? Who goes through this kinda crap for someone if they don't? “Wouldn’t know, though. Never been in love before, so …” Words die on my tongue. I don’t even know what love is in reality. Never felt it given, nor given it back.

I stand and run my hands down my jeans, trying to clean them. They’re not clean. Never damn well have been and definitely aren’t now. Don’t even care about that anymore. In the broad light of day, and with time on my side to think clearly, I know I enjoyed thinking about destroying that piece of shit. And I sure as hell enjoyed seeing him dead. Call it possessiveness, or straight up mania, but there was only one ending after I saw her on that table with his hands on her. If she hadn’t have ended him, I would have.

Turning for the door, I feel fingers on my shoulder and flinch.

“You’ll have to leave if you’re with her, Kai. Viper won’t have that kind of trouble around here.”

I frown and look at her hand on my shoulder. I don't want it there, and I don’t care a shit for her opinion of my life either. I saved her once, but that moment meant nothing in comparison to what Mariana means to me. If leaving is what I have to do, I’ve got no problem doing it.

She slowly pulls her hand off me and backs away. “Well, anyway, Donaldson called. He’s been trying to reach you. Needs you to get down to his office today for check-in. Says he’s going out of town tomorrow and can’t make the appointment you set up.”

I get my phone out to check and find several missed calls from him. Must have been deep in my own head to have ignored them. “Now?”

“Yeah. Soon as you can.”

“I’ve got clients booked in.”

“We’ll cover you. Go.”

Viper stares at me as I make my way through the storeroom so I can get the keys for my Scout. No conversation. I don’t get anything when I come back down and make my way out into the yard again, either. He’s just drinking coffee and looking like he’s got things to say but isn’t about to say them. I open the gates, kick the stand up, and walk my way out without giving him a chance to. There isn’t anything to say between us. I get his opinion. Understand it even, but I’m past the thought side of where I’m heading. I’m invested, and whilst I appreciate him giving me this opportunity, I don’t owe him the rest of my life because of it.

The engine roars to life under me, and I peel out into traffic to make my way across town. Doesn’t take as long as I want it to, and I pull over to the side of the road by Donaldson’s office. Guess it’s time to lie about where I’m at in life and make sure he thinks I’m clean and civilised still.

A breath blows out of me as I make my way up the steps and look for his name on a door somewhere. The third one on the left gives me what I’m after, and I knock for access.

“Come in,” his voice says. He looks up at me as I do, immediately clocks the bruise on my jaw, and sighs. “I suppose you needed to hold a set of racks off someone with your face this time.”

“Something like that.”

The laptop he’s working at gets closed, and he leans back in his chair looking disappointed as hell. That just pisses me off. Another person with an opinion on my life and what it should be? Fuck him.

“Sit, Kai. Let’s get this done so we can both get on with our day.”

Yeah. Let’s.

~

By the time I’m out on the road again, I’m damn close to not going back to the shop at all. An hours’ worth of some psychological bullshit aimed at me about staying out of trouble, and then some more about staying away from the wrong kind of people, and I’m done taking orders. Shame of it is, it’s made me think long and hard about Viper and his place while I’ve been riding. Whatever I’m doing with my life, he doesn’t deserve shit at his door. He warned me. He told me. And it’s fucking obvious the kinda stuff I’m getting myself into isn’t welcome.

I pull up out front of the shop and make my way in.

Blade looks up and nods, quickly going back to his magazine.

“Where’s Viper?” I ask.

“Office. Just finished one, doing another in fifteen.”

I round the desk and head for him, ready to get this conversation done. He doesn’t even look up from his paperwork as I walk into his space.

“Can we talk?” I ask. He sighs, long and low, and looks up at me. Damned face is just as disappointed as Donaldson’s was. “Don’t throw that shit at me, Viper. I can’t help who I fall for and-”

“You know what really grates my ass, you’re so damn good, Kai. Your work is amazing. Some of the best I’ve seen, and you’re gonna trash the rest of your goddamn life for a woman like her.”

“Fuck you, Viper. Leave her out of this.” He stands up, instantly riled and ready to go at me. “Don't. How about this? You sit yourself back down before you even think about bringing any more at me because I'm pretty close to losing my shit. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. Every goddamn thing, but I just spent the last eight years of my life being told what to do, and I’m not taking it out here. I want her, and if that means I need to leave this place because you can’t handle Cortez in your face, then that’s what I’m going to do.”

Tension hangs real damn heavy in his stare, and I get that.But she isn’t debatable from my standpoint.

“You’re not like them, Kai.”

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