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.Make him rethink it. And offered myself up to sweeten the pot.This was perfect opportunity to bring Càtia up, but Syren couldn t make himself do it. How long have you been doing this? Kane demanded. Living inside the lion sden and playing for both sides? Syren shrugged. The years have long blended together.Too long.That s how longit s been. And Rafe knows. He does. You re telling me this why? I didn t have to know. Syren grabbed Kane s hand on his thigh and twisted their fingers together. Icouldn t keep it from you.I ve been around a lot of people since I was rescued at fifteen,men and women.I ve never wanted any of them to touch me.Hold me.I ve neverdreamed of any of them. He lifted his head, searched Kane s gaze. You areeverywhere.In my head, in my dreams.You are who I want.You make me feel and Isometimes I like it, sometimes I don t, but you make me feel and after twenty years, thatalone is enough for me to want things.Unattainable things.With you.From you. 62 A Sinner BornChapter SixKane stared at the man next to him, into his eyes and felt himself falling.Slowly.Surely.He didn t know his name, not really.Until today he could ve said he wasattracted to a bad guy and used that as the excuse to hold Faro at arm s length.Except his name wasn t Faro.According to him.Nothing was proven.All he hadwas what the man said.The man.Syren Rua or Marcos whatever. Where were you born? he asked.Because damn if he didn t need answers.Fulldisclosure.He needed something to start making sense.Syren call him Syren swallowed. São Paulo, Brazil.My father was the biggestdrug dealer there in the eighties.He went by the name Manuel Rua. I know that name. Kane sat back in amazement. He and his entire family weremassacred.No one was arrested for it, but everyone thought& He shook his head atthe entire sad tale. Everyone thought Delatorre did it. Syren nodded as he wiped his eyes. He ordered it, but he wasn t there.I don tthink he knew Luiz Salazar sold me. Kane eyed him. But you blame Delatorre. He put the wheels in motion. Syren lifted his shoulder slightly. Salazar wasdealt with early on, but he got off easy if you ask me. Is this all about revenge? Kane asked. You kill the men responsible for the deathof your childhood and then what? Was that all he lived for? If so, Kane needed toknow now.Syren let out a breath slowly, his mouth curved into a mockery of a smile. Thereare worse things than death.I have never killed, nor do I plan on killing anyoneanytime soon.All the men who took part in my family s demise are in jail.All, exceptfor Delatorre. He broke eye contact for a second. I admit when I first conceived thisplan all I cared about was making Delatorre pay.I didn t think beyond my handsaround his neck. Despite himself Kane drifted closer to Syren on the banquette.He d recognized thepain in those weird eyes, he d noticed the darkness, but damn if he could ve dreamedup something as fucked as what Syren confessed.To be destroyed, violated at such ayoung age and still remain standing.To still be sane most of the time, because he didquestion Syren s sanity a time or two was a feat in itself.How had he managed toescape the hell he d been sold into?63 Avril Ashton Let s go back. He clasped Syren s hand in his, squeezing as he asked softly, Howdid you escape from whoever you d been sold to? Syren laughed.Genuinely laughed.Life crept back into his eyes, banishing theshadows as the husky sound wrapped itself around Kane s middle. Dumb luck, Syren said. Dumb luck.In five years I d been sold three times.I d learned when tofight back, when to give in and when to hold out for as long as humanly possible. Hisgaze drifted over Kane s shoulder and out the window. I d been sold to a Saudibusinessman in Paris.I was fifteen then and I didn t know who he was until later, buthe was richer than rich. His teeth appeared briefly. Had to be to get me.He alsocollected weapons old guns, swords, bows and arrows.The kinda shit you and Icouldn t care less about, but those types of guys salivate over.Turns out a thief had hiseye on his collection and, two weeks after I d been bought, he broke in. Syren s voice was soft, calm.He spoke as if recounting someone else s life, as if theevents he relived weren t his own.As if they hadn t happened to him and shaped himinto who and what he was. I was naked, Syren said. Shackled in a small room somewhere in the bowels ofhis Paris mansion, punishment for refusing to simply lie back and have him fuck me. Kane swallowed the bile in his throat.How could that happen to anyone, let alonethe man who sat beside him now? Beautiful and strong and vibrant, and yet broken, inways Syren himself probably never realized.How did things like that happen? He wanted willing he said, and until I was willing, I was to remain naked andshackled.No food.No company.No nothing.He thought that was punishment. Syrenturned his gaze back to Kane, his eyes bright. I was in fucking heaven down in thatdark, cold room.I was alone, no one trying to make me do anything I didn t want and Iwas going to finally, finally be with my parents and Fabio again. The last part of that took a while before registering with Kane and when it did, hegaped at Syren. You were going to kill yourself? The horror of that was too much tocontemplate. You tried No. Syren shook his head. The plan was to let nature take its course.It waswinter in Paris.I would either die of the cold, dehydration or malnutrition.I felt it and Iwelcomed it.Any one was better, Syren said fiercely. Any one was better than thehell I was in. Kane blinked away the moisture Syren s words brought to his eyes and swallowed.Syren s eyes were dry, his words more controlled.He appeared much more incommand of himself and his emotions. I was curled in a fetal position when I heard the first scrape in the lock, Syrenwhispered. I thought he d given up waiting and come to take me.Come to finally getwhat he d pay so highly for, but when the door did open it was to reveal a creaturecloaked all in black, a mask covering his face.That didn t hide his reaction at seeing methere. Syren chuckled. Can t tell you who was more shocked to see whom. I can imagine, Kane murmured.64 A Sinner Born I didn t trust him and he didn t care, he simply lifted me over his shoulder andbolted. Memories had taken over and Syren s face was lax with them, his mouthcurved, his eyes dancing. My rescuer s name was Henri and he couldn t very well takeme to the cops, how would he explain how and why he d found me? No, instead hebrought me to his house and proceeded to feel my wrath as I took my anger and fearout on him. You were a kid and scared, he had to understand. Oh he did.He knew without being told why I was there and he treated me withkid gloves.I hated it.I was fifteen and I hated being treated like I was ten again
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