Black Hearts (Sins Duet #1)

And yet she should be.

She straightens her shoulders and opens the door wider, then we both step inside.

It smells like cooking. Pasta sauce and garlic. A deep male voice is laughing.

We go down the hall and step into the open kitchen that overlooks the dining table, the settings already in place.

Her father and Ben stand side by side by the counter, a box of spaghetti beside them. Her father has a beer in his hand and is showing something to Ben on his phone, probably something on YouTube. It sounds an awful lot like goats screaming. Whatever it is has them both laughing, although Ben’s laugh seems stiff and forced and purely for show.

They both look up when we approach them. In my hands I have a bottle of the most expensive sipping tequila I could find. It’s nothing like the stuff at home, but I figure it will help win favors and fuck things up a bit.

Speaking of fucking things up, the look on Camden’s face is priceless. The same slightly gaping mouth and wide eyes that his wife had when she saw me. Only he recovers quickly. So quick that Violet doesn’t seem to notice.

But I did. I give him a half-smirk while she makes the introductions to them both.

Camden McQueen is taller than I thought he would be and in great shape, judging by his shoulders and arms. Every visible inch of him is covered in tattoos, which is no surprise. Based on the old photo I saw, I expected him to be wearing glasses, but he’s not, and grey and silver threads through his dark hair. He’s lucky, like my own father, that hair loss doesn’t seem to be an issue.

Ben is a miniature version, and by miniature, I mean he’s maybe two inches shorter. That’s about it. Otherwise, they look extremely similar, down to the build and the tattoos. Violet had mentioned he’s an MMA fighter so that explains the thick neck.

Honestly, they both look like wannabe tough guys. For all their muscle, they wouldn’t last a second against me. Meatheads pound aimlessly. I’ve always got a strategy.

Just like tonight.

Poke, poke, poke the beast.

Ben is the first to offer his hand and a genuine smile. “Hey, man,” he says. “Nice to meet you.”

“I’ve heard many things about you,” I tell him. “All good.”

Ben gives Violet a quick smile, even though there’s still something strained about his actions. Something is on his mind.

But it’s none of my business.

Camden, however…

I stick out my hand toward him and am so fucking tempted to give him a little wink, but I manage to control myself.

“Hi,” he says in a deep voice, his eyes narrowing slightly as he shakes my hand. At least he gives a good shake. Holding a tattoo gun must be good for something. “You must be the guy who came into the store asking about getting a tattoo.”

“What?” Violet asks.

He’s a suspicious one, isn’t he? I give her a smile and shrug, covering up fast. “After I found out what your father did, I had to go check it out for myself.” Thankfully her father doesn’t realize I came in there before I even met Violet. “Your father wasn’t there, of course.”

“It was Lloyd,” he says to Violet before looking back at me. “What were you thinking of getting?”

“I’m not sure,” I say. “I thought a mirlo. A blackbird.” Violet starts to grin. “Mixed with Santa Muerte, the Saint of Death.” Her grin falters.

“Charming,” Camden muses.

“Sounds fucking rad,” Ben says. “Dad, you would do a hella good version of that. You should do it for free.”

Camden gives him a dirty look.

I try to look appeasing. “I’m still thinking about it, don’t worry. Perhaps we’ll talk more after dinner.”

“Camden.” Ellie’s hushed yet urgent voice comes from the living room. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

Camden nods at us and then tells Ben to get me a drink before walking down the hall, disappearing into the living room to be with his wife.

I can’t hear anything beyond their hushed murmurs, but I know exactly what she’s saying to him.

Doesn’t he look just like Javier?

I smirk to myself.

“Do you want a beer or should we perhaps crack open that bottle of tequila?”

My attention goes back to Ben who is nodding at my hands, eyes looking brighter than they have so far.

I give him the bottle. “Here. It’s for you. Go nuts and I’ll have a glass too.”

Ben happily takes it and sets about getting glasses. “How about you, Vi?”

“Sure,” she says, letting out a light sigh. “Getting drunk should help this awkward bullshit.”

Ben laughs, setting the glasses out. “Oh, come on.” He nods at me. “Vicente seems to be handling it fine. Sorry, man. We should probably have warned you ahead of time that our parents can be fucking weird.”

“Weird is good,” I tell him, noting that his hands shake slightly as he pours the drinks.

“He’s already met Mom,” Violet says. “And that didn’t go well.”

“Fuck,” says Ben, handing us our drinks. “Well, bottoms up, then. The only way out of this night is through.”

I gulp the tequila down. It burns beautifully. It reminds me of drinking with my father in his office, the only times he’s ever shown me his humanity.

I push those memories away into the dark.

“I should probably tell you now,” I say, wiping my mouth and holding out my glass for more. “That it’s supposed to be sipping tequila. It’s no Jose Cuervo. Add a bit of ice and go slow.”

“Whoops,” Ben says, opening the freezer. “Sorry, man.”

“Not a problem. I think we all needed that.”

“Fucking right,” Ben mutters to himself, placing a few cubes in the glasses.

The three of us end up drinking and talking in the kitchen for a good thirty minutes or so, Ben taking care of the cooking, before Camden comes back to the room, this time with Ellie beside him.

I shoot them a quick glance over my shoulder. They’ve both got determined looks on their faces, as if they had a long chat and decided to be grown-ups about the whole thing.

Ellie, he only looks like him. And not even that much. He’s not Javier’s son. He’s long gone out of our lives.