Definitely off the mark, because he didn’t care who Shara slept with, as long as it wasn’t him.
“He was a snooty guy, in a hilarious way. Like he was from the wrong century or something. Too proper. I don’t remember our exact conversation, but he told me he was in love with someone else.”
Those damn prickles of alarm attacked him again. “What did he look like?”
Lifting one shoulder, she said, “Tall, slim. He had dark hair, but I think it was dyed. Like... it didn’t match his eyebrows. Pretty sure he was wearing contacts too, because his eyes didn’t look natural.”
Mike.“What did you do, Shara?” If she’d said or done anything that would help Mike, he’d—
“He encouraged me to go after you. To... throw myself at you? He said when you accepted what I was offering, your girlfriend would realize you weren’t worth her trouble. I don’t know. Something like that. I’d had a few drinks and wasn’t really thinking clearly.” She frowned at him, as if it were his fault. “Anyway, that’s why I’ve been coming on strong. At the time, what he said made sense.”
“No, it doesn’t make a bit of sense.” Jesus, he hated stuff like this. Taking Shara’s shoulders in his hands, he bent down to see her face. “Ruined makeup aside, you’re a gorgeous woman. Funny, too, and easy to be around when you aren’t playing games.”
“Don’t you just mean easy?”
“No, I don’t mean that. You’re a healthy woman and it’s great that you like sex.” He sure as hell liked it, too, but from now on, he wanted only Glory. “The last thing you need to do is chase a guy. Any man who doesn’t want you isn’t good enough for you, anyway.”
Her gaze searched his. “Even you?”
“Especially me.” He didn’t plan it, didn’t even give it a lot of thought before admitting, “I’m in love with Glory.”
Eyes flaring wide, she stared at him.
Huh.Saying it out loud somehow made it more substantial. Real. Validated. Kam wanted to say it again, but to Glory, not anyone else. “You don’t ever need to play second best.”
“See, that’s the problem. You’re such a nice guy, it’s easy to fall for you.”
“You haven’t,” he pointed out.
“No, I guess not or I’d be extra-crushed right now.”
Relieved on that score, he let out a breath. One catastrophe averted. “So what did this asshole do that has you sobbing?”
Her lip started to quiver. “He called me a worthless slut.”
Anger swirled in Kam’s gut—for Shara, who he really did consider a friend—but also for Glory, because he just knew this was another angle, like the threat to Kirby. Old Mike was really spreading himself thin, apparently without a single concern of getting busted. Maybe he thought changing his hair and eye color would take care of that, but Kam would recognize that smug, pretentious ass on sight. It was absurd for Mike to think otherwise.
Did that make Mike less dangerous—or more so?
“Who gives a fuck what he says? If it’s who I’m thinking it is, he’s a total creep.”
“He’s worse than a creep,” she admitted quietly, guilt adding misery to her sadness. “Please don’t hate me, Kam.”
Dread had him clenching all over. “Why would I?”
“When Leon said he needed some reliable but desperate guys to hire for a few odd jobs, I told him about the halfway house.”
“Leon?” he asked, and then with fresh alarm, “You told him where to find kids who are fighting for an ounce of stability?” Yeah, rage was there. Not hatred, but it was a thoughtless thing for her to do. “You sent him to the shelter?”
“I just... I suggested he might find some boys there who were willing to work.”
“Jesus, Shara...”
“I know!”
“Do you? You have any idea what those kids have been through?”
Shame turned her face bright red and filled her eyes with a new well of tears. “That was before I knew how awful he is.”