Notes: Thanks to everyone who told....er...um...threatened me to continue until Dakota The Loathed is dead <vbg> Many thanks to my wonderful list sibs on The Magnificent Two and A Gambler's Lust Lists. Ya'll are truly the BEST!! Thanks to my KS for everything you do for me and the beta. Thank you to Jo Ann and since you have written another FANTASTIC story then this two are my part of our arrangement <g> Thank you Antoinette for the encouragement you give me.

Why had he not seen it? Was he blind? When he had fallen for that tall lanky, long haired man he had never realized the depth of evil that possessed his soul. It had never shone in the ice blue eyes. Maybe he had seen it, but in his desperation for contact and love of another he had chosen to ignore it. In allowing the ignorance to continue he may have caused the death of his soulmate.

He had watched, thinking Dakota was about to shoot Vin, not being able to react fast enough to save his tracker, only to see him striking his lover in the head with the gun. His relief was short lived when he saw that his ex-lover was indeed about to shoot his downed tracker. Finding strength in his weakened body he put himself between Vin and the gun. He would allow no harm to come to his lover while he still had a breath in his body.

"I thought you didn't like guns Dakota? Wasn't that one of your complaints about me?"

"Well, you see, Lover in my business it's not wise to allow your target to be armed while you remain unarmed. It really was quite vexing that with my charms, I could never get you to part with your gun. Tsk, tsk. Why do you looked so shocked Dear One?"

Ezra flinched at the endearments. He had always hated 'dear one' it sounded too much like something his mother would call him rather than a lover.

"What business? Why do this?" He was confused by his ex-lovers words but still stood protecting Vin from any harm. He slowly backed up until he could feel his tracker under his hand. He was afraid Vin would come to and be hurt.

"I was hired to kill you. Instead, I slept with you, fell in love and then I just couldn't kill you. So I left instead, hoping you would be devastated by my leaving you that you would forget about my employer."

"'So there was never anyone else?" His mind was reeling at the how stupid he truly was. How did he ever think he loved this man?

"Oh, there was someone else. He was my partner. I see you had no problem replacing me." Dakota's smile was feral, "I find it rather satisfying that my replacement resembles me."

The sickening smile made his skin crawl. "Mr. Tanner holds no resemblance to you whatsoever. He has generous heart, a beautiful soul and the one thing you never had."

"What would that be Dear One?"

"My undying love and devotion."

"You said the same thing to me."

"Wrong Dakota. I told you I cared for you a great deal. I never said I loved you. Sure, I'm guilty of saying something that I did not mean just to keep you with me. But I never said the words 'I love you'. Those words are too important. To say them untrue would be heresy."

Ezra felt Vin stir under his hand. He applied pressure hoping Vin would understand and keep still.

Vin slowly climbed out of the fog that wrapped his mind and valiantly tried to ignore the blinding pain bouncing around in his skull. Barely stopping a groan of pain as his survival instincts kicked in. He knew something was wrong. He could feel it in the depth of soul. He heard and followed the honey smooth words of his lover as he tried to make sense of everything. He remained motionless as he listened to Ezra and Dakota. Trying to come up with a plan that wouldn't get anyone hurt. Well, that wasn't true. As long as Ezra didn't get hurt but Dakota was dead. He was going to kill the man as slowly and as painfully as possible.

His vindictive thoughts were interrupted when he heard Dakota's remark on there resemblance. His heart soared as he listened to Ezra disagree with Dakota and describe the way he saw him. He would never have known his conman felt that way about him. They were going to have a long talk when this was over and get something's straitened out. As he moved, Ezra applied pressure to his neck. It warmed his heart knowing Ezra wanted to protect him. He would wait and bide his time for now, but the man was dead the first chance that came up.

The End

To be continued in The Difference of Time