Page 33 of House of Kallan
“You’re so sure.”
He beamed. “I know my men. I know what they like and how to please them.” He paused, and then a wicked smile crossed his face. “In all ways.”
I sighed, shaking my head. Despite his own brand of off-balance, I really liked Tyrus. His happiness was like a constant ray of sunshine. Which I realized might just be his ability to assimilate with those around him, but nevertheless, it was refreshing.
Did I think he’d make a good parent? Actually, yes. He was very attentive to Bael’s every need. He was here every single day for the entire twelve hours I allowed him.
“Have you thought about what it might mean if you bring this child home and the woman who would be your wife isn’t happy about it? Maybe they would look elsewhere.”
“Then she’s not our wife,” he said, shrugging. Tyrus leaned forward. “If the Malaks had a child, would you have reconsidered your interest in them?”
Sneaky fucker. “No,” I said, trying not to smile.
“Of course you wouldn’t. Because you’re a part of them and if they’d have had a child, that child would have been too. I have no doubt that our wife will love our child. This won’t be something that’s off-putting in our profile. It’ll be another puzzle piece that makes us all that more right for her.”
“Do you want a wife, Tyrus?” I asked.
Tyrus shrugged and looked down at Bael. “I don’t know. I mean, I’m happy to do whatever they want. As I said, I know how to please them. And they want a wife. I’m going to assume it’s the womb they want.” He paused to look at me, studying me, as if trying to figure out what’s appealing about women. I almost laughed at the perplexed expression on his face. “Can I tell you something?”
“Is it a secret?”
He tilted his head to the side. “No, but I haven’t told anyone, so I suppose maybe a little.”
“Do you want me to keep it a secret?”
Tyrus considered me for a minute. “Yes. Will you?”
I nodded. “Absolutely. I just wanted to know the rules.”
He grinned. His attention went back to Bael for a second. “I don’t know that I want a wife. I like our family the way it is. What if someone else comes in and they don’t like me? What if they don’t understand me? What if… what if they find that I’m unsettling?”
Getting to my feet, I crossed around to my desk and leaned against it where I could reach for his hand. He smiled at me, amused. “Then they’re not your wife, Tyrus,” I said. “Once someone gets to know you, they’ll know that maybe all that’s true, but there’s still so much to like.”
He sighed. “I also don’t know if I want to be in bed with a woman,” he said. “Maybe I’m gay.”
“Maybe?”
Tyrus shrugged. “I’ve never actually thought about it. Iker found me when I was a feral teenager. Emphasis on feral, Miss Tatum. He scooped me up before Silence could get their hands on me. Which I think was closer to happening than he tells me. So, I’ve been under Iker’s care since before I was, uh, sane. Well, saner. The level of sane I am now.”
I laughed and shook my head.
“To be clear, he wasn’t inappropriate to me when I was a teenager. I was there for almost ten years before I had finally had enough of beingthe kidand demanded a different kind of attention. That’s probably not the story you want, so I’ll spare you.”
“I wasn’t questioning, but thank you for clarifying.”
“I’ve heard a lot over the years,” he said. “Like, he groomed me. He took advantage of me. He brainwashed me. Or he abused me. They use my psychopathy as evidence to whateverthey’re claiming. Now when I volunteer how I came to be with Iker, I also clarify how it happened.”
“That’s not a bad idea.”
“I especially wanted you to know because I want to take Bael home and Iker is a good man.”
My office phone rang, so I twisted to reach for it. “Dr. Almeida,” I answered.
“We’ve lost track of Tyrus,” the nurse said, her voice slightly frantic.
I looked at Tyrus. “He and Bael are right here.”
She sighed in relief. “Thank fuck. I swear he was in the nursery and when I came back from the changing room, no one knew where he’d gone!”
