Page 4 of Scorched

A small smile played on Kirkland’s lips as he sat. “Thank you. Are you sure I’m not interrupting your peace? I know your job is loud.”

Fabrice loved that Kirkland worried about Fabrice’s downtime. “It’s fine. I happen to find your company very peaceful.” Fabrice circled the table and poured Kirkland some wine from his open bottle before reclaiming his seat.

“You lecture me on working when I’m not an employee. I don’t expect you to serve me.”

His reaction to such a simple act baffled Fabrice. “Being a gentleman isn’t work for me. This is me just being myself.”

“Oh.” He shook his head as if Fabrice confused him as much as he confused Fabrice. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. How are you this evening?”

“Sore.” Kirkland let out a low laugh that made Fabrice’s skin tighten with longing. “I joined Atticus today in the gym. He doesn’t have a trainer here yet. He’s stuck relying on this old man.”

“You’re not old.” The response was automatic. “It’ll be very difficult to hire a trainer here. Beau hand-selects everyone who comes into this house. However, there’s a day guard that used to be a boxer. Atticus should speak with him.”

“I’ll let him know.”

Fabrice nodded. “If he’s interested, I’ll make sure Atticus gets his information.”

“That’s very kind of you.”

It wasn’t. He was just doing what friends did for one another. Fabrice chose to change the subject. “What drew you outside tonight?”

Kirkland’s eyes never left Fabrice. “You.”

His mouth went dry. Fabrice’s heart sped. He saw his first glimmer of hope. “I’m honored.”

With a slight shake of his head, Kirkland turned his attention to eating. Each time Kirkland’s glass got low, Fabrice topped him off. Their food had long since been consumed, and neither of them budged. They were halfway through the bottle Kirkland had brought with him before Kirkland finally loosened up.

“You’ve heard my story. Tell me yours. I know your parents passed, and you went to live with your uncle. That’s it.”

Fabrice thought about the question for a moment, trying to decide where to start. He finally just dove in. “I was raised with and given the same education as Beau’s sons. Clay and I are fairly close in age, so I had a best friend the moment I came here.”

Kirkland interrupted him. “Clay has been here since he was that young, as well. How did he end up here?”

Fabrice lifted his hand and dropped it again, showing there wasn’t much to tell. “That’s not my story to tell, but basically, Beau adopted him.”

Kirkland looked thoughtful. “I never would’ve pegged Beau as that big of a family man.”

Fabrice jumped to Beau’s defense. “This entire household came from Beau’s mercy. He’s made a million mistakes, but he deeply loves his children. That includes Clay. I’ll admit he’s not one to show his feelings.”

“Except when it comes to Kylo.”

“Except when it comes to his husband,” Fabrice agreed.

“This place does seem to be filled with misfits. I assumed that was due to working for a crime lord.”

A smile exploded across Fabrice’s face. “You’re not far from the truth. Beau is a collector of lost souls. You can’t buy loyalty like that.”

Kirkland nodded. “That’s very true. Besides loving Atticus and fearing for his safety, the only thing that kept me in that nightmare household was due to having nowhere else to go. It wasn’t until Atticus took me when he left that I breathed free air again.”

Fabrice was invested. “Do you not have parents who would’ve helped?”

“No.” Kirkland visibly swallowed. “I ran away at fifteen. Thankfully, my best friend at the time had amazing parents. They allowed me to stay. But I worked my fingers to the bone, hoping to find a way to eventually live on my own. Unfortunately, I didn’t play things smart. I had a checking account. One my dad helped me open. He drained it.”

Fabrice was mortified. “Mon Dieu. You’re joking. He stole from his child?”

One corner of Kirkland’s mouth lifted in a sardonic smile. “I ran away and didn’t go back for a reason.”