Page 4 of Born Daddy

Rogan pressed his lips together as he processed the unexpected encounter. The very few times he’d hung out with Cam at his house he’d barely seen this kid—despite Cam referring to him as his boy and telling Rogan he lived there. Even when there’d been a big barbecue celebrating Cam’s birthday, the kid remained inside, keeping away from everyone else. Rogan had simply assumed he was shy.

“Wow.” Rogan was rarely at a loss for words, but if ever there was a time…

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have bothered you.” The kid continued to stare at the ground. “I just thought maybe…” He let out a heavy sigh. “Never mind.”

He turned to leave, and the action snapped Rogan out of his trance.

“Wait.” Rogan took a step forward, but when the guy flinched, Rogan froze. “What’s your name?”

The kid peered up at him with his brow furrowed. “Tate.”

Rogan scratched his head. Not knowing the name of his buddy’s live-in boyfriend probably seemed strange to Tate. Yet, at the same time, they’d barely had any interaction. A greeting here, a ‘how are you doing?’ there, was the most they’d ever shared. Which also made Rogan wonder why Tate had approached him at all.

“Tate. Right.” Rogan rubbed the back of his neck. The pain in Tate’s eyes, the defeat in his posture—everything about the young man radiated desperation.

He must be completely alone in the world right now.

The suffering Mrs. LeBlanc had to be enduring Rogan completely understood. But what Tate faced as the submissive lover of a man who’d brutally tortured and killed subs couldn’t be imagined.

“How can I help you, Tate?” He doubted he could, but walking away didn’t feel right, either.

Tate chewed on his lip, his gaze averted with his hands still held prisoner in his pockets. “I’m not sure anyone can.” He glanced up. “Like I said, I don’t want to bother you, but do you think we could grab some coffee or something? You know, sometime when you’re not busy. There’s a lot of stuff I can’t get out of my head, and I thought maybe…maybe if I spoke to someone who knew him really well, had known him for a lot longer than me…”

“That you could uncover some answers.” The knot in Rogan’s stomach untwisted for the first time that day. Tate’s words identified what Rogan had been aching for, why he hadn’t wanted to be alone. “I’m not busy right now. You?”

Tate shook his head. “I’ve got nowhere to go.”

Rogan wondered how literal Tate was being. “Then let’s grab some coffee.”

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