Page 29 of His Place in the World
“We could shower together,” Del offered.
“But if we do, we’ll be distracted, and we’ll be late.”And Angus didn’t want that to happen.Tyler was in another guest room, somewhere down the hall, no doubt terrified.He needed Angus, and Angus wanted to be there for him.
He showered, then left Del in his room as he headed to the kitchen.He wasn’t surprised that Matt and Mercer were already there, both of them sipping coffee while quietly talking to Cam.They all looked up when they heard Angus, and Cam was gesturing at the coffee pot.
“There’s enough coffee for everyone.”
“Even Remi when he gets here?”
Cam chuckled.“I might have told him to get some coffee on the way, because I wasn’t sure the machine could keep up with him.We should be fine, though.”
Angus was grateful for the cup of coffee and took a few seconds to sip and relax.He couldn’t help but worry about what was next, though.“Should I go fetch Tyler?”he asked.
“Will he want to be at the meeting?”Cam asked.
“There’s only one way for us to know.”Angus set down his coffee and headed back toward the hallway.
His bedroom door was closed, so Del was still getting ready.That was fine because it would give Angus some time to talk to Tyler.
He knocked on Tyler’s door and waited for the gargoyle shifter to answer.He was curious about what gargoyle shifters could do, but he doubted that asking outright would help Tyler feel more comfortable.Angus could wait, and he would.
The door creaked open, and a pair of blue eyes peeked through.Angus smiled, keeping his expression relaxed.“Hi.I don’t know if you remember me from last night, but my name is Angus.”
The door opened just a bit more, enough to reveal Tyler.He looked like he hadn’t slept, which might be the case.He was wearing a pair of too-big sweatpants and a t-shirt, both of them borrowed.It was better than the tiny white briefs he’d been wearing yesterday evening.
“You were with the man who bought me,” Tyler said.
Angus couldn’t deny that.“I was.How are you feeling?”
“Confused.”
That made Angus smile.“I would be too, if I were in your shoes.Do you want to come with me to the kitchen?We’re having a meeting over what happened last night, and we’d like your input.”
“Will he be there?”
Angus wasn’t sure who Tyler was talking about, but he assumed it was Ryland.“Ryland will be there, but even though he bought you, he’s not a bad person.He just wanted to help you.”
Tyler frowned.“That’s what they all say, but he’s not who I was talking about.His bodyguard.Will he be there?”
“They’re both already there.”
Angus hadn’t missed the way Matt had taken care of Tyler as soon as he’d been delivered to them, so maybe he was the man Tyler was asking about.Telling him both Matt and Mercer were there was enough to get him to step out of his bedroom.
Angus didn’t take him to the kitchen right away.He wanted Tyler to know nothing would happen to him, and while he realized that telling him wouldn’t help him believe it, it was the first step.“Everyone here wants to protect you, including Ryland.I know we didn’t tell you much yesterday, but you’ll learn more during the meeting.Just know that Ryland’s brother was taken, and he’s been looking for him ever since.I think you remind him of him.That’s why he bought you, but you’re free, even though he paid a lot of money for you.”
Tyler nodded.He kept looking up and down the hallway, maybe for an escape or a threat.Angus made sure not to touch him as he made his way toward the kitchen, Tyler right behind him.They walked in, and once again, everyone looked up.To everyone’s surprise, Tyler made a beeline for Matt.
Today, Matt was wearing jeans and a sweater.He was leaning against the counter and smiled at Tyler when he saw him.His eyes widened when Tyler grabbed the edge of his sweater and held on, standing closer than most people would.He clearly had no idea what to do with Tyler, and Angus didn’t blame him.
Since Tyler seemed to be okay, Angus took out a phone from his pocket.He’d cloned Colbert’s phone yesterday when he was close enough, and while he hadn’t had the time or inclination to go through the data yesterday, he was curious now.He focused on that as more people kept arriving, and the meeting moved to Cam’s office.
Tyler was still holding onto Matt, but Matt didn’t seem inclined to push him away.Angus was curious about the situation, but thankfully, neither he nor anyone else asked about it.
“So, what did we find out yesterday?”Cam asked from his seat behind his desk.“Apart from the fact that some people are monsters.”
“I cloned Colbert’s phone,” Angus said.“But it’ll take me a while to go through everything.So far, I have a long list of names and several files that look financial.It should help us find out more about who’s behind the auctions and how to find the shifters they sell.”
“Is there anything about my brother on there?”Ryland asked.
