she whispered as she ran her fingers through his dark hair. “Your brother’s a jerk, and he needed to hear it.” Wren didn’t respond. He simply grabbed her hand before closing his eyes. He was asleep moments later. Either his pain medicine had kicked in, or he was just that emotionally and physically exhausted. Carefully, Lou curled up by his side, and then she closed her eyes, too.
For several moments, the room was quiet enough to hear a pin drop down the hall before Tyra broke the silence. “Maybe we should give them some privacy,” she suggested, speaking for the first time.
No one had the heart to argue when she opened and held the door. Four and Ever were the first out. I caught the door when Tyra watched me expectably. I wasn’t about to take my eyes off her for a second. Sensing that, she huffed before stepping out ahead of me.
“Has anyone called his grandmother?” Four inquired once I closed the door behind us.
“She’s on a cruise for a couple of more weeks,” Ever announced with a sigh. “I’m not sure we should upset her if Wren’s not dead. We can break the news when she comes home.”
“What about Jamie and Bee?”
Ever nodded. “Jamie’s hauling ass. They should be here soon.”
Great. Because that was just what everyone needed right now. Jameson’s mouth to make shit worse. Hopefully, he wasn’t keeping any more secrets up his sleeve. My gaze darted to Tyra, who’d been keeping the biggest of them all. I wanted to wait for a better time, but every fiber down to the tiniest cell was brimming with the need to tear this hospital apart.
My kid was here. She had my kid.
And didn’t tell me.
“We need to talk.” I’d given up the fight as soon as Ever and Four drifted over to a pair of empty waiting chairs.
“About what?” Her tone was rife with disinterest as she looked everywhere but at me.
Looking both ways to make sure no one was paying attention, I pushed Tyra into a small, dark alcove near some vending machines. I had her hidden in the shadows and hemmed against the wall before she knew what was happening. Her protest was swallowed by her gasp when I lifted her skirt above her waist without warning, exposing her hot pink panties. My mouth filled with water as I literally salivated. I wanted to slip my hand inside them and didn’t give a damn if we were caught. She shouldn’t have hidden my fucking kid.
“About this.” My voice was a whisper as I fingered the long, thin scar across her lower belly. My fist balled on the wall above her head. As pissed as I was, I couldn’t help wishing I’d been there, not just to see my kid born but to hold her fucking hand. What if something had gone wrong? What if they’d needed me? It was her decision not to tell me, but somehow, I still blamed myself for not being there.
“Why are you doing this?” she sobbed, shocking the shit out of me. The guilt and lust vanished, and confusion took its place. “This is cruel, even for you.”
I took a step back, watching her eyes fill with tears. “What the hell are you talking about, Tyra?”
“I’m talking about you ignoring me for weeks and now pretending that you want to be a father. I’m not going to let you do this to me, and I’ll kill you before I let you do this to your son.”
My shock allowed her to push me away, and then she quickly escaped the alcove. She didn’t even remember to lower her skirt first. She’d made it two steps before noticing the scandalized stares. After yanking her skirt back down, she cursed me in ways I couldn’t have imagined all the way to the nearest bathroom where she disappeared inside.
Resting my forehead against the wall, I inhaled deeply.
A son.
I had a son.
The knowledge didn’t feel me with the joy I expected.
Ten minutes after learning I had a son, I contemplated proving Tyra’s point by walking away from him forever. If my father ever found out about him, he’d never be safe. The only other alternative was a long shot in hell. I could end up dead when staying alive was the only way to ensure my father never got his hands on my kid. His dynasty could suck my dick.
The bathroom door opened, and Tyra finally emerged, her eyes puffy and rimmed red.
I hated myself for