Page 5 of My Orc Contract Husband (Eastshore Isle #9)

Chapter Three

Tarkhan

The raw beef squished through my fingers as I kneaded the chopped onions, shredded cheddar, and seasoning into it.

Ridiculously satisfying, and I gotta be honest: It reminded me a little of my old life, when I used to help my mother prepare the varkt’kanna .

The chopped dried meat mixed with suet and berries had been Torrah’s favorite…

I pounded the beef to forget the lump in my throat.

“When’s dinner?” Abydos called from where he sat on the couch, his computer open on his lap.

Glad for the distraction, I pretended to be irritated. “Sooner if you would help. Can you come chop the lettuce?”

“Nope. ”

Not surprised, I continued. “Open the oven and turn over the fries?”

“Nope,” my perpetually pissed-off friend repeated.

“Maybe come over here and offer me some encouragement?” I began to shape the burger patties. My hands moved automatically, forming circles while I kept my eyes on Abydos’s stubborn profile.

“Look, Tark,” he growled, not looking up from his screen. “I paid for the food, didn’t I?”

The male had more money than anyone I knew, so fuck yes I let him buy the groceries when he was in town. I held up my messy hands for emphasis, beef juice dripping toward my wrists. “That doesn’t help?—”

He cut me off. “I don’t cook.”

When he glanced at me, then away, I caught the flash of something almost like amusement in his eyes before he buried it under his usual scowl.

Well, I couldn’t argue there. Abydos’s twin was Aswan, the best chef any of us knew.

When we’d fled that government facility, the one where the humans had experimented on us, the one where they’d fucked up Abydos’s face and psyche so much, the two brothers had lived together in Bramblewood Bluff.

Aswan had helped Abydos heal, and in return, Abydos had made us all rich.

Well, most of us, at least.

And despite his bad humor, I was glad to have him here on Eastshore, at least for a bit. The familiar weight of his presence in our shared space felt like coming home, even when he was being a complete ass .

Finishing shaping the burgers we would share, I laid them on a platter. “I’m going to pan-fry these because the balcony of this place is too small for a grill, okay?”

A grunt was my only answer. He’d gone back to typing, his dark head bent over the screen in concentration.

“What are you working on?” I called, trying to involve him in conversation. I moved to the sink, scrubbing my hands under the hot water while stealing glances at his rigid posture.

“Shut up for a minute, would you?”

I pressed my lips together to hide my smile as I washed my hands, my gaze landing on the baby aloe plants on the windowsill. What had Sami called them? Aloe pups . They were small and floppy and delicate, just like I’d once been.

When we lived in Bramblewood, Abydos had been our leader. It had been his idea to hide out in the small, hidden town deep in the mountains, the one few humans knew about. We were all more comfortable around other non-humans, and it was the only way Abydos would consider living in this world.

But as we grew more comfortable with our surroundings, we’d each found our own paths. Aswan had opened a successful restaurant, Akhmim had become a whiz at computers, teaching Abydos how to beat the humans at their own game, and me? I’d gained a reputation for pleasure.

Abydos might want nothing to do with humans, but each female I met became a challenge, a delight. I loved learning all I could about her, and bringing her joy, before she moved on. Sometimes I found myself wishing they would stay, settle down, but…

Who was I? Just a simple male who liked to work with his hands and make others smile. It was enough to know that I’d brought them pleasure when we were together. The last time I’d tried to have something more, my own petty desires had gotten in the way…

Unable to help myself, my gaze strayed to Abydos, remembering those dark times.

He was completely absorbed in his work, overseeing his empire with financial wizardry, his scarred fingers stabbing at the keys angrily. The late afternoon light caught the worst of the damage on the left side of his face, and I had to look away.

He suddenly straightened and slammed the laptop shut, and I startled, guilt at being caught making me flush.

“Done. What?” he growled.

“Nothing,” I was quick to assure him, focusing on separating the buns to toast. “You want a beer?”

“Fuck yes I want a beer.” Abydos stomped toward the kitchen.

Despite his attitude, I was glad to have him here, where I could keep an eye on him. We were all glad for it.

“Oh, Mr. Abydos,” I sang teasingly. “If it’s not too much trouble, and if it’s not too much like helping , could you please, oh please, fetch me a beer as well?”

Heaving a put-upon sigh, he pulled another bottle from the fridge and kicked the door closed. “Here. You’re welcome.” He thrust the bottle at me with more force than necessary, and I had to grab it quickly to keep from dropping it.

I had to chuckle as I took it from him and opened it. “You’re all heart. How was Aswan?” The bottle was ice-cold against my palm, and I took a long swallow before setting it on the counter.

His scowl told me he hadn’t appreciated me slipping that question in so nonchalantly, and I suppose I should have known better than to think he would trip up and let something slip. He turned away from me, but not before I caught the way his jaw tightened.

“He’s fine.” Abydos hesitated, staring down at his beer. “Doing…well.”

Well, at least that response didn’t involve any cursing. Trying for more nonchalance, I ask as I flipped the fries, “He’s really settling in. I’m glad he’s found so much happiness with Hannah and the kids.”

Abydos’s only response was a grunt, and when I snuck a peek, he was frowning at his bottle.

“Those kids sure are cute, huh?” I hazarded. “Little Joshua is thriving with Aswan as his father.” I kept my tone light, but I was watching him carefully now, noting the way his shoulders had gone rigid.

A few months ago, I’d helped Aswan put together a new swing set for Joshy’s birthday—and by helped Aswan , I mean I did the whole damn thing . That had been the day where it’d become obvious Aswan and Hannah were Mates, and shortly afterward, she’d realized it too, thank the gods of the ancestors .

It was no surprise I liked to visit his family as often as possible. The kids were adorable, and his happiness, his contentment with his Mate…well, it made me happy to feel some of that satisfaction as well.

As if we’d made the right choice in leaving Bramblewood and everything we knew to move here.

After a long moment, Abydos blew out a sigh and lifted his beer to his mouth. “Yeah,” he grunted before he drank. But to my surprise, when he lowered it, he continued, “They’re cute when they’re little.”

Humans . I didn’t have to ask what he meant.

The unspoken before they grow up and become monsters hung in the air between us like a toxic cloud.

“Hannah’s nice,” I offered, busying myself with laying out the burgers on the griddle. “So is Rosemary, Akhmim’s Mate. Hells, Abby, all the human females our brothers have found are good beings .” The meat hit the hot pan with a satisfying hiss, and I pressed down on each patty with my spatula.

“Don’t call me Abby.” His voice had gone flat, emotionless, which was somehow worse than his usual growl. “And I’m not surprised you think that.”

“Yeah, because I like to fuck humans,” I tossed back at him, knowing that’s what he meant.

“But seriously, T’kap , they have good hearts.

Do you honestly think Aswan and Akhmim and Sakkara and everyone else would have made bad choices in their Mates?

Do you think they’d give their hearts to evil humans, ones who hate like?—”

I bit off my words before I could say something I would regret, but I couldn’t stop the way my eyes darted across the mass of scars covering the left side of his face.

His scowl told me he’d seen it.

So I sighed and turned back to the burgers. With my back to him, I said, “You know, when you build your house, you’re going to be seeing way more of them.”

“I’m not building on Eastshore because of them .”

“I know that.” We’d talked him into it so we—the orcs on the island—could see him more often. “You need to have a base near your shareholders.”

“It’s easier to control the company from my place in Colorado, and the rest of the guys—the other shareholders live out there.”

“It’s not easier ,” I shot right back, starting to flip the meat. “You do everything online and don’t let anyone see you, so who in the hells cares where your base is? Your friends are here, your brothers are here. I’m here. At least when you’re staying here, you can buy me groceries.”

I grinned at him over my shoulder, and was rewarded with something that might have been a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. When I heard him snort, I decided that was good enough.

“How’s the house coming?” I offered the topic change as a peace offering and heard him sigh.

“Good. Good.” A pause, and I heard him swallow more beer. “When Sakkara offered one of my companies the chance to bid on that big construction project, I didn’t realize how handy it would be to have so many connections here on the island.”

“Well I, for one, appreciate it.” Abydos hadn’t gotten me the contractor job; I knew I was talented enough at woodworking to not need his help.

But as the new mayor, Sakkara had started the condo construction project rolling, and the whole island—myself included—was benefitting.

“You’ve already torn down the old place? ”

“Torn it down, hauled it away, and they’ve laid foundation for the plans my architect designed.” Abydos was looking as smug as possible for a guy who never smiled. “You need to swing by and see how much progress they’ve made.”