“You’re right about that. I haven’t seen them in forever. Hell, I don’t even know where they are now, or if they’re still alive. When I…” He paused. Lyle wondered if it was to find the right words to say what happened. “We were separated by circumstances none of us had any control over. I was brought to this country by a man who wanted to put me on display.” He shot a dour look at Lyle. “Don’t laugh. He really did. He didn’t mind that I was ugly. In fact he liked it.”
“You’re not…”
“Don’t. I’m not blind. All I have to do is look in a mirror.” Damien put his hand over Lyle’s, gripping it. “I became his pet…project. One of several. I was finally able to escape. Since then I’ve been on my own.”
Lyle sucked in a breath. “You’re in hiding?”
Waggling a hand, Damien replied, “Not really. Sure
