Whip hit pause on the jukebox, and the room dropped into silence.
The stranger made the mistake of reaching for the weapon that was protruding from the front of his pants.
Before the guy could even close his hand around the thing, Diesel had his Glock out.
Not only him, but the rest of the room as well.
Over twenty weapons of various shapes and sizes were pulled at the same time; the clicks as they were simultaneously locked and loaded echoed loudly in the room.
The leader froze, blinking down at all the different barrels, and lowered his hand slowly away from his weapon.
“I didn’t come for any trouble,” the leader said.
Diesel spit on the sawdust floor and leveled his Glock at the stranger’s forehead.
“Hey now. I said I don’t want no trouble.”
“See now, I think you’re lying,” Diesel growled. “I think you came in here to fuck with us.”
“No I didn’t. We just want the kid. If you know Clay, you’ll hand the kid over.”
“I don’t care to know Auto or Clay. They’re both fucking cowards. Trust me, they don’t want a piece of this, and neither do you.” Diesel curled his lip and took a step forward until the weapon remained only a few feet away from being pressed to the stranger’s forehead.
“Triton is with Clay and Auto.” The guy didn’t look too sure as he said it.
“Not anymore. He’s with me now.” The words fell so smoothly off his tongue that even he started to believe it. “You tell Auto his ass is mine. You tell Clay if he has a beef with walking away, he knows where to find me.”
“If you like breathing, you’ll hand him over,” the leader snapped.
Memphis stepped forward, the badge pinned to his shirt glinting in the bar’s light. “Why don’t you two finger that weapon and take it out.”
“I ain’t done nothing.” The leader swallowed, staring wide-eyed at the sheriff.
“You’re working for a man who robbed the Fern surplus store. I suspect I’m going to find you on the surveillance film. And if I don’t? At the very least, that makes you an accessory to robbery until I can investigate. I suspect that weapon you’re wearing in plain sight is one you don’t have a permit for here in Oregon,” Memphis said.
“I…” the leader started and then stopped, the words trailing off.
“The man you’re working for is wanted on attempted kidnapping and assault charges of one Triton Scott,” Whip said, aiming his weapon at the leader’s heart from his spot behind the bar. Whip pulled aside his vest so the Marshal’s badge glinted on its chain hanging around his neck.
Diesel turned his gaze with deadly intent back to the fucker in front of him.
“Do sumthin’!” the leader snarled at the men at his back.
The big one next to the leader lifted his hands. “You know? I suddenly don’t want no part in this. You can’t pay me enough. Let’s get riding, boys.” The big man turned away.
“Hey, come back here!” the leader roared.
“Eyes over here,” Diesel snapped.
The leader swung back to face him.
“Your best bet is to tell us where Auto-.”
Gunfire cut off Diesel’s words and screaming came from the back room.
“Cuff him!” Memphis snapped at one of his deputies before racing toward the back.
“Shit!” Zane cursed and sprang toward the back hallway.
With long hair flying, Whip did a running slide over the top of the bar and landed just behind Isaac, who was hot on Zane’s ass.
Diesel ran. Fear for Triton sent him careening around the corner where he found Ted sitting on his ass on the floor holding his shoulder. Miles leaned over him.
“Axel and I shot two of them,” Ted panted. “They ran for the alley.”
Axel was out cold on the floor with Doc Parson bending over him.
The back door to the pool hall stood open wide.
“Motherfucker!” Whip snarled and leaped over Axel’s body and sprinted for the back door.
“He got Triton! He ran that way!” Carla Parson screamed.
Diesel followed his brother and Whip along with Memphis and Isaac out into the rain and took cover behind a green industrial sized trash can near the backdoor.
Two of Auto’s men were lying dead in the alley, but there was no Auto.
A flash of something caught the corner of his eye, and instinct had him ducking. The bullet cleaved into the trashcan with a loud thud.
“Shit!” Whip spat and ducked back against the wall. Memphis hunkered down next to him. Zane and Isaac waited for orders.
Diesel gave them.
“Spread out. Box ‘em in. Isaac, get my rifle,” he growled, tossing Isaac his keys to his SUV.
Whip and Zane headed around the side of the building to flank Auto.
Isaac darted off to his SUV.
Memphis stayed with him, and together, they ran from cover to cover, getting as close as possible.
They rounded the corner and he caught a glimpse of Triton taking a swing at Auto, slowing the man down.
Good boy.
Triton was too slight to stop Auto, but he’d put a lag in the man’s steps. Auto dragged Triton by the collar of his shirt and shot off a round in their direction.
“Give it up, Auto, you’ve got no place to go,” Diesel called out.
Whip and Zane had Auto pinned down. The alley dead ended where the other side was blocked off. There was nowhere for Auto to go.
“Get the fuck away or I’ll kill him! I swear it.” Auto fired off a round in his direction and concrete flew. He ducked back with a grimace and spat.
Isaac sprinted down the alley and handed him his sniper rifle.
“Fuck,” Memphis cursed. “Can’t return fire with Triton out there.”
“Cover me,” Diesel rasped to Zane and Isaac.
Sirens echoed down the street as emergency vehicles approached the front of the pool hall.
Diesel sprinted to the side of the alleyway that was littered with another large green trashcan and a couple of parked cars gathering dust because one had a bad engine and the other had stopped running. Memphis was at his six. He’d have to thank the owner later for leaving the junk cars behind his leather shop.
“What do you need me to do?” Memphis whispered.
“Keep the fire off me. I’ll see if I can get a clean shot. You draw him out if you can.”
Memphis took off running to his left, keeping behind what cover he could find.
Diesel ran bent over to the far side of one junk car. Lying flat on his belly across the hood, he set his scope to his eye. He took a few calming breaths to ease his heart rate.
Whip fired off a shot that hit well over Auto’s head to keep his attention focused on the opposite side of the alley from Diesel.
“Give it up, Auto,” Memphis shouted, also drawing Auto’s fire. A bullet slammed into the metal of the car near the sheriff.
The only thing visible was Auto’s hand holding his weapon.
It was enough.
Diesel had a split second to decide. The scope zoomed in. He released his breath, stopped breathing, and squeezed the trigger.
Auto’s hand flew off along with the weapon.
The thug screamed and stumbled forward away from the protection of the trash can.
Diesel’s next bullet entered his head.
Auto fell forward to the ground, his screams stopped.
The area grew still, the only sound that of the rain trickling from the roof, hitting the car’s hood.
Memphis sprinted forward and kicked the weapon away from the body. He needn’t have bothered. Auto was dead.
Diesel pushed up off the hood of the car and stood. His knee twinged. Damn it. He handed his rifle to Isaac.
“Diesel!” Triton came running toward him.
Diesel opened his arms and he caught the boy close, cupping the back of Triton’s head with a shaking hand. He never fucking shook before, during, or after a shooting.<
br />
The whole world slowed down. Triton’s breath rushed against his neck, his arms filled with the boy’s warm body, so thankfully alive. Diesel couldn’t have pulled away if his life depended on it.
With his face buried in Triton’s bright hair, he drew in a deep breath and smoothed his hands down the boy’s back.
“Thank you.” Triton’s breath swept against his skin. “Thank you for saving me.”
Diesel closed his eyes and brushed his lips against the boy’s soft hair.
Zane, Isaac, and Whip jogged closer.
“You okay, Triton?” Isaac asked.
“Yes, thank you all.” Triton’s voice trembled and he turned in his arms, but didn’t move from his spot tucked against him.
Diesel was glad for it, he wasn’t sure if he could let Triton go just yet.
Doc Parson came out the back door and walked over to join Memphis.
“Axel is on the way to Fern Community with extensive bruising, possible broken ribs. Thankfully, he was wearing a bulletproof vest,” the doc said.
“And Ted?” Diesel rasped, tightening his hold on Triton.
“He’s also on his way to Community. The bullet went clean through.”
Doc crouched over Auto and checked for a pulse. Glancing at his watch, Doc called the time of death.
Diesel turned Triton away from the scene and slowly limped toward his SUV.
Triton was crying. Silently, but still crying, and it hurt his fucking heart. Shit wasn’t over. Not with that bastard Clay still out there, but at least one was down. One to go.
“Diesel, I’m headed to Portland. You need to run by the station and give a statement to my deputy,” Memphis called out.
“I’ll meet him at the station.”
Triton
“So did that Auto guy tell your ex where you are?” Miles whispered, tiptoeing out of his bedroom and closing the door.
They were currently at Ted and Miles’ house, and Ted was sleeping again after saying hello. Thankfully, there was no permanent damage from the bullet wound and Ted was on his way to a full recovery.
Triton followed Miles down the hallway and into the kitchen.
“Yes.” He sank down into a chair, watching while Miles made hot cocoa. “Auto told Clay about me being here the day I arrived.”
Molly came trotting into the kitchen along with Miles and Ted’s six-month old beagle, Hank. The little puppy was all ears, and Triton thought he was the most adorable thing next to Molly.
Diesel had gone back to his place along with Zane and Isaac. The plan was for Zane and Isaac to stay at Diesel’s house so it looked occupied. Diesel told him it was better for Clay to think they were still at his house.
In reality, they were house hopping around. Triton had been settled into Miles and Ted’s spare room a week ago. He hated it. Oh, not the room, house, or men, but he hated being away from home.
And that was the root of his anxiety—Diesel’s house felt like home. A place where he could relax and feel safe, and he didn’t feel safe being away from it right now. Nor when Diesel was gone. He peeked out the kitchen curtain at the empty driveway.
“He’ll be back soon.” Miles smiled.
Triton felt his cheeks heat. “I know. I just miss being at home. I mean, at his house.”
“You can call it home, I won’t tell.”
Triton shared a smile with Miles. Too bad Fraser wasn’t there to meet Miles, he had a feeling the pair would have hit it off.
“How’s your wrist feeling?”
“It feels so much better.” He flexed his wrist and smiled.
Diesel had driven him into town yesterday to have the cast removed.
“Keep doing your ball squeezing exercises.”
Triton stifled a giggle.
“Bah, you know what I mean,” Miles laughed.
“I sure do.” He sighed. The only problem was he hadn’t been doing the ball squeezing. At least, not on the balls he wanted.
“Troublemaker,” Diesel said with a chuckle from the doorway.
“Diesel,” he squeaked and leapt from his chair, heading toward the soldier. Diesel smiled, making his pulse spike and his breath catch in his throat. He stood there looking at Diesel with a stupid smile on his face.
“You like my brand of trouble?” Triton gave the soldier a cheeky grin.
“I do.”
Diesel closed those massive arms around him and pulled him close, and Triton couldn’t stop the shudder of warm excitement that swept through him.
“It’s time to move. I don’t want you in one place for long. You and I are heading to Zane’s place for a week.” Diesel’s lips touched the top of his head.
It took a few minutes to pack and he met Diesel by the back door.
“Thank you,” Triton said to Miles and gave him a tight hug.
“You’re welcome here anytime.” Miles squeezed him back.
“You should come, bring Ted to Zane’s place,” Diesel told Miles.
“That sounds lovely. When he wakes up, I’ll talk to him about it,” Miles promised, holding Hank from following. The puppy set up a howling. Miles picked up the little guy and cuddled him before waving.
Triton waved back. Molly happily jumped into the back of the SUV, then Triton closed the door and climbed in the front passenger side.
“Zane won’t mind us staying at his place?”
“Nope, he’s got the setup.”
“What setup?”
“You’ll see.” Diesel winked.
“How’s Axel?”
“He’s doing okay, but Memphis said he makes a lousy patient.”
Triton laughed. “So says the world’s worst patient around.”
Teasing Diesel like this made him feel more alive than he could ever remember and he knew why. He loved him. Even if Diesel didn’t want to hear the words.
Diesel gave him a playful smirk. “Are you complaining?”
“Nope,” Triton replied with a cheeky smile.
Fifteen minutes later, they pulled up to a wrought iron gate and Diesel punched in a few codes in the panel. The gate opened and he drove through and then waited for it to close before driving down the road.
About a quarter of a mile in, the road ended and opened up to display a massive two-story home.
“Oh wow.”
“Told you, but wait until you see the inside.”
“What does Zane do for work?” Could a soldier afford this lifestyle? The grounds stretched wide with green lawn trimmed with every color flower imaginable. Triton wondered who took care of the place while Zane was deployed.
“Both of us inherited money from our grandfather. Zane spent his half on this, and I spent some of mine on my house and invested the rest in stock.”
“You’ll be set for life?”
“Yes.”
Diesel took his hand and luggage before guiding him up the front steps.
Molly bounded ahead of them.
The front entryway spilled open into a wide room with marble flooring. The dog’s nails clicked on the floor as she went exploring.
A massive kitchen sat off to one side and a large living room on the other.
The length of the house in the back was completely glass windows.
He moved toward the view. Below, tall pine trees surrounded the back of the house, enclosing a large garden and walling off the house from any outside viewing. The pathway was cobblestone through the grounds. Spring was displayed in every color imaginable in flower beds that lined the walkway. In the middle of it all stood a bubbling fountain.
“Oh wow.” He stared open-mouthed down at the backyard until Diesel drew him away. “Who takes care of the place?”
“Zane hires a local couple who come and keep the place clean and tend the grounds.”
“It’s like a mansion.”
“Come on,” Diesel said with a smile. “I’ll show you where the stairs are to access the garden below if you want to take a walk later.”
“I’d love that.”<
br />
Diesel dropped both of their bags near the end of the hallway.
“You’ll have your own bathroom,” Diesel said, opening the door to a large guest room. Disappointment swept over him at the separate rooms, but he smiled because this was better than the alternative of not being near Diesel at all.
“I’ll be taking Zane’s room since the bed is bigger.” Diesel smirked.
Triton smiled.
“Come on, I want to show you the best part.” He curled his hand in Diesel’s large palm. His pulse hummed when those large fingers tightened against his. Walking through a set of double doors off the living room, they headed down a wide set of stairs. Reaching the ground level, the whole room opened up.
In the middle of the room, with steam rising from the surface, sat a massive swimming pool with a Jacuzzi at one end. Along one wall looked to be a bar with liquor bottles lining glass shelves behind it. To the right of the bar, a door to a smaller room displayed a tidily made bed and a restroom.
“I’m in love.” He crouched and dipped his fingers in the warm water.
Here, just like the upstairs, the whole back of the house was glass. The garden was on full display at ground level with glass doors for accessing the cobblestone pathway.
“Come on, I want to show you where the firewood is. I want to make a fire tonight,” Diesel said.
Bundled up against the coolness, they followed Molly as she bounded down the wet path.
Reaching the woodshed, Diesel unlatched the door.
“Zane doesn’t keep it locked, but we do need to latch it so no wild animals get inside.”
“Okay.” Triton stepped inside.
“You load me up.”
Triton smiled and filled Diesel’s arms with several pieces of wood.
“I saw your wood pile on the side of your house beneath an awning. Does that keep it dry enough in the rain?” he asked, following Diesel back to the house and inside.
“It’s dry enough. The fire will dry it out enough to burn.” Diesel dumped the wood in the holder next to the brick fireplace and stacked a few pieces on the grate. After the wood was ready, Diesel stood instead of lighting it.
“Want to take a swim or eat before I light this?”
“I don’t have a suit.”
“You can go in your briefs.” Diesel smiled.
Pictures of Diesel’s massive body laid bare wearing only his boxers flashed through his mind and he bit his lip.
Bringing It Home (Code Of Honor Book 3) Page 16