“Call Whip. He’ll help with that.”
“Those two are like oil and water.”
“I imagine that Whip doesn’t take shit from Axel.”
“Whip can be an asshole. Axel doesn’t need that -.”
“Kidding, dude,” Diesel cut in. “You need to relax.”
Ted grinned at him, and Diesel winked. He loved getting Memphis riled up.
“You relax,” Memphis snorted.
“Night, Memphis,” he drawled.
“Night. Talk to you later, Ted.”
“See ya, Memphis.”
He hung up, poured him and Ted both a glass of scotch, and resettled on the couch.
“Hell of a thing,” he said, relieved.
“But fucking great.”
Diesel nodded and swirled his drink.
“Miles in with Triton?” Ted murmured.
“Yup,” Diesel drawled.
“Triton let you in the door?”
“Nope.”
Ted smirked and gazed into the fire.
“I know. I fucked up.” Diesel took a swallow, enjoying the burn.
“You said he was worth it. Don’t give up.”
He’d been holding Shawn’s actions as an example of someone his age instead of the character of the man. When it came right down to it, age really had nothing to do with the honor and integrity of a man.
“I’m not giving up.” He sipped at his drink.
He could admit that Shawn had done a number on him, but he’d done one on himself by refusing to admit that it wasn’t his fault. Shawn leaving wasn’t his fault. They hadn’t been compatible.
Triton had called him on his shit. “Maybe you need to grow up,” the boy had said. The words rang in his ears.
His smile grew.
“What’s so funny?”
“I fucked up,” he repeated.
Ted chuckled and lifted his glass in a silent toast. “We all do when it comes to matters of the heart. You should have seen how I chased Miles. People like to think that he chased me, but it was the other way around.”
He smirked at his friend and took another swallow from his glass.
Triton was turning into a firecracker. And Diesel liked it a hell of a lot.
What he didn’t like was his own actions. What the fuck was he doing? The longer Triton stayed mad at him, the bigger the chasm between them grew.
Ted was quiet and when Diesel glanced over, his friend was dozing.
He took another swallow of his drink and closed his own eyes. Visions of him and Triton together flashed behind his closed lids and he blinked them open against the sudden burn.
He knew in his heart that he and Triton were made for each other. And giving Triton time away wasn’t going to change that. Forcing Triton to reexamine their relationship wasn’t right. Just as him forcing his own baggage on Triton wasn’t right. He groaned softly beneath his breath.
He should have taken Triton at his word. He should have trusted that his boy knew his own mind enough to know that he loved him.
Even if he and Triton didn’t have forever, any time was damned sure better than no time at all.
Triton
“Oh, honey, come on.”
Numbly, he looked at Miles.
Triton turned and flung himself back against the pillows, struggling with his tears. Miles had stayed with him last night, and they’d curled up in his bed and slept after he was done pouring out his sorrow.
He’d cried for lost hopes and dreams and the life he’d wanted with Diesel. One thing was for certain. He would never love again.
This morning, he was still crying.
“Triton, it’s okay sweetie.”
“I should have known.” He dashed at his eyes.
“Known what?”
“That he doesn’t love me.”
“Oh, that man loves you,” Miles hissed fiercely. “He just needs a frying pan to the side of his head.”
He laughed through his tears even though he was dying inside. “He doesn’t. Trust me.”
“You’re blind and he’s…well, he’s stupid.”
Miles hugged him and where last night he couldn’t talk, this morning, Triton found himself talking.
He told Miles about everything, and when he was done, he was exhausted but felt much lighter.
“So, there you have it.” He rolled his shoulders and glanced over at Miles, who was sitting cross legged beside him.
“Oh my god, Triton.” Miles leaned over and gave him a hug.
Sharing his life with Miles had been a relief. “I feel stronger now. Being around Diesel has made me see things differently.”
Mile retuned his smile. “I feel the same way about Ted.”
“See? That’s how it’s supposed to be.” He sighed and plucked at the comforter. “Diesel makes me want to be a better person. He guides me, and then I know what to do. I never had that before. A Dom. Diesel gets me. That’s why I got so mad at him. He understands what I need just like I understand his needs.”
“He’ll come around. I think he’s sorry already.” Miles nodded to their empty dinner plates. “You saw his face when he delivered those.”
“Yeah.” He sighed. “The last thing I want is to make him feel bad, but he needs to understand that I’m not going anywhere. I don’t want anyone else.”
“Maybe he needs you to make a stand,” Miles said.
“Yeah?” He sounded hopeful.
“Yeah. So, are you ready to go brave the front room?” Miles slid from the bed.
“Yes, I think I am. I need to get some more wood first to build up the fire, and then Diesel and I are going to have a talk.”
“Come on, I’ll help you.”
He shoved on a sweater and darted out of his room on the heels of Miles only to be trapped in the hallway by Diesel’s big body.
“What?” He poked out his lip. “We’re going to go get wood for the fire.”
“Baby.”
His heart melted, but he stayed strong. “What?” He crossed his arms, chin tilted up.
“Talk to me, please.”
He wavered. Because really, who was he fooling? He wanted to talk to Diesel and work it out. This was the longest he’d ever stayed angry with someone and he knew it was because he’d invested everything into Diesel.
Miles smiled. “I’ll wait for you. You stay here and talk.”
Miles pushed him toward Diesel and darted down the hallway to the front room.
Triton sighed. “Okay,” he said, and he waited on Diesel. While he wanted to work it out, something inside stayed hurt and angry.
“In here.” Diesel guided him into Zane’s study.
“Where’s Ted?”
“He’s dozing on the couch. Still recovering.”
He nodded and wandered to the window to look out at the side of the house and the hillside.
“I’m sorry.”
He turned and stared at Diesel. “I want to be in your life, but only if you want me there.” The words felt strong, they felt right.
“I do. It still bothers me being older than you.” Diesel held up a hand, cutting off his argument. “But that’s because it’s my age that bothers me more than yours, boy.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s not that you’re too young like I said. It’s because I feel like I’m too old. You’re just starting your life, and I’m looking at retiring, baby.”
Triton could see the worry and fear in Diesel’s eyes, and it tugged at his heart.
“Oh, Diesel, it doesn’t matter. Not really. We may not have as many years together as other couples do, or we may have more. But if we keep putting this off waiting for me to grow older, we are just wasting time. I wanted you yesterday, I want you now, and even when I’m older, I’ll still want you.”
“Come here, baby.” Diesel held out his arms.
Triton flew into them and wrapped his arms tightly around Diesel’s neck. His eyes stung, but they were from happy tears.
�
�I love you.”
“I love you too, Diesel, so darned much.”
Triton pressed his lips to Diesel’s, and they kissed with such tenderness that his heart lurched.
A soft rap sounded on the partially open door.
Triton gasped and yanked his mouth from Diesel’s. Diesel smirked and Triton giggled.
“Hey, Triton? I started the casserole in the fridge. I’m going out for more wood.” Miles laughed.
A moment later, the back door closed and Triton smiled up at Diesel.
Diesel set him on his feet.
“I better go help.”
Diesel kissed him one more time and released him.
Triton slid on his boots and pulled on his jacket. “No, Molly, you already went out. Your feet are still wet,” he told the dog when she whined.
He was so damned happy, he barely felt the cold as he followed Miles’ footsteps down the path toward the woodshed.
Diesel
Instead of the front room, he flipped around and headed back to the office and dialed a number he’d been wanting to call.
“Hey, Diesel, how have you been?” Colonel Liam Cobalt answered his personal cell on the first ring.
“Been good.”
The silence went on a little too long.
‘You’re not coming back, are you?”
His smile grew along with his plans of a life with Triton. Triton was what he wanted. He didn’t want to return to war, he wanted to make a life here with his boy.
“I can’t come back. I’m officially pulling out.”
“Congratulations,” Liam said. “You’ll be missed, but I’m sure we will all make time to come and visit.”
“Thank you, sir.”
He made his way back into his room and pulled open the bedside table drawer. While Triton had been safely tucked away at Miles and Ted’s house last week, Diesel had made a trip to town for supplies. He’d stopped at the jewelry store to purchase a silver collar. It wasn’t a traditional one, more of a chain, but he had thought of giving it to Triton.
He bought it before he had gotten all mixed up and decided like a lunatic that Triton would be better off without him. If Triton didn’t like the collar, they could pick out something together.
He headed back to the living room where Molly was whining.
“Quiet,” he gently shushed her.
Coming into the front room, he crouched near the fire and added a piece of wood to the low flame.
“What’s that?” Ted nodded to the velvet box.
“A collar I bought for Triton.” He eased the velvet box open and handed it to Ted. His phone buzzed.
“I’m glad.” Ted smiled and handed him back the box. “Something smells really good.”
“It’s the casserole.” He tucked the box into his pocket and hurried into the kitchen to check on the casserole. It was bubbling, but still not brown on the top. He turned and almost tripped over Molly.
“Molly, go lay down.” She stood looking at him and whining.
His phone buzzed. He tugged it out and saw he’d missed three calls from Memphis.
“What’s going on?” He frowned answering the phone.
“Clay Martin escaped!” He heard Memphis running. “He got away at the hospital, and his lieutenants killed two of my deputies.”
“Fuck.” He hung up and ran.
Down the hall, he tossed open Triton’s bedroom door, empty.
That’s right, he was going for wood.
Molly was on his heels.
Shit!
He checked the clip in his Glock. Two strides took him to the backdoor. He yanked it open and Molly flew out, running down the steps.
Across the distance, Triton was running toward him.
Diesel froze in surprise.
“They’ve taken Miles,” Triton sobbed. “And they have Fraser too!”
“I got you, come here.” Diesel grabbed Triton and clutched him close. Shit. They had Triton’s friend from Texas?
“Miles. Fraser,” the boy sobbed, throwing his arms around his neck and holding him tight. “He’s going to kill them.”
Diesel pulled Triton into the house and sat him at the table.
“Talk to me.”
Through a mess of stumbling words, he learned that Clay’s thugs had kidnapped Miles from the woodshed. They had also brought Fraser from Texas.
Triton saw them pull him through the woods.
“Did they see you?”
“No. I went after them, but then I thought I better not give them another hostage.” Triton dashed at his eyes.
“Good thinking, boy. They could have really outnumbered you out there.”
“I thought Clay had been arrested!”
“He was. He escaped from the hospital. Killed two deputies.”
“Oh god.”
“How do you know Clay has Fraser?”
“When I was running back here, I got this.” Triton gulped. “It’s Clay texting from Fraser’s phone.”
Meet me at the paved road down from the house or Fraser and your new friend are dead.
Diesel thought fast.
“Text him back. Tell him to meet you a quarter of a mile up on the gravel road. Tell him you have to walk, but you’re almost there.”
Triton sent the text.
All right, but you better hurry the fuck up, came the reply.
Triton ran back down the hallway to his room and returned a moment later.
“Ted.” Diesel turned to find his friend in the doorway.
“I heard.” Ted’s eyes were deadly. An ex-marine, he had the skills to help.
“How’s your shoulder?”
“I’m not staying behind.”
“Fair enough.”
Diesel shot off a text to Zane and Isaac, and then called Memphis back and put him on speaker.
Explaining the situation, they waited for Memphis to make the call. The sheriff had the manpower.
“Good call having Clay meet on the gravel road, Diesel. We can come up behind him and his gang on that access road.”
The back door slammed open, and Zane and Isaac barreled into the room.
“We came through the back way,” Zane said.
“Memphis, Zane and Isaac are here. What do you need us to do?”
“Come up behind my men at your access road and help them keep the situation contained,” Memphis ordered.
“He could head into town,” Zane pointed out. “It’s Saturday, they have the farmer’s market going on, fruit and vegetable stands.”
“We can barricade him from ever reaching town,” Memphis said.
They synchronized their watches and Diesel ended the call.
“You’re staying here,” he told Triton.
“I’m going,” Triton hissed. “If you leave without me, I’ll walk.”
“Damn it.” He gnashed his teeth.
“I’m coming,” his brave love said.
Diesel drew Triton close. “Let’s go.”
Diesel
They took Zane’s SUV. It was a silent crew. Ted was quiet and pale looking.
Just as they reached the edge of the dirt road, they heard gunfire.
Diesel pulled Triton down in the back seat. “Stay down.”
Zane couldn’t get close because of the patrol cars blocking the dirt road exit. Police cars lined and blocked the road.
“Be careful,” Triton whispered, clutching at him.
Diesel pulled his weapon and leaned down to give Triton a brief smile and then a longer kiss. “I will.”
His phone rang.
“Where are you?” Memphis barked.
“We’re behind the barricade of patrol cars.”
“We’ve got maybe three hostiles pinning us down at this end,” Memphis replied.
“Need us down there?”
“No, help my officers at that end. I can’t spot Clay, but we recovered Miles.”
“Is Miles hurt?” Ted snarled.
“No, Ted, he’s fine.”
“Where’s Fraser?” Triton yelled.
“I don’t know,” Memphis said.
“And Clay?” Diesel snapped.
“Did he take off into the woods?” Zane barked when Memphis didn’t answer.
“No he’s got… Hang on!” Memphis yelled.
The sound of a motorcycle suddenly filled the air.
“Shit!” Memphis shouted over the phone. “Catch him, Diesel, Clay’s coming toward you on a motorcycle!”
“That motorcycle is Clay.” Diesel pointed at the speck in the distance.
The police lined up in front of them and opened fire.
Zane and Isaac both lowered their windows.
Diesel did the same.
With the angle Clay was coming at them, nobody could get a shot off with the officers in the way.
“He’ll slide out in the mud.”
“We can hope.”
“Or a cop will take him out.”
What they weren’t prepared for was Clay coming to a hard stop and spraying mud, water, and gravel at the patrol cars before gunning it into the Oregon trees and underbrush.
The bastard wouldn’t get far if he stayed in the dense and tangled under growth of the Oregon wilds—it was a bitch to get through.
Only Clay didn’t stay in there. The guy cut across a dirt covered bank and came out just behind their SUV and gunned it down the muddy road.
Zane shoved the SUV in reverse, Tires spun on the wet gravel as he made a U-turn, and he floored it after the bike.
Clay disappeared around the bend where Diesel knew the gravel road ended and the paved road began.
“Fuck! He’s heading toward town,” he growled.
Three patrol cars were hot on their ass as they sped after the crotch rocket.
“Call Memphis,” Diesel told Triton. “And make sure he has the street into town blocked off.”
In the distance, three cop cars were coming toward Clay.
Zane slowed, boxing him in, but the fucker tore the cycle down a gully and around the cop cars and sped off, slipping and sliding.
Clay almost laid the bike down, but managed to right it.
Fuck.
Using the ditch, Zane gunned the SUV down and then up the incline to go around the cop cars. Zane skidded on the road before manhandling the vehicle and zooming after Clay.
Triton got on the phone with Memphis and called it in.
Bringing It Home (Code Of Honor Book 3) Page 19