A dark, hulking figure came out of the store across the street. Suddenly, he jerked away from the window and slammed his back against the wall. Pain shot up his spine, and he winced and cried out.
Auto had come out of the small store with a cell phone to his ear and hadn’t seen him from across the street. The guy was bold to be out in the open with the cops looking for him.
“What’s the matter?” Sissy asked.
“I thought I saw someone. I’m going back again.”
Sissy buzzed the door open, and Triton hurried through the door and toward the back.
Diesel was coming toward him. “What’s going on?’
“I saw Auto.” He couldn’t stop shaking. At least he managed not to cry.
Diesel drew him close. “Did he see you?”
“I don’t know! I don’t think so.”
Diesel pulled out his phone and called Memphis. All Triton could do was shake. Shit. He needed to grow a backbone and get the hell out of here.
“Calm down, take a deep breath.”
He glanced up, he must have zoned out, because Diesel was in his face and they were sitting in two chairs that lined the hallway.
“Breathe,” Diesel said again, and Triton found himself matching his breathing to Diesel’s own.
“Here,” Sissy said, coming down the hallway. She handed over a dark blue beanie.
Triton sat still while Diesel carefully pulled it down over his head and tucked his bright hair beneath it.
“We parked in back, so we’ll be going out that way.”
Diesel linked his fingers with those of Triton’s good hand, and they left by way of the back door. When they got into Diesel’s vehicle, he buckled his seatbelt.
“Keep your head down.”
Triton ducked down as far as he could, and Diesel drove out of the one-way entrance at the back of the doctor’s office building. When they reached the street, he couldn’t help but glance up at the small store.
No sign of Auto, but two patrol cars were out front.
“I said to keep your head down.”
He ducked down again.
“Okay, you can sit up,” Diesel told him once they were off of the main road.
“You’re sure you weren’t seen?”
Had Auto seen him? He bit at the inside of his cheek.
“I’m pretty sure.”
“Think back, Triton. Did he look at you? Was his expression surprised?”
“No. None of that. He didn’t see me,” he said with relief. “I don’t know why I thought he did.”
“He’s traumatized you. Your mind is freaking you out.”
“Yeah.”
Diesel took a long time to get home even though the soldier’s road was not far from town.
“So, tell me about Clay and Auto’s business.”
“Clay was a bounty hunter. I think he lost his license, but he still works under the table for some crooked guy in town. Auto helps Clay out sometimes.” He told Diesel what he’d been trained to say.
Diesel pulled into his garage and shut the door.
Turning in the seat, he stared at him so long, Triton started to fidget.
“Is that everything, boy?”
“I can’t tell you the rest.”
“Why?”
“I’m scared.”
“They won’t get you. I will protect you.”
He’d reached a cornerstone, he either trusted Diesel or he didn’t. He took a deep breath.
“They threatened to hurt Bull and Jim if I left and went back to the ranch.”
“What else?”
Triton stared into Diesel’s eyes and took another big breath.
“Clay and Auto deal heroin for Sticks, a local drug runner. I see them bring the stash to the apartment. They forced me to carry drugs to my work for the owner. Th-th-th-that’s what they don’t want me to tell anyone.”
Diesel’s expression remained unreadable, a muscle ticked in the man’s jaw.
“How much stash?”
“A lot.”
Diesel
The evening continued with its endless rain showers, and Diesel baked a small chicken with fixings in the oven. Triton told him the food smelled delicious. The boy set the table with dishes and Diesel piled their plates high with food. He kept the conversation light to alleviate any stress from Triton.
After clearing the table and loading the dishwasher, they ended up in the living room.
The boy lay on his stomach on his couch, knees bent, feet waving in the air, nose buried in his cell phone, and Diesel had a hard time keeping his eyes from roaming over Triton’s bubble butt.
He hated to interrupt the peace, but he needed to ask Triton something extremely personal. The question was going to freak Triton out, but Diesel needed it answered.
“Triton?”
“Hmm?” Eyes swept up from the phone in his hand.
“Were you raped?”
“What?” Confusion and then fear swam into those baby blues. “No!”
“Are you lying to me?” Diesel frowned.
Triton lifted his chin.
“No. I’m not. They made me do things, but they never raped me, I promise.”
“Clay and his brother?”
“Yeah, but Clay never knew about Auto. Auto was blackmailing me for him to keep quiet.” Triton told him the details of the blackmail, causing Diesel to see red. If Auto wasn’t already a dead man walking, he would be now.
“Auto forcing you like that is rape in my book, Triton. Anything like that against your will constitutes a sexual assault.”
The boy’s throat moved with a hard swallow.
“So, next question, why would Auto follow you here?”
“Clay probably ordered him. It’s because of what I know. What I told you about Sticks.”
The young man rubbed at his cast and shivered.
“I thought I got away, but then I thought that Auto had followed me on the train. But I couldn’t be sure it was him. I swear! I would have never led them here.” Tears stood in the boy’s eyes.
“I believe you. Calm down.”
Triton took several deep breaths.
“So, Auto wants to do what? Take you back to Clay?”
Triton nodded and pressed his fingers to his mouth. “I left Clay, but he doesn’t like to be told no.”
Diesel studied Triton for a long moment, everything the boy had told him running through his mind.
“Okay, here.” He handed Triton the remote. “Pick something on television, I need to make a phone call.
He called Maddox the moment he reached his study.
“Are you sitting down?”
“Why?”
“Triton’s been here with me for the past week.”
“In Oregon?” Maddox sounded confused.
“Yeah.”
“And you’re just telling me now?”
“In my defense, you were on a mission.”
There was a long moment of silence.
“Triton told Bull he was at the dorms,” Maddox finally said.
“He lied. He’s here.”
“What’s going on?”
“He went back to Clay after I left.” The guilt weighed on him.
“Son of a bitch.”
“Yeah, they did a number on him.”