Triton clutched his friend and they clung to each other. “It’s okay, Diesel will keep us safe,” Triton whispered, and the words warmed Diesel’s heart. “Come on, you can take a shower at my home,” Triton added, and Diesel smiled. His boy called his place home.
“Come on, you two, let’s go home,” he agreed.
“Yes,” Triton whispered, fiercely clutching Fraser’s hand.
Diesel was glad the bastard was dead, and he was glad it hadn’t been by Triton’s hand.
Killing someone came with a lot of consequences, much more than just the legal ones.
He didn’t want anything standing in his way of a life with Triton by his side.
Triton
He closed the door of Diesel’s house and set the alarm while Diesel carried their luggage into the room at the far back.
Triton helped Fraser get settled into the spare room and then let himself out into the hallway.
Leaning against the door jamb of the master bedroom, he watched Diesel unpack his things and hang them in the closet.
“Plan on me moving in?” His smile was soft.
“Fraser’s in there,” Diesel pointed out, and hung up his pale blue shirt.
“And if he wasn’t?”
“You can keep your clothes in the other room, but your butt will be in my bed.” The man looked smug before tucking his boots into the closet.
“Is that an order, sir?” he teased, a smile stretching his lips as Diesel moved him in.
“Yes.” Diesel lowered to sit on the edge of the bed and held out a hand to him. He closed the bedroom door and moved across the room to take Diesel’s hand without hesitation.
“You know what I love best about you?”
Diesel sucked in a quick breath and his Adam’s apple bobbed when he swallowed hard. Triton had no problem telling Diesel he loved him.
“What’s that, baby?” Diesel drew him closer.
“The way you adult. You’ve taught me so much.” Triton brushed fallen strands of hair back from Diesel’s forehead. “I only hope I can give you back as much as you’ve given me.”
“Oh, baby, you give me everything,” Diesel rumbled, tugging him down and kissing him slowly on the lips. “You keep me feeling young. Younger than I’ve felt in a very long time. Will you be my forever?”
“Oh, hell yes,” he whispered, lowering to the bed beside Diesel.
“I’m so sorry.”
“You already said that.” He smoothed the line between Diesel’s strong brows.
Diesel nodded. “Yes, but I’m sorry I blamed your age on something that had nothing to do with that.”
“Tell me what happened,” he breathed.
Diesel told him about the scene the day he’d caught his stepsister and Shawn in his bed.
“Oh, Diesel, I’m sorry,” Triton murmured.
Diesel gave a half smile. “Don’t be. I blamed his actions on his age instead of the character of the man himself. That’s a mistake I won’t make again.”
Triton smiled, his heart hurting for his big, tough lover.
“There are plenty of men and women who never grow up no matter how old they are.”
Diesel nodded. “Exactly.”
“I’m young,” he agreed, giving an impish grin. “I’ll give you that.”
Diesel chuckled and drew him onto his lap. Triton straddled him with his legs on either side of Diesel’s and draped his arms over the large man’s wide shoulders.
“I may still make mistakes, but trust me enough when I say that you aren’t one of them.”
“I trust you.”
The big man’s words warmed his stomach.
“I’m beginning to know myself better,” he continued. “I may not know everything that I want out of life yet, but I know what I don’t want.”
Diesel quirked an eyebrow. “And what’s that?”
“I don’t want to live without you. I’m in this, Diesel. I’m in this with my whole heart.”
Diesel returned his smile.
“Do you hear me?”
“I hear you, baby boy.”
“Then let’s call Maddox,” he said.
Sliding from Diesel’s lap, he sat cross legged on the bed. Diesel turned sideways and held his gaze as the phone rang.
Maddox answered on the first ring. “We’re almost to the airport, tell me you’re safe.”
“I’m safe and with Diesel. You’re on speaker phone. Clay Martin’s dead.”
“Good,” Triton heard River say in the background.
“When are you coming home, Triton? Do you need us to come get you?” Maddox asked.
“I am home and no, you can come visit, but this is where I belong.” He smiled into Diesel’s face.
“Are you sure?” Maddox asked.
“Yes, and there’s something I need to tell you.”
Maddox listened quietly while he explained about college, his massage therapy license, and his bad decision to go back to Clay.
Diesel held out a hand and he took it, gripping it tight. The man’s look was so loving, it brought a lump to his throat.
“It’s crazy how I thought I didn’t deserve better,” he told his cousin, but kept his eyes glued to Diesel’s warm green gaze.
“And now you believe you do?” Maddox asked.
“Oh, hell yes I do. I’ve gotten a taste of what life could be like with Diesel, and I want that.”
Diesel’s smile was a soft, warm glow.
“Why now?” Maddox pressed.
“I made some really bad decisions thinking I wasn’t worth much.”
“Oh, Triton. I wish you would have come to me.”
“I couldn’t. I needed to do it on my own, Maddox. I needed to make my own mistakes, so I could learn and grow. I’ve done some hard living and growing the past year, and I know what I want now.”
“What’s that?”
“I want a life with Diesel and I plan on making him happier than he’s ever been.”
“I believe you,” Maddox said. “I love you.”
“I love you, Triton,” River called out from the background.
“I love you both.” He talked for a while longer before hanging up and curling back into Diesel’s arms.
“Hang on,” Diesel said and lifted him up a bit to pull out a box from his pocket. “I want to give you this. We can pick out something later that you like.”
He held the box and stared opened mouthed at Diesel.
Diesel smirked. “Open it.”
Tugging the top off, he saw that the most beautiful silver choker chain lay nestled on a bed of blue velvet. “Oh my god, I love it.”
“Here.” Diesel lifted it and attached it around his neck.
Triton fingered the metal and then slipped off Diesel’s lap to run to the mirror to gaze at the collar.
“It’s a collar?”
“If you want it to be.”
“I do!” He raced back to Diesel, but instead of climbing in his lap, he tugged on the big bear’s hand to get him standing, his hands working on the man’s belt buckle.
“I want to wear it naked to bed.”