“Hey, David. I got a bit messed up on a mission.”
“I heard! Mike told me. How are you doing?”
“It’s slow. I won’t be home for a few more weeks. Think you can continue taking care of Molly and Cedar?”
“Um, yeah… okay,” David said a bit reluctantly and then launched into a detailed description of the baby and what little Jake was up to at the age of one year old. Something akin to envy curled in his stomach.
“Thanks. I know adding on two weeks will be a month, but I’ll pay you,” he said, cutting into David’s rambling.
“Look, Diesel, I don’t want money. I don’t mind taking care of Molly and Cedar, but with how much you’re away, you really shouldn’t own any pets. It’s not right.”
“Give me that! Boy, you’re itching for a spanking,” Diesel heard Mike snap in the background.
Diesel settled back on the bed with a smirk and waited.
There was a brief struggle and then his cousin came on the phone. “Sorry, Diesel, David has no filter. We’ll be happy to keep Molly for as long as you need. You take care of yourself and get better, I’ll look after everything here.”
“I’m sorry, Diesel!” he heard David shout in the background.
“Okay,” he said to Mike, feeling guilty. “Thanks, I’ll call when I’m on my way home.”
Just before he hung up, he heard Mike say to David, “Are you serious? My cousin fucking fights for our country and you want to take away his fucking dog?”
He hung up before he could hear anymore and tipped his head back against the pillows.
It would take months of recovery before he could go back to active duty. He grimaced and rubbed at his thigh. If he made the cut. And, his reenlistment was coming up. Elijah had called him about his papers. They usually reenlisted around the same time. Elijah had put in for another two years. Diesel wasn’t sure if he had two more years to give.
“I want your decision at least ninety days before you reenlist. Or are you going to age out?” Elijah asked.
“Yeah, I remember.” He ignored the not so gentle reminder that he’d turned thirty-eight this year and would need another waiver signed.
“You do want to come back, don’t you?”
He sighed and tugged the blankets up over his legs.
He hadn’t been able to answer Elijah because he didn’t fucking know if he wanted to reenlist. The Army had been his life for so long, he’d forgotten there was a whole other life waiting for him in the civilian world. With the amount of years he had in the military, he could retire out and nobody would bat an eye.
Only, he wasn’t sure what the hell he wanted to do.
Diesel
His stomach woke him up.
It was late and he was starving. The small sofa was empty, minus Triton. He’d scared the boy away and it would take hours, if not the whole day, to get him to come back around.
He rolled to his side, reaching for his phone to call River. Maddox was on deployment, but Diesel wanted information now. He wanted facts about Triton’s current boyfriend or ex, he still wasn’t clear on that.
“What do you know about Triton’s boyfriend, this Clay Martin guy?” he asked River when he answered the phone.
“Clay Martin, he’s a bounty hunter.”
“Are you fucking kidding me? Do you know how much education and dedication it takes for that?”
“Yes, I do. It’s extensive. Clay’s dad was a bounty hunter who worked out of Austin. When Clay started going down the wrong path, his dad, Sam, a friend of my grandfather’s, put Clay through the bounty hunter school. The guy tested high; he’s smart, but he’s a mean son of a bitch.”
“Ex-military?”
“No, but his older brother, Auto, is. Auto was dishonorably discharged from the Marines.”
“Auto?”
“Yeah. He’s been in and out of prison on drug and assault charges. My guess is since their father passed away, nobody is around to keep them in line. Auto’s been living with Clay for the past few years.”
Triton had been subjected to both those assholes?
“Well, fuck.”
“My guess is that Clay and Auto are trying to pick up some of the action since Damon Sued’s death. Clay and Auto’s uncle is a county sheriff, but he can only do so much. From the people I’ve spoken to, Clay and Auto and the group they hang with are nasty pieces of work. Even the bounty hunters don’t have much to do with Clay anymore. Listen, D, Clay and his brother aren’t to be taken lightly,” River continued.
“I’ll fucking take him lightly,” he snarled.
“I’m serious, Diesel.”
“So am I. I’ll take him down if he lays his hands on Triton. I’ll end him before he can take one more fucking breath.”
“Has Triton admitted to anything?” River sounded worried.
“I see signs of what I think is abuse.”
“Son of a bitch!”
“I haven’t had a chance to ask him, I’m just trying to get a feel for what I’m dealing with.”
He had a pretty good idea, though. Clay was taking advantage of Triton. He knew the type. Natural born bullies with no regard for others. Clay taking advantage of Triton’s natural submissive tendencies and eagerness to please made Diesel see fucking red.
Over the past few days, Triton had been overly nice, overly talkative, and overly eager to please. Overly apologetic, and just about overly everything. It wasn’t right and was a damn sure sign that Triton was dealing with something traumatic, even if he didn’t realize it.
“Tell him he’s supposed to be resting.” Maddox’s voice traveled through the phone.
“You’re supposed to be resting,” River chided him.
“I thought Maddox was deployed.” He frowned.
“He got in last night.”
“Put him on.”
“Hey, Diesel. What’s up?”
“Do you have weapons here?”
“Yeah, I do. Have Bull show you where. Trouble?”
“Not yet, but I’m not taking anything for granted.”
“Good idea.”
“Let me talk to him again!” River called out.
“Tell him I’ll check in later.”
Diesel hung up before answering anymore questions. River wanted to talk about his feelings for Triton. The guy got it all in his head that there was something between him and Triton the day they’d rescued them from the mine.
There wasn’t.
Diesel was just protecting a buddy’s family. That was all he had been doing, nothing to get all excited about. Nothing at fucking all.
A soft rap sounded on his door.
“Come in.”
“Dinner’s ready. You slept the day away.”
Surprise kept him mute for a moment when Triton stood in bare feet, hands tucked into jean pockets, teeth biting at his lips in the doorway.
The boy had come around much sooner than he’d anticipated.
Having slept the day away irritated him, and he was fucking hungry, but he tried not to take it out on Triton.
Triton looked worried and hesitant.
“What’s the matter?”
“I have to leave today.” Triton’s voice was soft, fearful.