Chapter 20
Rico
Sooo…I might have chickened out my last couple of shifts and kept my new ring in my locker, like I do Jesse’s bead bracelet. That’s a practical thing, though. It would easily snap if I tried wearing it during training or out in the field.
The ring is not going to snap.
My protective instincts got the better of me and the urge to hide Jesse away all to myself for a little longer won over.
But after seeing him perform at Trixie’s Tavern last night, how can I possibly keep this a secret any longer?
He was so unabashedly fierce and happy and just…
alive. I’m so glad I surprised him, because the look on his face is going to stay with me forever.
It didn’t matter that it was a little stage somewhere in suburban SoCal.
I watched Jesse shining like a fucking star.
I still want to protect him. But it’s obvious he’s not so fragile that I can’t come clean about him to my work family.
Especially seeing as Angelica Carson hasn’t made an appearance yet.
If I can tell them the news naturally, hopefully it’ll seem more convincing if she ambushes them to ask about the legitimacy of mine and Jesse’s relationship.
It takes less than three seconds for all hell to break loose once I walk into the changing room.
“Lieutenant!” Sawyer shrieks. I’ve opened my locker and, yes, my left hand is resting on the edge of it. He comes dashing over so fast he almost trips over Lili’s duffle bag on the floor. “What. Is. THAT?”
I chuckle and shake my head as he points accusingly at my finger. “It’s called a ring, Nelson.”
He arches an eyebrow at me. “Why’s it on the one reserved for people who get married?”
A wave of nerves crash over me, making me feel nauseous. Nothing that a strong cup of coffee won’t fix, though, so I barely hesitate. “Because I got married.”
“I’m sorry, but WHAT the FUCK?” Lili demands, scrambling to join Sawyer before grabbing my hand and yanking it a couple of inches in front of her eyes. “That’s a fucking wedding ring! Lieutenant, I repeat, what the actual fuck? You said your roommate was just that?”
“The roommate that agreed to adopt Klaus with you?” Beast asks, eyebrows raised. “What did I miss?” His dog Rocky runs back and forth between us both, seemingly picking up on the group’s agitated state.
“A lot, apparently.” Anton shakes his head and opens out his palms to me. “Congratulations, I guess?”
I grin and slip my hand from Lili’s surprisingly strong grip, closing my locker. “I’ll tell you all about it over breakfast. Come on.”
My heart is pounding as I head into the kitchen, leaving my team to hurriedly join me.
“Did you know about this?” Sawyer demands to our paramedics who are already at the dining table going over some paperwork.
Del raises his eyebrows at me and everyone else trailing behind. “Know what?”
Lili jabs her finger at me. “This mother fucker apparently got married and didn’t tell anyone!”
“What?” Teddy yelps, his head popping up from where he was seemingly looking for something in the refrigerator. “Rico? Married?”
Sawyer grabs my left wrist and holds it up for them all to see my ring. “He tried to sneak this by us just now.”
“I wasn’t trying to sneak anything,” I say, slightly wearily. “I just wasn’t trying to make a big deal out of it. So…that’s gone well.”
There’s a blur as Yara streaks across the room and throws her arms around my waist with a squeal. “I’m so happy for you, Lieutenant! Can you tell us all about him? Why didn’t you let us know? Ohh, is it like Romeo and Juliet and your parents don’t approve so you had to elope?”
I sigh but I’m still smiling. “Coffee,” I remind them. “Then interrogation. I’ll tell you the whole story.”
“But it is the adorable, ridiculously good-looking guy that came and picked you up the other week, right?” Lili demands. “Because I think I’m going to be mad if it’s not.”
I roll my eyes and jab at the coffeemaker, grateful the third watch changed the filter before they left. “It’s Jesse, yes,” I confirm, feeling my heart skip a beat in my chest.
“Who’s Jesse?” Sawyer asks.
Anton taps his arm with the back of his hand. “You know? His best buddy’s younger brother who needed some help.”
“Wait,” Teddy says, looking around the group before raising his eyebrows at me. “The famous one who got into trouble and went to rehab?”
“It’s funny you should mention that,” I mutter, shaking my head. “I’m serious. Caffeine first, then I’ll spill my guts. And Foster, are those pancakes burning?”
“Oh, shit,” he squeaks, spinning back around to tend to the stove.
“You heard the man,” Captain Valentine’s low voice rumbles.
“Let’s get something in our bellies before those tones go off.
” Julian must have come down from his office.
I swear he doesn’t even go home some days.
But I’m grateful he’s here when he squeezes my shoulder and gives me a warm smile.
“So the secret’s not so secret anymore, hmm? ”
“Hold up,” Beast says, looking at us with a slightly hurt expression. “You knew, Cap?”
Valentine scoffs. “Who do you think signed off on all the paperwork? And someone had to be a witness.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t invite us to your wedding,” Sawyer says, sinking into a chair, staring into the middle distance and looking heartbroken.
“Ahh, guys,” I say, addressing them all. Now I’ve had a couple of sips of coffee, I’ve got some energy back to deal with this properly. “It wasn’t like that, I promise. It’s complicated. But I would have had you all there if I could.”
“It’s okay, Lieutenant,” Yara says cheerily, but I can’t help but notice that her eyes are wet as she rather aggressively beats some eggs. “I’m sure you had a good reason.”
“Did you get him pregnant?” Lili says with a smirk and a devilish flick of her brows.
I roll my eyes, but Anton looks thoughtful. “You know, if he’s trans, he could actually be pregnant.” He throws a questioning face my way.
“Nobody’s pregnant, calm down,” I say with a huff.
Coffee can only go so far, apparently. But the smell of bacon is placating me a bit.
Rocky, too, apparently. When I sit down at the table, he comes and puts his head in my lap, wagging his long tail as he looks up at me with his big brown eyes.
I stroke his back, steeling myself. I need to just spit it out and hope they don’t poke too much into the timeline of my little white lie.
“The decision was kind of rushed. So here’s the Cliffs Notes version. Yes, Jesse’s the younger brother of my best bud from school. We were dating on the down low for a while, but the situation was kind of delicate.”
Sawyer smirks. “Because you were scared big bro was gonna kick your ass if he found out.”
“Something like that,” I mutter. “Look, I know I talked about it before, but the other reason we kept it quiet is because Jesse is an addict. He was in a bad place, but I knew if we got married, my insurance could go a long way to getting him the help he needed. So that’s what we did.”
Lili’s jaw drops as she reaches over and slaps me on the shoulder. “You committed tax fraud?” she asks in a scandalized whisper.
“Nobody committed any fraud,” Valentine says firmly, and Lili has the good grace to shrink back slightly.
“Of course not,” she says, clearing her throat. “Don’t know why I said that. What a crazy idea.”
I sigh and twist my ring with my right fingers. “Well, the timing is kind of suspicious. That’s why the insurance company are now sniffing around.”
The mood in the room shifts immediately. “Oh, shit,” Teddy utters.
“I was joking,” Lili says guiltily, but I shake my head.
“I know, don’t worry.”
Sawyer frowns and cracks his knuckles. “Penny pinching bastards.”
“Are you okay?” Del asks me. “Do you need a lawyer? You know Colt would represent you pro-bono.”
I wave him off. “Thanks, man, but I don’t think we’re there yet. If the situation gets more serious, though, you guys will be my first call.”
There’s a brief pause as the group settles at the table and Teddy and Yara place various bowls of breakfast foods down. Gene comes ambling in from the direction of the bunks with a newspaper tucked under his arm. “What I miss? I could here the squawking through several different brick walls.”
“Rico got married in secret!” Yara cries excitedly. “He was just explaining why he didn’t tell us.”
“Yeah, I’m still not really sure why you had to lie?” Lili says, eyebrow arched accusingly. “Did you think we’d be dicks about it?”
Several of my colleagues suddenly look hurt, and now I’m the one feeling like a dick. “Um, no,” I tell them unconvincingly. So I sigh and shrug my shoulders, toying with my fork. “I really am sorry, guys. Jesse’s had a rough time of it the past few years. I was just trying to protect him.”
“And now?” Anton asks, ever the sensible one.
I can’t help the smile that tugs at the corner of my mouth or the warmth that feels like it’s overflowing from my heart.
Apparently, it’s impressive that I kept this a secret for this long, because it seems like my poker face isn’t worth shit.
“Holy fuck!” Beast yells, pointing at me and clutching his chest. “Did you guys see that? The lieutenant is so in love, oh my god!”
“Oh, I saw it, all right,” Lili says, her smile positively predatory. “You’re smitten, Lieutenant. Is that why you cracked out the ring now?”
“When did you get married, anyway?” Teddy asks, looking like he’s doing math in his head.
Gene shakes his head and tips all of the vegan kosher bacon onto his plate. “I have no idea what’s going on,” he grumbles down to Rocky.
“We got married back in November,” I inform them, holding up my hand so they don’t interrupt.
“Then Jesse went almost straight away to a rehab center near here. He came home a few weeks ago and is doing well. Really well.” I grin and try not to let my emotions get the better of me.
“I’m really proud of him. So, yeah. I felt it was finally time to fess up. ”
“Oh,” Yara says softly, hands clasped by her chest. “That’s so romantic. You got married to save him.” Several of the guys ooh and ahh sincerely at that, and my throat gets a little tighter. I nod rather than try and speak.
Okay, so the falling head over heals part technically came after the wedding and stay at the treatment center, for me at least. But Jesse had feelings years before, so I don’t feel too bad bending the truth right now.
I absolutely pulled this stunt to save him, though. And I’d do it again.
“But the insurance company doesn’t see it like that?” Del asks with a frown.
I shrug and poke at one of the pancakes on my plate, now soggy with maple syrup.
“Technically, we did get married in order to be able to afford his recovery program. So I don’t blame them for wanting to take a closer look at our situation.
And I’ve already told them everything I’ve told you.
But they want to see for themselves if it’s real or if we’re faking it.
So don’t be surprised if someone comes snooping around here some time over the next couple of weeks. ”
“That sucks,” Teddy says, but Lili shakes her head and beams at me.
“Naw, dude. It’s obvious the lieutenant’s got it bad.” She waggles her eyebrows my way. “So, when does everyone else get to meet him? Because I already have, you know?” She gives the rest of table a smug look, but Valentine points his knife at her.
“If anyone has bragging rights, it’s me. I was at the wedding.”
“I can’t believe you only invited Cap,” Sawyer says with a scowl, folding his arms and pouting into his eggs.
Valentine shrugs mischievously. “Syliva Bloom was there, too.”
Several jaws drop. “Mrs. Bloom knew this whole time?” Beast demands.
“That traitorous snake,” Lili hisses.
But Yara waves off their indignation. “Never mind about all that now. If it’s not a secret anymore, then we all want to meet him. Okay, Rico? And soon.”
“Yeah, we’re not that scary,” Sawyer says.
“We’ll behave,” Lili agrees, looking like the embodiment of trouble.
Del reaches out and squeezes my hand. “He’s part of the family now,” he says sincerely, his eyes dancing with all the emotion you’d expect from an artistic soul. “We’ll look forward to welcoming him into the One-Thirteen.”
“Maybe we could have a party,” Yara suggests excitedly. “You know, like a wedding reception.”
Sawyer snaps his fingers at her as his eyes light up. “Or a bachelor party!” I groan, but before I can dissuade them from any shenanigans, the alarm sounds. “To be continued,” Sawyer informs me confidently.
“Or not,” I mutter, making the captain laugh.
I still don’t want to overwhelm Jesse with the One-Thirteen’s slightly out of control enthusiasm. But I can’t deny as we jump into our turnouts and hop into the rigs that my heart isn’t full.
This might be scary. However, I want Jesse to be a part of my life, and that means all of it.
Seeing him shine at his new job last night helped show me that our lives can overlap.
His colleagues were all excited to say hello to me before we left, and I have no doubt that my friends will act the same way.
They love me, and because Jesse is important to me, that makes him important to them.
I just hope that when the time comes, our teeny, tiny federal crime won’t fuck everything up that we’re so carefully building now. But with my found family by my side, I’m just that bit more confident that we can still pull this off.
Maybe.