Chapter Eleven
With Blaze home with German, Diesel was finally free to address the bottomless rage living inside him.
He popped out of his car at nine in the morning, ready for battle.
When Blaze had first mentioned a job in Washington, for whatever reason, he had thought DC.
Surely there was no way Steel had a job opening in Washington the state and didn’t tell him.
Not only was the Washington office run by someone else, but he thought Steel and he had an understanding.
Unfortunately, it hadn’t taken much poking around to find out that, no, apparently, Steel had no plan to honor their deal.
Diesel had spent the entire week working himself into a frothing rage. Now he was here, and he wasn’t calmer.
Diesel tore his way inside the building.
As he headed for Steel’s office, the office manager called out, trying to stop him.
Diesel couldn’t be slowed. He wouldn’t be talked down from this anger.
Diesel was good at his job. In fact, he was Steel Security’s highest-requested guard.
If this was the way Steel intended to repay him, maybe it was time for him to strike out on his own.
He had the connections. If he put his ear to the ground, he didn’t doubt he could get any client he wanted. He didn’t have to stand for this shit.
Diesel threw open Steel’s door. He didn’t see anyone except Steel. His fury had him laser-focused on the man behind the desk. “You gave me your word.”
Steel didn’t look the least bit frazzled.
That took Diesel’s anger to the next level.
“You promised as soon as a job came available in Washington, you’d offer me the position first. You know how hard it is for me to be so far from my mom.
I’m all she has. When I took this job, you really acted like it would be temporary.
You said you had feelers out. But as soon as a position opened, you offered it to German.
That’s…that’s…I don’t even know, but I’m pissed. ”
Steel nodded along as if everyone yelled at him all day. “The position is with Maya Heartland.”
“Oh.” Like that, he deflated. He knew what that meant.
Maya Heartland only lived in Washington three months a year while filming her many roles in various holiday movies.
Once filming wrapped on what would be next year’s movie lineup, she would go home to Georgia, where Diesel had no desire to live.
He was looking for a permanent position near his mom.
Steel studied him, as if ensuring Diesel had calmed before continuing. He motioned toward a man sitting feet from Diesel, whom he hadn’t even noticed in his tantrum.
“This is Krystof Svoboda. He is here requesting security.”
“Oh,” Diesel repeated. He didn’t care if anyone thought he was a mama’s boy. He was. When anyone hated, he told them he was sorry their mama didn’t love them. His did, so whatever.
“He lives in Seattle. I was just telling him about you.”
“Oh.” Diesel sat in the closest chair. Now he felt like an ass. His mom also lived in Seattle.
Krystof eyed him. He was likely a little older than Steel, but just as sturdy. His hair had a bit more gray than brown, but his blue eyes were every bit as light as Steel’s gray eyes. Diesel’s gaze moved between the two and had the oddest thought. They would make a gorgeous couple.
When Krystof spoke, Diesel was taken aback by his heavy accent.
“It’s admirable that you wish to be closer to your family.
I’ll admit I had hoped Steel would honor me by returning to guard my family.
Since he seems to have a genuine excuse for not returning, you’ll do.
I expect you to report to work as soon as you’re able.
You’ll be guarding my son, Kuba. He is twenty and very hard-headed. ”
A muscle jumped in Steel’s jaw, fascinating Diesel. “I was given the impression you needed a guard, not your twenty-year-old son.”
Diesel’s eyes bounced between them. Steel looked furious. Krystof’s eyes danced with good humor. There was more going on, but Diesel had no clue what. He only knew that he felt the need to deescalate the situation.
“I’d be honored to help you. You’d be surprised how well I work with stubborn clients.”
Even though Steel still looked furious, he stayed on topic.
“As I said earlier, Diesel is our most requested guard. I constantly receive calls praising him. He currently works for a high-profile client in the music industry, but he won’t be as needed after the next couple of weeks.
We can easily wind things down with his current client and have Diesel in Seattle by the first of February, if not sooner. ”
His gaze slid Diesel’s way. “I know you’re headed home for the holidays after our company party tonight.
If you have a few extra minutes while you’re back home next week, maybe set up a time to meet Kuba.
” He looked Krystof’s way. “It’s always best to conduct a small interview between guard and client, so they can equally decide if they can work with each other on the common goal of safety. ”
Krystof nodded. His gaze never wavered from Steel. “I imagine they’ll be fine. Kuba is always more manageable when I’m not around.”
Steel’s eyebrows snapped together. “Do you not plan to be around?”
“No. It seems I have business to settle here in L.A.”
Something he couldn’t place clouded the room. Diesel got the feeling this entire meeting had less than nothing to do with him. He stood. “Thank you for your time and the opportunity. I have a lot to do to get ready to leave town.”
Neither man looked his way. Diesel slipped away, confused but elated. He was heading home. As much as he would miss Blaze, Diesel was ready to be back to the familiar. Whatever challenges Kuba presented, Diesel would handle them. He could handle anything.
The way Blaze stepped in when he got home astounded German. Of course, when he thought about it, German didn’t know why he was shocked. He had agreed to marry Blaze because he was so fucking awesome.
Ahead of Christmas, Blaze had asked German to hold off on putting the star on the tree or shopping for gifts until they could do so together.
When German had agreed, he hadn’t realized how important those things were to Blaze.
Now German and Ben were in the midst of being dragged from store to store.
Loud holiday music filled the air everywhere they went.
With Ben’s earphones in place, he looked in every direction with bright eyes.
Ben and Blaze wore the same childlike expression.
German was a little jealous. Christmas never made him feel the way they looked.
Of course, he went to the Steel Security company party every year, and that was it.
That was as far as his celebrating went.
In fact, he spent years begging for the days of trees and presents to end.
There was no reason to do anything special alone.
The entire season was a neon light reminder he had no one.
Blaze and Ben’s life hadn’t been like his.
They still believed in magic. For their sake, he pretended to be just as excited.
Blaze held up a tree topper. It was a dinosaur in a Santa hat made to cling to the top of the tree like he rode it. “What do you think? Dinosaur?” He held up a second topper. “Or cat stealing star?”
Ben laughed. “Dinosaur. Rawrr!”
Blaze’s gaze locked on him.
Thankfully, German still smiled at Ben’s reaction and didn’t give away his depressing thoughts. “Definitely dinosaur.”
With a sharp nod, Blaze put the topper in their shopping cart. Two fill-in guards from Steel kept an eye out for crazed fans. Luckily, they shopped in a high-end store in the middle of the day with only a handful of shoppers. No one bothered them.
Blaze passed the cart to German. “Okay. Now you take this and go check out. Use the card I gave you,” he said, sounding firm. “You can get all this in the car while I shop for presents for you guys.”
Ben giggled in his excitement as German buckled him into the seat area of the shopping cart. “We can entertain ourselves.”
Blaze kissed him. “Use the card.”
“I get kisses too.”
Blaze lit like a candle as he turned his attention Ben’s way. “Of course you do. I’d never forget you. Nom. Nom.” Blaze placed ridiculously loud kisses all over Ben’s face before doing the same to German. He shooed them away. “I love you guys. Get lost.”
The way Ben laughed at Blaze’s antics had something lighting inside German.
His innocence and the bright decorations had some realization growing.
Ben still believed in magic. He was excited about the prospect of presents and sugary treats.
They could leave cookies and milk for Santa, take a bite, and give him happy memories.
They had a chance to wipe away all the horrible things Ben had witnessed in his short life.
German and Blaze could give him normalcy.
Well, as normal as someone like Blaze could be.
As he checked out, German stared at nothing.
This was temporary. A pain in his chest hit him like a fast-moving car.
Ben wasn’t theirs. Yeah, he was family and they would still get to see him, but Dara would get well.
She would take custody back—as she should—and German would see Ben two times a year at best. What had he done?
Not once since agreeing to this had he truly considered the ramifications.
German had been completely focused on taking everything day by day.
It hadn’t really been that long, and he couldn’t imagine life without Ben.
What would happen if this lasted six months?
A year? He already saw how many ways this would break him when Ben left.
Ben patted his arm.
German looked down. Ben had a lollipop. German hadn’t given it to him. A nervous laugh escaped him. Hopefully, Ben had simply snagged that sucker. “Hey, little man. Where did that candy come from?”