Epilogue
EPILOGUE
DIESEL
S tepping into the cool evening air, Diesel took in a breath and admired the beauty of the Palais Garnier . While Diesel would never admit such a thing to another living soul, he found it amazing that something so spectacular even existed.
Matteo continued his ritual of taking the guys out to the opera once a month or on special occasions if there was something that he really wanted to see. Sometimes, the guys went willingly, seeing it as an opportunity to get out of La Maison and enjoy some free food, music, and alcohol. Other times, it fell to Ares to perform his husbandly duties—okay, they weren’t officially married, but they basically were husbands in every sense of the word, including being fathers to a mansion full of rowdy man-children—and accompany his love to the opera.
But Diesel never minded. He enjoyed stepping into the opulent opera house and admiring the sculptures and architecture. The level of detail applied to each surface, including banisters and staircases, was just incredible. Knowing all the painstakingly hard work that went into the building made the experience so much more powerful. It was like stepping into another time.
“So, how did you enjoy the opera?” Zero asked, stepping up beside him and slipping his hand into his.
They’d been officially dating now for just over a year, and things were still going hot and heavy. Zero basically moved into the mansion—into Diesel’s room, to be precise—and they had been playing house for nearly nine months, it seemed. Diesel got the feeling that Zero was edging to pop the question, but he wasn’t going to force anything out of him. Not until he was ready. He could be patient. He wasn’t going anywhere.
As for dancing and playing with his wiener onstage in front of a sea of horny wealthy gentlemen, Diesel had asked to be taken off the roster. Instead, he decided to join the maintenance crew at La Maison , fixing things that needed repairing while still being able to remain close to his family. He still had breakfast with them every morning and even cheered on the boys when they put on a specialty show at the club.
Matteo understood Diesel’s hesitance to continue dancing and was pleased to hear that he wanted to continue working and living at La Maison . He was family and always would be.
“Talk about snooze fest,” Diesel lied, nudging his shoulder into Zero’s thick chest.
He glanced up at Zero, wondering how long it would take him to call him out on his bullshit.
It didn’t take long.
Zero gave him a pinch on the ass, making him jump with a squeak.
“Try again,” Zero ordered.
Letting out a huff, Diesel glanced over at the one-night stand who wouldn’t leave. How did he fall in love with such an annoying ruffian?
“Fine. I liked it… a lot.”
“I thought so,” Zero said with a cocky-ass grin plastered to his face. “That’s why I suggested it to Matteo.”
Diesel’s mouth dropped open. “Betrayer.”
Zero chuckled while Matteo glanced over in their direction.
Leaning closer to Zero, he added, “You say anything to anyone, and I’ll make you watch me ride big red while you sit there tied to the bed.” Big red was what they called Diesel’s dildo, obviously because of its size and color.
“I don’t think that’s quite the threat that you think it is,” Zero added, throwing his arm around Diesel’s shoulder.
“It is when I leave you there all night without giving you any release.”
Zero stopped walking, causing Diesel to jerk back under the weight of his arm.
“That’s just cruel.”
“Glad you finally met the true Diesel,” Levi said, walking hand in hand with Chase.
“Yeah, we were wondering when you would take off those dick-colored glasses and see Diesel for the massive prick that he really is,” Isaac added.
“Same,” Jared noted.
“I hate you all,” Diesel joked, wrapping his arm around Zero’s waist as they continued their walk down the opera house steps.
It was a Saturday night, and the streets were buzzing with tourists and street merchants, all doing their best to captivate their audiences and make a quick buck or two.
“Did I mention how much I love seeing you decked out in a suit and bow tie?” Zero whispered, dropping a kiss on Diesel’s head as they continued to follow Matteo and the guys. “You’re like a hot-as-fuck James Bond, massive dick and all.”
“Eww, gross. That’s my brother you’re talking about,” Levi threw over his shoulder.
“Stop your eavesdropping, and you won’t be shocked by what you hear,” Diesel responded with a smirk. Sometimes, that boy just needed to be put in his place.
“Hold up,” Matteo announced, walking back toward Diesel. “I need you two to wait here. Don’t do anything. Just wait.”
Diesel glanced over at Zero, confused. “I don’t get it. Why?”
Ignoring his question, Matteo pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, then began walking along the sidewalk, glancing around as if he were lost.
What the fuck was he doing? Matteo had been roaming these streets pretty much since he was able to stand on two feet. He knew the place like the undersack of Ares’s balls.
Still staring at his phone, Levi and Isaac stepped up beside Matteo and began assisting their father in trying to navigate their location.
“Jesus, I swear, we are not far from the hotel,” Matteo noted, his voice dripping with frustration.
“I think it’s two blocks over that way.” Levi turned, pointing in the direction of their fictitious hotel.
Diesel looked over at Chase and Jared, who were standing over by a lamppost, appearing deep in their own conversation. If he had just spotted the two, he would have guessed that they were simply friends who had just finished watching the opera together. They gave no indication that they were together with the party currently trying to navigate their way through downtown Paris.
This whole thing was getting weird.
“ Pardonne-moi . Do you speak English?” a woman asked as she approached Matteo and his companions.
Matteo looked up, all flustered and stressed.
“Hi. Yes. Umm, we’re American,” Matteo responded for some unknown reason.
“You look lost. Can I help you find something?” the Good Samaritan asked, sliding in between Matteo and Isaac. Levi stood in front of Matteo, still struggling to see the map on his phone.
“Yes, we are trying to find our way back to our hotel. It’s here,” Matteo said, tilting his phone so that the woman could see as well.
The woman smiled.
Diesel’s heart stopped in his chest.
“Yes, I know the place you seek,” the woman noted, taking Matteo’s phone, then snaking her arm through Matteo’s. “It’s not far from here. I can show you how to get there," the woman offered with a hint of a French accent.
Diesel’s grip on Zero’s hand tightened as the vein in his neck began to throb. Hundreds of fantasies rushed through his mind. Pain. Dismemberment. Boiling acid. All the many scenarios he had dreamed about and spent hours fine-tuning in his head. Wishing that one day, he would have the opportunity to put one of his many plans into action.
He heard Zero groan beside him as he crushed his hand in his.
“Ooof,” Matteo grunted as some asshole bumped into his back.
“ Pardonne-moi, monsieur ,” the six-foot brute apologized, straightening himself up and giving Matteo a friendly pat on the back.
The wind was suddenly knocked from Diesel’s stomach.
That bastard!
“Hey! Fuck-face!” Diesel shouted, dropping Zero’s hand and charging toward the man and woman standing beside Matteo and his brothers.
The man and woman’s heads snapped toward Diesel’s voice, startled.
Without stopping, Diesel plowed into the man, punching him hard across his jaw. The man fell to the ground with a grunt, and Diesel fell on top of him.
Fifteen years’ worth of rage came pouring out of Diesel. The world around him went silent. Nothing seemed to matter except beating the shit out of the man trapped beneath his body.
“Hey, get off of him, you piece of shit!” the woman shouted, bending over and slapping Diesel hard on his back.
Diesel barely felt it.
Pleasure flooded Diesel’s system every time his knuckles connected with the moist flesh of the man’s face. It was like he had found a new way of getting high. Each punch, each connection, sent a new surge of endorphins into Diesel’s brain.
After getting in a few more solid shots, Diesel finally stood, giving the man one last kick to the ribs.
The man stared up at Diesel, lip bleeding, eyes terrified.
Good. He should be scared , Diesel thought to himself.
He felt a steady hand touch his shoulder, knowing immediately that it belonged to the man he loved like a father. Matteo gently pulled Diesel back by his side.
The woman crouched by the man, caressing his face as she checked him over to see what injuries he had sustained.
There was so much love in her touch. So much compassion. It made Diesel sick.
When the woman was convinced that the man would survive, she snapped her head up at Diesel.
“You! Animal! I’m going to—” Her voice suddenly caught in her throat, like an animal that suddenly spotted a predator. “Diesel?” the woman asked, her anger suddenly changing to confusion as she stood guard over the bleeding man lying next to her. “Is that you?”
“Yes, it’s me, you fucking bitch,” Diesel snarled, wanting to administer so much pain to the woman but not wanting to get more blood on his suit. He figured it was an acceptable loss getting his stepfather’s blood on his Tom Ford suit—lord knows the man deserved it—but he drew the line at adding pathetic, alcoholic, piece of shit, mother’s blood to the mix.
“But… but, you look all fancy and shit,” the woman commented, suddenly losing her French accent and slowly standing up on her feet.
“Yes, I often look fancy… and shit ,” Diesel responded, mimicking his mother’s crude speech, “…when I go to the opera with my family.”
“He also looks devilishly handsome when attending many of the galas and parties he hosts at the chateau where we all live,” Matteo added, wrapping his arm protectively around Diesel’s shoulder.
Diesel had never felt so loved and cared for before in his life.
“Little D? Is that you? Thought you were dead in a gutter somewhere,” his stepfather added, sitting up and wiping the blood off his lower lip.
“No. Thanks to you assholes, I now live in a castle, make mad money, and have the most amazing and supportive family a guy could ever ask for.” Diesel nodded toward Levi and the other guys. “Not to mention, I have a smoking hot man by my side.”
Zero slipped his arm around Diesel’s waist, fighting for a position next to him and Matteo.
The two most important men in his life, each standing on either side of him.
His mother’s mouth remained open as she tried to comprehend what she was seeing.
“But… I…” She didn’t seem to have the words, most likely from years of drinking and bad mothering.
He really hated this fucking woman.
“Is everything okay?” a police officer asked, stepping up next to Isaac.
“No, Officer. These two are thieves. This woman tried to distract my father, while this man bumped into him and stole his wallet.”
The officer glared at the two.
“That’s bullshit. That fucker just attacked me for no reason,” his stepfather argued, holding up his finger smeared with blood.
“Check his pockets, kind sir,” Matteo suggested, taking a step back to give the officer room to work.
The officer pulled the man to his feet just as Matteo’s wallet fell to the ground.
“Is that your wallet, sir?” the officer asked Matteo. Matteo nodded.
“That’s not true. He must have dropped it when this druggy man viciously attacked my husband,” Diesel’s mother defended. “I’ve never seen a man so unhinged. He must be on the bath salts or something. You should arrest him and throw him in a mental asylum.”
Diesel shook his head. Even after all these years, the woman was still choosing her piece of shit husband over her own flesh and blood.
“Umm, Officer, you might want to take a look at this woman’s purse,” Ares said, holding up a black leather purse.
Diesel looked over at Matteo, confused. Ares had not come with them to the opera, claiming he had other business to attend to at the mansion.
Matteo’s lip turned up slightly in one of his mischievous grins.
The officer took the purse and peered inside. He gave a whistle.
“What’s all this?” the officer asked, holding up a large brick of heroin.
Diesel tried not to laugh when his mother’s face went white.
“Wh-what? That’s not mine,” she stuttered. Her eyes shifted to her husband, who also looked terrified.
“This is your purse, isn’t it?” the officer asked, holding up the bag and pulling out a second brick.
“Yes… but… no. It’s not…”
The officer passed the purse back to Ares.
“You’re both under arrest,” the officer announced, pulling out his handcuffs and snapping them around the wrists of Diesel’s mother.
Revenge was so sweet.
Chase grabbed Diesel’s stepfather and held him firmly in place while the officer snapped a second pair of cuffs on the man.
A moment later, a police car arrived, and the two officers placed Diesel’s ex-parents into the back, giving Diesel a gentle nod of the head.
Diesel watched as the arresting officer walked up to Matteo and shook his hand. “Always a pleasure to see you, sir.”
“Thank you again for all your help. I hope this wasn’t too much of an inconvenience for you,” Matteo responded.
The officer glanced over at Diesel.
“Never an inconvenience when it comes to getting justice for one of my favorite dancers.” The man gave a wink before tilting his cap at the group and making his way back to his car.
Relief settled through Diesel’s gut. He felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his chest. Years of anger and rage had finally been soothed as justice had finally been served.
His parents got what they fucking deserved.
“You set this whole thing up?” Diesel asked, turning to face Matteo.
“I spotted your folks pulling this scam a few weeks ago about a block from here. I figured what better way to get you justice than to have your parents thrown in jail on false charges as well.”
Ares walked up beside Matteo and wrapped his arm around his shoulders.
“Daddy A procured the heroin, and I called in a favor from Officer Duke. By the way, you remember him, right? He’s a member of La Maison and often helps me out when things get… sticky.”
Diesel nodded. “Yeah, now that I think about it. He had a thing for watching me jerk off on my chest while he licked my feet.”
“Yup, that’s him.” Matteo nodded.
Diesel lost his balance as his body was suddenly pulled into the heaping hunk of man standing next to him.
“No more footsie with Officer Handsome . Those little piggies belong to me now.” Zero leaned in and gave Diesel a kiss on the cheek.
“Yes… Robyn …” Diesel whispered, giving his love a mischievous grin.
Six months ago, he had finally convinced Zero to tell him his real name. Granted, he literally had the man by the balls and his dick in his mouth, refusing to continue to blow him until his boyfriend confessed to his true identity.
Reluctantly, Zero confessed to the hated name, threatening Diesel with a lifetime of topping if he ever shared this knowledge with anyone else in the world, especially the gentlemen gathered around him. Thankfully, no one was paying them much attention.
Zero glared at Diesel, mentally threatening him with every fiber of his being.
Diesel never felt so loved.
“Guess now, we only have to get payback on my asshole stepbrother,” Diesel said, glancing over at Matteo.
“No need. Your piece of shit little bro is currently serving time for aggravated assault and fraud. Apparently, he’s been ripping off little old ladies by stealing all their savings for the past few years. Don’t worry. I’ve got a guard on the inside that’s taking extra special care of him.”
Diesel smiled. How the hell did he get so lucky?
He looked around at the family standing before him. These guys had his back. They came after him when he was in trouble and needed rescuing. They stood by him when he lost his way and went on his many drug-induced benders. Now they’d all worked together to exact revenge on the so-called family that had him falsely imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit. A sentence that put him on the path of self-destruction, but then ultimately a road that led him to salvation.
That right there was love. That right there was family.
And while he had not felt the need to get high or go on a bender in almost a year—the same amount of time he had been dating Zero—he knew that if he ever felt an itch, he had a solid support system to turn to.
For the first time in his life, Diesel didn’t fear the future or being abandoned. He knew that no matter what, he had the love of a fantastic man, the safety and security of a loving family, and of course, a dick that could make any man scream.
Who could ask for a more perfect life?
The End.