“I can’t ask for anything more than that. Mateo...I have this faint memory about him.”

“He found you,” Tristan told her. His heart sped up thinking of that. He could never repay Mateo for that.

“He’s at home, waiting. When you’re ready, he can come and see you. Both Josiah and Mateo want to come.”

He didn’t tell her she’d run from him. That she’d almost gotten hit by a car. That Mateo had almost gotten arrested.

“Good. That’s good.” Her eyes fluttered. “You go see your guys. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be here when you come back.”

Her eyes closed. Tristan kissed her cheek one more time before he did what she said...before he went home to his men.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Josiah

“I’m not giving up.” Josiah stood next to Mateo, who leaned against the back of the couch. Tristan had understandably been at the hospital with his mom since she’d been brought in. He’d called to let Josiah and Mateo know what was going on, but that was the extent of it.

Josiah got it. He really did. Tristan was where he needed to be. But that didn’t mean he didn’t understand what Tristan was doing.

“What are you talkin’ about, Jay?”

“I’m not giving up on this. On us. Tristan’s already pulling away. He doesn’t know how to handle things emotionally, so he cuts them off. I’m not going to let him do that, and I’m not going to let you, either.”

Teo wrapped a hand around the back of Josiah’s neck, letting it rest there. “I’m not doing that.”

He may not realize it, but he was. Even the detached tone of his voice said so.

“It wasn’t just because of who you are that they thought you were attacking her. It would have happened to anyone. You have to admit that.”

Mateo humorlessly chuckled. “But the rest of you wouldn’t have had a record to go with it. You wouldn’t have gotten held up because they had to call your PO, and shit like that. Tristan’s a fucking lawyer. A prosecutor. How does it look for him to have someone like me around?”

Josiah jerked away from him. “When have you cared what other people think? Do you love him?”

Josiah knew he did, but he also wanted Teo to say it. Thought Teo himself needed to.

One thing about Teo he’d always loved, he didn’t back down to admitting how he felt. He didn’t let Josiah down when he said, “Yeah...Fuck it, but yeah, I do. Who the hell woulda thought? He’s a suit.”

“That doesn’t matter. Look at all three of us. We’re all different. Maybe that’s why we work. Loving us isn’t enough, though.” Josiah moved and stood in front of him, grabbing hold of Mateo’s waist. “You loved me but you didn’t fight for me. For us.”

Mateo tried to speak but he cut him off. “I know why you did it. You didn’t think you deserved me and you wanted to protect me but that doesn’t change the fact that you did it. You have to want us enough not to let the other stuff get in the way. You have to want us enough to stick around no matter what. Can you do that, Teo? Can you stop using your past as an excuse? Do you want a life with us enough to do that? To fight with me?”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Mateo

On the outside, Josiah looked like the weakest of them all. Mateo had always known how strong he was, but looking at him right now, hearing him, it slammed into his chest just how much more strength he had. More than himself. More than Tristan, too. He was the rock, and not just because he drew them together. No, because he held them together. He was the glue that made all their broken pieces fit to make them whole.

“I want it,” hardly brushed passed Mateo’s lips when he heard the twist of the doorknob.

Josiah turned, and Mateo took one step forward when Tristan came into the house. He was pale, his eyes tired, his body looking even more exhausted. Josiah didn’t hesitate before rushing over and wrapping his arms around Tristan.

Mateo watched Tristan’s hand knot in Josiah’s shirt like someone would have to physically pry it free.

Mateo turned to walk away, but then Josiah’s words, his words from just a minute before, repeated over in his head. He was fighting.

Before he got the chance to turn back toward the men, Tristan said, “No. Don’t go. I need you, too.”

Mateo wasn’t even sure how he got there, but suddenly he stood next to them. Suddenly it was the three of them in an embrace, clutching and squeezing, daring anyone to try and pry their hands free.

“You’re still here. No matter how many times I’ve pushed you away.” Tristan touched Josiah’s cheek, and Mateo knew that part was mainly for him. “No matter how much I fought it, you never turned your back on me.” He turned to Mateo. “And you wouldn’t, either.”