Justice smiled. “You.”
And he silently vowed to keep Fisher with him for the rest of their lives.
Fisher smiled and gazed out the window at the barbecue party going on.
He spotted Beck along with Dave and Stone by the Ping-Pong table. Telling Beck that Mouse was dead hadn’t brought the response that Fisher thought it would. Then Beck told him that Tanis had rubbed Mouse’s death in last week. Fisher never did find out why Blue had killed Mouse. Perhaps it had been a show of power from the asshole, he would never know, but he paid for the young man’s funeral. As it does with most bad memories, they eventually fade. Now Beck was staying with Boston and Azrael in Dave’s home.
Most of the boys rescued were either being reunited with family or finding foster homes. A day ago, Crow had contacted Real and informed him that Mikey had insisted on staying with Steven. Crow said that Steven’s dad had agreed to keep and raise Mikey. Some stories wrapped up on a happy note and others did not.
He’d found out that Tanis had killed Kit when they’d rescued Scotty, who’d been locked inside one of the rooms at Tanis’ house that night. Scotty told him that Tanis had locked him up until an upcoming job. The job consisted of Scotty getting him out in the open. The young man apologized profusely and hugged him. It wasn’t his fault, Fisher assured the guy.
Gazing at the large group of people, Fisher smiled at the boisterous crowd. The party had been going on for two hours and showed no signs of slowing.
He stepped out the back door and stood on the patio taking in the sun shining from above.
Axel trotted around the party and yard as if part of the crowd, but also sniffing around the fence line in a never-ending show of guarding the place. Every once in a while, the dog would stop at the pool and bark. The boys tried to get Axel to jump in, but the dog was having none of that.
Old-time rock and roll blared from speakers and Creed ran and did a cannonball into the pool, drenching his partner, Kellum, who yelped and leaped away bumping into Jordan.
They had yet to speak with Ace about joining Pegasus, and that was mainly because today was a day to relax and not talk about business, plus Ace was wrapped up in the arms of his lover, Jacob.
Azrael and his twin brother whooped and raced toward the water to join Beck and Boston. The other young assassins swam and played like seals in the pool. Most of the soldiers looked on as if amused at the boys’ energy.
Some of the men who’d taken part in the rescue hadn’t attended, like Crow and his team, but Erebus was there as well as Genesis and some of Pegasus.
Steel was in an argument with Wrath about some foul called in a recent game, and every so often, Wrath would turn his eyes to the barbecue where Rogue was helping Owen with the burgers and hotdogs. When Wrath turned his eyes away, Rogue would dart a quick look. Fisher suspected that Rogue might be at a turning point with his life and perhaps somewhere in there was room for Wrath. He didn’t know because Rogue wasn’t forthcoming, but he hoped his friend found happiness.
A cake sat on the table to celebrate, albeit a bit late, Azrael and Apollo’s eighteenth birthday.
Real kept a razor-sharp eye on the pool while talking to Memphis. While convalescing, Real had had it out with Stone about allowing Azrael in on the sting to take down Tanis. The two former soldiers had almost come to blows, but Dave had stepped in to defuse the situation. For now, all seemed calm.
Fisher smiled when arms wrapped around him from behind and Justice crowded closer, bumping him, nuzzling into his neck.
“Mmm,” he smiled, cupping his hands over the top of Justice’s.
“How’re you doin?” Justice murmured.
Fisher gazed out over the backyard filled with the made family and smiled. He turned around in Justice’s grip and looked up into the face of a man he was coming to greatly care for. Sure, they had had their set of problems, but in the end, they hadn’t let it affect what they had now.
“I’m doing better than I ever have before.”
He knew that the agony of his youth would rear its ugly head, but with Justice by his side, anything was possible.
A warm loving light filled Justice’s blue eyes and Fisher knew for the first time in his life that he’d found something he’d never dreamed was possible.
A home.
It was a place filled with so much love, he might just have to pinch himself on occasion.
THE END
