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But days like today were killer He’d left her place and went to help Jay for a few hours Noas on his way to see his PO before going to work

It didn’t take long to take care of things at his PO’s office The guy didn’t give a shit, and that was okay with Mateo

He keptquickly to the elevator because he didn’t have much time to make it to work now The bus was always slow as hell on a Friday

He made it to the elevator and it only went down one floor before the thing stopped "Fuck," heoutside

It hit hi-ass tiroup of people

As though he somehow sensed Mateo there, he jerked his head up, his eyesTeo’s

Tristan’s jaw locked, a twitch drew Mateo’s eye The door started to close again, but one of the h to stop it

"Is there a problem Tristan?" One of the suits asked Mateo’s hands balled into fists, and he wished liked hell he could knock the guy out

One word, hard and final, came out of Tristan’s mouth "No" And then he stepped inside, stopped next to Mateo so that their ar close, Teo felt the heat of him The other men and a woman filled in around him as Mateo stood in the corner His pulse thudded so hard he felt like he needed to count it the way Tristan did He bit back the voejob because of uy corass Tristan didn’t speak, didn’t look at Mateo or the people with hi elevator on the planet

They all looked like Tristan and dressed like Tristan These were the kind of people he could be seen with These were the kind of people Tristan looked like he fit with

Mateo froze when the man in front of hih Mateo was nothing Not that he wanted to be shit to the hated that he stood here in one of Josiah’s old hoodies, and jeans orn knees It wasn’t that he couldn’t buy new clothes or didn’t have soive a shit about things like that He spent his day helping hishere with Tristan, with the otherthat to these people he worked with, Mateo was another thug A gangbanger druggie, ore fucked up clothes and had to see a PO once a ht for dinner You should join us, Tristan You haven’t seen my neine cellar It’s Amanda’s new project, but I think you’d really appreciate it," the guy in front of Mateo said

"Elisabeth and I are going," another suit said "You can bring your" he let the words hang in the air, but Tristan finished them

"Boyfriend Thank you, but that’s okay" Did they hear the anger in Tristan’s voice? Fuck, Mateo didn’t even knohere it came from, the people beside them or the fact that he was stuck in this situation at all And even though this had to be aard as fuck for Tristan, all he could think about was the word boyfriend--one, not two Tristan was also his, and he wanted to fucking claim him Wanted Tristan to be able to claim Mateo as well as Josiah

But it wasn’t like Tristan could admit he had two men Not with a job like his, and especially not when the second er Convict

"Wow I think that’s the first ti soht skirt said "Good for you, Tristan You should bring him around sometime"

The to each other

Tristan didn’t reply

"What’s he do? Geez, what’s his na with you for years and I’ve never heard you mention anyone," the nosey woman continued

Shut the fuck up, Mateo wanted to tell her He closed his eyes as though that could block out the sound Tristan couldn’t say his name, he knew that Tristan shouldn’t risk himself for Teo, and if any of them deserved their na hurt It didn’t mean it didn’t make hihed, and then they all joined in All of thee hi his