Page 54 of Troy

There is an uproar from the other side as Deschamps shrieks and pounds his fists on the table. “NO! NO! NO! Do you know who I fucking am?” As his lawyer tries to calm him, he throws a punch and knocks him to the ground before the guards restrain him, cuffing his hands behind his back.

“SILENCE!” The judge bellows as Deschamps is held by the sentries.

Quiet rains down as order resumes, the judge calmly thanks the jury for their service and announces sentencing will be in seven days’ time.

We rise one last time as she exits through the side door.

I stand in a daze as Deschamps is removed; he will be jailed now, awaiting his sentencing next week. I can’t believe it. It’s over! Mason drapes his arm around my shoulder and hugs me.

“You okay, Troy?” He looks at me but I feel frozen in time. A US senator, the father of my forever, found guilty of trying to kill me. I nod, unable to form words, let alone sentences. “Okay then, let’s go! I’ve got a statement to read. Are you going to say anything, Troy?”

This time I shake my head and manage to find my voice, “I think I’ll leave it all to you, Mason. Thank you for everything; I don’t think any other man could have done this. You brought down a US Senator.”

“I didn’t, Troy, that was all you. You took him on and brought him down.” Mason pats my shoulder and then I’m in Raff’s arms, wrapped in his warm embrace.

We’ve done it! We’ve gone and fucking done it!! I check Corrigan and see tears streaming down his face. Pulling him into a hug, I pound him on the back.

“It’s done, Corrie. It’s done! The bastard is going down.” I hug him tight to me, feeling his wracking sobs as he clutches me.

Moments later, Corrie releases me and gets to his feet, wiping the tears from his cheeks as he smiles, a true, genuine and free smile. “Go see your man, Raff.”

Turning, I observe the most beautiful man to walk the earth talking to his lawyer: Troy. How did this happen? Not the court case, although he was amazing the whole way through, but him wanting to be with me. I don’t deserve him, but fuck, I’m never walking away from him. Watching as Mason pats Troy’s shoulder, I step up to him and enclose him in my arms. Troy seems to melt against me.

Releasing him, I trace his profile with my fingertips, “I love you, Troy. You did it, my beautiful man, you fucking did it.”

I feel the strength build up in his body, standing tall again, and beams at me, a wicked glint in his eye. “Too fucking right, I did.”

“Let’s go!” Mason gathers me and Troy, along with Corrigan, and we head out to the steps of the courthouse.

The noise is overwhelming as our supporters’ cheer, clap, and whistle, waving their rainbow flags high. “Wow!”

Mason steps forward as the reporters approach him, I listen to him with half and ear as he talks about justice being served and how no one, whoever they may be, is above the law. I scan through the crowds of people, the supporters and the haters. I don’t even know what I am searching for but then I see someone. I prod Corrigan who looks at me questioningly.

“There, right at the back, in the cream coat.” I watch as Corrie hunts through the masses and then stiffens.

“What the hell is she doing here?” He whispers out of the corner of his mouth, because there, hiding behind the crowd, is our mother. We haven’t heard a word from her, it seems even now she makes no attempt to contact us but I catch her gaze and for a fleeting moment she smiles. She turns and goes.

Troy senses something as my hand flexes in his; he turns to examine me, a frown on his brow. “It’s okay, baby; it’s nothing.” He turns back to face the reporters as Mason finishes his speech.

Stepping down the large, white steps, we walk to the same vehicles that brought us here every day for the last five days. Lucas, his partner, and their security have been amazing through all of this, quietly conducting our every move in and out of the courthouse.

We are whisked away, this time straight home. Troy remains quiet but I let him deal with things and process his thoughts by himself for now. I know what he will do as soon as we get in: he’ll head straight for the shower, come back down dressed in sweats and a T, grab a beer and head off down the garden for thirty minutes or so.

Everyone piles into the house, laughing and joking as they squabble over what food they want delivered and Troy heads upstairs, as predicted. I watch as he walks silently away from me, then he circles and looks at me.

“You coming?” A sweet, little smile breaks out, morphing into a full-blown beam as I sprint to catch up with him. We have slept, wrapped in each other’s arms, but we haven’t made love since the early hours of Monday morning. I didn’t suggest; Troy sighed into my embrace and slept from the moment his head touched the pillow until gently roused in the morning.

Stepping behind him as we walk through the door, I push it gently shut with my foot. Troy turns to me and his features contort into a vision of pain as he breaks down. My hands shoot out to catch him when his knees buckle. “Oh, baby, it’s okay. It’s over, I’ve got you.”

I rock as I cradle him in my arms, swaying gently from side to side. I murmur softly in his ear, “shhh, shhh.” Then, moments later, it’s all over.

“Thank you, Raff; I just needed to get that out. I’m okay now.” Troy’s bright eyes look searchingly into mine, “How are you feeling about it all? I’m so selfish, he was your father, years ago. This must feel so strange to you.”

His question stumps me; I hadn’t thought about myself, only Troy and Corrigan. They are the ones who have been most affected by it all. “Yeah, it’s a bit of a mind fuck right now. I think it hasn’t sunk in yet, I’m sure after the bastard has been sentenced I will feel more. I’ve just been focusing on you. You have been amazing, Troy; to say I’m proud of you sounds condescending but I am, I’m proud and humbled by you. The fact that you choose to be with me. After everything that has happened, you still want me.”

“Rafferty, I will always want you, in fact…” Troy bites down on his bottom lip as his eyes roam my body, his heated gaze sends blood rushing to my dick.

Swallowing hard, “Really?”

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