"Orange? Why am I not surprised," Tony said, shaking his head.
"To be honest, Dex has taken over most of the wedding planning. He knows how to handle Lou, and Lou knows how to say no to Dex, which apparently is something I still have trouble with."
"Because you're a pushover when it comes to my son."
"Yeah, I guess I am."
"That's not always a good thing."
The doorbell rang, and Tony went to answer. Sloane supposed it was only a matter of time before the conversation turned more serious. Tony hadn't mentioned TIN since Dex had told him, and Sloane was certain that was hardly the end of the matter. Unlike most of them, Tony had good timing. He more often than not knew exactly when and how to bring something up.
Tony motioned over to the kitc
hen island counter, and Sloane followed him, then pulled out a stool for Tony and one for himself. He took a seat, thanking Tony for the fresh beer and the food.
"I can hold my ground if I need to," Sloane said as he unwrapped his giant sandwich. It smelled amazing.
"Yeah?"
Sloane frowned. "Yeah. If it's important. If it means keeping him safe."
"I'm glad to hear that." Tony took a big bite out of his meatball sub.
Sloane took a chunk out of his own sub. A moan escaped him before he could stop it, making Tony chuckle. "Good?"
Sloane's eyes drifted shut as he chewed. "Dex was right," he said around a mouthful of food. This sub was orgasmic. He finished swallowing and pointed at Tony. "Don't tell him I said so. He'll want to eat this every day. I just got him to eat pumpkin, and not the kind that comes in a pie."
Tony whistled. "Well damn, son. Look at you. I've only ever gotten him to eat peas, and only if they were sprinkled with shredded cheese."
"That's how I got him to eat broccoli," Sloane admitted. And a host of other vegetables. Of course, Sloane had failed to mention that the grated cheddar was made with 2 percent milk. They went back to eating and talking. Sloane was enjoying Tony's sarcastic humor. Tony could say what he wanted about Dex inheriting John's weirdness, but Dex had inherited plenty from Anthony Maddock. The man might be stoic a good portion of the time, and anyone who didn't know him might think he had no sense of humor at all, but he did. It was all in his delivery. He also had a certain twinkle in his eye.
Once they'd finished eating and cleaning up, Tony handed Sloane another beer, and they went back to the living room. Tony turned on the TV, and Sloane held back a smile. It was one of the many shows Dex watched. Tony didn't strike Sloane as the ghosts and monsters type.
"Dex get you hooked on this show too?" Sloane asked, sitting back and making himself comfortable.
"Yeah. I didn't think I'd get into it on account of all the vampires, angels, and whatnot, but I like the brothers. The older one reminds me of Dex sometimes."
"That's why he started watching it. Someone told him he reminded them of the brother, and Dex had to check it out for himself. Got hooked by the end of the first episode. Binge-watched like ten seasons, and made me watch it with him. It's fun." Especially when Dex would get so absorbed in an episode he would completely zone out. One time Dex had been so engrossed he hadn't even realized Sloane had left the room or heard him when he said he was going to the kitchen. Sloane had come back upstairs and scared the hell out of Dex so badly that he'd fallen off the bed after scrambling into action and getting tangled in the sheets.
Sloane and Tony watched the show for a while, until Sloane noticed Tony wasn't actually watching the show. He was just kind of staring off in the direction of the TV. Well, it was now or never.
"You're worried about us and TIN."
Tony didn't move or say anything for several heartbeats. Before Sloane could speak up again, Tony met Sloane's gaze. "I am. I don't think you boys know what you're getting into."
Sloane thought carefully about how he was going to approach this. It was best to be honest. "Dex is good at what he does. He's been training hard. It's impressive, really. He jokes around, but he's serious about being the best."
"Yeah, he's never been one to do things half-assed. When he believes in something, he puts his all into it."
"What is it?"
Tony's gaze was unwavering. "I'm not as oblivious as everyone believes I am, Sloane. If I was a different type of man, I'd find it offensive."
"What does that mean?"
"It means I might not know who all the players are or what their end game is, but I will eventually. I know that soon my son will be keeping even more secrets from me, but you know better than anyone that no secret stays buried for long. The truth will eventually come out. I love my sons. Hell, I love you and Ash and the rest of the team, but if we're being honest here, it galls me that you all don't trust me as much as I trust you."
Sloane swallowed hard. He opened his mouth to reply, but Tony held up a hand. "I'm not trying to put you on the spot. I know if it comes down to me and Dex, you'll side with Dex, and I respect that. You're going to be his husband, and you want to support him and the decisions he makes, but you need to remember that what Dex thinks is best for himself and everyone else isn't always best. Sometimes his decisions, no matter how well-intentioned, are not the right ones. Sometimes he needs to let people decide for themselves."