Cut & Run 05 - Armed & Dangerous (28 page)

Zane watched him go, feeling confident that he could trust the man to keep his word. He seemed to have reached a decision to stick with them after the Pittsburgh airport, after Ty sacrificed himself to let them escape. Besides, Zane knew Cameron needed downtime, and Julian would probably move heaven and earth to give it to him. Zane turned his gaze to Ty and figured he understood. His partner was exhausted. They all needed time to rest.
Deuce had moved to help Ty plug in the electric pump. His limp was less pronounced than it had been the last time Zane had seen him, but he still let Ty do all the kneeling as they hooked the pump up and turned it on. Deuce was still wearing the boxers in which he’d been sleeping, and for the first time Zane could see the railroad track scars on his leg and knee.
He stood with his hands on his hips as Ty knelt beside him, both of them watching the air mattress inflate with their heads tilted to the side, like a pair of puppies trying to figure out a strange noise. Zane had to smile. He could really see the resemblance. How their mother had raised them both without having a nervous breakdown was anyone’s guess.
“Hey, Ty, can we talk for a minute?” Deuce asked after a moment.
Ty glanced up at him and then over at Zane with a nod. “You got this?” he asked.
Zane nodded and gestured for them to go on. He watched them curiously as Ty followed Deuce down the hall to his bedroom, then turned his attention back to the air mattress and flipped the pump back on. The noise would make it impossible to overhear what they were saying, and Zane knew better than to allow himself the temptation of eavesdropping anymore.

“ WHAT’S up?” Ty asked as he watched Deuce close the door to his bedroom. Deuce wasn’t exactly a private person, and he knew Zane better than he did most people, so Ty couldn’t fathom what he had to say that couldn’t have been said in the living room.

Deuce turned to look at him, crossing his arms over his chest and covering his mouth with his hand. Ty recognized the signs all too well. “Something’s wrong.”
Deuce shook his head. “No, I just… I need your advice.” “Okay.” Ty said the word carefully as he studied his brother. He

glanced around Deuce’s bedroom. It was immaculate, as usual, all flat and modern and… weird. He pointed at a tray on top of the dresser. “Seriously, is that a blunt?”

“Well, I wasn’t anticipating the FBI breaking down my door tonight.”
Ty closed his eyes and shook his head. “That’s fair. What’s the problem?”
Deuce took a deep breath. “It’s about Livi.”
“Yoga girl.”
“She really has a real name.”
“Okay,” Ty said with a smirk.
Deuce rolled his eyes and paced toward the window. “What did you think of her when you met her?”
“She’s cute,” Ty answered, confused by the question but willing to go along with Deuce’s unique way of getting around to a point. He’d spent a day with Deuce after leaving Baltimore, and he’d met his girlfriend when she’d dropped by. “She was genuine and smart and probably very bendy. Good job.”
“Ty.”
“What? I’m not really sure what you’re getting at. I met her for like five minutes.”
Deuce stared at him, looking almost ill, and Ty stood waiting for him to continue. They stood in silence for a few moments, Deuce fidgeting and Ty forcing himself to be patient.
“Deacon,” he finally said.
“She’s pregnant,” Deuce blurted in a rush of relief. Ty couldn’t mask the surprise, and Deuce read him well. “Before you say anything, yes, I love her. Yes, I’m excited as hell. And yes, she’s very bendy.” For the first time, Deuce cracked a smile. He seemed to be trying to contain his excitement, but Ty recognized it anyway.
Ty nearly laughed in relief. He waved a hand through the air and stepped closer to hug his brother. “Congratulations, Deacon,” he said as Deuce clapped him on the back.
“Thank you,” Deuce said as he pushed away and took Ty by his shoulders to meet his eyes. “The problem.”
“Why does there have to be a problem?”
“Because there’s always a problem.”
“Okay, what’s the problem?” Ty asked with a growing sense of dread.
“Livi wants to be married before our families find out.”
“What?”
“She doesn’t want to tell her parents she’s pregnant before we’re married.”
“Well, that’s kind of a time-sensitive condition.”
“That’s the problem.”
“That leaves you, what, like a month? Maybe less?”
Deuce nodded.
Ty blinked at his brother as the problem hit him. He gasped and pointed at Deuce’s face. “You want to elope!”
“Yes,” Deuce said in relief.
“Deacon!”
“I know!”
“You can’t do that to Ma, she’ll kill you. She’ll kill me! Not to mention seriously bad relations with your future in-laws.”
“Now you see my problem,” Deuce said as he waved a hand through the air and sat on the end of his bed.
“I’m assuming this wasn’t planned. How does that happen, anyway?”
“I think you’ve been doing dudes for too long if I need to answer that.”
“Touché,” Ty murmured with a frown. He grimaced and shook his head, bypassing half a dozen smartass remarks as he sat down beside Deuce. He really gave the question some thought, as much thought as he was capable of when being hunted down like a dog by the CIA.
“I mean… Deacon, if this is what you really want to do, then I’ll cover your play. I’ll do whatever you need to take the heat off after. Unless you do it without me there, and in that case I’ll disown you.”
Deuce smiled and nodded, and he put his arm around Ty’s shoulders. “I knew I could count on you,” he said quietly.
“But… if you’re asking for my advice?”
Deuce nodded.
“Wait. Tell everyone, let them be excited about a baby, let them know you’re committed to her whether you’re married or not, and go from there. Don’t go… sneaking around and trying to hide things from your families. You’ll… you’ll regret it.”
Deuce looked at him in silence, his eyes sympathetic and warm. If anyone understood how well Ty knew what he was talking about, it was his brother.“Thanks, Ty.”
Ty nodded, and they sat in silence for a long time, long enough that the pump to the air mattress stopped its loud whine and the light coming under the bedroom door turned off.
Deuce took a deep breath. “I’m going to be a daddy.”
Ty smiled as he watched his brother’s profile in the dim light. He could hear the mixture of excitement and fear in Deuce’s voice. Then the smile faded as cold realization began to seep through him. “You’re going to be a daddy,” he echoed, almost to himself. He stood suddenly, looking around the room and patting his jeans as if he’d lost something.
“What’s wrong?”
“We have to go,” Ty said as he looked at Deuce with wide eyes.
“What? Why?”
“If someone tracks us here, I mean they shouldn’t, but if they do—”
“Ty, it’s okay. I knew someone was after you when you broke into my house. I know it’s a risk for you to be here.”
“No, but it’s not just about you now, and this isn’t just
someone
after us.” Ty was already heading for the bedroom door.
Deuce hopped up to follow him, barely able to keep up on his bad leg. “Ty!”
“This isn’t up for discussion, Deuce, it really isn’t,” Ty said. He banged on the bedroom door as he passed by, and Zane had turned the lights on again by the time they got to the living room.
“What’s wrong?” Zane asked as soon as he saw Ty’s face.
“We can’t stay here, we need to move.”
Zane looked between the two of them, seeking some clue in Deuce’s face before he met Ty’s eyes again.
“He’s being ridiculous,” Deuce told him.
“What’s this all about?” Julian asked from behind them.
Ty turned to look at him. He was still wearing his jeans and Tshirt, but it was obvious that he’d been asleep.
“We can’t stay. We need to move.”
“No. No! One of you, talk some sense into him,” Deuce said to them.
“What’s wrong?” Zane asked again, more insistent. Ty met his eyes and tilted his head toward Deuce. It wasn’t his secret to tell, and he hoped Zane would just trust him.
Deuce sighed in exasperation. “My girlfriend is pregnant. We found out yesterday.”
Julian snorted. “That is the most remarkable non sequitur I think I’ve ever heard. You’re right, he is Grady’s brother.”
Cameron jabbed Julian in the ribs, causing him to double over and groan pitifully.
Ty glared at him for a minute, but he could see that Zane knew exactly why Ty wanted to leave. “It’s not just you we’re jeopardizing by being here now,” Zane said, looking from Deuce to Ty. “You’re going to have a family. He’s right, we have to leave.”
“Come on,” Deuce said as he stepped closer to Zane. “I know damn well that if Ty thought there was any danger to me with you coming here, he wouldn’t have come to start with.”
Zane looked between them again. Ty held his breath as they waited for Zane to respond. He silently pleaded with his partner to back him up.
“I’m sorry, Deuce. He’s right,” Zane finally said with a shake of his head. Ty sighed in relief.
“Just stay for the night, okay? You’re all exhausted; you’re barely functioning. And hell, if someone’s going to be coming to kill me, I’d really appreciate it if you’d stick around with your guns and pointy things ’til morning, you know?” Deuce said in exasperation.
Ty cleared his throat and met Zane’s eyes.
“That’s a fair point,” Julian murmured.
Ty nodded. “You’re right,” he said to Deuce.
“I know,” Deuce said with a bright smile. He reached out and hugged his brother, holding onto him tightly. “Go to bed, okay? Be here in the morning?”
“I promise,” Ty muttered.

Z ANE had to look away as Deuce hugged Ty tighter. He could sympathize with the feeling, knowing Ty was in danger and wanting desperately to hold on to him and keep him safe.

When he finally let Ty go, he turned and hugged Zane as well. Zane smiled as he looked over Deuce’s shoulder at Ty.
“We’re keeping you up, Deuce,” Zane murmured as he pondered the two brothers and patted Deuce’s back. “Why don’t you go back to bed? I’m sure Ty knows where things are if we need anything else.”
Deuce let him go and looked him over, then looked at Ty, who was nodding in agreement.
“Just stick to your regular schedule in the morning, but don’t touch the front door,” Ty muttered.
“Why?”
Ty gestured helplessly to Julian.
“Just trust him; don’t touch it,” Julian said with a curt nod. They all stared at him. “Trade secret.”
Ty rolled his eyes. He reached to the small of his back and took out the backup gun he’d taken off one of the bodies, checking it before handing it to Deuce. “Put that under your pillow.”
Deuce looked down at it with a heavy sigh but didn’t take it. “Yeah, okay. But you can keep that. My regular schedule doesn’t involve shooting myself in the ass in the morning.”
Cameron laughed and then clapped a hand over his mouth. Ty snorted and shook his head. Deuce looked up to meet Zane’s eyes again, a worried frown creasing his brow.
Zane offered him a weak smile.
Deuce nodded and looked back at Ty as he turned toward the hallway. “Good night,” he said as he left them.
Ty turned his head to watch his brother limp toward his bedroom.
Julian and Cameron stood there awkwardly for a moment. “Well. Good night, then.”
Cameron gave them both a weak smile as he turned and followed Julian back into the guest bedroom.
Ty poked at the mattress with his foot.
Zane glanced toward the dark hallway, then leaned forward to reach out and touch Ty’s lightly bruised jaw. “He got you,” he murmured, his fingers feather light as they ghosted over the slight stubble. “You okay otherwise?” He’d not even gotten a chance to ask since the fight at the hotel some hours ago.
“Honestly?” Ty asked with another weak attempt at a smile. “I’m terrified, Zane. Everyone in the world I care about is mixed up in this now. I sent CIA cleaner teams to one of my friends and then led them right to my brother.”
Gut clenching painfully, Zane slid his hand along Ty’s neck. He wasn’t sure he’d ever heard Ty so freely admit to fear. “We’ll deal with it.”
“And I’m suddenly going to be an uncle.”
“That’s good, Ty. It’s good news.”
Ty nodded and looked back down at the mattress, poking at the corner of the sheets with his toes, unwilling to look at him.
“Ty.”
Ty met Zane’s eyes and swallowed hard. He reached out without a word and slid his arms around Zane’s neck. Zane pulled him close, surprised. He held him and Ty hugged him tight, still not speaking. Then he kissed Zane’s neck and stepped back.
“Let’s fix these sheets and go to bed, okay?”
“What’s wrong with the sheets?” Zane asked.
Ty barked a laugh and shook his head.
They remade the bed quickly, Ty’s corners still somehow perfect even on an air mattress on the floor. He stood to grab the heavy quilt and laid it out over the bed, then tossed the two pillows back onto the head of it.
He toed off his shoes and unbuckled his belt, then slid his jeans off and folded them neatly to set them on the couch. “You want couch side or floor side?” he asked Zane before pulling his shirt over his head.
“Floor side.” If he wasn’t going to be sitting up, he wanted to at least be able to move immediately. All he really wanted was to hold Ty to him.
Ty moved closer to him, sliding his hand against Zane’s face before he bent and crawled onto the bed. Zane’s eyes followed Ty’s every movement; he didn’t notice any hitches or winces that would indicate hidden injuries. It was rare enough for Ty to admit to being scared; Zane didn’t know if he’d be hiding injuries now. He simply looked exhausted, just like the rest of them.
He stretched out under the covers and rolled onto one side, curling up again and facing the couch next to the mattress.
Zane had already stripped down to his boxers before the commotion. He turned off the light and stood in place to let his eyes adjust, watching the lump in the dark that was Ty as he waited.
Even in the darkness, Zane could tell Ty was still tense as he lay there. He had every right to be; he’d just learned that his brother was going to be a father, the same brother he could possibly have put in danger simply by coming here.
Zane finally moved and knelt next to the mattress before climbing onto it carefully, trying not to rock Ty too much.
Ty immediately reached back for him, resting his hand on whatever was closest as Zane moved behind him. The gesture settled Zane, and he scooted close enough to spoon up against him, sliding one arm under Ty’s neck and draping the other over his waist. Ty scooted back into him, fitting against him perfectly. Calm began to seep through Zane’s mind and body.
“I love you,” he whispered, intending to say it as much as possible, at every opportunity, for the rest of his life.
Ty patted his hip a few times in response; then he was still and quiet. He wasn’t rocking or jiggling a leg or tossing and turning like he often did when he was lying in bed before sleep overtook him. He was just still and calm as his breathing evened out. It was a little disconcerting.
Zane kissed his shoulder again before letting his head settle on the pillow. He sank into the darkness as he listened to Ty’s breathing and the quiet sounds of the condo at night. He hoped the next day could be even half this peaceful.