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.
THE distant ringing of a phone rousted Ty, but he was still lying in the warm cocoon of blankets and Zane’s arms, staring at the ceiling, when Deuce skidded into the living room.
“Get up,” Deuce said in a panicked voice.
Ty shot up, rolling over Zane and clambering to his feet gracelessly, spurred on by the tone of Deuce’s words. Zane flailed and wound up rolling off the bed with him. Ty left him on the floor as he stood. “What’s wrong?”
“Livi’s on her way, you have to fix that doorknob.”
“How close is she?”
“In the lobby, Ty!”
Ty sprinted for the kitchen, almost dreading what sort of contraption he would see attached to the doorknob. “Why didn’t you tell her not to come up?”
“It was the doorman, she didn’t call ahead.”
“Well, call her and tell her to wait in the hall!” Ty said as he knelt in front of the doorknob. “What the shit is this?” It was so innocuous that he almost reached up to touch it. A row of connected straws wrapped around the base of the knob and led to the nearby coffee maker like a string. The knob itself was covered in tin foil, and Ty could see foil sticking out from inside several of the straws. “I….”
“Ty, come on, take it off.”
“I’m not even sure where to begin.”
“Ty!”
“Did you call her?”
“Her phone’s not picking up, she must be in the elevator.”
“What’s going on?” Zane asked from the doorway to the kitchen. His hair was mussed, and he still looked half-asleep. A moment later Julian joined them.
“Cross! How do we dismantle this thing?”
“Carefully,” Julian answered, voice calm and quiet. “The current’s in the foil.”
“What if we cut it?” Ty asked.
Julian hummed, not sounding optimistic.
“Ground yourself,” Zane said as he brought his boots over and clunked them down beside Ty’s knee.
In the moment of calm while Ty was sliding his feet into the boots, they heard the elevator ding in the hallway outside.
“Oh God,” Deuce said as he held the phone to his ear. “Come on, baby, answer the phone.”
“Give me some oven mitts.”
“You’re going to shock the shit out of yourself,” Julian murmured. “I want to take this moment to thank you profusely for letting me watch.”
“Shut up!” Ty and Zane both shouted at him.
Zane handed Ty the kitchen shears, and Ty tapped the end of one of the straws with the blade. Sparks flew, and he could feel the current running through the straws.“Holy shit!” Zane cried, as if he hadn’t really thought it would work.
“You’re not helping!” Ty told him, his voice wavering.
“That was incredible!”
“Zane!”
“I’m sorry, that was just really… I’m sorry.”
“Can we bask in its glory after we dismantle it?” Deuce growled as he dialed Livi’s number again. “It’s going straight to voice mail.”
“I….” Ty winced as he pulled the oven mitts on.
“Ty! You’re about to electrocute my girlfriend!”
They heard keys jingle outside the door.
“Livi, don’t touch the door!” Deuce called.
“Deacon?” a dainty voice said on the other side of the door.
“Answer your goddamn phone! Ty, cut it.”
The hair on Ty’s arms rose as he held the scissors up to the straws. “Oh, God, this is gonna hurt.”
“What is going on in there?” Livi asked, and the keys jangled again.
Out of the corner of his eye, Ty saw Cameron dart through the kitchen to the coffee maker on the counter. He reached behind it and yanked the plug out of the wall. The buzzing sensation on Ty’s arms ceased, and then he heard Livi’s key slide into the lock on the other side.
Nothing happened.
“Oh, well, that would have been easier. Well done, Cam,” Julian said in a pleased voice.
The door opened before Ty could scramble away, smacking him square in the cheek and sending him sprawling backward.
He lay on the tile floor, holding his face as Livi walked into the condo. “Oh my goodness, Ty! I’m so sorry!” the woman said as she put both hands to her mouth and bent over him. Livi was a beautiful girl, possibly less so just then since Ty could see two of her. She had intelligent robin’s-egg-blue eyes and hair so blonde it seemed white when the sun hit it. She was lithe and athletic, everything Ty thought a yoga instructor would probably be. She also led with her shoulder when she opened a door.
Zane took his arm and hefted him to his feet. Ty shook his head to clear the gauze. “So nice to see you again,” he muttered to her. She still had her fingers over her lips, staring at him with big blue eyes.
She turned and looked at Deuce, giving him a helpless gesture. “What the hell is going on?”
“Livi, you remember my brother, Ty. This is his partner, Zane Garrett.”
“Hi,” Zane offered in a low voice that sent a shiver up Ty’s spine.
“And these are their… friends, Julian and Cameron,” Deuce said as he waved at the other two men.
“Nice to meet you,” Cameron mumbled.
She greeted them each, overwhelmed by the surprise, then looked at the doorknob and the string of straws, shaking her head. “What is all this?”
“It was a security measure. We’re running from the CIA,” Ty told her, not even attempting to spare her. “They’re trying to kill us.”
“Well, kill him, specifically,” Zane added as he pointed at Julian.
“I sell antiques,” Julian said, monotone.
She narrowed her eyes, looking amongst them and then at Deuce. “Is this some sort of boys’ weekend that I’m not supposed to intrude on? Because I can totally leave before they hurt themselves trying to lie convincingly.”
Deuce gave her a warm smile and shook his head. “I think the only one lying is him,” he said, pointing at Julian.
“SO, I’M… I’m sorry, tell me again?” Livi stuttered as they all sat in the living room of Deuce’s condo.
“We’re serious,” Ty told her. “The CIA is trying to kill us.”
“Him,” Zane muttered.
“Would you stop that? Come on!”
“It’s more accurate to say they’re trying to kill him.”
“Zane!”
Julian rolled his eyes. “I believe what Agent Garrett is trying to point out is that you are likely in no danger because of our presence here.”
Livi nodded, looking at him dubiously.
“They’re lying,” Cameron said, his voice remarkably offhand. “You are in danger because we’re here, they’re trying to protect you so you won’t worry. They do that.”
“Cam!” Julian said, stunned into gaping at his lover.
Ty smacked his forehead and covered his face with his hand.
“Wow, you guys are… I could make a mint off your therapy,” Deuce muttered.
“I’m sorry—I really am—I’m just tired of this macho bullshit!” Cameron said as he waved a hand at them. He turned to Julian. “Can you honestly look at me and tell me you’re not scared?”
Julian tried to respond, but his mouth was still hanging open.
Cameron looked at Ty and Zane where they sat together on a square ottoman. “And you two, you’re just ridiculous! You’re so busy bitching at each other and trying to look like you don’t care that you don’t realize you’re throwing your lives away waiting for it to be the right time to admit you’re in love.”
“Cameron!” Julian finally managed to say, waving at Deacon and Livi as if Cameron might not remember they were there.
Cameron cleared his throat. “I’m sorry.”
Livi glanced over at Ty and Zane, then looked at Deuce. “So when you said partner, you meant like working partner? Because that didn’t really come across so much as they were a couple.”
Zane pinched the bridge of his nose, but he appeared to be smiling.
“Really?” Ty asked, sounding concerned.
“You scream ‘we’re screwing’.”
“Huh.”
“Well, now that we’ve got that cleared up,” Deuce said as he stood. “What are you going to do?”
Ty and Zane looked at each other, and then both men glanced at Julian. Zane was shaking his head, but Ty’s eyes moved from Julian to Cameron.
“What do we do, Cam?” Ty asked in a soft voice.
“Excuse me?”
“Look, you’re right. People like us, sometimes we can’t see the forest for the trees. We were all trying to figure out how to dismantle that freaking doorknob when none of us thought to just pull the plug.”