Cut And Run - Divide And Conquer Part 16

Zane hesitated. "I dont want to think that. Its...." He grasped for a word. "Disloyal." "Disloyal," Deuce repeated curiously. "To whom? To Ty?" "Yes, to Ty." Zane frowned. "Who else is there?"

Deuce hummed thoughtfully. "Theres you, Zane," he continued after a pause.

"Me?" Zane shook his head as he inhaled deeply and sighed. "I dont follow." Deuce sighed, long and loud. "If theres one thing my big brother taught me, its that sometimes you have to look out for number one. Dont worry so much about what h.e.l.l do or what h.e.l.l think."

Zane sighed. "Well, until just recently I was the only one looking out for me, so Im kind of used to that part of it." "Tell me something, Zane," Deuce said in a sly voice. "Is that really the biggest thing youre worried about right now? That Ty might leave you?"

Zane pressed his lips together hard. The tone of Deuces voice made him a little suspicious. But Deuce was never cruel, even if he did like to tease sometimes. Zane was worried about so many things he couldnt even start to rank them, but Ty-and whether Ty would still want him after such a radical change-really stood out. Zane figured it was a reflection of how much their relationship had developed. The next words were out before he thought them through. "He said he loves me."

"I know he does," Deuce a.s.sured him with a laugh. "Im surprised he told you, but Im glad he did. So, keeping that in mind, Ill ask you again: is that really the biggest thing youre concerned about?"

Zane closed his eyes, even though it made no difference in the darkness, and really considered the question. What did he really have? His job, and Ty. If it came down to it and he lost his job, he was relatively sure he could flounder his way into something else to do, somehow. But if he lost Ty, Zane just wasnt sure hed care about anything else. The slight pangs of pain he felt whenever he caught Ty looking at him in a particular way came more often now, and it was starting to make him want things he wasnt sure he could handle. "d.a.m.n it," he swore under his breath, hoping Ty really was asleep. "Yes."

"Well, Id say thats pretty good, then," Deuce said happily. "I mean, as far as problems go. Tys too stubborn to leave you if he loves you."

Zane let out a groan that reflected both frustration and relief. It helped so much just to hear that. "So Im stressing over whats probably nothing. Paranoia."

"I wouldnt call it paranoia. More... spinning your mental wheels. I mean, has he given any indication that he might leave now? Whats he been doing?"

"Hes been great, not that there was anything he could do in the hospital. But he didnt leave me alone," Zane said. "Was there when I woke up, sat with me there, got the doctors to let me leave, and got me home. All that aside, I really dont know what to do with myself. In theory? Its temporary. I could wake up tomorrow just fine. Or it could be permanent. Not one doctor of five could tell me anything more than aWe just have to wait and see," he muttered, "which was kind of cruel in itself."

"Wait and see. Makes you wonder what they tell deaf people," Deuce muttered. "Oh G.o.d, that was horrible. Forget I said that." "You know how many idioms there are that have something about aseeing or asight in them?" Zane asked, letting a little waspishness into his voice. He groaned aloud to punctuate the annoyance. He could hear Deuce trying not to laugh. "Ill go nuts if I have to sit around here doing nothing," Zane added. "Its not even day one, and Im already antsy. And thats with being worried about running into a wall."

"So do something," Deuce suggested. "Who blew you up? Cant you plot revenge or something? Any open cases you can mull over?" "We were investigating a report of a suspicious package," Zane said as he started thinking over their caseload. "Although I wouldnt be averse to a little plotting. As for cases, its not like Im a.s.signed to Financial Crimes, tracing forgers or art thieves through paperwork. Criminal involves more than a little legwork."

"So... why was there a bomb there?" Deuce asked. Zane shook his head, belatedly remembering he had to speak. "No idea. And Ive got no information after being in the hospital. Im sure Ty will find out what he can while hes at the office."

"No, Zane. I mean, why was there a bomb there? Who called it in? Was it a trap? Think about it. Come up with a theory." "Yeah, okay. I can do that." He shook his head. "Hey, Deuce?" "Yeah?" He sounded amused.

"Why are you surprised?" Zane asked, giving into the curiosity niggling at him. "Is it that he told me, or that he feels that way to start with?"

"I knew he was in love with you when we were in West Virginia, Zane. Im surprised he figured it out. And yeah, Im surprised as h.e.l.l that he told you."

Zane barely stopped himself from sitting up and dumping Ty on the floor. "In West Virginia? That was almost four months ago." "That surprises you?" "Deuce, if I hadnt been scared out of my f.u.c.king mind when he told me, I would have fallen over from the shock," Zane said with some amount of surety.

Deuce began to laugh softly. "And then he shoved you over the edge of a balcony or something, I know. Very romantic." He began to laugh harder.

"It was a three-story drop!" Zane growled in outrage. "I didnt even get a chance to say anything because the ship security guys were waiting for us!"

The laughter trailed off, and the line was silent for a moment. "What would you have said that you cant say now?" Deuce asked, voice neutral.

Zane literally flinched, flashing back to the confusing coil of emotions that had rocked him in that not even two minutes of revelation, jumping, and falling after Ty had said "I love you." But now, he wasnt remembering the literal fall from three decks above a cruise ship swimming pool. He was feeling the echoes of his more recent emotional shock in the stands at a fan-filled softball tournament: The fall wasnt coming. It was already over. He just had to figure out how to find words of his own. The honest words. "I dont know," he got out in a strangled whisper.

Deuce hummed again. "Maybe you should use some of your free time thinking about that. Cause if I know my brother, h.e.l.l stick with you through just about anything, including going blind. But I dont know how long h.e.l.l stick around if hes the only one thinking hes in love."

Zane frowned but had nothing to reply, and they sat there in silence, Zane with his mind buzzing in circles, for almost a full minute before he cleared his throat quietly. "Thanks for the talk, Deuce. I really appreciate it."

"Any time, Zane. You know that," Deuce told him with confidence. "Say h.e.l.lo to my brother, huh?" "Yeah, I will," Zane agreed, smoothing his palm down over Tys belly. "Talk to you later." He hit the end-call b.u.t.ton out of habit; he didnt need to see the phone to know where it was. "Well," he muttered, "that was full of up and downs, wasnt it?"

Ty grunted as if in answer and fitfully rolled onto his side. Zane smiled. He did feel better, though after that last bit of conversation, he wasnt sure he should. W HEN the phone rang, Zane startled and sat up in a rush, his left hand reaching out to fumble for his phone. He hit solid, warm skin, and he paused in place. He was on the wrong side of the bed, and he could tell by the bustle of sound from the street that it wasnt the middle of the night. He still couldnt see. The disappointment and fear welled into his throat.

"Ow, Zane," Ty grunted in a monotone, sleepy voice as Zane

pawed at him. He pushed Zanes hand away, and the bed dipped as he rolled over. Zane heard him smack his hand onto the table where the cell phone rang. "Grady," he grunted in answer to the call. He sighed in annoyance. "Now?" he asked whoever was on the other end of the call. "Well, why dont you come here and get it from me like all the other witnesses?" he asked petulantly. "Fine. Im at Garretts place."

Then he clicked the phone closed and groaned plaintively, rolling around again. Zane knew him well enough to guess he was burying his head under his pillow in protest.

Zane sighed and lay back down, facing toward Ty, dragging his own pillow under his chest. "Work?" he murmured, wide awake now, although the scare was fading.

"Sort of," Ty mumbled as he lifted up and then rolled out of bed, barely disturbing the mattress. "They want a witness statement from me," he said as his voice trailed off toward the hallway. "Theyre sending a car."

Zane missed the warmth of Tys body immediately. He stretched his hand out to rub his fingers across the still-warm fitted sheet. "About the bomb at the baseball field?"

"That and the other. And Ive got to go in and find that d.a.m.n kid and get your keys back."

"Not like I need them," Zane muttered.

"You will soon enough," Ty told him. The water began running soon after. Zane stood to walk to the bathroom, but his phones low chime stopped him. He felt his way back to the nightstand and answered with a hint of trepidation. "Zane Garrett."

"Special Agent Garrett, this is Dolores from PR at the Bureau." "Okay?" Dolores worked for White Strips. He wondered if her boss made her stock floss. "Weve received a large number of requests for interviews, and I wanted to check to see when you thought you might feel up to giving some."

"Giving some... interviews? About what?" Zane slowly sat down on the edge of the bed. "Some are speaking requests from community leaders who attended the cla.s.ses youve spoken at recently. But weve also had several requests since the press somehow connected you to the aquarium bomb scare. Youre quite the celebrity now," she said cheerfully.

Zane didnt know what to say. "Ill think about it," he said weakly.

"Do you still plan to give your talk at the community cla.s.s this coming Sat.u.r.day?"

"Do you know what happened to me yesterday?" Zane asked carefully. "Yes, and Im very sorry," she said, her voice softening. "The SAIC said that its your choice about Sat.u.r.day. Can you let me know by tomorrow if youre going or not?"

"Yeah, okay," Zane said. He ended the call and set the phone back on the nightstand as he heard the water cut off. Zane felt Ty moving around the small room very shortly after.

"You okay?" Ty said in a low voice, much closer to Zane than hed expected. Ty patted his shoulder and sidled past him. Zane reached out just in time for his fingers to drag down the damp skin of Tys back. "Yeah." Ty hummed in response, the sound coming from the general direction of the end of Zanes bed. "Have you seen my blue tie?" he asked distractedly.

Zane chuckled before he could help it. He stood up, moving away from the bed. "Ah. Maybe hanging with the other suit in the drycleaning bag." Theyd gotten into enough messes the past few months that now they each kept a suit or two at each others place.

Ty grunted and made an apologetic noise. "Sorry. Forgot about the... seeing thing." "Guess Ill get used to it fast," Zane said as he tried to figure out by listening what Ty was doing. "Did they say how long this would take?"

"Hour or two. Means probably four." There was rustling and the occasional whiff of Old Spice, and Zane figured Ty was putting on clothing, waving his shirt or jacket through the air as he put his arms into the sleeves. "Do you need anything before I go?"

Zane reached out to touch the chest of drawers in front of him. He might as well get dressed if Ty was going to be gone. "No, I dont guess so."

Tys hands suddenly slid up Zanes sides, moving to hug him as Tys chest pressed against his back. He was fully clothed-the soft material of Tys Tom Ford suit was unmistakable. Zane could feel the knot of his tie, the telltale quality of the material. "The blue suit," Zane murmured. Close fit that hugged his shoulders and body, blue wool, silk overcheck, broken herringbone pattern, single-breasted peak lapel. Ty looked incredible in it. As much as Ty loved to dress down-ratty T-shirts and busted-down jeans-he knew how to look good too.

"Yeah?" Ty replied, lips moving against Zanes shoulder. "Your favorite. You like the material. Pants fit right. Slim fit in the jacket." Zane lifted his hands to touch Tys and slide up over the suit jacket sleeves to Tys elbows. "Makes your eyes brighter," he said before really thinking about it.

"Is that so?"

Zane ducked his head, glad Ty was behind him and not looking at his face. "I dont think anyone at the office is concerned about the brightness of my eyes. Except maybe that f.u.c.king PR guy. But thank you, all the same," Ty tacked on slyly.

"Yeah, well," Zane murmured. That wasnt the kind of thing he said to Ty. It just wasnt. "I think I feel like an idiot now." Ty squeezed him hard. "You feel pretty good to me," he whispered. Then his hands were sliding off Zane and he was stepping away.

Zane swallowed hard as he lost touch with Tys warmth and had to grasp for something to say. Ty was going to think hed lost his mind. "I think Ill go back to bed for a little while."

"Might be a good idea." Tys voice was moving away. "Get some sleep, Garrett. Call me if you need anything." Zane listened to the front door shut firmly and sat down hard on the edge of the bed. He felt hot and G.o.dd.a.m.n tingly all over, and it wasnt from anything but what would probably qualify as sweet nothings on the open market. Flopping back on the bed, Zane rolled, pulled Tys pillow under him, and buried his face in the sheets. It was time to do some serious thinking; he figured he might as well be as comfortable as possible to do it.

"THANKSfor coming in, Grady. You werent injured, right?" Scott Alston asked.

"Like you care," Ty grunted at him. "Lets get this rolling, huh?" "Dont be a jerk," Alston shot back. "Were all worried about Garrett, and therere others hurt too. Wilkinsons in the hospital with a compound fracture of her right leg, and three others are still there too."

Ty held up both hands in surrender, closing his eyes. "Im sorry. Sorry." Alston sighed and sat down. "Yeah, well... its been a s.h.i.tty couple of days." He shuffled through some papers. "All right. I need to bend your brain about both bombings, the ballfield and the boutiques."

"We talked about the alliteration, Scott," Ty mumbled, not even managing a smile. Alston glared at him, then ignored the words. "So far weve found only four agents who were in both places. That includes you and Garrett."

"Who are the other two?" Ty asked as he settled into the seat across from Alston. It was uncomfortable and too low, forcing him to look up at the other man. Cla.s.sic psychological tactic to make someone being interrogated feel inferior and uncomfortable. f.u.c.king a.s.shole Feds....

"Waller and Carmichael, both from tech ops. They were on the street. As were you, right?" Ty sighed heavily and nodded. He spent the next hour telling Alston everything hed done, seen, felt, heard, and thought at both scenes, culminating in a ten-minute rant about his Bronco being melted and who the h.e.l.l was going to pay to fix an old Bronco that was worth more as evidence than it was on the street and when the h.e.l.l was he getting his Bronco back exactly?

After Alston managed to quiet him down, Ty was forced to sit there in the uncomfortable chair for another fifteen minutes as Alston got papers together for him to sign. By the time the man returned, Ty was calm again, concentrating on breathing in, breathing out, making the f.u.c.king Om sound in his head.

"Okay, Grady," Alston said after Ty was finished running two pens out of ink. "Theres good news and... well, other news. What do you want first?"

"Scott, dont make me hurt you," Ty muttered dejectedly. "Youre done here, Ty, no more paperwork," Alston said sympathetically. "But... youre also done for the rest of the week. Macs orders."

Ty stared at him, not truly surprised but still disgruntled over being benched. But who was he kidding, really? He was mangled from trying to stop a fireman the size of a refrigerator from scoring in a softball game that was basically a PR stunt, his Bronco was smoldering in an evidence yard somewhere, and his partner had been blown up and was helpless at home. Ty didnt want to be here when he needed to be there.

"Yeah, okay," he mumbled, looking down at his hands and picking at the medical tape around his fingers. "Its not just you, Ty," Alston said, sounding surprisingly rea.s.suring. "Weve locked down Waller and Carmichael, too, and, well, you know about Garrett. We know youre a target. Your face has been all over the news. Theyre still running that sound bite of yours, and those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds went after your truck. Now we need to figure out if Garrett was a target as well, and we want you off the field of play. Youll also have a skeleton crew checking on you, just in case." He sighed. "Ill call you as soon as we answer some of the metric ton of questions, okay?"

Ty just nodded and stood. "Are we done?" he asked tiredly. "Or am I due for a full rectal exam today too?"

"Go on. Youre looking rough, even for you," Alston said. "Nice suit though."