Chapter Six

Cameron looked out the window at the Comfort Inn, thinking it looked like it had landed right out of the ‘70s. Two floors, dark wooden plank construction, narrower and higher windows than in newer hotels, but it seemed nice enough for being out in the middle of nowhere northern Indiana off the toll road. It was almost three, and Cameron was exhausted. Surely Ty and Zane were too, and after Julian's attempted escape, they didn't seem to be willing to take any chances.

He dozed some while Zane was inside arranging their room, leaning his head against Julian, who had pulled as close as he could while handcuffed to the ring on the floor. The handcuffs were something new for Cameron. He'd watched in horror as Julian picked his lock in the car with a flick of his wrist and nothing more, wondering at how much practice something like that would take. His lover never ceased to amaze him with all his nefarious skills.

Cameron sometimes wondered about his own moral makeup, that something like that could sort of turn him on.

He smiled and turned his head to press his cheek against Julian's shoulder. Julian turned his chin to try and kiss the top of his head, an almost unconscious gesture, but he couldn't reach due to the way they were cuffed. He sighed, an exasperated sound that Julian rarely made, and he looked out the window, eyes narrowed.

Ty sat in the front seat, muttering to himself, his knee bouncing so quickly it was more a vibration. That Red Bull hadn't done the man much good, and it had only had an hour to wear off. Cameron was almost amused by the dichotomy of the two Federal agents. Zane was so calm and steady and dark, taking things in stride, tolerantly handling any adversity that came their way, until Julian's escape attempt. And then Ty seemed the complete opposite. He was wired to the sky, and he struck Cameron as a big floppy puppy; cracking jokes, attention bouncing from one thing to another, patience thin as a wafer. Ty was the Omega to Zane's Alpha.

They were both handsome, and while Zane was more Cameron's type than Ty was, there was something about Ty's rugged exterior that made him more approachable and attractive.

They certainly were the odd couple of partners, although Zane was the one who felt like a threat to Cameron now that he'd been exposed to them both. Julian obviously felt the same way. Cameron could still feel the tension invested in his tall frame. "Can't you relax just a little? You're so wound up," he whispered, looking up at Julian.

Julian turned and cocked his head to meet his eyes, then smiled. "No more than usual," he murmured, his voice low and gruff.

"I can tell," Cameron said, wishing he could get close enough to touch him with something besides his foot or his nose.

"It'll be okay. Just do as they tell you."

"Quit with the whispering," Ty said in a sharp voice.

Cameron could see the reflection of his eyes in the rearview mirror, looking back at them. "So you can scoff at us for having a quiet moment? I don't think so," he said with a sniff as he tried to cuddle closer against Julian.

"Kid, I don't think you really understand the situation, here, so let me make it perfectly clear," Ty said, voice going harder and hazel eyes flashing with anger. "You and your boyfriend are federal prisoners, and you do exactly what we tell you, when we tell you, without the attitude and without the cute little remarks. One coffee in my lap is all the free pass you get, and we don't have to fucking be nice about it. You whisper, I leave you on the side of the road and he rolls in the trunk. Got it?"

Cameron stared, wide-eyed. He nodded, suitably chastised and feeling stupid for his forays into the acerbic. He looked up at Julian. "Do you think Zane would really have shot you?"

"Yes," Julian said, sounding confident. Ty was nodding in the front seat as he looked out the window.

"I thought he was the nice one," Cameron said under his breath.

Julian put his lips to Cameron's ear and whispered, "Next time I'll dump the coffee on him instead."

Cameron sighed in exasperation. "You're deliberately causing trouble."

Julian shushed him as he glanced toward the front seat. Ty was rolling his eyes and rubbing at his temple. Cameron shifted closer to Julian and tilted his head until they could push their mouths together for a small kiss. Julian whispered against Cameron's lips, turning his head to hide the movement of his mouth from the mirror. "We have to get away from them before we reach Washington," he murmured. He kissed Cameron again to mask the words.

The kiss made Cameron's pulse race, just like Julian's touch always did. Cameron hummed to let Julian know he understood. He cursed the handcuffs; he wanted to shift himself further into Julian's arms and wished he could crawl into his lap, Ty watching be damned. He felt Julian smile against his lips, obviously picking up on Cameron's desire to do so.

"Christ, please stop," Ty said from the front seat, voice plaintive.

Cameron pulled back and smiled at Julian, ignoring Ty's request.

Julian was looking at him in the same adoring way he always did, but he was also smirking. There was a hint of malicious enjoyment in his black eyes. "Do you object to all public displays of affection, Agent Grady? Or is it the fact that we're both men?" he asked without looking away from Cameron.

Ty answered with the loud slide action of his 9mm service weapon. "If you really must know, I'm of the opinion that it's rude to make out in a man's back seat."

"Well, technically, it's not your back seat."

"I've been on the road too long and I miss getting laid in my own bed. Don't push me."

Julian laughed and kissed Cameron again for good measure. Cameron shook his head afterward and settled down, turning a somewhat apologetic look toward Ty. "I'm sorry you've been away from home so long," he said, sincere. He wouldn't apologize for the kisses though.

"My own fault," Ty said, voice curt.

"Why?" Cameron could see Ty's eyes in the mirror, looking at him evilly.

"I'm too sober for you, Jiminy Cricket," Ty muttered. He looked out the window again and shook his head.

Julian hummed. "I don't suppose asking for a separate room would go over well?"

"Probably not," Ty said.

"I'm fine with two beds," Cameron said. "Can you see Ty and Zane getting any sleep in a double bed?"

"Ty and Zane will be just fine," Ty said in a falsely cheerful voice. "Cross will be sleeping in handcuffs on the floor."

"Kinky," Julian said, smirking.

"What do you mean?" Cameron asked, sitting up, peering at Ty through narrowed eyes.

Ty held up a third pair of handcuffs that clinked as he waved them.

"Funny," Cameron said with a frown. So much for a comfortable night.

The passenger door popped open and a cold blast of wind assaulted them. Zane leaned over to peer inside at his partner. "You can just park right here. We're going in the front and up to the second floor."

"What took so long?" Ty asked. If Zane was surprised to see Ty sitting there with his gun and his handcuffs in his lap, he didn't show it. It made Cameron wonder about the sanity of both men.

"It took her ten minutes to decide they didn't have any connecting rooms available. So, one room," Zane said as he gathered the bags out of the floorboard.

"Great," Ty muttered as he pushed open his door and got out of the car.

Julian ducked his head to peer out the window at them. "Luck is with us tonight," he whispered to Cameron.

"Why is that?"

"With one room it will be easier to disable them and get away."

"You're not going to kill them, are you?" Cameron asked, shifting uneasily in the seat. "I mean, they're just doing their jobs."

"Not unless they make me," Julian said as he looked back at Cameron. "The threat from Grady is negligible, but Garrett will kill both of us if he thinks he's justified. Remember that before you get too attached to them."

"You always tell me I trust too easily," Cameron said. "He just seemed like such a... nice guy." He shivered, though, remembering how Zane's face had been so cold and blank as he'd shot the asphalt at Julian's feet.

"He's not. Neither of them are."

His words were punctuated by Ty opening the back door and waving at Julian. "Come on, O'Doul."

That worried Cameron a lot, to think that men in law enforcement could be as bad as the criminals they chased. Not that he thought of himself and Julian as criminals, although technically, he supposed Julian really was. Or used to be. Or might have been.

As he climbed out of the car he watched Zane, the wind riffling his hair, his gun gripped in a gloved hand. Cameron's eyes shifted to his lover. Julian and Zane looked similar enough that it was a little eerie in the harsh parking lot lights—tall, broad-shouldered, dark-haired...

When Ty stalked around the car to join his partner, all gruff attitude, hard muscle, and broad shoulders, Cameron barely quashed the urge to cringe away. He and Julian were in more trouble than he wanted to believe, and now he felt really stupid for ever joking around with the two men.

Ty pushed Julian against the car, a hand in the center of his shoulders, and he kept the hand there as he turned to face Zane. Zane stepped closer until they were right in front of each other. Each kept his eyes over the other's shoulder—Zane watching Julian, Ty watching Cameron and the parking lot—as they spoke. Ty tilted his head so he was murmuring into Zane's ear. It had an oddly intimate feel as they stood there, and Julian was craning his head to watch them. Cameron wondered if he could make out anything they were saying.

Whatever they'd been discussing was decided, and Ty patted Zane's belly before stepping away from Julian and moving toward Cameron. "Come on, kid, let's go," he said as he held his hand out toward Cameron, waving him forward.

"What about Julian?" Cameron asked, dragging his feet.

"He and Zane are going to get to know each other down here. Come on," Ty said as he moved a step closer and took Cameron's elbow. He didn't tug on him, though, appearing willing to give him a chance to go of his own accord.

Cameron looked from Julian to Zane and back before nodding reluctantly. "All right," he murmured. Ty handed him his bag and shouldered his own as they started walking toward the front door.

When they got to the entrance, Cameron glanced back over his shoulder to where Julian and Zane still stood next to the car.

Julian had turned around, and he stood with his cuffed hands clasped in front of him. He nodded at Cameron.

"They're okay," Ty said in an oddly gentle voice as he pulled the door open and held it for Cameron.

Cameron didn't feel reassured, but he walked inside anyway. The interior of the hotel had the same feel as the exterior; too much brass, too much glass, and way too much disco fever.

They passed the front desk and headed on to the large set of stairs in the center of the entry hall. There was no elevator. Ty led him to the room just to the right of the steps and keyed the electronic lock, then pulled Cameron into the room as he flipped on the light.

Cameron couldn't think of a reason Ty would bring him up here alone, unless Zane was going to do something to Julian. "Aren't they coming up too?" he asked as he stood just inside the door.

"After we're done," Ty said in an off-handed manner. The door closed behind them and Ty pulled Cameron further into the room, turning on lights as he went.

"Done?" Cameron felt a pang of alarm. Maybe Ty was going to do something to him.

"Yeah, sit down," Ty said, distracted as he pointed at one of the two beds in the room and looked around. He walked to the window and peered out, then pulled the heavy curtains closed.

Cameron frowned but perched on the foot of the bed closest to the door as he tracked Ty's movement through the room.

He inspected the window and its frame before crouching to look at the air conditioning unit under it. He gripped the face of the unit and tugged at it. He picked up the chair and pushed at the small desk in the corner. He shoved at the miniature refrigerator with his toes and got down on the ground to look at the bottom of the safe attached to the wall. He turned the television on its swiveling stand, pulled out all the drawers in the room, plucked out the Bible and flipped through the pages. He turned to look at Cameron as he held the book upside down and shook it.

"What are you doing?" Cameron asked. "I thought the Red Bull was wearing off."

"I'm looking for something solid. And I'm making sure there's nothing in here your boyfriend can use to kill or maim us," Ty said as he dropped the Bible back in the drawer. He knelt just behind Cameron and looked under each bed, then he slid his hands under the mattress.

"He doesn't need anything to kill or maim you," Cameron said as he realized he felt uncomfortable with Ty kneeling so close to him.

Rather than being impressed or intimidated, Ty just laughed. "I know," he said as he pushed himself to his feet.

"So why bother with the search?"

Ty sat down beside him on the double bed, too close to him. Yeah, he definitely made Cameron uncomfortable, like patrons at the restaurant that got too flirtatious. Only Ty hadn't done anything even remotely like that, so Cameron couldn't figure out what it was that made him uneasy. Maybe Ty was just one of those people who exuded that sort of feeling.

"You ever seen two big dogs fight over a bone?"

Cameron shrank back. "No. But I know what you're getting at."

Ty nodded. "In theory, the one with the spikes on his collar has the advantage. But really it's the one who ain't worried about protecting a puppy hiding behind him."

"Great. Now I'm a puppy." Then it hit him. "Wait. You're not talking about you, are you? You're talking about them, out there alone, fighting over... something?" Cameron's voice had risen as he started to panic.

Ty shook his head and began rubbing at the bridge of his nose. "It's a general metaphor. Don't take it literally," he said, but then he waved his hand. "Look, all I'm saying is you coming with him, it put him at a disadvantage. But you keep your dog on a leash; I'll keep mine on one too."

Cameron looked at him, uneasy. Then he nodded. "I'll try."

Ty nodded and stood.

The nerves faded once Ty wasn't beside him anymore. Yeah, it was definitely just a feeling Ty gave off.

Ty took his phone out of his pocket and dialed, then he said, "We're good."

He looked down at Cameron as he put the phone away. "You'll have that bed. Don't move," he said as he turned and headed toward the bathroom.

Cameron opened his mouth to object but swallowed it instead, shaking his head as Ty disappeared into the bathroom. The handcuffs comment made sense now. Well, he was in for a surprise then, because if Julian ended up sitting on the floor handcuffed to a table leg or safe or mini refrigerator, then Cameron would be sitting right there next to him.

Cameron mulled over what Ty had said, and the unusual discomfort of the situation, until the door to the room opened and Julian walked in. He still appeared calm and stoic, but Cameron recognized the tension in his shoulders. As soon as he saw Cameron, though, he relaxed. Obviously he'd been having the same flashes of alarm Cameron had experienced when Ty took him up here alone, and that made Cameron feel both a little better and a little worse.

"Have a nice chat?" Cameron asked, putting on a smile he didn't feel.

"Oh, it was enlightening," Julian said, drawling the words out in amusement.

He took a step toward Cameron, but Ty appeared out of the bathroom before Julian could get past the door and snapped the spare handcuffs onto one of Julian's wrists. Then he grabbed the back of Julian's coat, almost as if he were scruffing a cat, and dragged him into the bathroom. There was a brief and noisy struggle, complete with bangs and crashes, during which Cameron heard Julian say a few choice words he'd never heard his lover utter. A few moments later Ty stepped out of the bathroom, primly adjusting his clothing as he gave Zane a dashing smile.

Zane's lips were pressed together hard. Cameron would have sworn that he was trying not to laugh.

"Secure?" Zane asked with difficulty.

"Unless he decides to rip the shower enclosure out of the wall... yes."

After hearing what had come out of Julian's mouth, Cameron wasn't too sure Ty should be so happy with himself.

Julian's dry voice drifted out of the bathroom. "You're an imbecile."

"But I ain't handcuffed to a shower."

"I want to sit with Julian," Cameron said.

"No," Zane said in a pleasant voice.

"Why not?" Cameron asked, standing and holding up his handcuffed hands.

"Because we fucking said so," Ty said. "Get in bed. Do it now."

Zane shrugged out of his coat and hung it in the closet before picking up his duffel. "You get in bed too," he told Ty with a jerk of his head toward the second bed. "I'm not sleeping."

Ty looked at Zane as if he wanted to object, but he kept his mouth shut and stripped off the T-shirt he'd changed into earlier and toed off his boots. He fell into the bed in just his jeans and burrowed his head under one of the pillows. He reminded Cameron of a very large dog throwing itself to the ground to take a nap.

He wondered how Ty planned to just go to sleep on command after drinking an entire Red Bull, but as he watched Ty didn't move, and soon his breathing evened out. Cameron stared at him in disbelief.

"He's asleep," he said without thinking.

"Yeah, he does that."

Zane didn't seem to be paying either of them much attention; he'd moved to the table in the corner and was pulling a stack of papers out of his messenger bag. He sat in the corner, running his hand through his hair to leave it unruly, fingers playing with his beard as he got to work. He looked a little more relaxed but still dark and dangerous. Rakish, even.

Then the gun went on the table right next to the papers. Only then did he glance back up at Cameron and raise an eyebrow.

Cameron wondered if it was too late to ask for a bathroom break.

After an hour of writing down notes by hand, Zane caught himself staring across the room at Ty, who was sprawled on the bed nearest the bathroom, head under a pillow, body loose and relaxed. Zane doubted he was; Ty usually knew where he was even asleep. He could only remember one or two occasions when he'd done something while Ty was asleep and hadn't woken him.

Just being able to see him was reassuring in ways Zane would have avoided exploring in the past, but now he could admit why. He loved his exasperating partner beyond all reason. He saw him as a lifeline he had desperately needed, an inspiration in so many ways.

Several minutes passed before Zane tore his gaze away from Ty's half-naked body to glance around the room. Cameron was asleep as well, curled up under the blanket in the other bed. He looked young and innocent, though he couldn't really be, what with spending so much time with a man such as Julian Cross. Zane looked to the bathroom. It had been quiet in there as well. With a sigh he pushed back from the table to stand and stretch. He had kinks all up and down his back after the flight and the car ride combined with the tension of the situation.

"Come lay down," Ty murmured in a low, hoarse voice, muffled by the thin pillow. He hadn't moved. Zane wondered how he did that sometimes, sensed things without seeing them. Zane had never mastered that art, even while being blinded from his injury several weeks ago.

Zane glanced at Cameron before walking over to stand at Ty's bedside and lifted the pillow off his head. "You should be asleep," he said as he set his gun on the nightstand.

"But I'm not," Ty whispered. "Come lay down with me."

Zane wasn't going to pass on a second request, not while all was quiet. He moved around to the foot of the bed and crawled up beside him, settling on his side and scooting up against Ty to lie in the crook of his arm. When he settled his cheek on Ty's shoulder, he felt a warm calm soak into him as he pressed close to Ty's exposed skin.

Ty growled and rolled, wrapping Zane up in his arms. "You need rest," he said. He lowered his voice and moved his lips against Zane's skin. "And I need you."

Zane slid his arm up and around Ty's neck as Ty pulled him close. It was about 4 a.m., and he'd been awake for almost twenty-four hours. But being this close to Ty after days apart wasn't conducive to sleep. "Baby," he whispered against Ty's throat before pressing his lips to the soft, warm skin.

Ty hummed and ran his hand up and down Zane's side, tugging at his shirt. He pushed his chin forward and kissed him. Zane sighed against his lips and inhaled Ty's scent, letting it flood through him. The sandalwood was still there, and Zane would have to remember to ask where it had come from. It was intoxicating, and he was barely hanging on to the thought that one of their prisoners was sleeping not even ten feet away. But one kiss—just one—he had to have it, and he tightened his arm around Ty's neck to deepen it.

Ty's hands gripped him hard and he pushed Zane back just enough to be able to kiss him harder. "Is that kid asleep?" he asked in a quiet rush.

"Seems to be," Zane said under his breath as he tried to recapture Ty's lips. "We shouldn't do this." But he pawed at Ty anyway.

"Zane." His name was no more than Ty's breath against his lips, scooting closer. "I don't care if we should or not."

"God, I thought we got this out of our systems," Zane whispered, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment as his gut clenched with desire.

Ty kissed him again, pulling him until their bodies touched all over. "We can be quiet."

Zane had to smother his laugh in Ty's neck. "No we can't," he muttered with absolute certainty.

Ty pulled back and looked at him with one eyebrow raised. "Not even a little?" he asked with true disappointment.

"A little? You think I'm going stop at just a little?" Zane shook his head and kissed Ty. He ached for Ty, inside and out, but this just wasn't the time. A professional hitman was locked up in the bathroom, and another prisoner was in the next bed. It would have been comedic if it didn't suck so much. "I want you more than anything," he murmured against Ty's lips. "And you can't possibly imagine all the things I'm going to do to you. But for that, we need to be at home."

"Goddamn it." Ty pulled his head back and sighed.

Zane nodded regretfully. "But for now we have this," he whispered, burrowing in close.

Ty sighed again and pulled Zane closer, scooting up until he could rest his chin on top of Zane's head and Zane was snuggled up against his chest. "Go to sleep if I can't grope you. I'll stay awake."

Zane snorted but didn't twitch a muscle to move. "That'll be a pretty picture for Cameron to see if he wakes up."

Ty held his breath for a few moments, and then let it out in an irritated rush. "Fine."

He pulled his hand out from under Zane's neck and rolled over, and then sat up and rolled his head from side to side. The immediate chill made Zane shiver, and he wrapped his arms around himself, watching Ty. He wished he hadn't said anything. He didn't want to sleep. He wanted to be awake, to soak Ty in. He reached out to trail his fingers down Ty's arm.

Ty turned his arm and let Zane's fingers glide over his palm. He pushed himself off the bed and stretched, then turned and leaned over Zane, pulling the comforter up over him as he kissed him. "Go to sleep."

Zane sighed, warmed by Ty's quiet affection, and reached for his gun. Then he pulled one of the pillows partway under his chest and tucked his hand holding the gun underneath it, a security measure made second nature after his time undercover in the seedy Miami underbelly. Even the past several months sleeping unarmed with Ty hadn't made the position feel strange. "Don't kill Cross."

"No promises," Ty muttered. He moved away and clicked off the light Zane had been using.

It made the room mostly dark, just the light spilling under the room door to see by, and Zane watched Ty's silhouette for long minutes before closing his eyes. He'd just rest for a little bit.

He didn't know how long he slept, but there was gray light coming through the curtains when a noise awakened him.

There was a bang and a rattle, like plastic rolling across tile, and then Ty shouted: "Where is it?"

Zane was out of the bed and at the bathroom door, gun in hand, in three seconds flat, pulse racing.

Ty stood in the middle of the bathroom, glaring down at Julian and holding a roll of toilet paper in his hand. Julian sat in the bathtub, handcuffed to the safety rail on the shower enclosure. He was looking at Ty like he thought he had lost his mind. Zane narrowed his eyes as he sized up the scene. He glanced at the wall where the toilet paper should have been, then back at Ty's hands before turning a questioning look on Julian.

"Where is it?" Ty said again.

"I have no idea what you're blathering on about," Julian said, the epitome of calm. "Agent Garrett, I believe he needs more rest. Or perhaps it's time for his medication," he said, mimicking someone drinking.

"Shut up. Where's what?" Zane asked as he studied Julian and the cuffs. They looked intact.

Ty whirled around to look at him. His entire body was tense. His eyes were a sparkling green and they flashed angrily. Zane's breath caught before he could help himself. His partner was stunning when he was like this.

"The toilet paper holder," Ty said in quick bursts of words. He turned back on Julian. "Hand it over or I'll search for it myself."

Zane glanced around again, and he caught sight of the two plastic halves of the holder on the floor behind the toilet and next to the sink. He looked back at Julian and had to repress a smile. The man was clever, and an excellent liar. Zane didn't figure he would have thought of that himself. "You took the spring."

"I tried to take the spring, but it didn't have one," Julian told him. He didn't seem at all perturbed to have been caught.

Ty growled and reached into the tub to grab Julian's neck and yank him to his feet.

Zane put his hand on Ty's shoulder. "You can't just strip him down."

"Watch me," Ty said, and he pushed Julian face first against the shower wall then stepped into the tub with him.

Julian cleared his throat as he tried to reposition his hands in a way that his wrists weren't being torqued by the handcuffs, but he didn't protest the rough treatment.

Zane was torn between the urge to laugh and the more professional need to pull Ty off their prisoner. He also wasn't fond of watching Ty manhandle anyone like that unless it was him. He realized he was more tired than he'd thought if the sight of Ty searching a criminal had him jealous.

"Grady."

Ty was already patting Julian down. Quite thoroughly. He glanced back at Zane and jerked his head. He continued the pat down, and Julian moved his head so he could glance over his shoulder at them. He didn't show any emotion, merely looked at Ty.

"In most countries you'd have to pay for that."

Zane stifled a sigh and took a step back. It wasn't exactly kosher, what Ty was doing, but the assignment gave them unusual latitude to deal with such a dangerous asset. And maybe it would help Ty work off some of that extra energy. He turned in the doorway to glance out into the main room. Cameron was sitting up, turned toward the bathroom, peering his way with a worried look on his face.

Zane heard Ty whuff from within the bathroom, and by the time he looked back Ty had shoved Julian's face against the shower wall and was holding him there by the back of his head.

"Watch the elbows."

"Watch your fingers," Julian snapped.

"Welcome to TSA training, bitch."

"Want the other set of cuffs?" Zane asked, hoping to appease his cranky partner. "You could spread his arms out."

"Will someone please tell me the safe word?" Julian asked.

Zane snorted and leaned against the door, but he was watching Ty carefully. Something about Julian seemed to rub him wrong, and Ty's short patience was nonexistent with this man.

A moment later Ty reached around and slid his fingers under his belt.

"Agent Garrett, I really must protest," Julian said, though his voice was still calm.

Yeah, Zane wanted to protest too. Too much of Ty's bare skin was too close to another man for Zane's taste.

Julian started to speak again, but his words were choked off as Ty moved his hand further under his belt. Julian did react then, throwing his head to the side and beginning to fight as Ty pulled at the waistband of his pants.

"Ha!" Ty yanked something out of Julian's pants and held it up. It was a long, thin piece of metal. It had once been a spiral, but it had been straightened out. Julian cursed. Ty put a hand in the center of his back and shoved him against the wall, holding him there as he stepped out of the shower.

"Bravo," Zane said, shaking his head. He wasn't sure who he was congratulating, though.

Ty waved the straightened spring at him and then tossed it into the sink on the other side of the bathroom door.

"Clever bastard," Julian muttered, sounding almost amused. "Do you have any idea how difficult that was?"

"Is this what the whole trip is going to be like?" Zane asked with a wave of his gun at the spring.

"I would wager so, yes," Julian said with a nod. "Perhaps if you allowed me—"

"No," Ty snapped. "Sit down, shut up, stop trying to escape." He turned to Zane. "Where's the kid?"

Zane nodded toward the open room.

"Go get him."

That got Julian's attention. He straightened, still standing in the bathtub, and he pulled at the handcuffs that looped around the safety bar. "No need to bring him into this."

"You brought him into this," Zane said. He took two steps out of the room and waved Cameron over.

"What's going on?" Cameron asked as he climbed off the bed and moved to join Zane at the door.

Ty stepped to the side so Cameron could see Julian. They hadn't let Cameron see him at all since locking him in the bathroom, and now Cameron's brow creased as he took in the scene. Zane knew it was a disturbing image, Julian disheveled, standing in the bathtub cuffed to the shower rail, and Ty bare-chested and fuming.

"Julian? Are you okay?"

Julian smiled at him. "I'm fine, love. Agent Grady just needed a cuddle. And possibly a piece of my spleen."

Ty held up the piece of metal and tapped it against the sink counter. Cameron looked from it to Julian and back. He didn't look like he was making the connection.

"When we left you said the only way you'd come along without a fuss was with your boyfriend," Ty said, but it wasn't clear which one he was talking to since he was looking at the floor near his feet. "But since you're making a fuss anyway, I don't see why we have to hold up our end of the bargain."

Julian raised his chin and his black eyes flashed, but he didn't react otherwise. When Zane had first seen Julian's reaction to Cameron in the apartment, he'd been sure Cameron would be the best way to control him. It was a combination of how the man softened when he looked at his lover but bristled, even the tiniest bit, when there was any threat toward him.

Cameron looked back and forth between them as if he was watching a tennis match. Zane had to admire how he seemed to be holding up under the stress. Many civilians would have fallen apart by now, especially in the face of Ty's impressive rage. "Julian?" His voice was low and cautious.

Ty shook his head. "Don't talk to him, talk to me," he said to Cameron in a low, barely controlled voice that would have scared just about anyone. It almost scared Zane. It did the trick, because Cameron shrank away from him even as he looked at him. Ty pushed away from the sink and stepped toward Cameron, holding up the spring. "He tries one more time to escape, and I promise you, you'll never see each other again."

Cameron stared at him, eyes wide and chest heaving as he breathed hard.

"Now, go whisper about that some," Ty said, voice downright cruel.

Cameron had gone white, and Zane caught a tremble in his hands before he gripped them into fists. But he nodded jerkily. "I'll talk to him."

"You do that," Ty said, and he stepped out of the bathroom. He pulled Zane with him and closed the door behind them.

Zane turned and went along as Ty walked toward the window. If that wasn't enough to calm Julian down, they'd have to tranquilize him.

They might have to tranquilize Ty too, if what Zane had just seen wasn't an act of some sort.

Ty paced toward the window and then turned back to Zane, looking troubled and no longer even remotely angry. Zane was impressed by his lover's ability to turn that on and off so quickly. He'd known Ty was a chameleon based on his performance as an Englishman on that cruise ship job they'd worked, but Zane had never seen Ty turn emotions on and off like that.

"I feel like a monster, threatening that kid."

Zane raised one brow, surprised. "Why?"

Ty looked at him oddly. "Because he hasn't done anything wrong. Because he's got stars in his eyes, and he can't help it that he's in love with that jackhole."

"He chose to be here. He had to know what he was getting into. I can't imagine living with Cross is good for anyone's health."

Ty shook his head and looked down at the mangled spring. He spun it around between his fingers. "This guy, man. If he'd been able to retie his shoelaces, I'd have never noticed," he said in disgust as he tossed the wire into the trash.

Zane shook his head and set his gun on the dresser in front of the TV, in easy reach. "He used his toes to get to it?"

Ty nodded.

"Clever. Like someone else I know."

Ty glared at him before the expression softened. "Please don't compare me to the criminal."

Zane watched him affectionately. "Sorry."

"Hopefully, Cameron will keep him in line from now on."

Glancing back at the bathroom door, Zane set his hands on his hips as he considered. "Maybe if we leave them together in there another few hours, we could get some more sleep."

Ty nodded. "Sleep. We'll leave them to it." He grabbed up his shirt from the floor and pulled it over his head, then stepped over to Zane and kissed him. Zane took advantage of the chance, though, and slid his hands under the shirt before Ty even got it pulled all the way down.

"Did you enjoy patting down Cross," Zane asked before nipping at Ty's earlobe.

Ty grunted distractedly, not picking up on Zane's teasing tone. "He got me a good one in the ribs. It's like he has extra hands."

Zane moved to slide his hands over Ty's ribs. "You bested him, though," he murmured, sliding his arm around Ty's waist and pulling their bodies flush.

Ty pushed away and looked at him oddly again. He shook his head. "This isn't a pissing contest, Zane. I just want to get rid of him as quick as we can. Guy makes me nervous."

"Yeah, I can tell," Zane said.

"You saying he doesn't bother you?"

"No. I'd put you up against him any day." He dropped his chin, rubbing his bearded cheek against Ty's.

"Are you trying to start something out here?" Ty asked in a warm voice.

"I wish," Zane muttered, splaying his hand flat along Ty's shoulder blades and rubbing the warm skin.

Ty kissed his cheek and moved away. "Then cut it out. And shave that damn thing off in the morning, huh?"

Zane huffed, but he allowed Ty to push him away. He wanted to be close, but they couldn't get distracted. Muttering under his breath, he walked over to the desk and his papers.

Ty went to the bathroom door and leaned against it, sliding to the floor with a soft groan. He was apparently intending to sit there the rest of the morning. After a roll of his eyes, Zane snatched up a pillow and flung it at him.

A moment later, he heard Ty's soft, "Thanks, Zane."

Julian was surprised when the two FBI agents left Cameron with him in the bathroom. But he knew what they were thinking, and on the surface it made sense. He tugged at the handcuffs and raised one hand toward Cameron.

His lover climbed into the bathtub next to him and slid their hands together, lacing their fingers. "Have you been stuck like this all night?"

"Well, I was sitting," Julian answered, keeping his tone light. He slid the chain up the diagonal safety rail and spread his arms as wide as they would go, gesturing for Cameron to duck under. Cameron did, moving to stand in the circle of Julian's arms and reach up to slide his hands around Julian's neck, tipping his head back to look up at him.

"Aside from threatening you, how have they been treating you?" Julian asked.

"Fine. Haven't said a word to me, really. I was sleeping until I heard Ty yell at you."

"He's just overly excitable." Julian kissed him. It was hard to pull him closer with the safety bar restraining his arms like it was. "Are you going to give me my lecture?"

"Do I need to?" Cameron asked, meeting his eyes.

Julian sighed and looked over at the door. "If we make it to DC, we'll never see each other again anyway." He looked into Cameron's eyes. "They're using threats to you to keep me under control. But if I'm reading them correctly, Grady won't hurt either of us unless we force him, and he won't let Garrett hurt you. Nothing is a bigger threat than what they're delivering us to."

"Will you tell me what's going on?"

Julian hesitated. He had spent most of their lives together trying to shield Cameron from the worst of it. But now they were being dragged across the country, possibly to their deaths. Cameron deserved to know.

"It's the CIA, Cam."

"CIA? I thought Ty and Zane were FBI."

"I don't know what they are. But it's sure as hell not the FBI who wants to kill me."

Cameron's arms tightened around Julian's neck. "I won't let them take you away from me if I can do anything to stop it."

"Just look intimidated and docile whenever they threaten you. Let them think it's working."

"I don't have to act," Cameron murmured as he laid his cheek against Julian's chest. "They are intimidating."

Julian snorted before he could stop himself. He cleared his throat to cover it. He leaned back and looked down at Cameron. "You're not wearing anything sharp or pointy, by any chance, are you?"

Cameron frowned and let his arms slide down. "Sharp or pointy? I don't think so." He looked down at himself. He didn't wear jewelry—the only jewelry Julian had ever seen him wear was the Warrior's Cross pendant Julian had given him when they'd first met. But that necklace was long gone.

"Zippers? Shoelaces?" Julian asked as he looked down Cameron's body. He wasn't wearing shoes. And in reality Julian couldn't imagine that he could manage to pick the lock with a zipper pull. "Damn, that spring was so perfect," he muttered in irritation.

"You about got yourself shot. Zane was up out of that bed with that gun so fast, it scared me."

"I'm surprised he's not accustomed to Grady shouting at random for no reason. They sleep with their weapons? That's good to know. If one of them is going to try to kill me, it will be Garrett. But no worries," he said as he pulled Cameron as close as he could. "We'll get out of this."

Cameron leaned against him again, tucking his head under Julian's chin. "It's a good thing you're such a good liar."

"I'm not certain whether that's a compliment or an insult."

"Me either," Cameron said before tipping his head back again and kissing Julian's chin.

Julian grinned. "I love you, you know."

Cameron gave him a tremulous smile. "I know. I love you too." He went up on tiptoe to kiss Julian fervently.

Julian had to bend to indulge in the kiss since he couldn't pull Cameron closer. He smiled against Cameron's lips. "We've never tried this with handcuffs," he said in a suggestive, teasing voice.

Cameron laughed. "Interesting idea. You can't pick me up, flip me over, or hold me down." He opened his eyes and they sparkled mischievously.

"That's what you think."

The arched eyebrow Cameron gave him in reply was a clear dare, and Cameron's hands sliding down his chest to his belt buckle even more so.

Julian's smile was predatory as he stepped closer and pushed Cameron against the shower wall. He gasped and looked down between them with a light in his black eyes. "My belt!" he hissed.

"What?" Cameron asked, plucking at it.

"They left it on me," Julian told him with a grin.

"So, that means I can put it in your mouth for you to bite on in a couple minutes?"

That got Julian's attention and he looked back up with a grin. "Do you care if we make noise and they know what we're doing?"

A blush crept up Cameron's cheeks. "It's not going to make a difference in what they do with us, right?" His fingers manipulated Julian's belt buckle as he looked up into Julian's eyes.

"Probably not."

"Is this really stupid?" Cameron licked his lips as he unbuttoned Julian's pants.

"The only thing stupid in this room is sitting outside our door," Julian said, raising his voice just enough.

"Blow me, Cross," came Ty's disembodied voice from outside the door.

Ty pressed his shoulders against the door to stretch his sore muscles, and he let his bare feet slide on the carpet until his legs were splayed in front of him. He sat there without any compunction about looking dejected in the dark.

Once he heard the unmistakable sounds coming from within the bathroom, he grunted in annoyance and rolled to his hands and knees to get off the floor.

"What the hell do they think this is, some stupidass romantic comedy?" he growled to Zane. He called through the door, "I have a gun and I like to use it!"

"That's only going to egg Cross on."

"I don't care," Ty mumbled as he walked toward the two beds. "He reminds me of you. Parts of him anyway."

Zane looked up from the papers. The soft glow of the table lamp cast odd shadows, making his face appear gaunt. "Of me? How? Besides Cameron's ‘tall, dark, and handsome' line."

"I mean he's outwardly stoic and fun to poke. Reminds me of when we first met."

Zane smiled and leaned back in his chair. "Much better than what you said about me back then."

Ty moved closer and sat on the edge of the bed near Zane, looking at him with nothing but affection. He was close enough to smell Zane's deodorant and the underlying scent of his shampoo and sweat, and combined with the trademark smells of a hotel room, it stirred all sorts of memories and emotions.

"You ever think about that first week?" he asked with a fond smile.

"Some parts of it, yeah," Zane said, edging up one shoulder as he spun the chair so he faced Ty, their knees bumping. "Usually when you're being particularly frustrating." He tipped his head to one side as his eyes raked Ty up and down. "Or particularly desirable."

Ty leaned forward. "Those couple of days in that hotel room with you," he said, voice low and intimate, "every time I looked at you I got butterflies. I couldn't decide if it was a good feeling or if I hated you for it."

Zane chuckled. "Oh, I was damn sure you hated me. And it was certainly reciprocated."

"Did you really hate me?" Ty asked, not necessarily offended, but curious.

"To immense proportions," Zane said with a nod, but then he rolled his eyes. "Didn't last, though. You were..." He drew in a deep breath and held it as he considered his words. He ended up shrugging. "Hurricane Ty. Blew me away."

Ty's smile grew warmer, and he reached out to take Zane's hand in his. "Sometimes I wish we could go back there and smack ourselves in the heads. But then I remind myself it wouldn't have been the same."

Zane squeezed his hand. "For me, there was no going back after you kissed me."

Ty looked up from their joined hands and met Zane's eyes. On his mini sabbatical he'd begun pondering what life might be like when neither of them worked at the FBI anymore; when they could walk down the street hand in hand and not care who saw, when they were no longer being shot at, blown up, or sent cross-country as errand boys. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask Zane if he thought they could be without their jobs and not go crazy.

But Ty knew he couldn't do it. Not yet. He had been born and bred to be a spear point. Zane was the only kink in the plan he'd always had, but Ty found that he didn't care. The moment Zane had kissed him Ty had known he would throw that plan out the window.

Just remembering the terror and thrill of that moment made Ty's stomach flutter. He couldn't help himself, he reached out and slid his fingers along the back of Zane's neck and pulled him closer, leaning in to kiss him. Zane sighed and relaxed into Ty's arms as he rubbed his lips against Ty's, then placed a tiny kiss at the corner of his mouth.

"Why can't we just do one thing easy, huh?" Ty asked, frustrated by all the obstacles they seemed to deal with every day, the least of which was their own stunning inability to communicate with each other.

Zane raised his fingers to touch Ty's cheek. "I don't know," he said, though it was with equal resignation. "Except this," he whispered before kissing Ty again.

Ty hummed. "You have always been easy."

"You haven't," Zane said, but he softened the words with a smile.

A noise from the bathroom drew Ty's attention just long enough for him to miss the next intended kiss. He sighed and pressed his nose and mouth to Zane's cheek.

"I know I'm not easy," he whispered. "I promise I'll make it up to you."

Zane shook his head. "I knew what I was getting when I realized I loved you. I don't expect—don't want you to change, no matter how crazy you make me sometimes."

"I like you crazy," Ty growled as he stood up. He leaned over Zane, propping his arms on the chair and forcing Zane to sit back as he straddled his lap and kissed him, long and hard. Zane hummed in approval and gripped his hips. He sighed when Ty straightened.

"Love you," Zane whispered.

Ty patted Zane's cheek. "That will never get old."

Another, louder sound from the bathroom caused him to growl in annoyance, and he stood and stepped away from Zane. "I better go take up my post again."

Zane nodded, letting his hands drag away from Ty's hips. He stifled a yawn and turned back to the desk. Ty stood there for a moment longer, watching his lover in the garish light.

If there was one thing in the world Ty was willing to give up everything for, it was sitting right there in front of him.