Chapter Eight

Zane pushed roughly through the reading room door, ramming it back againstthewallashestalkedin,immediately pullingouthiscigarettes and lighting up.Nosmoking policy bedamned, hethought darkly. Aftersucha piss-poorday,hefiguredhedeservedsomethingfornotgoingtotallypostal up there.

Afterthefirstcigarette, hestopped longenough tolightanother and kicked a chair for good measure, sending it clatteringacross the room.

Tytookhistimefollowing,visiblyirritatedenoughthatpeoplegot outofthewayashewalkedthroughthehalls.Heopenedthedoortothe reading room—the only place he really knew to look—and was just in time to watch the little tantrum silently.

"What thehelldoyouwant?" Zane growled asheflicked ashesonto theindustrial-grade carpet.Hedidn'thavetobepolitetoTy.Hedidn'teven have to be civil.

"What'stheproblem?"Tyaskedcalmly,slidinghishandsintothe pockets of his khaki pants and leaning against the doorway.

ZaneturnedhisbacktoTytostareatthewhiteboard. Someoftheir notes werestillwritten onitfrom thedaythecomputer exploded. Heforcibly calmedhimselfandbuttoned uptheangerandfrustration. "They're assholes. That's the problem."

"I'lltellthemtogoplayinanothersandbox,then,"Tyresponded wryly.

"They shouldn't even be in the one they've got ifthey're so blasé and uncaringastosuggesttwoyoungwomendeliberatelyluredthekillertotheir house for sex," Zane spit out.

"That's how they're programmed tothink," Tyresponded inapatient voice.

The unusuallyplacid sound of Ty's voice did the trick. Against Zane's will—because hereallywantedtostayangry—the heatdrained outof him,replacedbyahollow chill."Ijustkeptthinking," hesaidquietly, "about how scared those girls must have been. And here they are sitting and laughing andmaking lightwhile thatbastard isoutthere, probably picking outhisnext victim." Hegavehisheadatinyshake, taking another long dragonthe cigarette.

"Wait tillhekills afewmen inblue. Then they'll beallover it,"Ty responded in the same calm, almost uncaring tone.

Zanesnorted andshook hishead,taking another longdrag."Didthey say anything after I left?"

"Nothing about you,no,"Tyanswered shortly. Looking overhis shoulder, Zane raised abrow inquestion. Tysimply shrugged negligently and half-turnedas if he was going to leave. "Food."

Grindinghisteeth,Zanedroppedthecigarette,grounditunderhis shoeonthecarpet,andfollowed along,chewingonhisannoyance andtrying toshoveitwherethesundidn'tshinesohecouldbeMr.FBIagain.He wasn't all too sure he would be successful.

Tystrolled easilydown thehallandglanced overhisshoulder finally ashefeltZanecatchuptohim."Theyenjoygettinginyourcraw,y'know," he advised neutrally.

"Yeah,"Zanemuttered."Iusedtobebetteraboutshruggingitoff. Off my game."

"No shit," Ty respondedwryly.

Zane suddenly grinned. "Fuck off."

"Sitonitandspin,"Tyshotbackashepushedthroughapairof security doors.

"More your style lately," Zane sniped.

Tystopped short,thenhesnorted andsmiled slightly. "Gotme,"he snickered good-naturedly.

Zane chuckled, relief washing through him after the stressful day, and pulled outthecarkeys."Have tocatchup;I'm behind," hesaidwithashrug. He hit the key fob button as they approachedfrom across the garage.

Afewmoments laterandafewstepscloser, thecarexploded infront of them.

Thebombsetoffachainofreactions thatTyobserved inadetached sort of "I think myarm ison fire" manner after they both hit the concrete. Car alarms begantoscream, sprinklers overhead kicked onastheflames from the wreck ofthecarlicked atthecement ceiling, alarms blared inside the government building behindthem,andbitsofflamingplasticandbentmetal rained down amidst thesmoke. Soon, theyheard running footsteps—dress shoessmackingoncement—andshoutsfromvoicesTydidn'trecognizeas sirens began to wind up in the distance.

Zane shook hisheadashesatup."Fuck. This justgotahellofalot worse," hemuttered asheturned tohissidetolookatTy,flatonhisback. "You okay?"

AllTycould dotorespond wasclosehiseyesandlethisheadlollto theside.Thethickleatherofhisjackethadsavedhisarmfromapieceof smolderingshrapnelanditsmelledlikeburningcow.Hecouldn'tseemto form words or thoughts.

"Shit.Whodecidedweweretakingturns?"Zanepluckedtheleather atTy'sarm;itappearedtohavesurvived,thoughitwasscorched.Heslidan arm under Ty's backandhelped himsitup."I'm thinking thesame disappearingactastheotherdayisagoodidea,"heurged."Thatwasour car."

Tysatstaringattheflamingvehicleasbloodbegantotrickledown hisneck.Heshivered andlowered hishead."Helpmeup,"herequested hoarsely.

Zanenodded andgottohisfeetbeforecrouching tohelpTy,andhe caught sight of the blood. "Ty? You hit your head? Somethinghit you?"

Tyturned his head obediently for Zanetolookand closed hiseyes, shivering again. The blood already matted his hair and covered the entire back of his neck.

Zane'slipscompressed andhetookTy'sarm."Comeon,"hesaid, pulling Tyupandalongtowardthesidestairwell, awayfrom whereanyone wouldappearastheycametoinvestigate.ThefactthatTydidn'tprotest beingledanywhere shouldhavecausedZanemoreworry.Theinjuredman practically kepthiseyesclosed asthey moved. Itwasobvious hisheadwas swimming, andthebloodflowingdownhisneckwasworkingitswayunder his collar and down his back.

Gettingtheminsidethestairwell,ZaneheldTyupagainstthewall whilelooking backthrough thesmallwindow asagents swarmed intothe garage, yellingandcircling. Frowning, hegotTy'sarmoverhisshoulder and walkedhimdownthestepstothegroundfloor.HehelpedTysitonthe bottom step and touched his cheek, trying toget his attention. "Ty? Stayhere. I'm going to get us a car, okay?"

TyclearedhisthroatandblinkedupatZane,narrowinghiseyes."I think I might need a doctor, man," he rasped slowly.

"I'lltakeyoutoanemergencyroom,withoutotheragentsaround. Stay here, okay?" Zane said intently, holding Ty's chin.

"Yeah,"Tymuttered,afraidtonodforfearofhisheadspinning faster.

Zane moved quickly and with a purpose, making no pretenseat hiding. Theclerkinthekeycagewasgone, soZane grabbed thefirstkeys he saw.Once inthemotor pool, hehittheunlock button andsawtheflashing headlights of amid-size SUV. Soon, he brought it to a halt at the stairwell and climbedouttogetTy.Whenhegotbackintothestairwell,hefoundTyon thestairswherehe'dlefthim,unconscious. TimHenninger crouchednextto himwithhishandonhisshoulder,supportinghim.Theyoungeragentwas stillbandaged fromtheexplosion intherecords room,hisfaceandarmscut andstitched inplaces. Hisheadwaslowered, tryingtolookintoTy'sfaceas heslidhishandintohisjacket,apparentlyreachingforaphonetocallfor help.

Henninger turnedandhalf-rose whenthedooropened, tensing, and then relaxed slightly when he saw Zane, who stopped in place, eyes narrowed. "Henninger. We're getting outofhere,"hesaidashekneltinfront ofTyand slidhisarmunderhispartner's. Themovement seemedtorouseTyslightly, and his hand clutched in the material of Zane's jacket. "Keep your mouth shut about it."

"Whatthehell?"Henninger questioned. "Look, he'shurt.Whydon't we get the EMTs down here and—"

"Because it'stoo risky. I'lltake him toanemergency room. Now, are you going to help or not?" Zane asked in aflat, no-nonsense tone as he helped Ty to his feet, worried when the other man didn't even look up at him.

"Toorisky?"Henninger askedashefollowed themthrough thedoor. "What the fuck is wrong with you two? Let them take care of him!"

"No,"Zanesaidashegot Tytothepassenger side."You're going up thereandtelling them wewalked forcoffeeandwerenowhere nearthatcar, you got it?"

Henninger opened the door, hand gripping the side of it until his knuckles turned white. "But why? They're going to know it's your car," he said logically.

"Yeah, and by then, we'll be where no one can get at us," Zane said as he practically lifted Ty into the back seat of the SUV.

"Youthinksomeone intheBureau istryingtokillyou?"Henninger asked incredulously,brows nearly up into his hairline.

"Itmight not beabad idea for you to hide out for awhile after this too,"Zanesaidwithout answering thequestion. "Youweretooclosetothat computer."

Henninger blanched and repeated himself. "You really think someone from inside's trying to killyou? But that means they'd have to know why you were really sent here."

"Andnowyouseetheproblem,"Zaneanswered,shuttingthedoor carefully. Heturnedtotheotheragent."Butrightnow,kid,you'retheonly personItrustbesideshim,"hesaidwithajerkofhisheadatTy,whohad slumped intheback seat. "Look, callmycellphone oncetheypickapartthat carandletmeknowwhattheyfind, okay?There's obviously someone onthe inside helping, if nothing else."

Henninger'sfacewenthardashefollowedZanearoundtheSUV. "Got it," he murmuredin a low voice.

Zanenodded andclimbedintothetruck. Before closing thedoor,he stuckouthishand,whichHenninger shook."Takecareofyourself.Get Morrison to watch your back."

Henninger nodded. Zaneshutthedooranddroveoutofthegarage, leaving Henninger behind to cover for them. By the time the SUV hit daylight, Ty was unconscious.

Carryinghisbloodypartnerintotheemergencyroomdidn'teven raiseanyeyebrows untilZanewasabletoflashhisbadge, andtheneveryone got busy, fast. Tyhad anice crack on the head; along, thin gash that had bled badlybutdidn'tevenneedmorethanafewstitches,andsomeminorburns and bad bruising down his arm. Aside from the unpredictablehead wound, the worst injurywastohisribcage.Nothing wasbroken, buthehadpulled musclesandsuffereddeep,painfulbruisesalongtheintercostals thatwould impede his movement for quite some time. Weeks, definitely. Possibly months, the doctor had told Zane.

Zane satinachair, leaning overwithhiselbows onhisknees nextto thebedwhereTysprawled, hooked uptoanIVandallkindsofmonitoring equipment. He needed to get them out of here soon. Since he'd used his badge togetin,word would getback totheoffice sooner rather thanlater. The admitting doctor had insisted on keeping Ty overnight, to watch the concussionandmakecertainitdidn'tturnugly.TheyhadkeptTyawake most ofthenight, andithadmadehim verycranky, verysulky, andvery difficult todealwith.Evenmoresothanheusually was.Nowhedozed as Zane waited impatiently for the doctor. He checked his watch yet again just as the doctor walked in.

"He's gotalittleinternal damage, swelling intheskullthatmight botherhimafewdays,andanice,biglumpontheoutside,"thedoctor offered before Zanecouldevenquestion him."Hegothisbellrung,buthe seems tobedoing okay, other than thepain. Take him home, putanicepack onit.Keepaneyeonhim,keephimupforanhourortwobeforeyougive himpainmeds,justincase.Ifhedoesn'tneedthepills,don'tgivethemto him.I'm talking writhing inagony pain," hesaidsternly. "And keephim ina nicequietplaceforafewdaysuntilthatswellinggoesdown. A head injury like this can turn bad quickly, though, so like I said, keep an eye on him. If there'spronounced dizziness, blurringofvision,slurring,shakes,confusion, nauseaandsoon,callanambulance. Thatswellinginhisheadistheworst problem, anditmightcausesomememoryissues.Anyquestions?" heasked. Zaneshookhisheadsilently."I'llhaveanorderlyintohelphimout,then," the doctor said.

Zane stood, shaking hishead. "No,justclearthehall,andI'llgetus out of here."

The doctorscowledand inclinedhis headstubbornly."Eitherhe leaveshereinawheelchairattendedbyanorderly,"hesaidcalmly,"orhe doesn't leave at all."

Zane's nostrils flared angrily. "I'llmakeyouadeal," hegrated. "I'll push him, and your orderly can follow along behind."

Thedoctornarrowed hiseyesandnodded, removed Ty'sIV,and skirted around the curtain to start the paperwork.

Figuring he'dtrytomakeaquickescape, Zaneshook Ty'sshoulder lightly, bending overclosetotheotherman'sear."Ty?Youwanttowakeup so we can get out of here?"

Tyturned hisheadslightly, histemplenudging Zane's chinashe groaned in answer. "Just leave me here with the drugs."

Zanechuckled. Heknewtheyhadn'tgivenTyanything forthepain because oftheconcussion, butTywouldn't knowanydifferent asoutofitas hewas."I'vegotacouplepocketfuls ofdrugstokeepyouhappy,"Zane crooned tohim."Let's getyou up,bigboy." Heslidhisarmunder Ty's shoulders and started to slowly lift him to a sitting position.

Tyswattedathim,shiveringashisheadthrobbed."Yousureit's good tomoveme?"heaskeddubiously asheswung hislegsoffthebed.He wasn'ttypicallytoobotheredwithinjuries,butgettingconkedonthehead andlosingtimebothered him.Hecouldn't remember athingfromthetime he'dwalked outofthedoorsoftheFederal building untilhewokeinthe hospital. "Quittouching me,"hemuttered withaweakswatatZane's hands. "Isn'ttheresupposed tobeaprettylittlenursegettingmeoutofbed?Ithink youscaredthedoctorsintoreleasingme,"heaccusedasanorderlywheeled in a wheelchair.

"SureIdid.BecauseI'mabig,scaryguy,"Zanesaidwithanoteof pride.

"That's notentirelyagoodthing,"Tygrumbled ashestoodcarefully andshuffledoverto the wheelchair.Hehadseenmentry to refusethe wheelchair rideoutofthehospital before.Mostweremacho idiots,andmany ofthem wound updoing afaceplantintothefloor fortheirtroubles. Tyhad neverseenthepoint.Evenifhehadbeenthetype,though,heknewhe couldn't walk a straight line right now anyway.

Zanechuckled ashewalkedoutalongside thechair,hisinsistence on doing the pushing having dissolved as soon as Ty spoke again, though he kept asharpeyeontheirsurroundings, justincase.Theywalkedouttheentrance wherehe'dhadthehospitalvaletpulluptheSUVinanticipationofloading Tyintoit."It'sbedrestandanicepackforyoutonight,"hesaidasthe orderly helped Ty into his seat.

"Icepack,"Tysneered."Afuckingicepack,that'sallIget?"he askedincredulously."This is a serioushead wound,"he insistedwith a gesture to the back of his head and an insulted look. "It needs at least a sponge bath."

"You barely even got stitches, you big baby," Zane said as he reached over to help with the seat belt once the orderly shut the door.

"Feelslikemybrainsareleakingoutmyears,"Tygrumbledashe watchedZane'shands."DoIreallyhavetobebuckledin?"heaskedwith some amusement.

"Yes,youdo,"Zanesaiddoggedly.Hebuckledhisownbeltand droveawayfromthehospital, eventually bypassing theirownhoteland moving into a slightly ritzier block.

"Newdigs?"Tyaskeddistantlyashewatchedthescenerypassby. He winced and turned his head away from the window.

"Sort of.Ifigure there's acouple realnice,upscale rooms already waitingwithournamesonthemthatnoonewouldthinktolookin,"Zane said.

Tynoddedabsently."Goodthinking," hemumbled. "Nonewrooms with our names to give anyone a lead."

Zanenodded,almostdisappointed thathisforethought hadn't warranted more ofareactionfrom Ty."I'llgogetourstuffafterdarkwhile yourest,"hesaidashepulledintoaparkingspotinthehotel'sparking garage.

"Shouldn'tgoalone,"Tyreminded,thoughhisvoicestillhadthe slightly detached tone to it.

"I'll be careful. Let's go," Zane said after he parked and shut off the engine. "You need to get horizontal."

"NotthebestpickuplineI'veeverheard,butit'lldofornow,"Ty responded,his voice lighter again, if not still slightly groggy.

Zanemadesurehefollowed alongashewenttothefrontdeskatthe Tribeca Grand andchecked in.Theslow,distracted wayTywasmoving and lookingaroundathissurroundings ashetrailedalongbehindmadehimlook slightly likeRain Man, andZanehadtofighthardnottolaugh attheimage. SoonhewasleadingTytotheelevator.Theyzippedupseveralfloorsand moveddownarichlyappointed hallway, whereZaneopened thedoortoan executive suite.

"Nicedigs,"Tymuttered ashestopped intheentryway ofthe minimalistguestroomandnarrowedhiseyes."Bureauwentalloutonus, huh?" he asked as he looked at the bedroomlongingly.

Zanedroppedthekeycardsonthelowwoodentableinfrontofa swankwhitepaddedcouch."Whydon'tyougolaydown,andI'llgetyou someiceforthatbump. Andsomecodeine, ifyou want.Docsaid youwere okay to take painkillersafter a few hours."

TyswallowedashelookedaroundbeforefinallymeetingZane's eyes. "I'd rather be aware when we go back to get our things."

Zane heldhis gazeforalongmoment, andthennodded slowly. "All right.Goon,"henodded toward thebedroom andgrabbed theicebucket, headingoutthedoorwithkeycardinhand.Hemadesurethedoorshut behind him.

Assoonasthedoorclicked, Tycarefully reached hishanduptothe backofhisheadandgingerlyprodded atthegooseeggthere.Hewincedas pain lanced through his head, and when he brought his hand back to his side it was trembling slightly from the pain. Slowly, he made his way to the bed, and hecrawled intoitandburrowed under thelayersofsoftchocolate-colored sheets as he admitted defeat for the day.

Itwasonlyafewminutesbefore Zane returned. Heshut,locked, and latched thedoor before pulling offhis jacket, knives, andgun. Hefilledthe heavyplastic bagthatcamewith thebucket half fulloficeandcarefully crunched the iceon the carpet, not making too much noise. He wrapped itin a towelandwalkedtothebedroom.Tywasobviouslyunderthesheetsand high-thread-countblankets.Settingtheicepackaside,Zanestartedpeeling backlayers.Asoftgroanmethisefforts,andfinallyheuncovered Ty,who hadn't even bothered to take off his jacket.

"Ty," Zane sighed under hisbreath. Theothermanlooked miserable. "Come on,situpandgetsome ofyour clothes off.You'll beahellofalot morecomfortable."HehelpedTysitupandstartedpullingofftheruined jacket first.

Tyhuffedandwhimpered softlyasthejacketwasremoved, hissore armandribsprotesting. "Wantoutoftherest?"Zaneaskedquietlyashesat back down at Ty's side.

"Fuck," Tygroaned. "Justletmebemiserable, okay?"herequested grumpily.

"Okay,"Zanesaidsoothingly. "Liebackdownandturnonyour side—bumpup, of course," he said, smiling a little.

"Shut up,"Tyhuffed evenasheobeyed thedirective. Zanedidn't answer thebarb,instead lifting theicepackandsettling itcarefully overthe swollen areaofthe backofTy'sskull andholding itthere. Thehairwasstill matted withdried blood. Tyhissed inprotest andclosed hiseyes,shivering hard.

Zanerubbed hisfreehandalongTy'sshoulder andside,justbehind thebruises;hedidn'twantTyjerkingaroundinpain."Wantanythingtoeat ordrink?I'msupposed tokeepyouawakeatleastacouple morehours," he said.

"Ugh," Ty answered pitifully. All he wanted to do was sleep.

"Iknow. Been there. How about you hangonto this ice,andI'll call outforsome room service? Gotanyfavorite foods thatmightkeepyour attention?"Zane asked as he clasped Ty's shoulder.

"No," Ty murmuredas he closed his eyes.

Sighing,Zanegottohisfeet.Hesnappedonbothlampsandturned ontheHDtelevision, pumping upthevolumeonwhatlookedtobeaviolent action movie. Hetugged onthetoes ofTy'sboots ashewalked by."No sleeping," he reminded.

"Mmkay," Tymumbled ashepushedhisheadunderhispillowand promptly began to drift off.

Zane looked down at him and yanked away the pillow and then all the covers. "Ty, I mean it. Do not go to sleep," he said firmly.

"Nap Nazi," Ty accused miserably.

"Yeah, sure,hatemeforwanting tomake sureyoudon't gointoa coma,"ZanesaidashenudgedTy'slowerback."Nowsitup,anddon't forget the ice pack."

"Look,FlorenceNightingale, blastingtheTVonaguywitha headache is just cruel," Ty pointed out grumpily.

Zane waved him offandwalked intothefront room tofindthemenu beforereturningtothebedroom.Tysatcross-legged onthebed,buthishead waslowered asheheld theicetotheback ofit,and hiseyes were closed. His brow unconsciouslyfurrowed in pain.

Zanesighedquietlyanddroppedthemenuonthenightstand. He grabbed theremoteandclicked offthe TV,thensatontheedge ofthebed slightlybehindtheotheragent."Here,letme,"Zanemurmured,liftinghis handtotouchTy'sontheicepack."Sureyoudon'twantsomethingtotake the edge off?" he asked quietly.

"Itoldyou,"Tymumbled, thewordsbarelyaudible, "ifyou'regoing back there, so am I."

Scooting backalittle,Zanepulled Tybackagainst hischest,still holding the ice pack. "It'll wait," he murmured.

Tyshuddered asheleanedback,buthewastoohurtandtiredto protest being coddled.

"Come on, tough guy, I'm sure you've had worse than this."

"Myheadhurts, jackass," Tymuttered, hiseyesstaying closed ashe rested back against Zane's chest.

Zanesmiled,knowing Tycouldn't seehim."Does ithurtworse than your ass?"

"Shut up,"Tywhined, diving intoasulklikeapro."Jesus, juststop fucking talking."

Zanechortled. "You can'twin,headsortails."Hecurled onearm aroundTy's waisttoholdhimsecurely. "Buckup,Marine; you'remadeof sterner stuff."

"Biteme,AirForce," Tygroaned ashetriedtoturnonto hissideand curl up.

Zane grinned and turned so Ty could lean sideways against him. "Tell mesomething, Ty.Howmuchofthisbadassbastardisreallyyou,howmuch is the Marine, and how much is a show?" he asked.

Tywassilent,theonlysoundhissoftbreathingashelayunmoving. Finally, hebreathed indeeplyandaskedgroggily, "Areyoutaking advantage of a concussionto pump me for information?"

"Damn straight," Zane said immediately.

After a long moment Ty simply gave an admiring, "Nice."

Zane smiled abitandlifted away theicepack tolook atthehead wound. "Learned it from you."

"Not a complete loss, then," Ty murmured.

"Nope," Zanesaidasheturnedovertheiceandreapplied itgently. "Not at all. I would never have thought it, but there you go."

"Hmm?" Ty asked drowsily as the ice started him shivering again.

"Ty,"Zanesaidwarningly,alittlelouder.Hesetdowntheicepack, tooktheothermanbytheshoulders,andpulledhimupintoanupright position. Hesatbesidehimasheturnedhisshoulders andducked hisheadto try to catch Ty's eyes. "Don't you go to sleep on me. I mean it. I'll do evil and dastardly things to your body if you do."

Tyopened hiseyeswideandblinked thesleepaway, giving hishead onelittleshakeasheclearedhisthroat."You've alreadydonethat,"he reminded Zane seriously.

"I'mgladyouremember," Zanesaidwryly."Youdidrecentlytakea knock to the head."

"Justletmefuckingsleep,huh?Theykeptmeawakeallfucking night, you sadist," Ty groused sleepily as he closed his eyes.

"Damn it, Ty, don't make me shake you. Jesus. All right. Cold showertime,"Zanesaid,practicallydraggingTywithhimoffthebedand toward the bathroom.

"No!" Tycried inalarm ashedughisheels in."Hell, no!" Zane ignored him,pullinghimalongintothelargetiledbathroom. Tykickedthe back of his thigh and tugged at his arm, determinednot to get a cold anything.

ShamelesslyexploitingTy's slight weakness,Zane wrapped both armsaround him,pulling himagainst hischest. "Are youawake now?" he asked, trying not to laugh.

"Yes,"Tywhimpered pitifully. Zanegraspedhischinandtilteditup tolookathiseyes,lookingatthepupilsinthebrighterlight.Tyjustblinked at him miserably, allowingthe manhandlingwithout so much as a frown.

"You're looking alittlebetter," Zane said."Sonocoldshower. But you do get to sit over here and letme wash the blood off," he said, plucking at the stained shirt.

"Peroxide getsthebloodout,"Tyoffered,notthinking thatperoxide would be slightly difficult to come by right then.

"Surething," Zanesaidindulgently. "Butwarm waterwillbefinefor your neck and back." Zane led him over to the cushioned chair at the stainless-steel counter andgothim sitting before going tothesinktosoaka washcloth."Haven't you ever had a concussionbefore?" he asked.

Tyfinallycrackedaslightlytired,mischievous smileandanswered, "Not that I can remember."

Zanegrinnedoverhisshoulderashewrungouttherag."Shirtoff, please."

Tygroaned,smilefalteringasheshruggedoutofhisbloodyshirt with difficulty. He examined it with a distant frown. It was a plain brown shirt withcrossed paddles onthefront inwhite. Thewords read, Schitt Creek Paddling Co.Thewhite oftheletterswasmarredwithdried, darkblood stains.

"What?" Zane asked as hewalked over and started wiping the crusted blood off Ty's neck.

"I like this shirt," Ty answered softly.

ZanelookeddownatTy'shandsandjustkeptwiping."I'drather have the shirt be bloody than you."

Tyfrowned ashelooked atthedriedbloodandfeltZane's gentle swipes cleantheback ofhisneck. Finally, helooked down, finding aspot of interest on the floor instead, and he asked, "Were you worried?"

Zane pressed his lips together, deciding what to say that would offend Tytheleast. "Nah. You're tough. Iknew youcould handle it."Buthisvoice wassoft,noedgeorjokingtoit.Ty'sexpressionwashiddenfromhim,and theonlyresponse ZanecouldseewasTy'sheadlowering sotheclothcould slide more easily against his neck.

Rubbing gently,especially closetothewound,Zanetookcareofthe restoftheblood hecouldreach. Atthelastmoment, hesighed, leanedover, andpressed hislipstothe back ofTy's neck. "There yougo,"hemurmured, unable to explain the unusual gesture.

Tylowered hisheadfurther andshivered again, finally turning his head to brush his cheek against Zane's.

"Areyoucold?"Zaneasked,frowningalittle,butrubbinghischeek lightly against Ty's in return.

"Quitrubbing coldwaterovermeandIwon'tbe,"Tymurmured in answer, hishead turning justalittlebitmore until hislipsmoved against Zane's skin.

Thewetclothwasstillwarminhishand,butZanepulleditaway from Ty'sneckanyway, carefully notmoving. Heclosed hiseyesasheheld still,letting Ty do as he liked. Ty's entire body trembled as the cool air hit the wet skin on the back of his neck.

Feeling Ty shiver again, Zane went down on one knee beside him. He wasn't sure what to think. Zane knew aconcussion could make you really feel off—Lordknowshe'dhadenoughofthemhimself—buttheshiveringwas new.Maybe Tywasstillhurting? Hehadalotofinjuries todealwith,and being inpain could dooddthings toyour body. "IfeellikeI'm nothelping a lot here. Warm shower?" he suggested.

"That'sabigchangefromthehard-asscold-shower threats,"Ty muttered.

Zane smiled fondly. "Worked, didn't it?"

Tygroaned andclosed hiseyes,leaning overuntil hischinrestedon top of Zane's head. He closed his eyes, fully preparedto sleep just like that.

Zanesighed. Tycould besodamndifficult todealwith,mainly because evenwhenhewasbeingstubborn itwasalmostendearing. "Upyou go.Youneedtostayawakeatleastanotherhalf hour. Lord.HowamIgoing to entertain you for that long?"

"Shadow puppets?"Ty suggestedas he stood carefully.

Chuckling,Zanegottohisfeet,givingTysomeroombutstaying close by. "How about food? I'll order us some burgers. We missed breakfast."

Tyfrownedasheturnedhisclunkingmindtofood."Soundsgood," he said in a slightly surprised voice.

Zanesmiled. "Good." Hewalked backtothebedroom, gotthemenu, and called room service.

Shuffling afterhim,Tyleanedagainst thedoorframeandclosedhis eyesastheroombegantospinjustalittle.Heconcentrated onZane'svoice instead.

ZanehungupthephoneandglancedaroundtoseeTystoppedinthe doorway. "You okay?" he asked cautiously.

Tygrunted inresponse andopened hiseyes."Ineedtosit,"he admitted.

"Need ahand?" Zane asked neutrally, notwanting Tytotake offense. Instead, Tyjustnodded andheld out hisarm unsteadily. Zanestrode over and took hiselbow, then slidhisother armaround hiswaist. "Nice, comfortable armchair over here. You can sit and insult me all you like," Zane said.

Tymerelynodded,eithernothearingornotcaring.Zanehelpedhim tothechair, then satdown ontheedge ofthebed nearby andstarted unlacing hisboots, keeping aneyeonTythewhole time.Theother agent woreonlya thinundershirt now—and therewerebloodystreaksalongthebackofit,as well.

Leaning back into the deep and surprisingly comfortable armchair, Ty closed his eyes as soon as he saw that Zane intended to remove some clothing. He might actually be able to fall asleep while Zane was distracted.

Ditchingtheboots,Zanestoodup,tooktwosteps,andkneltdown rightatTy'sknees,pushingthemapart.Ty'seyessnappedopen,andhe jerkedbackashelookeddownat Zanewithwideeyes."Whatareyou doing?" he asked in a slightly higher voice than usual.

ZanelookedupathiminnocentlyashestartedinonTy'scowboy boots. "You want to be comfortableso you can crash after we eat, right?"

"No," Ty insisted almost nervously.

"Don't be silly," Zane dismissed, not touching, not rubbing, not doing a single thing untoward as he worked on pulling off the boots.

Tyclosed hiseyesandshivered again,leaning backinthechairand slumping asherestedhiselbowonthearmofthechairandheldhisheadup. Finally, heopened hiseyesandwatched Zaneblatantly, givingintothefact thatheenjoyedit.Zane'slipsturnedupasheslidhishandsuppastTy's ankles topulloffeachsock, tossing themaside.Then hepushed Ty's kneesa little further apart and leaned forward.

"Tease," Ty accused softly.

"Do I have your attentionnow?" Zane drawled.

"You never lost it," Ty respondedbefore thinking better of it.

Zanegrinnedandseteachhandonakneeandslidthemslowlyup Ty's thighs. "I almost like you better when you're concussed,"he said softly.

Ty blinked at him and swallowedhard, unable to respond.

Aheavyknock onthedoor interrupted them. Zanepushed himself up andcaptured Ty'smouth inagentle kiss before going togetthefood. Heleft Tysitting there,confused andslightly dazedashisheadandsideboth throbbed.

Zanegotthetray, locked thedoor behind him,andcarried thefood intotheroom. Hepopped opentheCokes, andwhilepulling thetopsoffthe food containers, pulled three gel capsules out ofhis pocket. He split them, put thepowder intooneofthecans,andthrewthecapsules intohismouth and swallowedthem, chasing them with some Coke from the other can. "Ty, come andeat,"hecalledoutashesetTy'splatewiththefullCokecanonthe sturdy metal and wood table and started unwrappingthe cake.

Tyblinked atthedoorway andlicked hislipsagain.Finally, hestood carefully, waiting until he was sure that he was steady before unbuttoning and unzipping hisjeansandpushing them downtohisankles.Hegingerly kicked outofthem."Jackass," hecalledsoftlyashepadded outintotheouterroom. Assoon asthesmell hithim,hismouth began towater, butitalsomade him slightly nauseous.It was an unusual feeling.

Zane justgrinned ashesatdown andtookabiteofhisburger. "Compromise,"he said after swallowing."Eat and then you can sleep."

"Hmph," Ty offered as he sat opposite and licked his lips slowly. Shrugging, Zanesqueezed outsome ketchup ontohisplatetogowith his fries and got to eating. Ty followed suit, eating his fries slowly just in case hegot sick. He couldn't manage toeatanything but the fries; just the smell of the burger made him shudder. His Coke was disgusting, but then Coke always was. Give him Dr Pepper or give him death.

Zanefinishedhis burgerand fries and sat backwith the bagof Doritos, taking sipsofCokebetween bites."Howareyoudoing?" heasked, looking over at Ty.

"I'm tired," Ty answered, annoyed, as if that should have been obvious from all the begging to nap he'd been doing.

"Fine. You've eatenenough ifyouwant toliedown," Zane saidina long-suffering tone.Hedroppedhisbagofchipsonthetableandstoodup. "Your cake will just have to wait until later."

Typuthishalf-eaten frydownandglaredacrossthetableathim. "Why?" he asked as another shiver ran through him.

Zanefrowned. "Yousaidyouweretired.Eatyourcakenow,ifyou want. I figured once I finally letup on you, you'd be in that bed in ashot. The doctor saidanhour ortwo,and ..." he looked athiswatch. "It's two ten now. So,bed. OrIcould resume where Ileftoff," hesaid, eyes flaring with heat as he smirked.

Tyglared athim foranothermoment before pushing outofhisseat unsteadily."I'm going to bed," he mumbled.

Zanehovered closebyasTywalked intothebedroom andsatonthe bed,andthenheturned offthelights,throwing theroomintoquietand shadow.

"You're going to stay, right?" Ty asked softly, peering at Zane through the dim.

Zane satdown next tohim onthebed. "Of course Iam," hesaid quietly, smoothingTy's short hair back from his face.

Tyfoughtthelight-headedheavinessthathewasunaccustomedto, andheturnedhisheadslowlytonarrowhiseyesatZane.HehadZane pegged asthetypewhowould beoutthedoortodosomething dangerous the moment hewasasleep, justtoprove thathecould. Butjustthen,therewas nothing Ty could do about it, and he was fucking tired. He rubbed his eyes and turnedaway,crawlingslowlyupthebedandslidingunderthecoversashe laid his head carefully on the pillow.

Zanepulled upthesheet, faceturning stony. Heknew wellandgood thatTywould haveanabsolute shitfitwhenhefigured outwhatZanehad done. But he'd done what hefeltwas right. With thatkind of knock onthe head,Tyabsolutely hadtorest,andZanefeltthathewouldn't untilhe absolutely collapsed nomatterhowmuch hebegged tosleep.Zanecouldn't havethat—not aftertoday.Theybothneeded tobeatthetopoftheirgame, because the stakes had just gotten a lot higher. He could trust Ty to stay in bed foratleastafewhoursnow,andhecouldgoandretrievetheirthingswhile the man slept.

"Don'tyouleave,"Tymurmuredinwarningashefoughtbackthe sleep.

Zanesighed,reconsidering.HecouldwaittogobacktotheHoliday Inn.Orhecould gonow, anaction thatwould surely incense hispartner beyond anyhope ofthem even being civiltoeach other again. "Whyareyou so worried?" he asked spur of the moment. "I can handle myself."

"Because he's on us," Ty slurred in answer. "He's ahead of us."

Zane nodded seriously, though his voice was light. "And here I thought you hated me."

"Ido,"Tymurmuredashiseyesclosedinvoluntarily.Zanestared down at him for a long time before making his decision. He stood up, gave Ty one last glance, and left the bedroom.