Chapter Ten

Smugglingthesparescubatanktotheplatformswheretheboats weremooredwasnotaseasyasithadbeentosneakintheceramic knife he hadused onhis lastattempt.He'dhadto disembark atthe last portandhirehisway tothisislandtogetaheadofthecruiseship,then track down the service that would be usedfor thescuba excursion.But he was quite good at hisjob, and he managed to slip past the attendants in the little shop and get to the staging area unmolested.

He hadfailed to kill or maim the blond man on the rockwall, and hehadbeenshockedwhenhe'd learnedthemanhadn't evenfallen when hisrope broke,much less been injured.Beforetaking the assignment, he'd been informed his target might be easily underestimated, but he had falleninto the trap anyway.This time he did not intend to fail. He did not have to kill the man to succeed, merely put him out of commission.

Thescubagearlay lineduponthepieralongsidethesmallboat that would be used to take the group to sea latertoday. Thegear had beenconvenientlylabeledwiththenamesoftheusers,accordingto size and skill level. He scuttled along the bundlesuntil he found the one for Del Porter. He hefted the tank he'd broughtwith him, checking its weight.Itwasfilledwiththecorrectamountofoxygen:approximately twenty-one percent.But therestof thegaseswere a dangerous mixture of carbondioxideandnitrousoxide.Maybeitwasn'tlethal,butbreathing itwouldinduceacertainlethargy,courtesy ofthepoisonouscarbon dioxide,andcombinedwiththeeuphoriceffectofthenitrousoxide, that certainly would be lethal when a person was underwater.

If thetarget realized hisair was badonce hegotdown there, he might not care enough to try to surface before he drowned.

"Howlong has it beensinceyouwent diving?" Zane askedas he struggled to pullthe skintightsuit up his legs.The damn thing was rubber and kept sticking to him. He should have brought some baby powder.

"Igetmycertificationre-uppedeveryyear,"Tyanswered,the fakeBritish accentin full force againtoday. Hewasn'tstruggling with the neoprene suit. There seemed to be a technique that Zane didn't know. Ty looked up at Zane and smiled. He hadn't shaved that morning,andthedarkstubblecontrastedalarmingly withhiswhite-blond hair. The aviator glasses he'd snuck off and purchased, the ones almostexactly like the pair he'dleftathome, gave hima slightly rakish air as he grinned crookedly and zipped up the suit. "Why?"

"Wondering ifyou'llbe boredwhilethey give usrefresher lessons,"Zanesaidoftheir"mixedexperience"divingexcursion.He huffedandfinally worked the suitupoverhis thighsand hips.Now he justhadtopullitupoverhischesttosqueezehisarmsthroughthe short sleeves.Getting intothisthing was morework than the diving would be.

Ty shookhisheadandpickeduphistank."Instructortoldusthe experienced diverscango off ontheir own, farther downthe shelf. Do you need help?" he asked bemusedly as he watched Zane struggle.

"An extra hand or three would be appreciated,"Zane said, althoughitseemedsilly toask."It'snotlikewe'regoing togetcoldin Caribbean waters," he groused about the heavy, insulating suit.

"Atleastit's athree-quarterandnotasteamer,"Tysaidina warm voice.He still wore the sunglasses, butZane somehow knew that Ty waslookingupathiminsteadofdownashe rolledthewetsuitup Zane's torso.

Zanelethissmilegrowalittleshark-like."I thinkit'ssteamy enough for a public venue," he agreed, his voice a low purr.

Ty inclinedhischin,reachingtotakehisaviatorsoffandpeerat Zane studiously.He looked athome in the body-hugging wetsuit.His skinwasa healthy brownin the sunshine,and thesalty breeze playfully lifted his unnaturally colored hair off his brow.His eyes werea deep green in the sunlight.And Zane had no desire whatsoever to look away. Ty leanedcloserandkissedZanebriefly,asimplebrushoftheirlips. "Next time we should do this for real."

"For real?" Zane repeated, slightly breathless.

"Timeoff,"Tyclarified,hisvoicedroppingtoamerewhisper. "In a tropical place where we have no jurisdiction and won't be bothered by murderers or thieves."

Zanefeltwarmthflushthroughhim,anditwasn't becauseof being sealed into a wetsuit. He set his hands onTy's hips andpulled gently so their chests bumped. "I like that idea."

Ty laughedsoftlyandtookZane by bothwrists,pullinghishands away. "A little decorum,please," he said primly.He reached down and sealedZane's wetsuitupslowly, taking care notto catch hisskinwith the zipper.

"Decorum,"Zane muttered."Sure." He hadto lookaway from Ty and out over thewater to keepthat concept in mind.Luckily,the instructor spoke up and gave him something else to focus on.

The man presented a basic review of technique and equipment, as well as more in-depth information about the man-made reef below for the moreexperienceddivers, butZanewas only listening withhalfan ear. Ty checkedoverZane'stank, hoses,andgaugestomake sure everything wasin working order, then didthe same to hisown. He murmured to himself as he did this, explaining to Zane what he was doing, and that was much more interesting to listen to.

Oncetheinstructorwasdone, Ty heftedhistankupandslungit over his shoulders, securing it with a level of familiarity and competence evena novice would have recognized.

"Ready togo?"heaskedZanebrightlyashepulledhisfacemask over his head.

"Let's go,hotshot,"Zaneansweredwithanindulgentsmileas they movedtositontheedgeofthediveboatwiththeothertwentyor sopeople.Hepulledhismaskonandsettledthebreathingapparatus. He figured the worst would be remembering he couldn't breathe through his nose, and that wouldn't be tough. This was kind of exciting,really,inagoodway,forachange.HeturnedtolookatTy just as his partner fell back into the water and disappeared. After a deep breath,Zane followed.

Itwassuddenlyquietandcalmaroundhim,andallhehadto focusonwashisbreathing.Itwassoothing.Zanesankslowly through layers of blueandgreenfor whatseemed likealong time, letting the weight on the belts he wore pull him down as he got used to the silence roaring in his earsand watched the water mute the glittering lightabove thesurface. He drifted downpastseveraldiverswhowerestaying closer to the surface, and one of the dive instructors wearing a bright yellow neoprene suitwaved at him. Zane gave her a thumbs-up before righting himself and turning to peer through the shifting water.

When he looked down,Ty—Zane would recognize that body shapeanywhere—wasseveralyardsbelowhim,armsandlegsspread out as if floating on thesurface.It was a pose ofutter relaxation and pleasure.HegaveZanealittlewave,thenstraightenedhisbodyout, gave astrong kickof his legs,and dove backward, relative toZane, deeper into the clear blue. He remindedZane ofa porpoise, with how easily he wiggled through the water.

Zane saw somedivers nearby checkingoutthecoralreefthe sea hadmadeitsown,buthe wascontenttosimply floatslowly deeperand keep an eye on where Ty the Super Dolphin swam.

ItwaseasyforZanetolosehimselfunderwater,surroundedby the warmthandsilence,schoolsof fish flitting about,brilliant colorsset offby thenever-endingaqua.Allthatmarredtheviewwastheblack blobs of the other divers, and there were fewer of those the deeper he sank along the shelf.

Asheturnedlazily inthewater,oneofthoseblackblobsrushed toward himatalarmingspeed,swooping downonhimfromabove. BeforeZane couldreact,strong hands grabbedhisbiceps,and the "attacking"diverhungsuspendedupsidedownabovehim.Afaceplate pressedagainstZane's,and Ty'shazel eyessparkledmerrily ashe looked at himand winked. Zanelaughedand hadto reach out to set his mouthpiece back between his teeth before hecouldswipe at Ty, who wasalreadyreelingaway.Zanewasadecentswimmer,buttherewas noway inhellhecouldcatch Ty.Itwouldbefuntotry,though,and Zane grabbed atan arm, his fingers catching on the skin of Ty's wrist, before his partner swished just out of reach.

Ty twistedandturnedtocirclebackaroundandbehindZane,and fromthesmileZanecouldseeevenbehindthemouthpiece,hecould tellTywasenjoyingthecat-and-mousegamejustasmuchashewas. HeusedZane'sbacksidetokickoffanddartedaway fromhim.Zane's longer arms weren't an advantage; the water slowed him down enough that all he evergot was his fingertips on suitor skin. After rolling completely overinthewaterwhilechasingaflipper,Zanewatched Ty literally cavortaway,teasingandwaving.ItstruckZanethathedidn't gettoseeTylikethisoften:playfulandrelaxed.Zanereallylikedit. Hewasverymuchlikeaseal,gleefullyflittingaroundakillerwhale anddaring ittocatch him.Zane tried tosnortatthe comparisonbut couldn't because of the face mask.If Ty's offer to take off to a tropical island for their nextstretch of timeoffwas serious,it wasan extremely enticing offer,especially ifthiswasthesideofTy he'dgettoseeevery day.

Ty glidedalong thesandy oceanfloorasZanewatched.The shadowsweredeeperthere,butvisibility wasstillgood.Thewaves above werea world away,and the peace andjoy of the momentstole over the scene, lulling Zane into just enjoying it.

He should have known itwouldn't last.

Tystoppedhisleisurelyswimandsanktohiskneesinthesand on the ocean floor. Acloud of sedimentand disturbed sandbillowed in slowmotionaroundhim.Heseemedtobecheckingoneofthegauges ofhisairtank.Afterseveralbreaths,Zanerightedhimselfandkicked hislegsacoupletimestosendhiminthatdirectiontoseewhatwas going on.

Ty lookedupasZaneapproached.Themurky cloudsaroundhim had begun to settle,andZane could see his chestand shoulders clearly again.HegesturedforZanetocomecloser,andwhenZanegotwithin reach, Ty reachedoutandtookholdofhisshoulder,peeringathisair gauge closely. He then leaned back and tapped his own, gesturing for Zane to look at it.

Itreadthatthetankwashalfempty.Plenty ofairleft.Zane shrugged.Whywas Ty lookingatit?Zaneheldoutbothhands,palms up, and lifted them in a "what's up?" motion.

Ty shookhisheadandpointedtohismouthpiece.Hethenmadea quit motion across his throat and pointed at the gauge again. He wanted Zane to turnoffthe air?That couldn't be right.Zane shook his head, shrugged, and peered atTy, waiting for him to elaborate.

Ty threwhisheadtotheside,rolling his eyesbehindthemaskin frustration. Then,to Zane's growing surprise, hepulled the mouthpiece outofhismouthandshruggedoutofthetank,leavinghimwithnoair at all. Zane called out a garbled "What the hell?" through his mouthpiece andgrabbedatTy's armashelookedaroundforoneoftheyellow suits.If Ty wasjerkinghimaround,Zanedidn'twanttheinstructorto see it. But another look told Zane that Ty wasn't having fun anymore.

Ty pointedatZane,thenhimself,andthenjerkedhisfinger upward. Ty wantedthembothtosurface. Tywavedattheairtankand swiped his fingers across his throatagain,Zane glanced down at the discardedtank,anditclicked.Despitewhatthegaugesaid,thetank was out of air... just as Ty had been for some time now.

Zane nodded, but he caught Ty's arm and tapped his own mouthpiece andthen Ty'schest.Zane justhadto pullthe strapoff his equipment, and they could share the mouthpiece and the air.

It had worked in that James Bond movie. Why notnow?

Ty noddedjerkily.Hewasn'tflailingorpanicking.Muchlikehis reaction to dangling over the rock wallplatform, he was maddeningly sedate.Buthehadprobably beenholdinghisbreathforawhile,andif theairtankhadn'tbeenfull,therewasnotellinghowmuchairhe'd beenabletogetinthatlastgasp.WhenZanegotthemouthpiecefree, Tytookitandhastilyputittohisownmouth,breathingindeeply before handing it back and nodding.

He reached for the discarded tank and slung it back over his shoulders,hismotionsclumsyinthewater.Thenhepointedupward, touching hiswatchwith severalslow, exaggeratedtaps. Zane noddedas he resettled hismouthpiece withoutfastening the strap and started swimming up toward the light. They had a long way togo.

But Ty wrappedanarmaroundZane'sneck,pullingonhim forcefully andshaking hishead.His eyeswerealmostanaquacolor behindthemask,thecoloroftheseaandsunfarabovereflectingto playtrickswiththelight.HelookedZaneintheeyeworriedlyashe stopped their progress, and theyhung in the water together in the silence,anoddly peacefulmomentin themidstofanemergency.Zane knewTy wastryingtotellhimsomethingimportant,buthejustwasn't getting it, and thatworried him almost as muchashis desire for themto get to the surface quickly.

ThenTy shookhisheadandtappedhiswatchagain,eachtap slower and more deliberate than the last before pointing upward again. Zanefrownedandshookhisheadasheclenchedhisfistinthewater. Heknewgettingfrustratedwouldn'thelp,buthehatednotbeingable to understand.

Tyseemedtosensewhathewasfeeling,andhepattedZane's hand with one hand ashe reached with the other to Zane's beltand loosenedoneoftheweights,lettingitfallaway.Theybegantofloat upwardlazily.Tytookholdofthemouthpiece,givingZaneamoment to take one last deep breath before he pulled it out of Zane's mouth. But insteadofputtingittohisown,hehelditouttothesideandleanedin to kissZaneas passionately as the divemasks and the water allowed. ThestrengthinitsurprisedZane,andheclutchedatTy,tryingnotto let the kiss distract him from their problem. Not the best of ideas when they didn't know what had happened to Ty's tank.

They didn'tknowwhathadhappenedto Ty'sguideropeonthe climbing wall, either.

Zanepulledback,eyeswideashelookedatTy,thenuptothe surface and back. There could very well be danger up there.

Tywasshakinghishead,asiftellingZanenottothinkaboutit. Hetookadeepbreathfromthemouthpieceandthenpoppeditback intoZane'smouth.They wererising very slowly,clutching eachother closeandbeingpushedaroundoneanotherby thecurrentinaleisurely dancethat would have been wildlyromantic and funin anyother scenario.Schoolsoftiny,colorfulfishdartedaroundthemplayfully. Bubbles chased them upward.

Ty seemeddetermined tomakethemgoslowly,andZaneslowly calmed. Ty wouldhavebeenmoreconcernedandactiveifthey werein anyimminentdanger.SoheshiftedhisarmstoholdTy closerand evened out his breathing as they gently ascended.

Theyweremakingprogress,thoughitwashardtojudgehow much more time itwould take toget there.Zaneknew one thing; Ty never would have made it to the surface if he'd been down there without help, especially not if Ty believed he hadto ascend this slowly.

WhenTy tookthemouthpieceoncemore,hedrewadeepbreath from it, then nudged hisnose againstZane'sandkissed him again. This was a gentler kiss, a languid indulgence thatcould almost make Zane forget someone could be trying to drown them.

WhenTybrokeitoff,helookedupandtookonemoredeep breathfromthemouthpiece,andthenheplaceditcarefully backin Zane's mouthanddroppedafewmoreoftheirweights.Theyrose faster, picking up speed as Ty began to kick toward the surface.

When their heads broke the surface of the water, it was loud, the splash of the water againstthem and itself nearly deafening Zane for a moment.Ty gaspeddeepfor airandyankedhismask off. Heappeared just as relievedasZanefelt as he blinkedaway the water that streamed into his eyes.Zane jerked his mouthpiece out andlooked around. They were about thirty yards from the dive boat, whereone of the crew was wavingatthem.He turnedto Ty and reachedtotake the empty tankoff his shoulder.

Ty battedathispawinghands."Youcan'tswimandholdontoit too,"hesaidinaharshvoice. Insteadhereachedout and yanked Zane'smask off his head, both of them treading water with difficulty as thewaveslappedatthem.Ty didn'tsay anotherword.Hejustpulled Zanecloserandkissedhimathirdtimeasthey bobbedineachother's arms.Zanelet Ty controlit—andhim—asthey gaspedforbreath through the kiss, not letting go.

WhenTyfinallypulledback,heliftedhischinoutofthewater andlookedatZaneseriously overthegentlerollofthewaves."That's for the air," he gasped out, still slightly out of breath.

"What the hell happened?" Zane asked.

"I feltfunny.Giddy.Not supposedtofeellike thatunderwater. Come on," hegrunted,and he turned andbeganswimming withsure, powerful strokes toward the boat.

Afterthatkiss,ZanewasaboutasoutofbreathasTy hadbeen. But he gamely started swimming after him.

Thecrewhadalready helpedTy aboardtheflatendofthecraft whenZane reachedit, and severalstrong handsgripped himandpulled himoutofthewateraswell.HekneltbesideTy,whowastakingin deep, grateful breaths of the warm Caribbean air.

"I'm sorry," he said to Zane as he reached out and patted his shoulder. Hewasspeaking withtheBritishaccent,and after allthat happened belowthesurface,itseemedwildly inappropriate."I couldn't letussurfacetooquickly.I wasafraidwemightbedeepenoughtorisk the bends."

"So that'swhatyou weretrying to say."Zane shruggedoutof the tank as one of the dive instructors took the weightfrom his shoulders.

Tyshruggedinembarrassment,hischeeksreddeningunderhis tan asanother instructorkneltnextto himto take hispulse. Worried, Zane reached out partway but stopped, then remembered he could touchhisfakehusbandwithoutlookingodd.Sohedidreachoutto touch the top of Ty's thigh, then his cheek. "You okay?"

"I'mfine," Ty answeredwitha vigorousnod.He lookedupand met Zane's eyes for amoment, then turnedhis gaze to thewoman kneelingbesidehim."Brushedagainstthebottomdownthere.Suppose Iknockedsomethingloose,"hetoldthegirlwithacarefreelaughand an elegant shrug of his shoulders.It was enoughto fool a stranger,and thewomansmiledathimworriedly andhelpedhimoutoftheuseless tank.

"Ithappenstothebestofus,"sheofferedkindly."Atleastyou didn't panic and had someone closeenough to helpyou."

Zane ran his hands through his hair to slick it back and kept watch overTycarefully."We'll justhavetotakeiteasythisevening,"he said,letting hishanddroplightly ontoTy'sknee.Heknewhewas venturingintotouchy-feely territory,butdamnit,whathadjust happened was scarier now, thinking aboutit, than ithad been under the waterholding Ty inhisarms.Heknewwhy Tywaskeepingalidonit, buthewantedtoscreamfromtherooftopsthatsomeonehadjusttried to murder his lover. Again.

Ty smiledathimbutremainedsilent.They didn'twantthestaff getting windofyet another attemptontheir lives. Thenewswould spreadlikewildfireontheship,andthey'd alreadyhadmoreattention than they wanted.

Afterafewmoremomentstomakecertainthey werebothwell, the two instructors left them sitting alone near the bow of the little boat. Ty waiteduntilnoonewaswithinearshotbeforeheleanedagainstthe back of the padded seatand muttered, "I'm beginning to dislike this case."

Zanegroanedandrubbedhiseyes."I hadn'treally anticipated murder attempts," he muttered.

Ty's handslidontohisknee,restingthereinafamiliargesture that would have felt so odd just a week ago. "We'll figure it out tonight.I'm tired of sitting around and waiting forsomeone to kill me."

Zane moved his hand to cover Ty's as he silently agreed, watching his partner instead of the blue Caribbean tossing gently behind him.

Aftera long,hotshower,Zane simply pulledon one of the plush bathrobesinthebathroomandjoined Ty inthemainroom.Hewas hungry after theirexcursion."Hey,wantsome sandwichesor something?" he asked before flopping on the couch and putting his feet up on the lowtablein front of him.Itwould be sixhours before dinnertime, according to the itinerary that ruled their lives.

"Anything but fish," was Ty's disgruntled reply.He was pacing, having foregone the robe after hisshower in favor of the soft,tattered jeans he was probably going to end up stealing from Del Porter. Hehad his head lowered as heworked toward making agroove in the floor in front of the balcony, striding slowly back and forth.

Zane decided to suggest the short walk to a nearby counter-service shopthat servedburgersand fries. Comfort food soundedlike a brilliantidea,andhewassure Ty couldusesomethingnormal.Butfor thismoment,hesatsilently andwatchedhispartner.Hecouldalmost literally see the smoke rising above Ty's head.

"Okay,here'swhatweknow," Ty blurtedasheturnedonZane andpointedafingerathimalmostaccusingly."VartanArmenhired Delto spy on CorbinPorter.Whenhe saw usplaying the happy couple, he decided his plan had backfired, right?"

Zane blinkedat theoutburst and answered with a drawn-out, careful, "Yeah."Something about that idea bothered him, but he wasn't quite sure what.ButZane wassomewhat surprised to discoverthat the ideaofhimandTy describedasa"happy couple"engenderedboth laughter and longing.

"And then we have theItalians in the mix, and if Dolce and GabbanawerelegitGuardiadiFinanzaagents,Iwilleat my shoes,"Ty went on with a carelesswave of his handas he turned and pacedaway fromZaneinagitation."SowemakethelogicalleapthattheItalians are crooked orworking off thebooks. Agreed?" He turnedback to look at Zane with raised eyebrows.

"I guessit's possible they could be Guardia di Finanza tailing Bianchi,butit'snotreally likely thatthey wouldbesanctionedto operateona ship underanother country'sflag.So,yeah, they're not legit," Zane agreed.

"Okay,"Tysaid,almosttohimself.Heabruptlystoppedpacing and crossed his arms, lowering his head and closing his eyes. He covered his eyes with one hand and stood there,motionless. "Okay," he repeated, his voice a soft, almost intimate murmur.

The low purr of Ty's voice never failed to get Zane's attention.It didn'tmatterwhenheusedit:atwork,athome,outshopping,while eating... and now, thinking more aboutwhatArmen musthaveseento deemhimandTy a"happy couple,"itmadeZanewonderaboutwhat exactly other people saw.

"Let'ssayI'mArmen,"Ty said,obviously notexpectingZaneto comment. "AndI have two business partnersI wantgone.Is it because theItalianauthoritiesareontothem?IsitbecauseI'magreedy bastard andI wantallthebusinessproceedsto myself?Ifthat'sthe case,then I'd need their information as well, since the business has been compartmentalized. SoI'd be after their laptops,cell phones, anything with business records."

OnceZanefiguredoutthatTy wasmostly rambling,themajority ofhisthoughtprocessingreturnedtochewonthe"happy couple"idea. Zane knew people at theoffice saw them as partners who didn't always getalong.That was true enough. What about strangers who met them together while on the clock but not undercover?

A change in the tenor ofTy's voice interruptedhis thoughts, drawing himback."I'veplantedDelwithCorbinin order togetwhatI needfromhim,butI don'ttrusthimandI plantoeliminatehim,too, whenI'mdone.Bianchi's harder because he'smarried,soI bribed someoneintheItalianauthoritiestostakehimoutandthentakehim down."

Ty wastalkingfaster,warmingto histrainofthought.Itwas slightlydisturbingtoseehimshiftsoeasily intoEvilMastermind,and sometimesitmade Zanewonderabouthowdifferently Ty'sbrainmust bewired.Ty madecrazy,intuitivejumpsthatweremoreoftenthannot correct. Zane was much more analytical, picking out patterns to connect the dots. So watching Ty like this was sortof awe-inspiring.

And freaky.

And sometimes hot.

Tycontinued,undauntedbythelackofsupportingevidenceor the need to breathe."So ayear or so after planting Del,I'vegot all their infofromhimandthedirtyItalians,andI suggestthiscruiseanda specialmeeting,danglesomething asbaitthatthey can'tresist.Found treasure?Something from a shipwreckaroundone of the islands? Somethingthey'llwanttobeabletogettheirhandsonandsell.But that'sirrelevant,"hesaidwithaviolentwaveofhishand."I setupthe meet in the market and make sure it'll go bad for Porter and Bianchi. Theredoesn'tactually havetobeanythingtosellifI killthembefore the end of the cruise."

ThewordkilldivertedZane's attentionfromwonderingifhe and Ty lookedlikeacoupleinsocialsituations—dinneratalocal restaurant,the occasionalshopping trip,evenworking outin thegym. Ty wasstilltalking."Eveniftheplannedmeetfails,I knowtheir itineraries,Ihavemenonboardtheship,andtheyhavenowhereto run."

"Butthey'reonlytryingtokillyou.Sofar.Notme.NotCorbin," Zane pointed out.

Ty stoppedshortandstaredathim,thennarrowedhiseyes."Del may beaproblembecauseI'mbeginningtosuspecthereally doeslove Corbin," he responded. "So we get rid of him first."

"Thatwouldcertainly upsetCorbin,"Zane said.Itwasupsetting him, and Zane already knew whatitwaslike todealwithlosing a loved one.HeturnedhisgazetolockonTy."Dependingonhowattached they are, Corbin could be seriously out of commission if he lost Del."

Ty'sgaze went distant, and he shook his head slowly. "Both attemptsweresloppy.Notatallaguaranteedkill.Thefallfromthe wallwouldhavebrokenbones,donealotofdamage,nottomention thefacttherewasnowayofknowingI'dgofirst.Andtherewasno waytoknowifI'd reacttothescrewyairorifitwouldkillme.Yeah, there's drowning,butmore than likelyyou'relooking atacase of decompressionsicknessorsomehysteria-inducedrespiratory distress." Heshookhishead."Maiminghimisjustasgoodaskillinghimasfar as they're concerned. Why?How does that help them get to Corbin?"

"Mymindcertainlywouldn't beonbusiness,"Zanemurmured, thinking of the sense ofpossessiveness and theneed to protectthat gripped him when Ty was in trouble. His mind definitely wasn't focused on the businessat hand.

"No," Ty agreed.His eyesbrightenedsuddenly,and he lookedat Zane."Unlessthey intendtotakeyou by force.ArmenknowsDelisa hiredthugbutsuspectshismotivesnow.HethinksDelwouldprotect Corbin because he loveshim. But with Del out ofthe way, they'refree to take Corbin. That must mean they need him for something, something physical."

"Something that Del couldn't steal," Zane saidas he nodded. "Withdirty businessmen,whoknows?Itcouldbenames,account numbers,passwords.Hell,itcouldbeavoiceprintorretinalscan,for all we know. So Armen would have to have Corbinin person, under his thumb." He leaned his head back against the wall. "If he thinks they're in love," he mused, "why not just take Del hostage?"

Ty's intent eyes focused on Zane for a long moment, his face unreadable. "Maybe he knows you're not in love," he posed evenly.

ZanetriedtoholdTy's eyes,buthewasquicklyforcedtolook away.Theintensity ofthegazemadehimmoreuncomfortablethanhe wouldhaveexpected,becausehefeltsomethingbehindit.Something todowithTy notbeingDelandZanenotbeingCorbin.Something about what would happen to either of them if the other were gone and how that made Zane's chest hurt even without throwing the word love around, which truly scared the shit out of him.

That was what buggedZane about Ty's claimthat Armen had come to a conclusionwhile looking at the Porters. He hadn't been looking atDelandCorbin.He'dbeenlookingatTy andZane.And Ty had looked like he was in love...

Zaneshookhisheadanddrewasettlingbreath,becausehewas on edge now, and hewasn'tquite sure how to fix it. "So Del has outlived his usefulness."

Ty thumpeddownheavilybesidehimwithhisshouldersslumped andadejectedfeelabouthim."I'mnotworriedaboutDel.He'ssafely injail,"hemurmured.HeglancedatZane,oneeyebrowraised."But the Bianchis?"

Zane lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "He doesn't seem too hardcore. More likea European high rollerwho dabbles in crime on the side."

TysatforwardandturnedsohecouldlookatZanemoreclosely.

"Zane,"hesaidimpatiently."Imeantwhatifthey've outlivedtheir usefulness too? They're mixed up with bad people, but theydon't deserve to die for it."

"No,they don't."Itwasobvious,seeingLorenzoandNorina together,howvery muchinlovethey were.Eitherthatorthey both deserved Oscars—or whatever the Italian equivalent was. "So you think Armen wants the entire ring," Zane posed."And he's orchestrated this trip tomorrow to clean out his partners and meet the buyers at the same time."

"I do." Ty wassilent,continuing to peer atZanewitha thoughtful frown. "Where'syourhead rightnow?" he finally asked.It wasn't the caustictonehewouldusuallyhaveusedwhenhesuspectedZane's mind wasn't where he wanted it to be. It was a gentle inquiry, which in itself was odd enough to make Zane answer honestly.

"I was... thinkingaboutwhatArmenmusthaveseen,"Zanesaid somewhat reluctantly, plucking at the belt of his robe.

"Seen where?" Ty asked in earnest confusion.

"Watching us."

Ty snorted.Neitherhisfacenorhisnormallyexpressiveeyes betrayeda thing before he looked away and stoodup. "Well,clearly,he sawthat I'm abetteractorthan youare,"hesaidhaughtilyashe stepped away.

Zane didn't know how to interpret that response.It wasn't often thatTy stonewalledhimanymore,whichmeanthispartnerwashiding something."I thoughtyousaidyou didn'tthinkyou wereacting anymore."

"Thatwasinreferencetobeing flamingly gay," Ty answered wryly.HisbackwasstillturnedtoZane.Hishandswereonhiships, and his head was cockedjust a bit as he looked out the balcony doors.

Zane pushed himself off the couch to his feetand walked up behindTy.He knew Ty couldhear himmoving,so he didn't worry aboutgettingsmacked.HealsoknewthatTy wasdeflectinglikecrazy. And Zane thought he might knowwhy. He slid his arms around Ty's waist and loosely clasped his hands. "No, it wasn't."

Tytensedeversoslightly,andheturnedhisheadtowardZane. He seemed surprised that, for once,Zane had called him on hissmoke and mirrors act. "What was it, then?" he asked evenly.

"You want me," Zane murmured, feeling remarkably secure about it.ThatwasthereasonTyhadlookedsoconvincingtoArmen.This wasn'twantasinwantingtofuckexplosivelyevery halfhour, althoughthatwascertainly partofit.Anditwasn'tquitewantasin beinglonelyintheevenings.Itwasmore.Zanesmiledslightlyashe pressed a tiny kiss to Ty's ear.

Ty snortedloudly andturnedhisheadaway,andZaneknew instinctively that Ty wasrollinghis eyesandprobably tryingnotto smile. "And what is that, a crime now?" Ty asked in a low voice.

Zanechuckled."Icouldn'tcarelessifitis."Hetightenedhis arms, not wanting Tyto move away. "It's more than just fucking around now," hesaid. "Isn't it?" He made surethe tone ofhis voice emphasized that it wasn't really a question.

Ty wasmotionlessinresponse.Hedidn'tevenseemtobe breathing. The silence stretchedon,edging toward tension. Finally,he let outhisbreathquietly and loweredhishead."No," heliedblithely, just as he'd done in a hotel in New York City over a year ago.

Zanechuckled.AclassicGradyresponse,anddefinitelytheone he preferred to hear. A yes justmight have given him a heart attack. He held Ty close."You owe me."

"Oweyou?"Tyrepeatedinarough,questioningvoiceasZane felt his heartbeat begin to speed up.

"Mm-hmm. HowI've wantedyou,"Zane breathed. "It scares the hell out of me."

"I know," Ty murmuredasheturnedinplaceandnuzzledagainst Zane's neck.

Zane's hands trembled as he cupped Ty's faceand kissed him softly, overand over.Hedidn't knowwhere he'dfound theguts to say whathejustdid.Butithadbeenworthit.Ty wrappedhisarmsaround Zane andpulledhimcloser.Zane could feelthe desire starting to build, quiveringlike alivewirebetween them, and hemoaned hungrily, fingers clenching at the waistband of the worn jeans hanging on Ty's hips.Hewastornbetweenthisscarytendersidetotheirrelationship thathewasseeingmoreandmoreandthelong-standingdesireto tackle Ty to the carpet and fuck him senseless. "Ty," he breathed.

"Comeon," Ty urgedsoftly.Hetuggedathimandstartedpulling him toward the bed.

Zane's gazefocusedonTy's,whichmadehisheartpoundeven harder.Itwas almosttoomuch, letting himselfthinkaboutwhatmore this couldmean:he wanted Ty, Ty wanted him,and... and to avoid thinking about it anymore,Zane took two long strides to catch Ty around the waist and claim another kiss.

TypushedattherobeonZane's shoulders.Theheavymaterial slid and caughton Zane's elbowsuntil he straightenedhisarmsto let it fallto the floor, leaving himnude and aroused.Ty unfastened hisjeans andpushedthemdown.Assoonastheywereundressed,Tydughis fingers into Zane's hips and shoved him toward the bed.

Zane stumbled thetwosteps, and his knees hitthe side of the round mattress, throwing him off-balance enoughthat he had tocatch himselfwithbothhandstoavoidaface-plantintheduvet.Ty took advantageoftheprecariouspositionby placingahandinthecenterof Zane's backandpushingslightlyashesteppedupbehindhim.His other handglided overZane's skin, up the sideof his ribs and back down hard muscles.

ZanecouldfeeltheheadofTy'sbarecockrubbingagainsthim. He pushed backagainstTy's thighs,moving hisass to rub close as he archedandpractically purredunder Ty'shands.Goddamn,ithadbeen too long since he'd beenfucked, and now he needed it.

Tygasped,followingthesoundwithalowgroanandaslow thrust of his hipsagainst Zane."Youwant itlike this?" he asked roughly.

"Yes!" Zane bit out.

Ty ranhishandsacrosstheskinofZane'sbackagain,hisfingers tracing the line of the tattoo."Stay," he orderedina lowvoice before moving away to the bedside table.

Zane obeyed,mostly. He reachedout andcaughtTy'sarm."Just thelube,"hesaidhoarsely.They'dalready sortoftalkedaboutit.They were both testedwith such regularity there was noquestion as to safety. And he wanted to have Ty inside him with nothing between them.

Ty looked back at him. "You sure?" he asked seriously.

Zane met his eyesand nodded. "Justyou."

The sound Ty made in response was more of a growl than anything else. He whirled andbeganrummaging through the drawer wherethey hadstowed theirsupplies.Whilelisteningtothebottlesnap open,Zane pawedattheduvetandpulleditdown until itcrumpledin a pile against hischest. "Ty," he said urgently, leaning his weight on one hand so he could stroke himself.

"God!" Ty huffedincredulously.He movedbackover in one long stride. "Be patient!" heordered in exasperationas he reachedaround Zaneandstilledhishand,kissinghisbackashebentoverhim.His cock nudgedat Zane as he moved.

Zanegrowled low inhis throat but let go of himself as he shuddered under Ty's lips.

"Patience," Ty remindedas he shoved the duvet away andpressed Zane fully onto the mattress and down into the sheets.

ZaneletTymovehimaround,wantingnothingmorerightnow than to beunder him.Tohave Ty wanthim.Tohave Ty showhimhow muchhewantedhim.Zane's breathsbrokeashiskneesspread,his cockbrushingthesheets.Ty pushedhimtohischestashebitatZane's shoulderandslidonefingerintohim.Breathcatching,Zanestilledas hischestrubbedthesoftsheetsand Ty seemedtoattackhimfromtwo sidesatonce.Hegaspedatthetiny biteandshiftedbackagainstTy's finger,makingadeeplyneedynoise.Tymurmurednonsenseintohis ear and then scraped histeeth over the skin of hisshoulder again as he twisted the finger inside him. He pushed at himfrom behind, using his whole body,and forcedZane's hips to thrust down against the mattress.

Crying out sharply,Zane dug in,rutting his hipsagainst the sheets tostimulatehishardenedcock.Ifhehadtohumpthemattressinorder to get Ty to fuck him, he'd gladly do it.

Ty addedanotherslickfingerimpatiently andtwistedthem wickedly.

"Jesus! Ty!" Zane hissed as his ass clenchedaround Ty'slong digits. Ty hummedin responseanddug thefingersof hisfree handinto Zane's hip.He pushedagainst him demandingly and bent over him to biteintothetenderskinunderZane's shoulderblade.Tyknewwhat kindofresponsehe'dget.Zaneyelledagainanddrovehishipsback andthendownagainstthebed.Typressedagainsthimandmurmured to him again, asking himif he was ready.

"Fuck, yes! Please!"Zaneanswered mournfully,tryingto get more friction against his cock, but the angle waswrong. "Please, baby," he begged hoarsely.

Ty hastily removed hisfingers,fumbled withthe smallbottlenext to Zane's knee,and thenliberally applied the lubricantto himself. His hand slid over Zane's lower backappreciatively, and the slow slide just made Zane quiver as he felt fingersstroking over the skin. He breathed Ty's name again, trying to hold as still as possible as he grippedthe sheets.Ty seemedtobeholdinghisbreathashepressedagainstZane. AshefeltTybrushagainsthim,ZanewonderedifTyhadeverdone thiswithoutacondom—hehadn't himself—butTy'scockpushedinto him before he could think about it more.

Tygaveawantongroanasherockedslowlyin.Zanetriedto relaxasTy pushed,butthedesiregrippinghimmadehimtenseupall over. He bit his lip against a gasp and tried to wigglea little to get Ty to move.

"StopmovingorI'm justgonnacomealloveryourassright here," Ty growled to himas he dragged his fingersdown Zane's back.

Zane hung his headandtried to take inevenbreaths as hisbody adjustedtolet Ty slide in.Thenhemoanedaloudandpushedbackhis hips in encouragement.

"That's it," Ty groanedwithdifficulty.Hereached aroundZane andstrokedhimslowly,hishandpracticallytrappedbetweenZane's bodyandthebed.Hepushedinfurther,moaningagainashedidso, and he laid himself out on top of Zane and flexed his hips.

Zanecriedoutwordlessly before burying hisfaceagainstthe sheets. Ty'sweight on him changedthe whole experience, and he couldn'tthinkatallnow.Hecouldonly react."Please,"hewhispered over and over as Ty moved slowly inside him. He could feel the rock of Ty'ships againsthisass, feel the push of hisbare cockdeeperand deeper,feel hisbreathson the back of his neck.Justknowing that Ty wouldbeliterally emptyinghimselfinsidehimmadeZane'sbody tingle—he was so very aware of it.

Ty groaned,a plaintivemoan ashe begantorockhiships rhythmically,pullingalmostallthewayoutandthenslidingbackin slowly.HegrippedZane's hipbeneathhimandtrappedZaneunder him, and he pressed his open mouth against the back of Zane's shoulder and whispered his name.Moaning constantly,Zane tensedagain asthe climaxstartedtothreaten,andhismusclesclampedaroundTyashe began to twitch,trying to shiftand getjusta littlemore stimulationon his cock.

Ty raisedhishipsand pulledatZane, lifting him justenoughthat with each thrustZane was pushed into hishand."Come on, Zane," he coaxedinalowvoice."Ipromise I'll keepfucking youafter you come."

Once hewas thrusting into Ty's hand,Zane started writhing, gasping Ty'snamewitheachpush.Butithadto be faster,harder, deeper. Ty knew,though,justashealwaysdid.Hepickeduphisown rhythm,drivingintoZaneharderandharder,erratically hittinghis prostate,forcingZane's cockintohisslickedhandashefuckedhim. Zanebitoffaloudyellashehitorgasm,hishotcomestringingover Ty'sfingers to drip to the sheetsas he pushedback on Ty'scock over and over.

Ty calledoutinahoarsevoiceasZane'smovementsbecame wilder, but he managedto keep thrusting evenas Zane clenchedand spasmed aroundhis cock. He slid his hand upand overZane's hip, smearing comeon hisskin.He gripped himhard and begantruly thrusting intohim,rockingZane'sbody andslappingtheirdampskin together.

Zanefinallymoanedoutalong,achingwailashisbody clutched aroundTy.IfTykeptgoing,Zanewasgoingtocomeagain.Hecould feel pleasure buildingagaindeep in hisgut and his balls, and he moved with the pummeling, leaning forward to press his forehead to the sheets. Ty had promisedto keep fucking him, andGod, was he ever.

Tystretchedoutoverhim,slowinghishipsashewhispered, "Okay?"

Drawing ina shaky breath,Zane openeddazed eyesto stareatthe tangledsheets."Don't stop,"hebreathed.Hewantedtocomeagain with Ty's cock deep inside him. He wanted to hear Ty. He wanted to feelTy empty himself intohimatthatmoment.Ohfuckinghell,he wanted it, to feel Ty so fucking close...

Tylowered his head and pressed his forehead against Zane's back, whimpering and then growling plaintively as he complied. He pushed back up,gripping one ofZane's hips andhis shoulder to use as leverage. Hegasped with the pounding thrusts, andZanegroaned betweenharshbreathsashereveledintheway Ty wasusing hisbody. He was half-hardagain,pleasure radiating fromhis groin with every move. Hereachedunderhimself to palmhimself again,reaching far between his legs to massage Ty as well.

TysimplymoanedinresponseandclutchedatZanehardashe finally foundhisrelease.HepantedagainstZane'sskinashiships continuedtorock,hisbody jerkingwiththestimulation.Zanegripped himselfasTy cameandpumpedhardtoasmallerbutsharperclimax, his body tensing around Ty's pulsing cock.

After an eternity of almost painful pleasure, Ty stilled and pressed hisforeheadagainstZane's back, breathing harshly.Then he pulled out quickly, maybeenjoying the factthat he didn't have to worry about a condom.Zaneshuddered as he felt a hot trail of come slide along the insideofhisthigh,anditwasonthetipofhistonguetotell Ty todoit all over again.

OnceTyshiftedback,Zane'sarmsfinallygaveout,andhesank to his belly, his knees spread wide, before he curled to his side, still flinching asshocksof sensationcoursed throughhim.He watched throughbarely open eyesas Ty crawled upontothe bedlikea man who'd just run a marathon and collapsed beside him.

Ty scootedcloserandslidhiskneebetweenZane'slegs,pulling himself over andnuzzling againstZane's cheekbeforekissing him. "You okay?" he asked again softly.

Zane slid his arm over Ty's waist to helpthem remain close. "Yeah,"hewhispered,givingintotheurgetoshifthishipsandfeel more of Ty'scome sliding between his cheeks andthighs. "You?"

"Maybe,"Tymurmuredinanswer."We'll seeinthemorning," he added with a small smile.

Zanewassolemn,though."Yougonnawakeupinthemorning and think better of this?"

Ty kissed him again languidly, sliding his cleaner hand into Zane'shairand breathing in deeply through hisnose so hecould kiss Zaneharderandlonger."No,"heassuredhimoncehefinallypulled away.

Zanerolledtohisbacklongenoughtofreehisotherarmsohe couldwrapbotharoundTy possessively."Okay,"hewhisperedashe managed a breath. He moved just enough to press their foreheads together. "Never saw this kind of thing coming."

"Damn," Ty respondedwryly."ThenI couldhavesaiditwasall your fault."

ZanejabbedatTy's ribs.Tyoomphedandjerked,snickering.

"You know whatI mean," Zane muttered.

Ty quieted and nudged himself closer. "Maybe," he admitted slyly.

Narrowinghiseyes,Zanepulledhisheadbacktolookathis partner. "Maybe?"

Ty'sentirebody shiveredwithapleasurablerippleasthecoolair began to touch him. "You knowyou wanted me," he teasedgently, a smirk in his voice.

Zane snortedquietly."Certainly wasn'tyour pleasantdisposition that caught my attention," he mutteredas he lightly kissed Ty's jaw.

"Sure it was," Ty huffed."It's my best feature."

"Your assisyour bestfeature,"Zanecorrected.Ty gave another insulted huff and began to roll away from him. Zane laughed andflexed hisarms,notlettinghimmove."What?Youwantmetosay something else?Somethingpoetic?Likeyourflashingeyes?Oryourfull,pouty lips?"

"My sparkling personality," Ty provided cheekily.

"Yourinsatiablesexdrive,"Zanedrawled,splayinghishandson Ty's back to anchor himin place as he tangled hislower legs with Ty's.

"That's partly your fault," Ty accused.

Zanegrinned."I'lltaketheblame,"hesaid."Ifyoutellmemy best feature."

"That'seasy,"Ty answered."Yourpartner,"hesaidcheekily, managing to maintain a straight face.

Zane'ssmilesoftened,andslowly henodded."I'dsayyou're right."

"Oh,don'tdothat,"TygroanedwithalittlejabtoZane'sribs. "Joke," he murmured. "Itwas a joke."

Zane justchuckled and shook his head slightly,stealing a kiss just likeTy's."Nojoke,"hedisagreed,thoughstillsmiling."Iamnokind of prize."

"Tell me about it," Ty groaned.

Zane laughedand buriedhis face in the junctureof Ty's neckand shoulder, inhaling deeply.

Ty hummedquietlyandrolledontohisback,takingZanewith him."Weshouldthinkaboutgettingcleanedup,"hemuttered."You made a mess."

"I made a mess?" Zane asked pointedly.

Ty growleddeep in hischestas he pulledZane closer, preventing Zanefromfondlinghimlikehewasaboutto."Ienjoyedit,"hesaid with a leer.

Zane turned his head to nip at Ty's neck. "Shower, then?"

"Mm-hmm,"Ty responded,thoughheseemedtohavenoplanfor moving.

"Soundspromising," Zane mumbled, smiling against Ty's collarbone.

"Ifwestay hereallsticky,I may havetofuckyouagain," Ty warned.

"Oh,theagony,"Zanedrawled,pulling Ty closertokisshim soundly.

Ty rolledhimsuddenly,puttinghimselfontopofZanewith clearly every intention of continuing on in the same vein.Butthey were closer to the precarious edge of the round mattress than either of them realized,andwhen Ty putallhisweightintoZane,bothwenttumbling offtheedgeoftheroundbedinanungracefulheapoflimbs,curses, and peals of laughter.