Cut and Run 2 - Sticks and Stones

him again?” Ty asked carefully.
    “Can your wallet handle such abuse?”
    “If it would help.”
    Zane finally moved, rolling toward Ty to look up at him. “I think Deuce has the wrong idea about us.”
    Ty resisted the urge to ask for further details. If it had to do with whatever he’d talked about with Deuce, then it needed to stay with Zane for now unless he wanted it out. Zane had to know that if he did decide to seek out help with Ty’s brother, what they said was safe even from Ty.
    He was also scared to ask what the right idea about them might be.
    “He knows we’re screwing around,” Ty finally responded with a negligent shrug. It was the only thing he could think to say.
    “You told him?” Zane asked.
    “He’s smarter than I am,” Ty argued.
    “Clearly,” Zane murmured. “You should listen to him sometimes.”
    “What makes you think I don’t?” Ty asked.
    Zane studied him for a moment before shifting to lie on his back so he could look up at him, and he rubbed his eyes again. “I’m too tired to play word games right now.”
    “I’m not playing games,” Ty assured him. “Look, Garrett,” he sighed as he turned and leaned over him. “Wouldn’t you rather talk with Deuce than some random Bureau shrink?” he asked, wincing inwardly as he waited for Zane’s reaction.
    Zane sighed, reached up to curl his hand over Ty’s nape, and tugged down gently. Ty allowed it warily, not certain what to expect. When Ty was close enough, Zane kissed him gently for mere seconds and then released him.
    “Thanks,” Zane whispered.
    Ty pressed his forehead to Zane’s with a hint of relief. This was one step in the right direction, anyway. The sooner he got Zane back on track, the sooner they’d be in the field again. He cocked his head, looking into Zane’s exhausted eyes. He wanted to say more. He wanted to ask Zane what he’d meant earlier when he’d mentioned “them” as if they were a unit. But he supposed his father was right; he was too much of a coward to ask.
    “I can see your thoughts running in circles in your eyes,” Zane said softly, his fingers ruffling in the hair at the base of Ty’s neck.
    Ty pulled back, his eyes darting back and forth as he looked into Zane’s. He was too worn out to think of anything to say in return other than to ask, “What?”
    “You’re thinking hard about something,” Zane said. “Something you’re not happy about. It shows. To me at least.” He smiled, but it immediately faded. “Probably because I’ve seen it so much lately.”
    Ty sighed and shook his head. “Usually I hide the thinking thing better,” he tried in a wry voice.
    “You don’t have to hide from me,” Zane told him quietly. “Lord knows I’ve probably seen you near your worst.”
    Ty gave that a small smile. “You’re right,” he acknowledged. “But I’m not hiding from you.”
    “So what are you thinking about? Will you tell me?”
    Ty held his breath as he considered the request. It wasn’t out of line. And Zane was right; he’d seen Ty at his very worst. Any opinions he might form about Ty’s weaknesses, either physical or mental, had long ago been formed.
    “I was thinking about being afraid of things,” he admitted.
    Zane didn’t say anything right away. He tipped his head slightly to one side as he studied Ty, and then he moved, scooting over on the bed and drawing Ty down to lay next to him. “Things like dark rooms,” he said softly. “Small spaces,” he clarified. “You seemed to handle being out on the mountain in the dark okay.”
    Ty was already shaking his head in answer. “Do you… do you think turning back up there would have been cowardice?” he asked slowly.
    “No,” Zane answered immediately. “You heard me disagree with Earl from the start. We were four men of various capabilities, very lightly armed, in unknown territory with no resources and no idea who or what we were facing. We should have gotten to safety and sent back people who were equipped to handle it.” His fingers clenched where they draped over Ty’s hip. “We were lucky. Real damn lucky.”
    Ty didn’t respond as he met Zane’s eyes. Those were the same things he’d been telling himself up until he’d run into bigger things to worry about. But the hint of doubt lingered. He was too tired to try and conceal the emotion.
    Zane lifted his hand and cupped Ty’s cheek, turning Ty’s chin so he couldn’t look away. “You listen to me, Beaumont Tyler