Cut and Run 2 - Sticks and Stones

after an uncomfortable minute. He didn’t seem to want to comment on Ty’s outburst or on Zane’s nonchalant reaction to it. “We just tie them down and drive them out of here.”
    Ty sat with his eyes closed, Earl’s hand on his shoulder. Earl’s knuckles were turning white from the pressure he was exerting to keep Ty where he sat. Zane watched for a moment, partly moved because Ty’s violent reaction had been to defend him, partly surprised by the vehemence of it. “Ty,” Zane said, trying to get his partner’s attention focused on something besides breaking necks. “Ty, we need to know what you want to do. If that’s leaving them here or tossing them in the ravine, those can go into the vote.”
    Ty took in a deep breath and finally looked up, seemingly calm once more. Earl removed his hand slowly and gave Ty’s shoulder a pat before he took a small step away. When Ty answered, his voice was pitched just loud enough for the two prisoners to hear him. “I say we take them with us,” he decided grimly. “We may need them if we run out of food.”
    A muffled series of protests emitted from the tied prisoners. Zane had to turn his back on them as he covered his mouth to stop from laughing, careful of jarring his nose. Ty wasn’t too far gone if that jackass sense of humor was still showing.
    Deuce merely rolled his eyes and sank back into his chair. “Shall we talk about dinner, then?” he asked wryly.

Chapter 12

    Z ANE pushed through the brush, having escaped from the campsite to smoke after Earl and Deuce called it a night. He stopped maybe twenty-five, thirty yards back down the yellow-brick road and off the path a little ways, shook the cigarette out of the package, and lit up before leaning his head sideways against one of the trees he’d taken shelter under. He looked out into the dark, trying not to think, trying to shrug off the tension.
    God, he was twitchy. After dealing with a long hike up into strange territory, the treasure hunters and their booby traps, Earl’s repeated verbal jabs at Ty, the capture and showdown, and then the stressful walk to the camp, Zane’s strongest instinctive response—besides wanting to curl up in a ball and protect his head—was to try to calm and comfort his partner. Ty would let himself be coddled when he was hurting when others couldn’t see. But Zane doubted anything he could do at this point would help, if Ty would even let him try. It was frustrating.
    Zane knew one thing: that sure as hell wouldn’t happen with Earl around. Zane had never seen Ty react to anyone like he did to Earl. Zane had never even imagined Ty had it in him to behave the way he did around his father: sedate and quiet and eager merely to follow orders.
    It was obvious that Earl Grady had been hard on his sons growing up, but it had been clear from the start that Ty and Deuce loved and respected him a great deal. They boys seemed to be more a product of tough love rather than abuse. And the Gradys hadn’t struck Zane as a family that bickered and sniped to hurt each other until Earl had called Ty a coward.
    The anger still flamed through Zane at the mere thought. The sheer audacity it took to even think that was stunning. And the fact that Ty had so obviously taken it to heart just because his father had been the one to say it made Zane want to hit something. He couldn’t help but wonder if Earl was being cruel because he was reacting in some way to Zane’s presence. Had he picked up on their relationship? Was he taking it out on Ty because he’d realized what they were doing and disapproved? Zane sighed and shook his head. He was pretty sure he was just being paranoid, and he knew he shouldn’t brood over things he couldn’t change. Leaning his head back, Zane blew a long column of smoke up into the air.
    A twig broke somewhere in the darkness as someone moved behind him. Zane tensed and had one hand immediately on his gun as he whirled around.
    “Don’t shoot me,” Ty requested quietly as he materialized out of the darkness. Zane relaxed and huffed at him, taking the cigarette from his lips. “Those things’ll kill you,” Ty said softly as he moved to sit on a fallen log near Zane. He stared out over the dimly moonlit valley below them.
    Zane’s lips quirked a little, and he relaxed back against the tree as he looked down at his partner. “I’m still expecting bullets anytime now.”
    Ty sighed with a hint of the downtrodden to him and nodded in agreement.