Cut and Run 2 - Sticks and Stones

over at his father as his head began to pound harder. “Dad,” he said in frustration. “Would you just shut the hell up for one fucking minute?”
    Earl looked up slowly, looking at Deuce in shock. Ty stared at Deuce with much the same expression Earl was, his mouth slightly agape. Zane snorted and ducked his head as he rubbed at his eyes.
    “Is there a reason you’re on his case more than usual, or are you just getting meaner in your old age? ’Cause you sure as hell ain’t gettin’ smarter,” Deuce snapped.
    “Deacon,” Ty said softly, his voice surprised and full of dread.
    Deuce didn’t look away from his father. He saw Earl’s jaw tighten as he ground his teeth. Neither of his sons had ever spoken to him like that. In fact, Deuce was pretty sure no one had ever spoken to Earl Grady like that and walked away except perhaps for Mara. Earl looked as if he was about to say something, but then he began to nod slowly, and he sighed. He looked from Deuce to Ty slowly. Ty met his eyes, though he did so with clear trepidation, and he shifted nervously where he sat. Deuce thought he might have caught sight of Zane’s hand gently settling on Ty’s leg.
    “He’s right,” Earl said to Ty in a rough voice. “I’m sorry, boy,” he offered.
    Ty stared at him in obvious surprise for long, tense moments before he nodded jerkily. “Yes, sir,” he responded almost inaudibly.
    Zane leaned closer to Ty and murmured something—he didn’t look at all appeased. When Ty just shook his head, Zane leaned back and kept his mouth shut. But his dark eyes were filled with something menacing that confused Deuce. Not many emotions inspired that kind of darkness: fury, desperation… utter devotion.
    One thing was certain. If Zane ever came to any family holidays with Ty, it would be interesting.
    They ate in silence, all of them too tired and too hungry to argue any more or try to make idle conversation. As soon as Earl had finished, he stood with his bedroll. “Night, boys,” was all he said as he turned and walked a few feet away to settle down for the night.
    Deuce waited until his father had done so before he scooted closer to Ty and Zane and lowered his voice. “You didn’t have a plan, did you?” he asked Ty. It came out as more of a statement than a question. Ty glanced at him sideways before looking back down at the tin plate in his hand. He shook his head in answer. Zane looked up as well, but this time there was no emotion to be read on his face.
    Deuce watched them both in growing anger. “Do you two have any idea how completely dysfunctional you are?” he asked them.
    “Dysfunctional?” Zane repeated, though his voice was low.
    “You’re both practically suicidal,” Deuce pointed out, forcing himself to keep his voice low. The last thing they needed was for Earl or Earflaps to weigh in on this. “First Ty goes ballistic and starts begging people to shoot him; then you go off and try to dive into that river without even thinking about how you’d get back out.”
    Ty flinched and turned to look at Zane questioningly, but Zane was watching Deuce. Deuce rolled his eyes and looked away. “Dysfunctional” was an understatement.
    “Look, can this wait until we’re not all freezing our balls off?” Ty asked sedately as he continued to eat slowly. They’d taken all the MREs they could carry from the ATV, and that was all the food they had unless they wanted to forage. “Thought I was done with these damn things,” Ty muttered as he poked at the food.
    “Here,” Zane murmured, handing over the little mini-package of M&Ms out of his meal.
    Ty glanced at it and then up at Zane with a small, tired smile. “Keep your damn chocolate,” he muttered gruffly.
    Deuce put his chin in his hand and watched them silently. He couldn’t read Zane, but he thought the man’s projected emotions were fairly straightforward. When they were visible at all. Right now, Zane was focused on Ty, and that anger appeared to be totally gone, replaced by something milder. Warmer.
    But Ty? Deuce snorted. Not in love, his ass. Ty could fool Zane, maybe. He could even fool himself for a while longer. But Ty couldn’t fool Deuce, not anymore.

Chapter 14

    “ I GOTTA take a leak,” Earflaps said petulantly.
    Ty jerked and gasped, yanked from his doze by the man’s voice. He shook his head and rubbed at his eyes, leaning forward to pile more sticks into the stuttering fire before looking over at the prisoner hatefully.