Cut and Run 3 - Fish and Chips

stateroom with the small package in his pocket was the compass rose nestled against the hollow of Ty’s throat.
     
     
    T Y HADN ’ T realized he’d fallen asleep until he heard the door click. He jerked awake and reached to the side of the bed, where normally a gun would have been nestled between the mattress and box springs. Instead, he found the rounded edge of the circular bed he would never grow accustomed to, and he went toppling over the side to the floor.
    Zane’s “Corbin” voice came floating into the cabin. “Honey, I’m home.”
    “Christ,” Ty muttered as he pushed himself up and peered over the edge of the bed to look at Zane.
    Zane sauntered—and there was no other word for it but sauntered—across the room, one hand in his pants pocket, his suit jacket casually unbuttoned. “And how was your afternoon, doll?” he asked with a wink.
    “I was enjoying a nap, I think,” Ty muttered as he climbed to his feet. “God, you’re smug. What have you done?”
    Zane grinned. “I had a good day at the tables.”
    “Oh yeah?” Ty asked, cutting off the words with a yawn as he stretched his arms high above his head.
    “Oh yeah,” Zane drew out. He moved to stand in front of Ty. “Tell me, baby. What would you do with $500,000?”
    Ty raised one eyebrow. “I’d… probably put it into savings with all the other money I never spend. Why?”
    “There isn’t anything you want to splurge on?” Zane asked as he sat down on the edge of the bed. “Maybe if we spend some of it now, the Bureau won’t find out about it.” That smile was still in place, and he was clearly holding back laughter.
    Ty blinked rapidly at him, shocked by his words. Zane had brought him a $10,000 poker chip a couple of nights ago, just to watch Ty goggle. But this? “Are you saying you actually won half a million dollars?” he asked incredulously. Zane nodded and shrugged one shoulder. Ty sat down hard beside him. “Are you shitting me?” he asked with a laugh. “Jesus, Zane. Let’s go to Vegas when this is over.”
    Zane laughed aloud. “Told you I was good at poker.” He shook his head and stood again, starting to pull off his jacket. “I’ll warn you, though. Armen’s going to be cranky for a while.”
    Ty groaned and flopped to his back. “He’s probably going to order Del to kill you now. I hope you bought yourself something nice.”
    “I’ve got your back,” Zane said as he advanced on the bed and knelt on the mattress, one knee on each side of Ty’s thighs, and he leaned over him. “And your front,” he drawled. “C’mon, doll. It wouldn’t be right if we didn’t go out and celebrate tonight.”
    Ty snorted and shook his head as he looked up into Zane’s eyes. “Or,” he said slowly, “we could stay in and celebrate. Spend your ill-gotten gains on room service, not have to worry about being killed, and I could drop the accent for the night.”
    Zane’s gaze turned hungry and intense as he focused on Ty. Ty loved that look in his eyes. “I could be easily swayed to that idea.”
    Ty bit his lip and raised his chin just slightly, shifting his shoulders in invitation. He and Zane both knew he didn’t have to actually say anything to sway Zane. And Zane didn’t disappoint; he leaned down to kiss Ty rather sweetly. “It’s not very often I could say ‘you can have anything you want, baby’,” Zane practically purred. “But now is one of those times.”
    Ty smiled serenely, trying to keep the hint of melancholy out of it. He knew Zane meant what he said. The Bureau had no way of knowing he’d just won all that money. They could go out and blow it all, and no one would be the wiser. But Ty had never been a very materialistic man.
    “Only thing I want is you,” he whispered.
     
     
    A FTER the scuba diving scare the day before, they agreed to skip the WaveRunner rides and snorkeling in favor of trying to figure out how to break something — anything — in this seriously fucked-up case. Ty had known going in that they wouldn’t see much action. They were on the periphery of a larger investigation; they knew that. But he and Zane weren’t likely candidates to sit around and do nothing for long.
    There was a meal tonight with everyone in attendance. But while they were sure to learn about the coming “meeting” that was planned at that dinner, Ty preferred to be a step ahead. It was driving him crazy that they couldn’t even take baby steps. So he was scouring the books Del