Cut and Run 4 - Divide and Conquer

was boasting.
    266 | Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux

    “No medals?” Zane asked. He knew most of the ribbons had
    corresponding medals, though not why servicemen wore one or the
    other or both.
    “They‟re at home. The ribbons don‟t clink.”
    Zane nodded. “Looking sharp, Marine,” he complimented with a
    small smile. “Any rules about getting kissed in uniform?”
    “Not that I‟m aware of,” Ty answered, smiling wider.
    Zane chuckled and leaned down to kiss Ty carefully, not wanting
    to get snagged on the ribbons or buttons. He could feel Ty smiling
    against his lips, and Ty pulled him closer. Zane hummed in
    appreciation and wrapped his arms around Ty loosely. The wool of the
    jacket was smooth under Zane‟s fingers, the embroidery of the patches
    less so, but Ty‟s lips were still warm and soft against his.
    “You look pretty good yourself,” Ty murmured against his lips.
    Zane kissed him again as a thank-you. It was just a nice suit, but
    one he didn‟t wear often, being an intense black—so much so it almost
    picked up a midnight blue or indigo sheen in the right light—and more
    closely tailored than he preferred for work. He‟d chosen a soft gray
    dress shirt and had been messing with an understated silver tie.
    Ty smoothed his hand over Zane‟s chest and hummed. “I know
    which one will work.” He handed Zane his cover and stepped aside,
    heading for Zane‟s bedroom.
    Zane spun the cover between his hands as he watched Ty move
    into the next room. He walked differently, Zane noted. Taller, his
    shoulders more squared, steps more measured, with a gravity Ty
    normally shrugged off. It was more than a subtle change, one that oddly
    seemed to suit him.
    Some people were born to be Marines. Ty was one of them.
    Suddenly it struck Zane as a tragedy that Ty was no longer in the
    Corps. The hint of melancholy he had noticed in Ty‟s eyes upon
    occasion made perfect sense now, and the realization settled unhappily
    in the pit of Zane‟s stomach. Ty had been happy in the Marines. He had
    to miss it.
    Divide & Conquer | 267

    Ty came back a moment later, holding a narrow black tie with
    silver squares and charcoal gray lines between them. It was one of
    Ty‟s, and the corners of Zane‟s mouth curled up, because he probably
    had ten or twelve different ties of his own in the drawer. At least one a
    month got ruined between work and Ty‟s lack of patience at the end of
    a long workday. “Okay,” he agreed, holding out one hand.
    Ty shook his head, sliding his fingers down the expensive silk of
    the tie. Ty didn‟t dress to impress all that often, but when he did, he
    went for broke. He raised the tie and wrapped it around Zane‟s neck,
    looking him in the eye with a smile. “Turn around. I‟ll tie it.”
    Zane half rolled his eyes but turned around as instructed, facing
    the island countertop. He loved it when Ty did this. Ty slid his hands
    under Zane‟s arms, having to press hard against his back to reach the
    tie. His fingers were quick and sure as he tied it, and Zane could feel
    his nose and chin pressing down against the back of his shoulder. When
    he had it tied, he stepped back and tugged at Zane to turn, then
    smoothed the tie out and straightened it. Finally he gave a nod of
    satisfaction.
    “Do I pass inspection?” Zane asked.
    “It‟ll do,” Ty answered as he looked Zane up and down. He took
    his cover from Zane and tucked it back under his arm. “You ready?”
    “No,” Zane said honestly. “But it‟s time to go anyway.”
    Ty patted his cheek sympathetically. The entire department was
    in mourning, but Zane had been the last person to see Reeves
    conscious, in the store just before the bomb went off. It had left Zane
    shaken once he‟d remembered.
    The funeral was going to be a huge public spectacle: the big
    Bureau and law enforcement turnout, the irresistible PR opportunity,
    and—because there was no realistic way to keep the press out—
    cameras everywhere. Zane was trying not to think too much about the
    very real possibility of the funeral itself being a target.
    “Let‟s get this over with, then,” Ty muttered. His eyes were a
    deep green, trending toward blue today, and though the uniform
    seemed to do something spectacular to his bearing, the air around him
    268 | Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux

    felt worn thin and stretched. Not for the first time, Zane found himself
    worrying about Ty‟s general well-being.
    His partner wasn‟t right, and Zane