Cut and Run 4 - Divide and Conquer

was stretching. Zane
    had an immediate vision of Ty‟s lean, nude body in the dim light of the
    bedroom, and he flushed with warmth, not really registering the words
    when Ty said, “I‟ll go start it up.”
    He listened as Ty got dressed, probably throwing on his jeans and
    one of his numerous T-shirts. Zane didn‟t hear him pad out of the
    bedroom, but he could hear him banging around in the kitchen, cussing
    at the tiny, run-down space, talking to the pots and pans. Zane smiled.
    There were reasons they spent most of their time together at Ty‟s row
    house instead of here.
    By the time he got up and moving, Zane could hear the bacon
    sizzling, and the smell of sausage wafting out of the small kitchen area
    made his mouth water. He could smell the toast, too, and knowing Ty,
    there would be scrambled eggs. Ty didn‟t cook a lot, but the man could
    fix a mean breakfast. Zane made a stop in the bathroom and then sat at
    the bar that separated the kitchen from the little living area.
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    “You know what I realized?” Ty asked, picking up the
    conversation he‟d been having with the pots as if Zane had been there
    for the first half of it. “I don‟t have a car.”
    Zane opened his mouth to correct him but caught himself. They‟d
    taken a cab home from the hospital, and the office had sent a car for Ty
    yesterday. “Where‟s my truck? You didn‟t bring it back yesterday?”
    They‟d walked around the block to the restaurant for dinner last night;
    Zane had assumed Ty had put the truck in the Little Italy parking
    garage when he came back from the office.
    “That rookie I made drive me to the hospital took the keys.
    Truck‟s still parked at the office. That‟s another reason for me to go in
    today.”
    “Maybe one of the guys can pick you up?”
    “It‟s past nine. Everyone‟s already in. Hell, I‟ll just take a cab or
    ride the bus or something.” Something about his voice was odd as he
    stood in Zane‟s kitchen fixing breakfast, and it took Zane a little
    thinking to pin it down. Ty didn‟t sound gruff or hurried. He didn‟t
    sound agitated or even all that concerned. He was at ease despite the
    need to get up and go. It made Zane a little nervous, but in a good way.
    “What‟s wrong?” Ty asked him, apparently picking up on it. “It‟s
    not exactly like I‟m going to be attacked on the bus.”
    Zane shook his head, still reconciling the warmth curling in his
    chest with the idea that Ty might be happy here, just doing something
    as simple as making breakfast. “I have no idea what the schedule is
    around here,” he said.
    “I‟ll figure something out. Come eat,” Ty said, and Zane heard a
    plate set down on the bar in front of him. “Wonder how a gun on public
    transportation goes over? Or two guns, for that matter.”
    Zane slid onto the battered bar stool and had a stroke of
    inspiration. “You do have another option,” he mentioned.
    “Oh yeah? You know I can‟t really sprout wings out of my ass
    and fly, right?” Ty asked, a smile in his voice.
    A smirk pulled at Zane‟s lips, and he let it show. He loved teasing
    Ty, and this one always got him riled. “The Valkyrie‟s out back.”
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    Ty coughed and sputtered, like he was choking on a bite of food.
    “Hell, no,” he finally said with difficulty. “I‟ll walk.”
    Zane chuckled and felt around for the fork he‟d heard Ty clank
    onto the plate. It was mean, but he loved poking Ty about the Valkyrie.
    He supposed he shouldn‟t, what with knowing about Deuce and the
    accident. Ty had taught his younger brother how to ride and left him his
    bike when he joined the Marines. Deuce had wrecked it not long after,
    ruining his leg and any chance of following in his brother‟s footsteps.
    But Deuce seemed to take it all in stride, so Zane didn‟t really see the
    harm in teasing Ty about his absolute hatred of all things with two
    wheels. “Okay,” he said after several mouthfuls of scrambled egg.
    “Bureau won‟t reimburse cab fare,” he reminded, just to get in one
    more dig.
    “That‟s okay,” Ty assured him in an overly sweet voice. “I‟ve got
    your wallet.”
    Zane grinned. “I don‟t have any cash. When have I been able to
    go to the bank?” he said reasonably as he munched on a piece of bacon.
    “Cabs take credit cards,” Ty reminded.
    Zane wrinkled his nose. “Fine,” he said on a sigh. “Can I have
    jelly for my toast?” He heard a