Cut and Run 5 - Armed and Dangerous

technically, he supposed Julian really was. Or used to be. Or might have been.
    As he climbed out of the car, he watched Zane, the wind riffling his hair, his gun gripped in a gloved hand. Cameron’s eyes shifted to his lover. Julian and Zane looked similar enough that it was a little eerie in the harsh parking lot lights—tall, broad-shouldered, dark-haired….
    When Ty stalked around the car to join his partner, all gruff attitude, hard muscle, and broad shoulders, Cameron barely quashed the urge to cringe away. He and Julian were in more trouble than he wanted to believe, and now he felt really stupid for ever joking around with the two men.
    Ty pushed Julian against the car, a hand in the center of his shoulders, and he kept the hand there as he turned to face Zane. Zane stepped closer until they were right in front of each other. Each kept his eyes over the other’s shoulder—Zane watching Julian, Ty watching Cameron and the parking lot—as they spoke. Ty tilted his head so he was murmuring into Zane’s ear. It had an oddly intimate feel as they stood there, and Julian was craning his head to watch them. Cameron wondered if he could make out anything they were saying.
    Whatever they’d been discussing was decided, and Ty patted Zane’s belly before stepping away from Julian and moving toward Cameron. “Come on, kid, let’s go,” he said as he held his hand out toward Cameron, waving him forward.
    “What about Julian?” Cameron asked, dragging his feet.
    “He and Zane are going to get to know each other down here. Come on,” Ty said as he moved a step closer and took Cameron’s elbow. He didn’t tug on him, though, appearing willing to give him a chance to go of his own accord.
    Cameron looked from Julian to Zane and back before nodding reluctantly. “All right,” he murmured. Ty handed him his bag and shouldered his own as they started walking toward the front door.
    When they got to the entrance, Cameron glanced back over his shoulder to where Julian and Zane still stood next to the car.
    Julian had turned around, and he stood with his cuffed hands clasped in front of him. He nodded at Cameron.
    “They’re okay,” Ty said in an oddly gentle voice as he pulled the door open and held it for Cameron.
    Cameron didn’t feel reassured, but he walked inside anyway. The interior of the hotel had the same feel as the exterior: too much brass, too much glass, and way too much disco fever.
    They passed the front desk and headed on to the large set of stairs in the center of the entry hall. There was no elevator. Ty led him to the room just to the right of the steps and keyed the electronic lock, then pulled Cameron into the room as he flipped on the light.
    Cameron couldn’t think of a reason Ty would bring him up here alone unless Zane was going to do something to Julian. “Aren’t they coming up too?” he asked as he stood just inside the door.
    “After we’re done,” Ty said in an offhanded manner. The door closed behind them, and Ty pulled Cameron further into the room, turning on lights as he went.
    “Done?” Cameron felt a pang of alarm. Maybe Ty was going to do something to him.
    “Yeah, sit down,” Ty said, distracted as he pointed at one of the two beds in the room and looked around. He walked to the window and peered out, then pulled the heavy curtains closed.
    Cameron frowned but perched on the foot of the bed closest to the door as he tracked Ty’s movement through the room.
    Ty inspected the window and its frame before crouching to look at the air conditioning unit under it. He gripped the face of the unit and tugged at it. He picked up the chair and pushed at the small desk in the corner. He shoved at the miniature refrigerator with his toes and got down on the ground to look at the bottom of the safe attached to the wall. He turned the television on its swiveling stand, pulled out all the drawers in the room, plucked out the Bible, and flipped through the pages. He turned to look at Cameron as he held the book upside down and shook it.
    “What are you doing?” Cameron asked. “I thought the Red Bull was wearing off.”
    “I’m looking for something solid. And I’m making sure there’s nothing in here your boyfriend can use to kill or maim us,” Ty said as he dropped the Bible back in the drawer. He knelt just behind Cameron and looked under each bed, then he slid his hands under the mattress.
    “He doesn’t need anything to kill or maim you,” Cameron said as he