Cut and Run 7 - Touch and Geaux

every fiber of his being. Zane smacked his palm over Ty’s mouth again.
    “Don’t you say it,” he growled. “Don’t you dare say it.”
    Ty’s hands grasped at his back, dragging, clawing at him. His body writhed under Zane’s as Zane came inside him. As Zane’s movements slowed, his world came crashing back to him, everything black and white, everything made crystal clear and magnified to a pinpoint by the whiskey coursing through him. He moved his hand, and Ty gasped for air.
    Zane pulled out of him, but he kissed him again, running his fingers down Ty’s body to grip his cock. He was growing harder as Zane handled him, his moans vibrating against Zane’s lips.
    “You need to get off?” Zane asked, his voice surprisingly hoarse. Ty gasped. “Say it, say the words.”
    “Garrett,” Ty tried.
    Zane held him down and stroked him, riding out the rhythm of Ty’s body seeking release. “Tell me what I want to hear, Grady.”
    Ty gripped Zane’s shoulders, pushing his cock into Zane’s hand. “I need you,” he gasped.
    The words tore through Zane with the precision of a scalpel. He kissed Ty greedily one last time, pumping him until Ty’s entire body trembled with impending release. Then he let go and backed away from the bed, leaving Ty on the precipice without any stimulation to push him over. He nodded toward the door as he met Ty’s eyes. “Go on. I’m betting Nick’s fucking waiting for you with a nice warm bed.”

Zane woke with a splitting headache, cotton in his mouth, and a back that burned like he’d been dragged across gravel. He sat up carefully, waiting to see if his stomach would rebel. His head pounded, but thankfully nothing else protested.
    He looked around the room with a growing frown. He didn’t remember getting into bed. He didn’t remember falling asleep. Pages and pages of old books were plastered to the walls of his room. The same room Ty had been in. The bed beside him was cold and obviously hadn’t been slept in. His clothes were neatly folded and piled on the table, sitting beside a bottle of whiskey and an empty glass. Zane stared at the glass, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach finally making him nauseous.
    The night came back to him in a jumble of words and smells, of demanding kisses and rough sex. The scratches on his back were from Ty. He remembered shouting at him. Telling him they were done. He remembered taking a swing at him. Had he thrown a chair at him? Oh Jesus, what else had he done? He knew he could be violent when he was drunk and angry. His only comfort was knowing Ty would have fought back, and from the bruise he could feel on his face, Ty had done just that.
    He carefully got out of bed and shuffled to the table for his clothes. The glass wasn’t empty after all. It was full of water, and two pills sat beside it. Zane’s stomach lurched again. Ty had left ibuprofen for the hangover he knew Zane would have.
    “Goddamn you, Ty.”
    He got dressed quickly, downed the pills, and very carefully avoided making eye contact with the label of that bottle. He could hear the murmur of voices downstairs, and he hustled to join them.
    He stopped short at the head of the steps. He could hear Ava speaking, but she was speaking over the murmur of male voices. She wasn’t involved in the conversation the others were having. She sounded like she was on the phone. He strained to hear what she was saying, but he couldn’t make out the words. She was speaking in hushed tones, and something about it pinged Zane’s alarms. He searched all over the hallway, trying to figure out where her voice was coming from. He finally found a small air vent in the ceiling. Was she upstairs? Or was she down? Was there even an upstairs?
    Zane waited a few more seconds, trying to make out anything she was saying. The conversation had stopped, though. Zane ran a hand through his messy hair and took a deep breath, trying to talk himself into going downstairs.
    Flashes of last night were coming to him, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to face Ty after what he’d said and done.
    “We have to go on the offensive here,” Nick said as Zane made his way down the steps. “It’s the only thing they won’t expect.”
    “How?” Owen asked.
    “Ambush them,” Ty said. His low growl sent shivers up Zane’s spine. “Set up a meet with bait. Scout out a meeting place, take them out when they show themselves.”
    “Just like that?” Kelly asked.
    “Just like that.”
    Zane