“What’s wrong?”
“We have to go,” Ty said as he looked at Deuce with wide eyes.
“What? Why?”
“If someone tracks us here, I mean they shouldn’t, but if they do—”
“Ty, it’s okay. I knew someone was after you when you broke into my house. I know it’s a risk for you to be here.”
“No, but it’s not just about you now, and this isn’t just someone after us.” Ty was already heading for the bedroom door.
Deuce hopped up to follow him, barely able to keep up on his bad leg. “Ty!”
“This isn’t up for discussion, Deuce, it really isn’t,” Ty said. He banged on the bedroom door as he passed by, and Zane had turned the lights on again by the time they got to the living room.
“What’s wrong?” Zane asked as soon as he saw Ty’s face.
“We can’t stay here, we need to move.”
Zane looked between the two of them, seeking some clue in Deuce’s face before he met Ty’s eyes again.
“He’s being ridiculous,” Deuce told him.
“What’s this all about?” Julian asked from behind them.
Ty turned to look at him. He was still wearing his jeans and T-shirt, but it was obvious that he’d been asleep.
“We can’t stay. We need to move.”
“No. No! One of you, talk some sense into him,” Deuce said to them.
“What’s wrong?” Zane asked again, more insistent. Ty met his eyes and tilted his head toward Deuce. It wasn’t his secret to tell, and he hoped Zane would just trust him.
Deuce sighed in exasperation. “My girlfriend is pregnant. We found out yesterday.”
Julian snorted. “That is the most remarkable non sequitur I think I’ve ever heard. You’re right, he is Grady’s brother.”
Cameron jabbed Julian in the ribs, causing him to double over and groan pitifully.
Ty glared at him for a minute, but he could see that Zane knew exactly why Ty wanted to leave. “It’s not just you we’re jeopardizing by being here now,” Zane said, looking from Deuce to Ty. “You’re going to have a family. He’s right, we have to leave.”
“Come on,” Deuce said as he stepped closer to Zane. “I know damn well that if Ty thought there was any danger to me with you coming here, he wouldn’t have come to start with.”
Zane looked between them again. Ty held his breath as they waited for Zane to respond. He silently pleaded with his partner to back him up.
“I’m sorry, Deuce. He’s right,” Zane finally said with a shake of his head. Ty sighed in relief.
“Just stay for the night, okay? You’re all exhausted; you’re barely functioning. And hell, if someone’s going to be coming to kill me, I’d really appreciate it if you’d stick around with your guns and pointy things ’til morning, you know?” Deuce said in exasperation.
Ty cleared his throat and met Zane’s eyes.
“That’s a fair point,” Julian murmured.
Ty nodded. “You’re right,” he said to Deuce.
“I know,” Deuce said with a bright smile. He reached out and hugged his brother, holding onto him tightly. “Go to bed, okay? Be here in the morning?”
“I promise,” Ty muttered.
ZANE had to look away as Deuce hugged Ty tighter. He could sympathize with the feeling, knowing Ty was in danger and wanting desperately to hold on to him and keep him safe.
When he finally let Ty go, he turned and hugged Zane as well. Zane smiled as he looked over Deuce’s shoulder at Ty.
“We’re keeping you up, Deuce,” Zane murmured as he pondered the two brothers and patted Deuce’s back. “Why don’t you go back to bed? I’m sure Ty knows where things are if we need anything else.”
Deuce let him go and looked him over, then looked at Ty, who was nodding in agreement.
“Just stick to your regular schedule in the morning, but don’t touch the front door,” Ty muttered.
“Why?”
Ty gestured helplessly to Julian.
“Just trust him; don’t touch it,” Julian said with a curt nod. They all stared at him. “Trade secret.”
Ty rolled his eyes. He reached to the small of his back and took out the backup gun he’d taken off one of the bodies, checking it before handing it to Deuce. “Put that under your pillow.”
Deuce looked down at it with a heavy sigh but didn’t take it. “Yeah, okay. But you can keep that. My regular schedule doesn’t involve shooting myself in the ass in the morning.”
Cameron laughed and then clapped a hand over his mouth. Ty snorted and shook his head. Deuce looked up to meet Zane’s eyes again, a worried frown creasing his brow.
Zane offered him a weak smile.
Deuce nodded and looked back at Ty as he turned toward the hallway. “Good night,” he said as he left them.
Ty turned his head to watch his brother limp toward his bedroom.
Julian and Cameron stood there awkwardly for a moment. “Well. Good night, then.”
Cameron gave them both a weak smile as he turned and followed Julian back into the guest bedroom.
Ty poked at the mattress with his foot.
Zane glanced toward the dark hallway, then leaned forward to reach out and touch Ty’s lightly bruised jaw. “He got you,” he murmured, his fingers feather light as they ghosted over the slight stubble. “You okay otherwise?” He’d not even gotten a chance to ask since the fight at the hotel some hours ago.
“Honestly?” Ty asked with another weak attempt at a smile. “I’m terrified, Zane. Everyone in the world I care about is mixed up in this now. I sent CIA cleaner teams to one of my friends and then led them right to my brother.”
Gut clenching painfully, Zane slid his hand along Ty’s neck. He wasn’t sure he’d ever heard Ty so freely admit to fear. “We’ll deal with it.”
“And I’m suddenly going to be an uncle.”
“That’s good, Ty. It’s good news.”
Ty nodded and looked back down at the mattress, poking at the corner of the sheets with his toes, unwilling to look at him.
“Ty.”
Ty met Zane’s eyes and swallowed hard. He reached out without a word and slid his arms around Zane’s neck. Zane pulled him close, surprised. He held him and Ty hugged him tight, still not speaking. Then he kissed Zane’s neck and stepped back.
“Let’s fix these sheets and go to bed, okay?”