Ty was already unlocking the handcuffs on Cameron’s wrists. “Tell the clown on the roof to protect him,” he told Julian. “Not our job.”
Cameron darted straight for Julian once Ty let him loose, moving to stand behind his imposing lover. “Is this something important? This informant stuff?”
“Not to me,” Julian said as he slid one hand into Cameron’s, squeezing his fingers. He hadn’t taken his eyes off Ty, who was holding up the handcuffs and smirking.
“You look like the type who enjoys these,” the agent drawled.
Julian sighed in a rare show of exasperation. “Are you two really the crack team they sent after me? This is almost insulting.”
“What you see isn’t always what you get,” Zane said. He glanced at Ty for a long moment, and Ty sniffed, looking somewhat disappointed that he didn’t get to use his handcuffs. Zane looked at his watch. “Fine. Jacobs goes with. We’ve got two hours to make our flight to DC.”
Cameron pressed against the back of Julian’s arm. “Julian, I can stay here with Preston and Blake,” he said, naming the two men who often worked with Julian on his clandestine “jobs,” his driver and his boss. Cameron still wasn’t exactly sure what Julian did, but he knew for certain he didn’t want details. He slept better at night without them.
Julian turned his head, looking back at Cameron while still keeping an eye on the two men. “Preston and Blake will be busy. Go pack a bag. Quickly. Please,” he was careful to tack on.
“What about the animals?” Ty asked. “Who the hell needs this many dogs anyway?”
“What’s wrong with being a pet owner?” Cameron asked.
“Yeah, you pronounced ‘hoarder’ wrong.”
Glancing around, Cameron kept his mouth shut and looked to Julian for direction. Julian was looking at the agent with the equivalent of a glare for his stoic lover.
“Preston will take care of them,” Julian answered, jaw tight.
Cameron swallowed hard, and after one last look at Ty, he hurried over to the bedroom to pack for both himself and Julian. Zane followed behind him, intending to watch what he packed. Cameron glanced at the man uneasily. He had only an inkling of what was going on, but he did know they were in deep trouble this time.
TY TURNED and watched Cameron disappear into the bedroom. He looked back at Zane and shook his head. It wasn’t a great idea to take the boyfriend along. Two prisoners would be harder to handle than one, but it could prove a useful way to control Julian Cross if he got unruly. Zane took a few steps toward the dividing screens of the bedroom and stood where he could watch Cameron’s movements and see what he was packing in his bags.
Ty ran a finger along his eyebrow and turned to stroll into the center of the room again, looking out the balcony doors at the roof of the building across the street. He’d seen the dying light glint off a piece of glass on the roof as he’d been petting the cat and recognized it for what it was. How the sniper had gotten up there so quickly was the real question. It didn’t matter, but it bothered Ty.
Ty smiled crookedly and gave the man on the roof, Preston, a cheeky little wave.
He heard Zane snort. He stayed across the room, keeping between Julian and the door and keeping Cameron within his line of sight. Not that it looked like either man was going to run.
“You do realize that you’re going to be held in a federal cell or safe house for the length of this thing,” Zane said to Julian. “You really want him stuck there with you?”
“I sleep better knowing he’s not in harm’s way,” Julian said. He looked at Ty. “He will shoot you, you know.”
“You told him to shoot the stupid one,” Ty said as he pointed at Zane.
“Yeah,” Zane said. “The one standing out in the open in front of the window, waving at the sniper.”
“The one that knows where the sniper is to wave at him. If he was going to shoot me, he would have.” Ty looked at Julian. “Does that kid have any idea what you’re about to drag him into?”
Julian was silent, glaring at Ty for a moment before looking away and sighing.
“That’s a no,” Zane said. “Does he know what business you’ve been working in?”
“That is none of your concern. You and I both know I’ll never set foot in a cell or a courtroom if I make it to DC. We know what this is. He doesn’t need to.”
Ty looked at Zane, trying to conceal the question in his expression. Apparently Cameron Jacobs wasn’t the only one being kept out of the loop.
But Julian was perceptive, and he caught Ty’s look. He laughed and shook his head. “No one told you. They just sent you here like good little errand boys.”
Zane leveled a look at Ty that would have crushed a lesser man, but Ty was immune. He also had no clue why Zane wanted to be such a hardass in front of this guy. The Batman types were the most fun to annoy.
“We’re supposed to escort you to DC, Mr. Cross,” Zane said. “Anything beyond that is need-to-know.”
“Someone must really have it in for you two.”
Ty rolled his eyes. He half suspected the man was just trying to screw with them, but he knew Richard Burns well enough to think he probably had kept something from them. Ty was used to it. That was just the way Burns operated. Ty trusted him implicitly. He didn’t ask questions.
“Look, O’Doul, I have the patience of a bouncy ball right now, so how about shutting your mouth and getting your friend in there to hurry the hell up?”
“Ty,” Zane said in that quiet, calm-down voice that Ty hated.
“Zane,” he responded in the same tone. He turned to Julian. “Get him out here. I don’t care if he’s packed.”
“Cameron?” Julian called without taking his eyes off Ty. “The irritating one is getting more irritating.”
“His name is Ty,” Cameron called back from behind the screen.
Ty saw the big man give the entry to the bedroom a curious glance, as if wondering why he should care what their names were. Ty snorted at them both in annoyance. He glanced at Zane, raising one eyebrow and tilting his head toward Julian. They would have to restrain him before leaving. There was no way they could trust him. Ty was all for using Cameron to keep him under control, but they were damn sure tying Cross up and making sure he couldn’t do any damage either way.
“He’s got five seconds,” Ty said as he looked at Zane for one more moment.