“Amen,” Zane and Cameron both said from the other bed.
ZANE examined himself in the bathroom mirror as he towel-dried his hair and then tossed the towel onto the counter. Placing both hands on the vanity, he leaned forward, taking in the beard and exhausted eyes. Ty was right: the beard didn’t suit him.
He was also convinced that going on short sleep for days on end with his mileage was not conducive to his health or his looks.
“Looking good, Garrett,” he mumbled. He picked up and shook out his new Henley before sliding an arm into it. He was putting the same clothes back on, but they weren’t a mess. And after a shower he felt much better. He mentally patted himself on the back for picking up some deodorant, toothbrushes, and toothpaste when he was at that drug store in Chicago. It seemed like weeks ago.
They were coming up on four days that they’d been on the road. They had been long days, and even Ty’s normally amusing antics were wearing on his nerves. Having to constantly keep his gun pretty much trained on Julian didn’t help. Zane was thankful he’d gotten at least a little bit of time alone with Ty and some sleep, or he’d really be going nuts.
He smoothed down the shirt before opening the bathroom door. He was surprised to find not only Ty but also Julian standing right there at the door when it opened. Before he could react, Ty reached out and grabbed his arm, yanking him forward and snapping one half of a pair of handcuffs on his wrist.
He found himself handcuffed to their prisoner, who was looking at him with a sardonic smile.
“There!” Ty said happily.
Zane stared at him, incredulous, before reaching out and popping him upside the back of the head. “What the f**k?”
Ty danced away from him so he wouldn’t risk another smack. “I couldn’t find anything solid to attach him to, and you won’t let me drug him,” he said as he rubbed at his head. “And you’re, you know… solid enough.”
“You can cuff him to the damn toilet for all I care, but not to me!” He pulled his wrist up and shook it along with Julian’s arm. “Give me the key.”
“I must agree,” Julian said.
The smile still on Ty’s face made Zane want to wipe it away. Whether with a voracious kiss or a serious kick to the teeth, Zane hadn’t yet decided.
Ty held up the keys to the cuffs and shook his head as he put them into his jeans pocket. “We’ll get you something from Wendy’s,” he told them in what might have passed for a consoling tone.
Zane swiped out at Ty, but his partner took another step back and Zane was attached to the immovable object that was Julian, so he couldn’t grab Ty before he edged around to the door. Cameron waited there already, looking uncertain and almost amused.
“What if they kill each other?” Cameron asked Ty. He sounded serious. Zane glanced at Julian, feeling the annoyance bubble just below a boil. He was probably right to be worried.
Ty idly scratched at his chin, looking at them. He glanced sideways at Cameron. “Should we place bets?”
Zane could hear Julian grinding his teeth.
“You—” Zane cut himself off before delivering a threat that wouldn’t come from a partner. A working partner.
Cameron peered at Julian for a long moment before tipping his head to one side and considering Zane as well. “I bet there won’t be blood when we come back. And if I win, Julian and I get a night uncuffed in a bed.”
“Cameron!” Julian said, sounding shocked.
Ty considered for a moment, then reached out to shake Cameron’s hand. “Bet.”
Cameron shrugged and looked at Julian apologetically. “Now, don’t throw the bet,” he said, lips pressing down like he was hiding a laugh.
“You two are real comedians,” Zane said, lifting his hand to point at Ty in accusation before remembering it was attached to Julian, and he shook it with a frustrated growl before looking at Ty through narrowed eyes. “You know that threat you make when I really piss you off with the puns? That’s coming your way. Big time.” Meaning Ty wouldn’t be getting f**ked for some time to come.
Ty smirked, as if he looked forward to the challenge. “How’s the Benadryl option looking now, Nurse Ratched?” he asked. Then he jerked his head at the door, and he and Cameron exited before Zane or Julian could threaten them again.
Julian was silent for a long while, eyes narrowed, staring at the door. Zane figured they were having equally homicidal thoughts, not that it made him feel any better. If Ty didn’t bring him back a damn Frosty, he was tearing a piece out of his ass, and not in a way Ty would enjoy.
Maybe. Zane wrinkled his nose. He knew damn well he’d be all over Ty as soon as they had at least half an hour uninterrupted time alone. He could f**k Ty twice in that amount of time if he was really motivated, and Zane was really motivated now. Just the fact that sex was his first thought instead of throttling his partner was evidence enough.
Julian finally cleared his throat and moved his hand, making the handcuffs jangle. He looked sideways at Zane, his expression speculative.
Zane raised an eyebrow and waited for what was sure to be a sarcastic remark veiled in icy politeness. It was Julian’s style.
“I’m really starting to hate him,” Julian said instead.
Zane snorted, thinking of last night and his thoughts about Ty and Julian mirroring himself and Ty when they first met. “Yeah, I know what you mean,” he muttered. He raised their cuffed wrists and frowned at them.
“I could pick it if we had something suitable,” Julian said as he turned his wrist over, taking Zane’s arm with it.
“So could I, but Grady knows that too,” Zane said as he looked around the room, casting about for options. “He’s very thorough.”
“Yes, I was forced to drag along behind him as he rid the room of every single shiny thing,” Julian said. He looked around the room anyway, trying to find something Ty might have missed. “Shall we sit?” he finally asked dejectedly.
“I can guarantee he won’t be getting takeout,” Zane said under his breath as he turned in place and looked at seating options. There were the beds, one chair at the table, and the low dresser in a pinch. And as much as he wanted to be cranky, Zane knew being an ass**le wouldn’t make the time pass any faster. “Sure. Take your pick.”
“Bed,” Julian said under his breath as he took a step toward the closest one. Zane followed grudgingly, glad there wasn’t anyone else here to see this. Eyes narrowing, Zane looked to the desk, where he’d left his gun. It was gone.