“Syn stop it, you’re hurting him!” Furi was practically screaming at the top of his lungs, but it took a few seconds for the adrenaline to stop pounding through Syn’s ears enough so he could hear him. “He’s my friend!”
Syn took his eyes off the man for a second to look at Furi, who looked like he might be sick. He looked like he was scared to touch Syn, his trembling hand hovered over Syn’s shoulder.
“Please put the gun down,” Furi whispered.
Syn raised his gun and stepped back quickly, pulling Furi with him, tucking him into his side. “Then why’s he busting in here in the middle of the night?”
“I don’t know. If you let go of me, I can ask him.” Furi looked down at Syn’s death grip on his bicep.
Syn cleared his throat. “Sorry.”
Furi reached his friend just as he was turning back to face them, clutching and rubbing the aching spot on his wrist. “Doug, are you alright?” Furi took Doug’s wrist in his hand, rubbing the spot where a bruise was already appearing.
Syn didn’t like the overly tender care Furi was showing his friend. He especially didn’t like how ridiculously handsome this best friend was. Doug was breathing heavily and Syn hadn’t even broken a sweat.
“I was filming at Illustra when I was picked up for questioning about Starman. They said you were just there, so I came to check on you.” Doug cut his eyes at Syn before trying to whisper through gasping breaths, “and my brother told me about the papers, so you know, I thought I’d come stay the night.”
“How thoughtful, but it’s not necessary,” Syn said through clenched teeth.
“Who the hell is this?” Doug finally got his balls working and stepped closer to him.
“This is the guy I told you about.” Furi looked back at Syn. Now that everything was calming down and there were no more blows being thrown, only angry glares, Furi admired Syn’s rough-hewn appearance. He stood to his full six-foot-two. His Timberland boots braced shoulder width apart as if ready to throw a square off again. His pants were still unbuttoned, his shirt hanging open and his gun resting at his side. He looked like a hot, renegade cop model.
“He’s the confused cop?” Doug asked disbelievingly.
Furi’s eyes widened at Doug’s choice of words. “I never said confused,” he said, looking at Syn.
“Now I see what you meant. You didn’t tell me he was some goddamn Bruce Willis, Die Hard cop-type.” Doug’s eyes narrowed, darting back and forth between them. “I heard a man’s angry voice and I thought maybe Patrick had you in here tied up or some shit.”
They were all silent for a second when Syn’s two-way chirped to life and a strong, clear voice came, filling the small space, “Sarge, what’s your twenty? Come back.”
Syn didn’t take his deep eyes off of them as he unclipped the device from his belt. “Emory Point.”
“We got another body, get over to the Illustra. God and Day are on their way over there now.”
“Ten-four,” Syn replied and clipped the radio back on his belt.
“A dead body,” Furi gasped, instinctively easing to Syn’s side.
“I have to go.” Syn straightened his clothes and tucked the large gun back into its holster. He looked back up at Doug. He looked like Furi; pale and shocked.
“Who is it?” Doug asked.
“I don’t know yet. Even if I did, I couldn’t tell you.” Syn asked Doug, “Where are you just coming from?”
“I just said,” Doug snapped. “From the station. You can ask your friends when you get there.”
“Look, sorry to almost take you out. I thought you were his soon-to-be ex, too.” Syn walked over to the couch to get his jacket.
“Sure. Whatever, Captain America,” Doug quipped angrily.
Syn barked a laugh, putting his coat on. Furi walked over to him, keeping his back to his friend. Wanting to say something, anything to Syn before he left.
“You talked to him about me?” Syn didn’t know if he was upset or not about that. He guessed it depended what Furi said.
“A couple days back. When I left upset after those college bastards took a cheap shot at me.” Furi huffed. “I was pissed, okay. I didn’t know what you wanted from me. I thought it was just–”
Syn moved in close, looking directly at him. “Just what? That you thought I only wanted to play around and experiment with you? Is that what you think?"
“Not after what just happened tonight, no. But at that time, I thought so, yes. I only called Doug for a little comfort.” Furi’s voice was deep and raspy, his tight body pressed up close against Syn's.
“I’m sure he comforts you damn good, too,” Syn hissed before he could think better of blurting that out. Wow. Really?
"It’s not like that. Doug is my friend.”
“A friend who just happened to come by after one in the morning and bust through the door to get to you.”