Touch & Geaux (Cut & Run 7)

“Well,” Nick said, at a loss. “Why don’t we, uh . . . we’ll go get some breakfast and . . .” He gestured at Zane, and the others filtered toward the door with him. They left Ty to his sedation and Zane to his vigil.

Chapter 5

Ty moved gingerly as Zane walked with him to the hotel room. Zane had never passed a kidney stone, but he’d heard the horror stories. All he knew was that Ty had been lucky to be drugged and having a minor meltdown to distract him during the process.

As they made their way down the hall, Ty reached out to steady himself on Zane’s arm. The medicine he’d been given was still in effect, and he was wobbly and uncertain of his footing.

“Need help?”

Ty shook his head. “No, I’m good.” But he didn’t let go of Zane’s arm. He kept his other hand on his side. Zane wasn’t sure if he was hurting there, or it just made him feel better to hold it.

When they reached their room, Zane wasn’t surprised to see the other men already there. He’d called ahead to let them know Ty was being released, and Nick had a key. They all stood when Ty stepped into the room.

“You okay, Six?” Digger asked.

Ty nodded curtly.

“So,” Kelly said with a smirk. “Psychotic episode is the new prescribed treatment for passing one of these things?”

Ty cleared his throat, his cheeks coloring. “Hallucinations are a bitch when they talk back.”

Zane put his hand on Ty’s arm, offering a modicum of support. Ty’s hand trembled as it hung between them. He clenched it to make it stop.

“I need a cigarette or something,” Ty mumbled.

“My pack’s in my jeans,” Zane offered.

Ty headed for the pile of clothing Zane had discarded the night before. Zane recognized it as more of a distraction than the actual need for a cigarette. It was something for Ty to do with himself, with his hands and his mind, so he had a little bit more time to figure out how to explain his behavior to the rest of them.

He bent gingerly, holding his side as he dug through Zane’s pockets. Everyone else was quiet, waiting, knowing the silence itself would do more to force Ty to talk than any pointed queries. Zane smiled. He kind of liked watching the dynamic of Sidewinder, because even though he still felt like a bit of an outcast, he also knew he was in a room with some of the people who knew Ty best. He was no longer the only one present who would call Ty on his bullshit.

Ty straightened with a grimace once he found the pack and the lighter. He was frowning, holding the piece of paper Zane had wadded up this morning. It took a moment for Zane to remember what it was. He was pretty sure Ty was too high to be bothered by it. He might even find it funny. Ty tapped one of the cigarettes out of the pack and put it in his mouth, then dropped the pack and idly flattened the paper to read.

Zane was expecting him to make a joke or a lewd comment about someone slipping Zane a phone number in a bar, so he was shocked by the change that came over Ty’s face. He took the cigarette out of his mouth and dropped it to the floor. His jaw tightened and his hard eyes darted to Zane.

“What?” Zane asked.

Ty held up the paper and crumpled it in his fist. “Where’d you get this?”

“Last night, some guy slipped it into my pocket.”

“What guy?” Ty demanded. His voice had gone low and dangerous, and he advanced on Zane from across the room, heedless of the other men, no longer slow or shaky.

“I don’t know, Ty, some guy who wanted a light.” Zane peered over Ty’s shoulder at the others. They were all growing uneasy, sharing wide-eyed glances and shifting where they sat. Even Ty wasn’t usually this overtly possessive or combative.

Ty was oblivious to the discomfort in the room as he stalked up to Zane, cornering him in the little entryway. He held the paper up. “What did he look like?”

“Ty,” Zane said gently. “It’s a piece of trash in my pocket. He pickpocketed my lighter and slipped it back in with that note. It’s not a big deal, okay? Maybe we can talk about it once the meds wear off.”

Ty’s eyes flashed and he struck out at the wall next to Zane, slapping his palm and the piece of paper against it. Zane flinched away, eyes going wider.

“What did he look like?” Ty shouted.

“Grady!” Kelly called. “You need to sit down before the morphine gets the better of you.”

Zane’s eyes stayed on Ty’s. He shook his head. He knew Ty wasn’t going to hurt him, but it was growing embarrassing. He just wanted to keep Ty calm until the drugs could wear off. “He was . . . blond. British. Blue eyes. I don’t know, it was dark.”

“Was his name Liam Bell?” Ty growled.

Zane heard a sharp inhalation from one of the others, and it distracted him enough to glance at them and see Nick and Kelly both standing. He met Ty’s eyes again and nodded. “Yeah. I think that was his name. How’d you know that?”

Ty took a step back, releasing the paper. It fluttered to the ground at Zane’s feet. Ty put a hand over his mouth and turned away.

“Liam Bell?” Nick asked, aghast. “How is that possible?”

“Who is Liam Bell?” Zane asked. “How do you know him?”

“How did you know it was him, Ty?” Owen demanded.

Ty still had a hand over his mouth. He closed his eyes.

“You saw him, didn’t you?” Nick said. “In the ER. That’s why you freaked out. You saw him there.”

Ty nodded, eyes still closed. “I thought I was hallucinating.”

“Who is Liam Bell?” Zane asked again.

Kelly took a deep breath, looking between Ty and Zane. “He was . . . uh.”

“He’s a ghost,” Digger answered. “He’s dead.”

“We have to get out of here,” Ty muttered. “We have to leave town.”

Zane barked a laugh. “Are you serious?”

Ty turned on him. “What else did he say to you?”

Zane sighed, far too aware of all the eyes on him. He shrugged it off. “He wanted a light. He sort of flirted with me. There was nothing.”

Ty gritted his teeth, stepping closer. “Zane, the words he used. What did he say?”

Zane’s brow furrowed as he fought past the sense of urgency and confusion to remember exactly what the man had said to him. He shook his head, distracted by the look of near panic on Ty’s face. “He said something about looking forward to seeing me again.” He paused, taking a deep breath to steel himself for Ty’s reaction. “Without my boyfriend around.”