Ty’s shoulders straightened and his features grew harder, more dangerous. He glanced over his shoulder. “He told me he wanted revenge.” He looked back at Zane, fear skittering through his eyes. “He’s coming after you.”
“What the hell are you talking about, Ty?”
Ty backed away, covering his face like he was trying to block out everything so he could think clearly. Those meds were still doing a number on him, and Zane wasn’t quite sure what to do. He wasn’t even sure if this warranted the kind of panic Ty had spiraled into, but the rest of them looked shocked as well.
“Why is this guy so scary?” Zane asked, growing frustrated. He needed details, not more rambling hoodoo ghost talk.
Ty sat down hard on the end of the bed and swiped a hand over his eyes. He glanced up at Zane, his head resting on his hand. “You remember me telling you about training with an SAS team?”
Zane nodded, even as he tried to think back. It had been before they’d left for the cruise ship assignment and Ty had explained where he’d picked up the British accent he’d been forced to use.
“Liam was the leader of the group we were assigned with. It was an advanced Coalition team.”
“Okay,” Zane said, still confused. He sat in one of the chairs near the bed, watching Ty’s body language more than anything else. His knee was bouncing, he couldn’t stop fidgeting with his hands, and he wouldn’t meet anyone’s eyes.
“We were each buddied to our counterpart of the SAS team for the duration,” Nick explained when Ty remained silent. “We lived together, ate together, went on missions together. They said it was a test to see how it would work, Spec Ops integration or some shit. They were trying to form an international first-strike team.”
Zane glanced around the room at the five men. “With the SAS?”
Nick nodded. “There were others. SEALs and Aussies, Green Berets and Canadians. Two months in, we discovered a mole. We hunted him as a team. For months.”
“Canadians are shifty, man,” Digger muttered.
Zane rolled his eyes. “So, if Liam Bell was the team leader, he was buddied with Ty.”
“Yes,” Ty answered curtly. His knee was bouncing faster, and he had his hands clasped between his thighs, trying not to fidget.
Zane stared at him, waiting for him to make eye contact. When the silence began to stretch too thin and Ty was still staring at the floor, Zane sighed. He knew Ty’s M.O. “Were you involved with him?”
Ty finally looked up and met his eyes. He nodded jerkily. Zane wasn’t surprised, but the other four men burst into a chorus of shock and anger. Ty winced as they each expressed themselves.
Kelly and Digger both shouted, “What?”
Nick ran a hand through his hair and turned away.
Zane raised his voice to be heard. “Why is that a problem?”
“Because Ty’s the one who f**king shot him!” Owen blurted.
Zane’s eyes widened and he gaped at Ty, unable to conceal his surprise. Ty had his hand over his mouth and his eyes were closed again.
“Ty?” Zane whispered. “Was he the mole?”
Ty ran his fingers over his lips and took a deep breath, his eyes still closed. He finally opened them as he nodded.
“You f**king shot a guy you were sleeping with?” Owen asked, and it was hard to tell which part scandalized him more.
“It’s not what you think it was,” Ty explained, voice hoarse.
“Jesus,” Kelly whispered. He sank to a chair, brow furrowed.
“That’s cold, man. Even for you, that’s some shit,” Digger muttered. He paced toward the balcony, shaking his head.
Nick was still standing in the little entryway near the bathroom with his back to them. His head was down and he had one hand on his hip. Zane’s eyes were drawn to him. Why did he seem so betrayed by the knowledge? What Ty had done was harsh, Zane had no illusions about it. But it didn’t necessarily bother him. He knew how Ty felt about treachery, and he was a dangerous man, quick to action and rarely looking back. Nick and the others had to know that too. Once you turned on Ty, your time was up.
Nick finally raised his head, but he didn’t turn around. “You hit center mass,” he said, his voice low.
Ty turned, but Zane couldn’t see his expression as he stared at Nick’s back. His entire body trembled, and Zane wondered if it was the meds, the nerves, or both.
Nick turned to face him, looking grim. “You fired at center mass from seven yards away, but you missed almost every vital organ.”
“How do you know that?” Kelly asked.
“Because I wrote up the report,” Nick snarled. He pointed a finger at Ty. “You missed on purpose.”
Ty stared at him, unmoving. The trembling had stopped almost as if Ty had shut it off with a switch.
Nick took a step. “You helped him escape. Didn’t you? That’s why you know he’s alive.”
Ty hesitated before giving a curt nod.
The group erupted in another round of protests.
Nick dragged both hands through his hair and turned around again. “You missed center mass to help him escape, and you’re the one who covered it up!”
Zane stood, intending to try to calm the emotions he could see brewing, but the movement stirred the room instead. Ty stood with him, stepping toward Nick. But Nick whirled around when he felt Ty behind him, grabbed Ty by his shirt front, and slammed him into the wall.
“Hey!” Zane called, taking a step to intercede. Kelly grabbed his arm and held him off, patting him on the chest like he would to calm a dog.
Nick snarled in Ty’s face. “I swore under oath you had nothing to do with it, Ty!”
“So did I,” Ty gritted out. He shoved at Nick’s chest, forcing him to loosen his hold.
Kelly let Zane go. His voice was grim. “You helped a traitor escape.”
Ty glanced around at everyone before meeting Nick’s eyes again. He squared his shoulders and raised his head, preparing for the worst. “Yeah. Yeah, I did.”
“All this time!” Ty shouted as he stalked around the room. He was too angry to be still. He gripped his gun so hard that his knuckles were turning white.
“Tyler, I know you’re angry, but–”
“Angry? Liam! This is beyond angry!”
Liam nodded and took a step to the side.
“Stop moving!” Ty shouted. He raised his gun and pointed it at Liam’s head.
Liam stopped and stared, meeting Ty’s eyes without flinching. “Do you intend to shoot me, Ty?”