Ball & Chain (Cut & Run 8)

“Did you break your coccyx?” Kelly asked, just barely keeping the laughter out of his voice.

“You can check it for me tonight,” Nick said wryly.

Ty made an offended sound and followed it with a simple, “Nope!” before spurring the horse into the darkness.

Chapter 7

“It bothers you, doesn’t it?” Zane asked as Ty paced in front of the fireplace in their room. Ty hadn’t even shed his dirty clothes yet; he’d been too busy thinking about what Nick and Kelly were probably doing next door.

“No,” Ty insisted. He winced, realizing the lie in his answer. He turned to Zane almost desperately. “Yes. A little. Should it? I feel like it shouldn’t.”

“I don’t know, Ty,” Zane answered. He was sitting at the little desk, booting his laptop up. He still had the flash drive Deuce had given them, and it was the first chance they’d had to look at it.

Ty stopped and ran his hands over his face. “I thought I was okay with it, but it’s weird!”

Zane simply smiled and shook his head. “No, it’s not.”

“Maybe not for you. But they’ve known each other for fifteen years, and suddenly they’re all . . . and it’s . . .” He waved his hand helplessly at the wall.

“It’s not the fact that they’re f**king,” Zane told him.

Ty pointed at the wall. “That is exactly what they’re doing!”

Zane smiled, nodding. “Ty. You’re upset because you know there’s something else going on with Nick, and he hasn’t talked to you about it.”

“How could he not f**king tell me about them?”

Zane raised both eyebrows. “Maybe he was afraid you’d react like this?”

“Well, I didn’t do it in front of him!”

“And now that you know they’re together?” Zane continued. “You’re pretty sure he’s told Kelly what’s bothering him, and not you. He’s talked about things with the doc that he used to reserve for you and that upsets you.”

Ty swallowed hard. “When you put it that way, it makes me sound like an ass**le.”

Zane chuckled. He was silent for a moment, then cursed quietly. “My laptop’s been fried!” Zane cried. “Son of a bitch!”

“How’d that happen?”

“I don’t know, looks like it didn’t like the trip here; it’s completely dead. I think Nick was right, these islands are cursed.”

“Told you to buy a Mac.”

Zane slammed the lid of the laptop closed and turned away from the desk, coming over to the bed.

Ty watched him, feeling out of sync and a little desperate to understand why.

Zane took pity on him and ran a hand over his head. “He’s your best friend, Ty. It hurts when you feel like your friends are pulling away, I know. I lost every one of mine, but none of them were like Nick is to you, you know? He’s not replacing you with anything. Trust him.”

Ty slumped his shoulders, his brow furrowing as he looked down at the USMC signet ring on his finger. He twisted it, trying to find the truth in Zane’s words. Aside from Deuce, Nick was the most consistent, oldest friend Ty had. They had been through everything together, shared everything together. They’d lived in the same room in some fashion for almost seven years; in some ways they were closer than brothers, and they had no secrets.

Or they hadn’t, until the last few years. Ty shook his head. No, it was earlier than that. It was when he’d signed on for the FBI, for Burns’s work. Ty had been so angry that Nick wouldn’t come with him, he’d just shut him off entirely. He supposed that had been the beginning of the secrets. The beginning of where they were now. They’d reconciled, but their friendship had felt different ever since. There had been times during their deployment when Ty had been sitting in the canteen and seen Nick walk in, but Nick hadn’t come over to sit and talk. A few times Nick had even acknowledged him, but gathered his food and left anyway. There had been moments they’d passed each other in camp and Nick had saluted and been on his way without even a knowing smirk at the oddity of Ty’s rank.

Ty groaned and threw himself onto the bed, staring up at the high ceiling. “I feel like I lost him somewhere.”

Zane stretched out next to him, lying on his side so he was facing Ty. “Did you ever think maybe he feels the same way?”

When Ty glanced at him, Zane was smiling.

“What?”

Zane shrugged. “Out of all the problems we could be lingering on tonight, I think it’s kind of sweet that you’re moping about your best friend.”

Ty rolled his eyes. He finally snorted and swiped his hand over his face.

“You want to shower?” Zane asked, lowering his voice suggestively.

“Yeah,” Ty whispered.

“You want to get dirty first?”

Ty raised one eyebrow in a show of detached interest, trying to hide his smirk. He turned his head, looking Zane up and down.

Zane grinned, his eyes warming. He rested his hand on Ty’s chest, pushing the buttons apart to get to skin.

“Let’s go to the hot spring,” he suggested, the warmth in his eyes turning into outright fire.

“But it’s all the way down there,” Ty protested, pointing toward the balcony.

“It’s in its own little area . . . secluded . . . steamy.”

Ty began to smile, but he held his ground, shaking his head. “You kinky little exhibitionist, you.”

“I’m just suggesting that a hot soak would feel really good for aching muscles.”

“I do have some aching muscles.”

Zane hummed and scooted closer, nudging his nose against Ty’s chin.

Ty closed his eyes and smiled, sliding his hand up Zane’s back. “You were sexy as hell on that horse tonight. Riding to the rescue.”

Zane stole a kiss. “I can think of someone else I’d like to see riding something.”

Ty bit his lip, loath to admit that he enjoyed Zane’s cheesy come-ons. He wrapped his arms around Zane and brushed the tip of his nose against his lover’s. “Whatever makes you happy, Lone Star.”

Zane chuckled. “Come on, Captain. It’s late. No one else will be out there.”

“I thought you said I need rest for the vapors. Thought you said you were tired.”

“I was until I thought about you and me in that damn hot spring.”

Ty hummed as his body responded favorably to the idea. Zane’s playful smile was another reason to say yes. No matter what had happened to Ty and the rest of Sidewinder while they’d been deployed, Zane had definitely benefited from those six months. He seemed unburdened now, more willing to simply grab onto life and go for a ride. Ty brushed his fingers through Zane’s hair with an affectionate grin.