Cut & Run (Cut & Run #1)(33)
Author: Abigail Roux

“I see you’re still spending more time on your colleagues than your cases,” Ty responded calmly. “How’s that workin’ out?”

“I’ve still got the highest successful profiling record in the region, so it’s working out pretty well, thanks,” the woman answered.

“Easy to be a success when you hand off the hard ones,” Ty drawled.

“Can’t figure it out, so you hand it off on an overworked Feeb, let him take the fall if he fails.”

She narrowed her eyes, but continued to smile. “Sometimes the white flag is all you can do for a case. You didn’t fail, though, did you, Tyler? Made quite the case out of it.”

“After four more people died, sure,” Ty answered without flinching.

“That’s enough, Serena,” Zane broke in, voice low and serious. “I called you for information, not so you could pick a fight with my partner.”

“But picking fights with your partner is so entertaining, Zane,” Serena drawled. “Surely you’ve found that out by now?”

“I wouldn’t know,” Zane responded coldly.

Serena sniffed and turned a disappointed moue on Zane. “You’re no fun anymore, you know? I liked you a lot better when you still drank.” She reached over and picked up Ty’s glass, taking a dainty sip and nodding in approval.

Ty narrowed his eyes slightly, experiencing an odd feeling of possessiveness as the woman spoke. It seemed that he could bitch at Zane about his problems all he wanted, but no one else could without ruffling his feathers. “See?” he asked Zane conversationally. “Raging bitch.”

“A raging bitch who used to care more about solving murders than picking fights,” Zane said pointedly, and Serena shifted her eyes to him.

The woman went totally still, and her cold gaze would have struck many men dead on the spot. “Don’t cross me, Zane,” she warned suddenly.

“How’s your husband?” Zane asked pleasantly. “Still no pre-nup?”

“Fucker,” she hissed in response. “Don’t call for my help again; you can figure this shit out all by yourselves,” she snapped as she stood abruptly and looked between the two men. “You know, Zane, I would never have thought to say this, but you’ve turned into a real bastard.”

“Ha!” Ty responded in gleeful surprise. He looked from the offended woman to Zane in amusement and then threw his head back and laughed.

“You’re not officially on the case, but I know you have notes,” Zane responded seriously. “Send them to us,” he said in a tone that brooked no argument. “You owe me.”

She was so angry that high spots of red peaked on her cheeks and the hand on her purse was curled tightly like a claw. “This makes us even, Garrett,” she spit out. “And don’t think I won’t remember this.”

“Great to see you again, Serena. Let’s not make it so long next time,”

Zane drew out as sincerely as possible.

She gave him another dark stare and turned her back on them, flouncing out the door. Once the glass shut behind her, Zane leaned back and scowled. Ty was still laughing heartily, possibly the first time he had truly done so since their partnership had begun, and he was beginning to have trouble catching his breath. Patrons were turning to look at them, some smiling and giggling as Ty laughed contagiously.

Zane shook his head as he watched Ty. “I’m glad you’re amused,” he muttered. “She could have helped us.”

“I’ve never seen her huff off like that!” Ty laughed breathlessly. “Oh, my God, I think I can die happy now.”

“She’s a spitfire, that’s for sure.” As long as she didn’t turn on them, Zane figured they’d be okay. He wouldn’t put it past her to cause them trouble just to spite him, though. “That’s one good contact I ruined for you, partner,”

he said.

Ty’s laughter trailed off, and he shook his head, still smiling slightly.

“I suppose I owe you a thank-you for putting up the Big Blue Shield,” he said to Zane sarcastically. “Thanks,” he offered sincerely.

Zane nodded slowly and sighed, finally relaxing again. “I didn’t want to pay her off anyway,” he murmured. His back hurt enough without more scratches.

“Eh. We don’t need her,” Ty responded dismissively as he took another sip of his drink.

“And why is that, All-Knowing One?” Zane asked as the waitress came by with drinks for Zane and the now-departed Serena. After a quick explanation, the waitress headed off to cancel the meals and get the check.

“She didn’t tell us anything we didn’t already know,” Ty pointed out logically. “Besides. We already got a profiler,” he added with a small smile as soon as the waitress had left.

“Who?”

Ty raised one eyebrow mockingly and then raised one finger with a little smirk.

Zane narrowed his eyes. “You,” he said flatly. “You’re trained to profile.”

“I am, indeed,” Ty answered with another small sip. “How did you think I knew her?” he asked with a c**k of his head as he gestured toward the door. “I was put here in New York my first year out. Any case she couldn’t handle got shuffled over to me,” he said with a sniff. “We certainly never f**ked,” he continued pointedly.

Zane’s eyes sparkled. “You missed a hell of a ride, then.”

Ty groaned with feeling and actually shivered in distaste. “I’d rather f**k you than her,” he muttered thoughtlessly as he looked over at the door she had stomped through.

Snorting, Zane lifted his glass for a drink. But his eyes stayed on Ty, and his gut cramped uncomfortably as he watched him.

ZANE’S stomach woke him a couple hours after they crashed in the hotel room. It was dark outside, and he was contemplating getting up and yanking Ty out of bed to go and find food since they had skipped dinner. When he heard Ty shift and mumble, Zane sat up with a wince and turned on the lamp between the two beds. He tilted his chin to look at the other man.

Ty rolled onto his back, body tangling in the sheets around him, and he stretched and growled and grumbled noisily. He looked different asleep; softer, somehow, which Zane supposed made sense. Younger, too. He wouldn’t have thought it before, but it was pretty clear now that Ty was younger than he was, and not by just a little.

Ty made a few more sleepy growling noises and stretched until his muscles shook with the tension. Then he flopped back down into the bed and rolled onto his side, snuggling his head against the pillow and finally cracking one eye open. “Hmm?” he hummed questioningly when he found Zane looking at him.