"Julian, please." Julian waited another breathless moment before lowering his weapon. He eased the hammer down and then held it up sideways as proof that he'd done so. He slid it carefully back into its hiding spot.

"My man on the roof stays trained on your partner while you show me a badge," he bargained. He held up his hand in a signal to Preston. Cameron looked between Julian and Zane as Zane moved the hand bracing his gun and slid it into his jacket. He pulled out a leather wallet and tossed it to Julian.

Julian caught it deftly with one hand, then flipped it over to look at the identification within. He stared at it for a moment before looking up at Zane.

He made a "quit" motion with his hand toward the balcony. "You can tell Richard Burns to stick it," he finally said as he handed the wallet back.

Zane snorted as he pocketed the wallet and lowered his weapon somewhat. "If you know Burns, you know that won't help." Julian's eyes darted between the two men. "Get out," he ordered. "Also won't help," Zane said, sliding his gun under his jacket. "We're here to escort you to DC. If we don't get you there, someone else will, and much less comfortably, I a.s.sure you."

Julian's shoulders tightened. He lowered his head and shook it. "I told them before. I will not be involved. I'm sorry you've wasted your time." He glanced at Cameron, his expression softening. "Perhaps you should see the sights before you go home, make the trip worthwhile," he told the two agents. His voice was polite, but he couldn't fool Cameron. He was angry and tense.

Though Zane was the one talking now, Cameron paid more attention to Ty. He still had his gun out and in hand and was staring devotedly out the balcony doors.

"No misunderstanding, Mr. Cross," Zane said, his voice genial enough under such odd circ.u.mstances that it pulled Cameron's attention away from Ty. "This isn't a request."

Cameron stiffened when Zane's eyes turned to focus on him speculatively, and Cameron bit down on his tongue to keep from blurting out what was sure to be a stupid question.

"Then so be it," Julian finally answered stubbornly. "Anyone else looking for me will follow the bread crumbs you've left behind you, no doubt. The longer you're here, the more you become my problem."

"Okay," Ty said impatiently as he stuffed his gun into his holster and moved around the couch, approaching Cameron. "Mr. Cross, I understand you won't be accompanying us to Washington willingly, is that correct?" he asked brusquely, continuing before Julian could answer. He moved toward Cameron as he extracted a pair of handcuffs. "Cameron Jacobs, you are under arrest for harboring a federal fugitive."

"What?" Cameron yelped, putting his hands behind his back and backing away. "Harboring a fugitive? Julian, what is this?" "Stay calm, love," Julian requested, though the undertone in his voice told Cameron he was having trouble following his own advice.

Whoever these two men were, they knew physically threatening Julian would have no effect on him, and physically threatening Cameron would just p.i.s.s him off. Arresting Cameron, however....

Ty gripped Cameron's elbow and pulled at him, turning him around with alarming strength as he clasped one cuff on his wrist. Cameron looked up at Julian, hoping he knew what he was doing. "You're bluffing," Julian said as he looked at Zane. "You have no grounds to arrest him, and you can't force me to Washington." "Actually, yes, we do, and yes, we can," Zane replied. "It would be a shame to find an unregistered firearm in Mr. Jacobs' possession, especially if he threatened a federal agent with it."

Cameron gasped. "That's awful and you know it!" "Yeah, you're breaking my heart." Ty's hand tightened on Cameron's shoulder as he secured the handcuffs, and his voice was low and gruff in Cameron's ear. "You have a good evening now, Mr. Cross," he said in a louder voice, pushing Cameron in front of him toward the door.

Cameron tried to dig in his heels, but he was no match for Ty. Both the FBI agents were closer to Julian's size than his, and since the top of his head did well to reach Julian's nose, it wasn't much problem for Ty to push him around. But Cameron was determined to stay calm, like Julian had told him, though it wasn't looking good as Ty propelled him forward. At least he was almost certain these guys wouldn't kill him.

"I'm sure you have ways to find us," Zane told Julian as he walked toward the door, somehow managing to look casual but keep facing Julian the whole time. He was still holding his gun. "If you decide to change your mind."

Julian sidestepped, stopping their progress. He didn't budge as Ty moved Cameron toward the door. Ty's fingers dug into Cameron's shoulder to stop him.

"Zane, I think Mr. Cross is a little more attached to Mr. Jacobs than we realized," Ty said casually to his partner. "Well, leave it to intel to miss important little details like that," Zane muttered. He offered Julian an insincere smile. "Your choice, Mr. Cross. In a manner of speaking."

"Either get out of the way or have your man on the roof shoot us," Ty told Julian, sounding as if he hadn't a care in the world. Julian narrowed his eyes. He glanced to the side, looking at Zane as he held up his hand and slowly reached into his coat with the other. He extracted his cell phone carefully and slid it open. He looked back at Ty as he pressed a b.u.t.ton and put the phone to his ear. "Preston," he said slowly, "shoot the stupid one."

"Julian!" Cameron snapped, annoyance flaring. Julian was supposed to be helping them! Julian shrugged. "What do you mean, which one?" he said to Preston, whose voice could barely be heard on the phone.

"Let me guess; Preston drives the clown car?" Ty asked, unimpressed.

"Preston, don't you dare!" Cameron yelled at Julian's phone. "How is this going to help?" He looked around at the three men, and Cameron realized what a mess this was. There was nothing here but a lot of testosterone. He hoped. "Are you going to keep threatening each other, or is something going to happen besides someone dying on our floor?"

Zane raised an eyebrow. "He's got a temper," he observed as Cameron pulled at Ty's immovable hands.

Julian closed the phone in his hand in disgust and glared at the two agents. "You realize you put both our lives in danger with this stunt."

"We can live with that," Ty said. "Now do you want to do this nicely, have time to pack your Uzi in your underwear, or do we get to cuff you and drag you out?"

Julian's jaw tightened. "I won't go without Cameron." "This isn't a vacation, Cross," Zane said.

"He's exposed now, thanks to you. I go with you willingly on the condition I keep him by my side."

Ty was already unlocking the handcuffs on Cameron's wrists. "Tell the clown on the roof to protect him," he told Julian. "Not our job."

Cameron darted straight for Julian once Ty let him loose, moving to stand behind his imposing lover. "Is this something important? This informant stuff?"

"Not to me," Julian said as he slid one hand into Cameron's, squeezing his fingers. He hadn't taken his eyes off Ty, who was holding up the handcuffs and smirking.

"You look like the type who enjoys these," the agent drawled. Julian sighed in a rare show of exasperation. "Are you two really the crack team they sent after me? This is almost insulting."

"What you see isn't always what you get," Zane said. He glanced at Ty for a long moment, and Ty sniffed, looking somewhat disappointed that he didn't get to use his handcuffs. Zane looked at his watch. "Fine. Jacobs goes with. We've got two hours to make our flight to DC."

Cameron pressed against the back of Julian's arm. "Julian, I can stay here with Preston and Blake," he said, naming the two men who often worked with Julian on his clandestine "jobs," his driver and his boss. Cameron still wasn't exactly sure what Julian did, but he knew for certain he didn't want details. He slept better at night without them.

Julian turned his head, looking back at Cameron while still keeping an eye on the two men. "Preston and Blake will be busy. Go pack a bag. Quickly. Please," he was careful to tack on.

"What about the animals?" Ty asked. "Who the h.e.l.l needs this many dogs anyway?" "What's wrong with being a pet owner?" Cameron asked. "Yeah, you p.r.o.nounced 'h.o.a.rder' wrong."

Glancing around, Cameron kept his mouth shut and looked to Julian for direction. Julian was looking at the agent with the equivalent of a glare for his stoic lover.

"Preston will take care of them," Julian answered, jaw tight. Cameron swallowed hard, and after one last look at Ty, he hurried over to the bedroom to pack for both himself and Julian. Zane followed behind him, intending to watch what he packed. Cameron glanced at the man uneasily. He had only an inkling of what was going on, but he did know they were in deep trouble this time.

T Y TURNED and watched Cameron disappear into the bedroom. He looked back at Zane and shook his head. It wasn't a great idea to take the boyfriend along. Two prisoners would be harder to handle than one, but it could prove a useful way to control Julian Cross if he got unruly. Zane took a few steps toward the dividing screens of the bedroom and stood where he could watch Cameron's movements and see what he was packing in his bags.

Ty ran a finger along his eyebrow and turned to stroll into the center of the room again, looking out the balcony doors at the roof of the building across the street. He'd seen the dying light glint off a piece of gla.s.s on the roof as he'd been petting the cat and recognized it for what it was. How the sniper had gotten up there so quickly was the real question. It didn't matter, but it bothered Ty.

Ty smiled crookedly and gave the man on the roof, Preston, a cheeky little wave. He heard Zane snort. He stayed across the room, keeping between Julian and the door and keeping Cameron within his line of sight. Not that it looked like either man was going to run.

"You do realize that you're going to be held in a federal cell or safe house for the length of this thing," Zane said to Julian. "You really want him stuck there with you?"

"I sleep better knowing he's not in harm's way," Julian said. He looked at Ty. "He will shoot you, you know."

"You told him to shoot the stupid one," Ty said as he pointed at Zane. "Yeah," Zane said. "The one standing out in the open in front of the window, waving at the sniper."

"The one that knows where the sniper is to wave at him. If he was going to shoot me, he would have." Ty looked at Julian. "Does that kid have any idea what you're about to drag him into?"

Julian was silent, glaring at Ty for a moment before looking away and sighing.

"That's a no," Zane said. "Does he know what business you've been working in?"

"That is none of your concern. You and I both know I'll never set foot in a cell or a courtroom if I make it to DC. We know what this is. He doesn't need to."

Ty looked at Zane, trying to conceal the question in his expression. Apparently Cameron Jacobs wasn't the only one being kept out of the loop.

But Julian was perceptive, and he caught Ty's look. He laughed and shook his head. "No one told you. They just sent you here like good little errand boys."

Zane leveled a look at Ty that would have crushed a lesser man, but Ty was immune. He also had no clue why Zane wanted to be such a harda.s.s in front of this guy. The Batman types were the most fun to annoy.

"We're supposed to escort you to DC, Mr. Cross," Zane said. "Anything beyond that is need-to-know."

"Someone must really have it in for you two."

Ty rolled his eyes. He half suspected the man was just trying to screw with them, but he knew Richard Burns well enough to think he probably had kept something from them. Ty was used to it. That was just the way Burns operated. Ty trusted him implicitly. He didn't ask questions.

"Look, O'Doul, I have the patience of a bouncy ball right now, so how about shutting your mouth and getting your friend in there to hurry the h.e.l.l up?"

"Ty," Zane said in that quiet, calm-down voice that Ty hated. "Zane," he responded in the same tone. He turned to Julian. "Get him out here. I don't care if he's packed."

"Cameron?" Julian called without taking his eyes off Ty. "The irritating one is getting more irritating."

"His name is Ty," Cameron called back from behind the screen. Ty saw the big man give the entry to the bedroom a curious glance, as if wondering why he should care what their names were. Ty snorted at them both in annoyance. He glanced at Zane, raising one eyebrow and tilting his head toward Julian. They would have to restrain him before leaving. There was no way they could trust him. Ty was all for using Cameron to keep him under control, but they were d.a.m.n sure tying Cross up and making sure he couldn't do any damage either way.

"He's got five seconds," Ty said as he looked at Zane for one more moment.

"Cameron," Julian called. "Unless you want the irritating one to help you pack, I suggest you hurry." "He always do the heavy lifting for you, Cross?" Ty asked the man in a low, amused voice.

"Yes, he does. Cooks and cleans too. Makes me feel more like a man," Julian said without a hint of sarcasm. "w.a.n.ker."

"At least you'll have someone to argue with," Cameron said as he emerged with two bags, one on each shoulder, one of which Julian took as soon as Cameron stopped beside him.

"I would prefer to shoot him, not argue with him," Julian mumbled. He adjusted one of the straps and looked up at Ty and Zane, raising his chin. "I suppose you'll be wanting to confiscate my weapon?"

Ty glanced at Zane and smirked. "He's got the stiff upper lip going now," he said as he pulled his gun.

"That would be the British," Julian said.

"Same thing," Ty said, knowing it would upset an Irishman. He pointed his gun at Julian's feet. "Guns on the couch. Mr. Jacobs, if you would please join my partner over here," he said with a tilt of his head at Zane, mimicking Julian's proper speech, "he'll be kind enough to handcuff you again and frog-march you downstairs."

"Do you work at being this rude?" Cameron asked. Ty could hear Zane choking on what might have been a laugh.

"I said please." Zane was tamping down a smile as he took Cameron in hand and cuffed him. "Now, Mr. Cross," Zane said, "I'm betting that you're going to be quite willing to cooperate as long as we treat Mr. Jacobs well."

"Is not treating me well a possibility?" Cameron asked, his voice wavering as he kept his eyes on Julian. Julian shook his head as he looked at Cameron. He extracted the weapons hidden on his person and put them on the couch as he'd been told, continuing to keep his eyes on Cameron. They seemed to be communicating. Ty recognized the way one lover could speak to another without words. He cleared his throat and moved toward Julian with care.

The man put his hands up behind his head, but something about him still made Ty wary. He could almost smell the capabilities of the man. He very carefully moved his hand up one of Julian's arms and down the other, then slid the handcuffs onto one wrist and clicked them into place.

"Those are some impressive cats," he said as he holstered his gun and used both hands to secure Julian's behind his back. "How long have you had them?"

"As long as they can remember," Julian answered without looking away from Cameron. Ty looked over the man's shoulder at Zane and rolled his eyes. He snapped the other cuff down hard, then patted him down. He found a long sliver of metal embedded in each sleeve, just at the cuffs, but no other weaponry.

Julian sighed in annoyance as Ty removed the lock pick pieces. "Poor hired killer, took away his toys," Ty said in mocking sympathy. "We're good," he said to Zane, patting Julian on the back.

"Don't worry, Mr. Jacobs," Zane said. "You'll be in DC in about seven hours, and dealing with us will be but a happy memory."

"Thank G.o.d for small favors," Julian murmured. He turned. "That second bag is quite heavy. Do mind your back, Agent Grady," he said with utmost sincerity, then smirked and began moving toward Zane and the door. Cameron shifted away from Zane as Julian approached, but he didn't try to move any further.

"If we want to make the plane, we need to go now," Zane said. Ty thought seriously about leaving the bags on the floor, but even he wasn't that much of a b.a.s.t.a.r.d. He bent and hefted both bags with a muttered curse. He nodded, turning one last time to salute the man he knew was probably still on the opposite roof, watching them through a scope.

"Let's get this show on the road," he grunted as he headed for the door. "Mr. Jacobs, you're going to need to stop cowering. Garrett won't hurt you. Much."

"Actually, in my experience, it's the tall, dark, and silent types who are the most dangerous," Cameron said as he preceded Zane out the door.

"Oh Christ, he's one of those, isn't he?" Ty muttered. "You have no idea," Julian said in return. P RESTON watched through the scope of his Parker Hale Model 85 as the two agents led Julian and Cameron out of the apartment and shut the door behind them. He raised his head to look down at the street and the cab waiting.

One thing was certain after seeing the face of the man waving to him in his scope: he couldn't just take them out from up here. He didn't know why, but the man looked familiar. He didn't wait for them to emerge on the street, instead packing up and moving as he pulled out his cell phone. He dialed the only number he really could in this situation.

"h.e.l.lo, sir," he said as soon as Blake Nichols answered. "I know you call Julian 'sir' to annoy him, but do you really have to do it to me too?" Blake asked, amused.

"I apologize, sir, but we have a problem."

"What kind of problem?" Blake asked, tone changing. "Two federal agents have just taken Mr. Cross into custody." "What?"

"I said, two federal agents-"

"I heard you, Preston!"

"Of course, sir," Preston said as he trotted down the steps of the building he'd been using as his sniper's nest. "What agency?"

"I can't be certain. They had FBI badges, but one of them-" "Were they CIA?"

"Possibly, sir. I couldn't tell."

"That was f.u.c.king fast. Stay on them, Preston, but do not move on them, understood? I'll get back to you."

"Yes, sir."

Preston flipped the phone closed and picked up the pace, hurrying to the ground level so he'd have a chance to catch up with that cab.

Chapter 5.

TSA used the screened-off area for security searches to pa.s.s through airline crews, law enforcement, and VIPs. It was quicker than going through as a regular pa.s.senger but still a lot of scrutiny, especially when it came to checking prisoners.

Ty and Zane had debated over whether to go through the law enforcement line since they were supposed to be operating dark, but the risk of taking Julian Cross through the searches without being restrained was too high, and trying to explain that he was handcuffed because he wasn't coming willingly without identifying themselves as FBI would get awkward.

So there they stood at Midway airport as one uniformed man each patted Cameron and Zane down. Ty rocked from side to side, checking the time on his cell phone every few seconds. Zane knew he didn't want to miss the plane, but he figured Ty also wanted to get rid of Julian as soon as possible. Zane didn't blame him; he felt much the same. Julian Cross was dangerous. Even standing sedately in front of them, his hands cuffed, Cameron's jacket thrown over them to hide the restraints from the general public, he made Zane uneasy. Obviously Ty felt the same way. And there was an added element in that Julian seemed to especially dislike Ty and vice versa. The animosity between the two was solid in the air, and Zane couldn't figure out why, other than Ty sometimes had that effect on people.

The TSA officials reported them done and waved Zane and Cameron over to the side. Zane holstered his gun when the guard spoke up. "Next," he said, gesturing for Julian to step forward onto the screening mat. The other screener waved Ty forward.

They stood side by side, Ty annoyed with the whole process and Julian calm and serene as the TSA agent took Cameron's coat from him to reveal his handcuffs.