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Ty nodded,Burns’ eyes apprehensively "Dad told you?" he asked

"He did You did well, son," Burns told hiain, sing hard and turning away "He told ly

Ty froze, his fingers gripping the handle of the door until his knuckles turned white He turned slightly, his head still bowed He looked as if he , but Burns realized with an ache deep in his chest that Ty wasn’t capable of speaking as he tried to regain control of his emotions Ty and Deuce were the sons he’d never had, and it pained hi like this

"You’re no coward, Beaumont, and your daddy knows that better than anyone," Burns told hiht the i

"Sticks and stones, sir," Ty finallyat Burns While he looked resigned, he actually s the office "But words will never hurtvoice as he walked away

Burns stood in the office door, watching hio with a small smile Ty was truly a resilient et hi

Burns renment he had for them Ty would be ecstatic to hear that Zane Garrett was already settling into a new Baltimore apartment and that the Gummi worms he’d hidden in his old desk in the Baltimore field office had been located and cleared out in anticipation of his return

"Grady," Burns called, gesturing for Ty to co Ty to raise an eyebroarily as he stopped in the doorway that led out of the front office "I al hi him on the back as he directed him to sit back down

STACKING another empty box off to the side of the couch, Zane looked around at his progress Not that he had all that otten rid of more stuff over the past few years than he’d acquired So it was mostly books, not knickknacks or pictures It wasn’t cozy or decorated, but it was horound level walk-up with a back door, which he liked He always liked back doors There was enough rooht he e

Zane huhtly and slid the last of the books onto the shelf, and his fingers lingered on the voluar Allen Poe stories before he headed to the kitchen for a drink

A knock at the front door stopped hi at his gun where it lay on the table with his wallet A look at the clock confirun on sohborhood, so he went to the door without the weapon and pulled it open

Ty stood on the top step, his head cocked slightly and a shborhood," he offered

"Hey," Zane said in surprise He hadn’t seen Ty in alh they’d talked on the phone a few tiht he should

Tysmile "Can I co back and leading the way into the apart one A decent-sized front room with a couch, coffee table, and TV was separated froht opened to a sh for four more doors: two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a closet A washer and dryer were in a closet by the back door It wasroom as he walked into the aparted unco him an uncharacteristically nervous s hiht show of nerves, Ty looked pretty good, actually: clean-shaven, color back, not so worn out, h not totally The only time Zane had seen Ty totally relaxed was after he fucked him into the mattress It had been a while

"Better," Ty answered with a nod "No longer dying," he added with a sh, and he raised his chin slightly as he looked at Zane "I need to talk to you," he stated, his voice cal conversation, whatever it was about Zane wondered if Ty realized how h his expressions and body language He suspected not

The apprehension was catching, apparently, because Zane felt it tighten around his chest "Well Sounds like a reason for a s to the door at the far side of the kitchen Ty nodded, not even offering a disapproving word about the cigarettes He followed Zane out, glancing around at the bits and pieces Zane had unpacked as they went