Read Online Cut & Run by Madeleine Urban, Abigail Roux - Free Book Online

practically the entire past thirty-six hours?” Zane asked sarcastically. “That’s not to say I didn’t think about having it pulled.”
    Ty narrowed his eyes, then let it go as a coincidence. “Profile of you, huh?” he drawled with a smirk instead.
    “Despite your insistence on being an utter asshole, you are undeniably educated and highly trained,” Zane said, drawing on the minute clues and data he’d been gathering about Ty to make a strong guess. Number-crunching, as it were. “So, I’m betting you’ve assessed for threat, judged for education, gauged strengths and weaknesses … yes. A profile.”
    “Your logic is irrefutable,” Ty complimented, still grinning. “I do have one,” he answered with a matter-of-fact nod. “I’m still waiting for you to change it.”
    Zane’s interest in the line of conversation dissipated, as did any life or spark in his dark eyes as his expression went hard again. People were always expecting him to change. “Very charitable of you,” he said curtly.
    Ty shrugged. “You want me continuing to think you’re a candy-ass content to ride a desk, that’s fine with me. Don’t say I didn’t give you a chance, though,” he warned as he leaned back in his seat again and glanced to his right as someone moved too quickly in his peripheral vision. He watched them suspiciously for a moment in silence, the sudden tenseness filtering through his entire body.
    “There’s nothing I can do to change your opinion,” Zane said sourly, not even noticing the change in Ty’s demeanor. “Besides, it’s not too far off.”
    His tone had turned decidedly bitter, and Zane took a long drink of his iced tea to get the annoyance back under control.
    “Ah, I hear a past bubbling forth,” Ty responded with a point at Zane as he pulled his attention away from their fellow diners. “There’s another thing I don’t wanna talk about.”
    “I’ve got no desire to hear violins wailing, anyway,” Zane snapped.
    Ty laughed joyously and nodded. “That’s better,” he said approvingly.
    Zane’s nose wrinkled as he reined in his temper yet again. Something about Ty brought out the parts of him he tried to hide from the light of day.
    Surely, this was headed for disaster. “There were four,” he muttered before thinking better of it.

    Cut & Run | 39

    “Four what?” Ty asked in apparent confusion.
    Zane cleared his throat in annoyance and glanced around them.
    “Hookers,” he said through gritted teeth.
    “All at once?” Ty asked with a mocking sort of wide-eyed innocence.
    “Not all four, no,” Zane said under his breath.
    “Shame,” Ty drawled with a smirk. “Why?”
    Zane sighed inwardly. “One of them was busy with a john in the other bed,” he said as he lifted his glass to call for a refill. That had been one hell of a night—what he remembered of it.
    “That’s fascinatingly kinky,” Ty drawled flatly. “But I meant why hookers,” he corrected with an impish grin. “Paying for it usually means you’re doing it to get out frustrations, not enjoy it.”
    “Or being too drunk off your ass to know otherwise,” Zane pointed out, taking another sip of tea.
    Ty raised his eyebrows and inclined his head in interest. “Are you a drunk?” he asked directly.
    Zane’s lips twisted in wry amusement, and he took a drink of tea rather than answering.
    “Well, that should make any firefights we get into interesting,” Ty drawled sarcastically. “Sorry, boss, I aimed for the middle one!” he cried softly as he squinted and raised his hand and waved it in front of him, mimicking a man who was seeing double as he tried to aim.
    Zane’s eyes were flat and emotionless. “I don’t drink anymore,” he said after a long pause.
    “Meaning?” Ty prodded slowly. “What, you’re a recovering alcoholic ?” he asked with sarcasm lacing the words.
    Trying very hard to push down a sudden desire to commit homicide, Zane’s eyes narrowed and began to glitter with anger.