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  against Brandt’s temple. “Listen.”

  Brandt grinned and strained his hearing. Sure enough, he could hear

  Thiago’s gruff voice as the man passed by their door. A sudden thump on the door

  almost made Brandt jump out of skin. He gripped Carl so tightly that the other man squeaked in surprise.

  “You two better be resting in there, goddammit!” Thiago yelled through the

  door.

  Brandt bit back a snicker, and Carl shook against him as he laughed silently.

  “We’re leaving in two hours!”

  “Two hours?” Brandt whispered questioningly.

  “Three more quality fucks,” Carl answered. They both sniggered and

  shushed one another as Thiago growled wordlessly at them.

  “Where do you think we’re going?” Brandt whispered conspiratorially after

  Thiago stomped away. He tilted his head upwards and nuzzled against Carl’s scruffy jaw.

  “Mmm… don’t know. Hopefully they’ll have beds there, though,” Carl

  murmured as he rolled into Brandt’s body and forced him to his back. He wrapped

  himself around Brandt and they both hummed contentedly.

  Brandt fingered his new lighter thoughtfully as he held the other man,

  wondering how Remy and Shawn were doing and what Nikolaus was up to if Thiago

  was up here and prowling around in the hall. He also wondered how he’d actually

  gotten the lighter in his hand, and he realized with a grin that Carl had handed it to him.

  “Don’t even think about lighting that thing,” Carl murmured sleepily. “I’m

  not flame retardant.”

  Brandt smiled contentedly and breathed in the smell of soap and sex and

  sweat that marked their previous activities.

  “You know, I think we’re going to ground,” Brandt said quietly.

  “Probably,” Carl murmured sleepily, his lips moving against the skin of

  Brandt’s neck as he nuzzled closer.

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  “We can’t run forever,” Brandt said matter-of-factly.

  “No. We can’t,” Carl agreed.

  “We’re going to have to turn and fight, eventually.”

  “Yeah.”

  “It’s going to be fun when we do, Trigger,” Brandt growled with relish.

  “Yeah,” Carl responded quietly.

  XXXVII

  SHAWN sat with his shoulders resting against the headboard of the antique four-

  poster bed. He’d tried to lay flat, but when did he complained that he was able to feel his heartbeat throbbing in his fresh wound, and was forced to sit back up.

  Remy was sprawled out next to him, with his feet resting in Shawn’s lap and

  his head hanging off the corner of the bed.

  Remy didn’t know why the pretence of hanging upside down always relaxed

  him, but it did. Shawn had always found it slightly odd, but Remy didn’t care.

  Hanging upside down was a nice affinity to have if you were being tortured, at any rate.

  He lifted his head warily when the thump sounded out in the hall, and they

  both cocked their heads to listen as Thiago banged on Carl and Brandt’s door and

  growled at them.

  “Thiago’s pissy,” Remy murmured as he let his head flop back down onto

  the corner of the mattress and stared at the upside down room. His sore back popped, and he groaned in relief.

  “You’ll give yourself a headache doing that,” Shawn warned as Remy

  brought his arms up gingerly and stretched them out over his head, making him look like an upside down Superman, trying to fly.

  “Too late,” Remy groaned as he flopped his arms back onto the mattress and

  lifted his head to look at Shawn. “So, I get that you were assigned to take me down way back when,” he said, changing the subject abruptly as he struggled to sit back up, like a turtle stuck on its shell. Shawn reached down and grabbed him by the forearm and pulled him upright with a grunt. “Thanks. But why was I a target in the first place? And why didn’t you just kill me when you had the chance? What made them

  change your objective? And–”

  “Remy, stop,” Shawn murmured with a grimace. They sat staring at one

  another for several seconds, blinking and waiting for the other to speak first. The silence stretched into uncomfortable territory, and they both jumped when Thiago

  banged on the door.

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  “Two hours, chicos,” his gruff voice called from the hallway.

  “Thi?” Remy called.

  The door creaked open, and Thiago stuck his head in. “Mierda. I thought I’d see something naked,” he said in mock disappointment.

  “My ass hurts,” Remy responded matter-of-factly in explanation for his

  apparently inexplicably half-clothed state. “What did you work out?”

  “Train to Spokane, up in Washington.”

  “What are you doing?” Remy asked with a small smirk after he nodded in

  recognition of the answer.

  “Well, I sent Nikolaus out to pick up some last-minute necessities and–”

  “You sent him out alone?” Shawn asked incredulously.

  Thiago shrugged. “He volunteered,” he said defensively. “I’m going to make

  Brandt and Carl keep watch for a bit so I can go irritate Gray. How much time will you need to get ready?”

  “Thirty minutes to get our things,” Remy said with a quick look at Shawn for

  confirmation. Shawn nodded distractedly. “Irritate him, non?” Remy said

  mischievously.

  “Mind your own business,” Thiago huffed with a grin as he withdrew his

  head and closed the door behind him.

  “You deal with your onions, Thi!” Remy called after him with a smirk.

  “Where were we?” he asked Shawn with a furrowed brow.

  Shawn looked at him fondly and shrugged. “Thiago and Gray?” he asked

  dubiously.

  “Gray’s got it bad, too,” Remy answered absently as he examined his hands

  thoroughly. Remy didn’t want to talk about Gray, not with Shawn. He cursed himself for making the joke in the first place.

  “We’re running, you know,” Shawn said softly. “That’s what Thiago plans.”

  Remy crossed his legs and sat with his forearms resting on his knees, his

  fingers dangling just above the duvet. He looked at Shawn blankly and cocked his

  head. He said nothing and Shawn shifted uncomfortably.

  “I want to run,” the older man stated. “I don’t want to go back. Even if I

  could convince them that I was still loyal to them and not be killed for my trouble, they would take you from me.”

  “Hmm,” Remy responded noncommittally as he looked at Shawn

  thoughtfully. A plan was beginning to form.

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  XXXVIII.

  GRAY awoke with a start when the weight of Thiago’s body settled over his and a

  callused hand clapped over his mouth and nose. Thiago was aware that Gray knew

  better than to struggle. They had played this game before. Thiago’s blue eyes blazed with anger and he mumbled and grumbled to himself still as he straddled Gray and

  moved to pin Gray’s hands to the mattress.

  “What the fuck are you playing at?” Thiago demanded of him.

  “Thi,” Gray whispered as he shifted slightly. “I… uh… well,” he licked his

  lips and his eyes darted back and forth, taking in Thiago’s features quickly. Thiago knew what he was thinking; wait to see what he was being accused of before he

  confessed to anything. “What?” he finally asked innocently after several
seconds of stuttering.

  Thiago sighed heavily and closed his eyes. “That may work for Remy, but it

  doesn’t suit you,” he said angrily in regards to Gray’s stalling tactics. “You knew about Shawn.”

  “Yes,” Gray admitted immediately.

  “For how long?” Thiago asked through gritted teeth.

  “I found out a month into our mission. By then, we were so deep I couldn’t

  get the information out to you without Remy knowing. I didn’t know if we could trust him then.”

  “But you told him, obviously,” Thiago growled.

  “Only when I had to. It was either that, or have him go crazy and kill me,”

  Gray said defensively.

  “Why didn’t you tell me when you got here?” Thiago demanded, switching

  gears and tightening his grip on Gray’s wrists.

  “Remy threatened me,” Gray huffed. “That’s what he pulled me away for

  this morning. He said he would get the truth out of Shawn, and until he did, I wasn’t to say anything. Sorry, amigo, but between the two of you, I think he’s more likely to follow through with the threat. He’s fucking scary, Thi.”

  “I know he is,” Thiago said with a small smile.

  Gray watched him carefully, probably wondering if Thiago was over his

  little fit yet. He let out a little gasp when Thiago lunged forward and kissed him hungrily.

  Gray moaned and flexed his fingers, trying to get Thiago to loosen his grip

  so he could touch him. Thiago sat back up and released him. Gray ran his hands under Thiago’s shirt and looked at him curiously.

  “What about Niko?” Thiago asked as he pulled the shirt over his head and

  idly unbuckled his belt as he looked down at Gray.

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  “What?” Gray asked in surprise.

  “Something funny with you two. What is it?”

  “I don’t–”

  Thiago growled in warning and grabbed Gray’s throat with one powerful

  hand, pulling him up into a sitting position by his neck and glaring at him as he straddled him. Gray clutched at Thiago’s wrist and looked up at him with wide,

  slightly frightened eyes.

  “I won’t be fucked around, Gray,” Thiago spat. “You and I both know I’ve

  lost control of this thing, but I will get it back. Starting with you,” he said in a low, dangerous voice.

  Gray swallowed with difficulty and nodded slightly. They both knew that

  Thiago didn’t make idle threats.

  “I have… I don’t think Faust is who he says he is,” Gray said uncertainly.

  Thiago understood the hesitance. It was one thing to have suspicions. It was

  entirely another to voice them to your boss who had the power and the inclination to kill the person you suspected. Thiago’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, and he turned his head slightly as he looked at Gray. He suspected Nikolaus of something? Gray’s

  instincts were rarely wrong.

  “I… Thio… I can’t really breathe, here,” Gray stuttered as his fingers

  tightened around Thiago’s wrist.

  Thiago’s fingers loosened around his throat. He cocked his head the other

  way and let go of Gray completely. He sat back and looked at Gray in unnerving

  silence for a full minute. Gray shifted slightly beneath the weight of Thiago’s body and licked his lips nervously.

  “To be honest, Gray, we’ll have to deal with that later. My brain can’t get

  any further than wanting to fuck you through the mattress,” Thiago finally said

  matter-of-factly before he lunged forward once more and crushed their mouths

  together, forcing Gray back down to the mattress in a flurry of flailing limbs, muffled laughs and curses.

  Gray’s hands fumbled to slide Thiago’s unbuckled pants off his hips as

  Thiago struggled to remove the layer of bedding that separated their bodies. He

  nipped at Gray’s lower lip and Gray groaned as they struggled with the sheets. Thiago tried to raise his knees one at a time to remove himself of his clothing and Gray snickered into his mouth as they fumbled.

  Thiago grinned and rolled to the side, pulling Gray with him and finally

  getting out of his pants and under the covers.

  “You’re not worried about making a quick escape?” Thiago asked as he

  slipped his arm under Gray’s head and pressed their naked bodies together. “Tsk tsk.

  Always sleep in clothing, Gray, you know better.”

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  “Thought you might come see me,” Gray muttered huskily in between

  hungry kisses.

  “I couldn’t get up here fast enough,” Thiago growled as he rolled them again

  and found himself atop Gray’s body once more.

  They both jumped when the banging on the door sounded; soft snickers

  followed and Carl’s mockingly serious voice called, “You two better be resting in there!”

  “They aren’t sane, are they?” Gray asked with a grin as Thiago let his

  forehead fall against Gray’s shoulder.

  “You’ll learn to love them,” Thiago sighed against Gray’s skin.

  “God help us all,” Gray muttered.

  Thiago laughed softly and shook his head. “Now I understand the meaning

  of scaring the fuck out of someone,” he huffed disconsolately. “Give me a minute.”

  Gray laughed softly and wrapped his arms around Thiago’s neck slowly. “I

  missed you,” he admitted in a whisper after several moments of heavy silence.

  Thiago pulled him closer and let his chin rest on the other man’s head. Gray

  nuzzled into the hollow of his neck, and Thiago smiled contentedly.

  “I missed you too… Boss,” Thiago said with a grin.

  Gray snorted and pinched his nipple, and Thiago yipped plaintively. He

  shook Gray a little bit in retaliation and growled.

  “Now,” he huffed, “tell me about this theory of yours.”

  XXXIX.

  CARL sat staring out the door to the courtyard, his mind elsewhere as he played

  absently with Remy’s knife.

  “Earth to Trigger.”

  “Hmm?” Carl answered, his eyes still focused on the empty doorway and his

  hand rubbing absently over a catch on the handle of the knife that should not have been there.

  “Hey!” Brandt shouted as he pushed at Carl’s shoulder and almost sent him

  sprawling to the floor. The sharp blade of the knife sliced through Carl’s palm, and he touched a toe to the ground to steady himself.

  “What?” he asked as he turned to look at Brandt and thrust his bloody hand

  at the other man accusingly.

  Brandt smiled softly at him and flicked his new lighter. Carl watched the

  flame flicker and die as Brandt spoke.

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  “He’s all right. Gizmo can take care of himself,” Brandt said as he flicked

  the lighter and let it flame, then shut the lid with a snap.

  “Hmm,” Carl responded absently as he rubbed the pads of his fingers

  through the blood on his hand and watched the motion of Brandt’s fingers like a moth being drawn to the proverbial flame. Flick. Flare. Snap. No wonder the man was so easily distracted by fire. It was quite fascinating.

  “Hey,” Brandt said as he flicked the cover to the lighter closed and leaned

  forward to catch Carl’s wavering attention. “You’re not worrying about Gizmo, are you?” he asked with certainty.

  Carl lowered his gaze guiltily. To be fair, he had given Nikolaus’s welfare a passing thought. Admittedly, it hadn’t been a very long one. “Not really,” he admitted ashamedly.
/>
  Brandt didn’t respond. He simply sat there like a huge Labrador Retriever,

  staring at Carl with those inquiring brown eyes and a hint of a smile.

  Carl started to fidget beneath his unerring gaze. “Stop that,” he growled

  finally.

  “Stop what?” Brandt asked as he flicked the lighter again.

  “Thinking about whatever it is you were thinking about setting aflame,” Carl

  said irritably as he turned on his stool and rolled his neck, trying to get it to crack.

  “I wouldn’t set Dixie’s house on fire,” Brandt protested in an insulted voice.

  “You want to, though,” Carl countered with a knowing grin.

  “Yeah,” Brandt admitted with a self-satisfied smile, and his eyes returned to

  the flame emitting from the lighter.

  With Brandt suitably distracted, Carl returned his thoughts to where they’d

  been drifting and stifled a disturbed sigh.

  It didn’t matter what they did, whether they ran or whether they turned and

  fought. The Organization wouldn’t let up until they were all dead, and Carl knew it. It might be a good fight, and Carl knew with a cold certainly that he would enjoy it.

  But it was a fight they couldn’t win.

  XL.

  “I don’t know why they marked you as a liability,” Shawn said quietly, keeping eye contact with Remy even though it was difficult. “And I don’t know why they changed their minds. It was never my job to ask.”

  “At what point did I go from a mark to a….” Remy swallowed with

  difficulty. “A resource?” he asked bitterly as he looked down at his hands and fiddled with one of his thumb rings absently.

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  “After we got back to the Facility,” Shawn answered regretfully. “When we

  got the messages, my orders had been to cease and desist all operations and simply to come back in. I think they realized you were still innocent and panicked.”

  “You weren’t ordered to bring me in?”

  “No,” Shawn answered quietly. “That was a field decision.”

  Remy snorted. “Field decision,” he muttered. “So how did we end up

  together?”