Kell understood what Dana was saying. He’d been in enough street fights to know that. If Kell had to get dirty, then he would get grimy and gully to back up his team.
Ty joined Kell beside the transport vehicle while Dana was inside chatting with the owner of the gun range.
“We’ve hardly had a chance to say good morning.” Ty smiled down at him, checking the expensive time piece on his wrist. “Is it still morning?”
Kell leaned against the truck, the edges of his lips turning up into a sly smile. “Just barely. Good morning.”
Ty looked stylish as usual today. Another fresh pair of denims, but these were blue, not black. He had on a button-up black collar shirt with a gold embroidered emblem over his right pec. He stood confidently in a pair of black Polo boots that matched his jet-black pea coat. Where does he think he’s going today, Lenox Square?
“You sizing me up, shorty?” Ty rasped. Not missing that Kell was checking him out from head to toe, “How’d you rest last night?”
“Good. Surprisingly good.” Kell smiled again.
Ty laughed knowingly, “Wanna share?”
“No.” Kell grinned. “Just good dreams.”
“I’m glad. I tossed and turned half the night, if you were wondering.” Ty leaned beside him.
“Why?”
“Because you refused to let me see you home last night. Then I forgot to get your number to make sure you got in.” Ty turned to face him. His expression grim. “It left me unsettled.”
“I’m more than able to get home on my own,” Kell explained. He understood Ty had different ethics, but he wouldn’t be allowed to treat him like a female. Kell wasn’t dainty and he didn’t need guarding. He wanted, no he needed, Ty to see him as an equal.
“Those are some of those different ways I was trying to explain before,” Ty clarified.
“I’ll make sure you have my number tonight,” Kell promised.
Ty seemed to accept that, “All right.”
“Load up fellas, Ford just messaged me.” Dana hurried to the driver’s seat and jumped inside. Ty sat in the passenger seat while Kell got in the back. “We’re gonna pick up a small bounty off Cascade Road.”
“For real? Just the three of us?” Kell asked. He wasn’t sure he liked the sound of this. They were still only allowed to observe. What if Dana got into trouble? Who would have his back?
“Don’t look so worried, young buck, this guy’s bond was only five hundred. First time offender caught a marijuana possession charge in September. We bonded him out, and he had a failure to appear early November. He called and said he was in the hospital at that time but didn’t provide any documentation to Duke. He’s said he was gonna turn himself in but hasn’t yet, so Duke asked me to snag him and show you guys how we process them downtown.
“This guy is nonviolent?” Ty asked, flipping through the file in the front seat. He looked confident, like he’d been doing the job longer than four days. “We’re picking him up at a golf course? In the dead of winter?”
“Affirmative. And, people golf all year round, by the way. And this club has heated driving ranges. It’s mad nice. Duke would have a shit-fit if I caused any damage in there so I’m gonna wait for the jumper outside.” Dana took the ramp onto I-75. “He plays daily. He used to frequent the greens in Asheville, but he switched, thinking we wouldn’t be able to find him on the other side of town.” Dana grinned. “Ford can damn near find anyone in the United States with his system.”
“From what I understand, Ford’s system, his gadgets, aren’t exactly legal.” Ty glanced at Dana.
Dana didn’t confirm or deny. Instead he replied, “We use whatever methods we can to get some of these crazies off the streets and back in jail, Ty. Ford still has a lot of military connections and he’s not afraid to use them to our advantage. There’s tons of information Ford can uncover with his computer. Lots of insane things he can do, but it’s never misused. We don’t pop popcorn then hack into the locker room cameras at Hunk-O-Mania or no shit like that?”
“What the hell is that?” Ty frowned.
Dana gave him that maddening grin. “It’s an all-male strip club on Crescent Ave.”
“Ya’ll can do that?” Kell said, a little too excitedly.
Ty’s eyes were like two smoky quartz that pinned Kell back against his seat and held him there, making his dick swell.
Dana laughed loudly. “You both are a fuckin’ trip already, man.” Dana glanced at Kell in the rearview. “So, you two are really gonna do-the-damn-thang, huh?”
Kell caught Dana’s teasing eyes on him in the rearview mirror.
“Hey. Ain’t no one tripping about the black, white thing, either,” Dana said seriously.
“I should hope not. This isn’t the sixties,” Kell muttered.