Slade’s logic was so Slade-like that Zep couldn’t even be pissed at the man. More silence stretched between them until they were only a few blocks away from the warehouse.
“Is it serious?”
Slade asked the question that Zep was practically dreading. Regardless, he answered the man who saved him from the life his mother would’ve forced on him.
“Yeah.” Zep didn’t look away from the road. “It shouldn’t be after only a few weeks, but I think it is.”
From the corner of his eye, Zep saw Slade nod. He wasn’t sure what to make of that nod, or worse, Slade’s lack of a reply. Neither of them spoke again before Zep pulled up to the line of motorcycles that were parked outside the warehouse. All of the additional Satan’s Blades’ motorcycles were pulled around to the front of the warehouse and a flatbed tow truck was already starting to load up the bikes.
“Slade,” Zep began when his team leader started to step out of the SUV. “You still want Spider for INET?”
“Yeah.” Slade smirked. “But he knows the door is open and all he has to do is walk through it.”
Slade didn’t wait for him to reply before his best friend stepped out of the SUV. Zep watched Slade walk over to Spider’s bike and climb on. A moment later, Slade fired up Spider’s bike and gave him a nod when he rode by. Zep follow Slade back to the house and tried not to imagine what working side-by-side with Spider every day would feel like. He tried and failed.
They didn’t have to work together to have a relationship, but Zep wasn’t stupid enough to believe that if Spider stayed with ATF and he with INET, any relationship they had would be short-lived. Undercover agents couldn’t, didn’t, maintain permanent relationships with those who lived a normal life. Zep could only imagine how difficult it would be for him and Spider to do so if they worked for different agencies. Shit, not just difficult, but impossible if either one of them were sent undercover for any length of time.
“Fuck,” Zep cursed the sudden ache that flashed in his chest. He knew he really only had two options, because the third one was an option he just wouldn’t even consider.
Zep wouldn’t lower himself to the level of manipulating Spider’s feelings for him to get the man to join INET. That left trying to make whatever they were feeling for one another work while they worked for their respective alphabet agencies or breaking things off altogether.
The thought of killing whatever was going on between him and Spider caused the ache in his chest to intensify. However, Zep was rational enough to know whatever pain he felt now at the mere thought would only be worse if they tried to make things work for a few months or a year before their jobs came between them anyway. It was with a heavy heart that Zep made up his mind when he pulled the SUV into the driveway of the rental house.
***
“You guys are more packed up than I expected.” Slade glanced around at several black bins, some of which were already sealed and ready to be loaded into the SUV.
“Don’t give me credit,” Lita grinned while placing another monitor into the foam cut out that would hold it in one of the bins.
Hunt stepped out of the hall carrying two suitcases. He set them by the front door just as Zep stepped inside the house.
“I didn’t pack you up,” Hunt said to Zep. “But I got Knight packed up along with my shit so we can start loading up.”
Hunt didn’t wait for Zep to reply before he moved over to pick up one of the black bins that held some of their surveillance equipment. He sat it down by the door next to his and Knight’s bags before returning to grab another bin. It wasn’t until he picked it up that he realized his three teammates hadn’t moved.
“We going to load up and get to the hospital or what?” Hunt didn’t wait for an answer before he pushed past Zep to take the bin he held out to the SUV.
“What is all that about?” Slade asked Zep and glanced at Lita who was locking up the bin that stored the monitors.
“No idea.” Lita shrugged and picked up the bin at his feet. “He had most of the shit packed up when I walked in and hasn’t stopped to take a breath since.”
“Zep?”
“I don’t know.” Zep mirrored Lita’s shrug when Slade looked to him for an answer.
By the time Zep had his shit packed and returned to the living room, everything else that needed to be loaded into the SUV was gone. He quickly did a walk-through of the rental house and only stopped in the kitchen long enough to throw away any food that was left in the refrigerator. When he walked out the front door, he found Slade and Lita packing up the property sensors into the last bin.
“I’ve already called the rental company. They should be here any…” Hunt didn’t need to finish his sentence because a car with the Enterprise logo on the door pulled up and a man in a polo shirt and khaki pants stepped out.
“You called for a car pick up?”
All of the INET agents had to give the Enterprise employee credit because he didn’t bat an eye at the two bikers or the man still wearing a Kevlar vest and handguns strapped to his thighs.
“I did.” Hunt stepped forward. “Here are the keys.” Hunt tossed the keys to the man and didn’t even make sure the guy caught them before he turned and opened the passenger side door of the SUV.
“Um, thanks for choosing Enterprise,” the man managed before he moved toward the rental car.
Zep shared a look with Slade and Lita. It was clear that he wasn’t the only one confused by Hunt’s strange behavior. None of them had ever seen Hunt act this way after an op.
“Do you know how to ride?” Slade asked Zep because he really didn’t know if his protégé knew how to ride a motorcycle.
“Not well enough to dare riding Spider’s bike.” Zep had to repress a shiver at the thought of wrecking Spider’s Harley while the man was getting patched up in the hospital.
“We will leave it here then.” Slade turn toward his Harley and Lita fell into step behind him. “Fish sent me the information for the hospital, so follow us.”
“Okay.”
Zep climbed into the SUV and backed out of the driveway. They hadn’t even gone a block before Zep felt Hunt’s tension as if it were a physical thing taking up the space between them.
“What’s up, man?” Zep dared to ask Hunt with a quick glance at his teammate.
Hunt didn’t answer and it wasn’t until they were stopped at the light before getting on the interstate that Zep turned to look at his teammate again. Zep had never seen their light-skinned Irishmen ever look so pale. Even Hunt’s freckles looked faded.
“Hey, what’s going on?” Zep asked and when Hunt didn’t reply, he started to get seriously worried. “Hunt, man. You’re freaking me the fuck out.”
“Will you just fucking drive?” Hunt snapped out. “The light is fucking green.”
Zep was so shocked at Hunt’s uncharacteristic behavior that it took him a minute to look away from his teammate and refocus on the road. The light was green and Slade and Lita were already at the top of the on ramp to the interstate. Zep caught up to them quickly, but his mind wasn’t on his Harley riding teammates in front of him. No, it was on the INET agent who filled the passenger seat beside him.
***
Knight was still being stitched up when he heard Spider causing a ruckus outside of his curtained ER room.
“Sir, if you don’t go to the waiting room we will be forced to call security.” The almost calm voice of a male ER employee warned Spider. “You have been discharged and we can’t allow you to see another patient.”
“As if you could allow me to do anything,” Spider growled out menacingly right before Knight’s curtain was ripped aside.
“Call security,” the male voice called out to someone.
“You can’t be in here, Sir,” the female nurse who was assisting the doctor stitching up the hole in Knight’s shoulder said at the same time.
The doctor didn’t look away from his work until Knight laughed. He could only imagine what the ER staff thought
when a huge rough looking biker was trying to get in to see a federal, as far as they knew, agent so he couldn’t blame them for trying to stop Spider.
“Friend of yours?” The doctor gave him a saucy grin and Knight would swear the man was flirting with him.
“Coworker,” Knight replied and watched the doctor glance over his shoulder at Spider. His gaze lingered before he spoke.
“Really?” The doctor’s tone was more curious than disbelieving before he turned back to Knight with a raised questioning brow.
“Yeah, but he’s taken.” Knight didn’t know for sure if Spider was taken by Zep, but he sure wasn’t about to give his teammate any competition if that was the case.
“Shame,” the doc said softly. “Are you?” He asked after a brief pause.
“Yes, sorry.” Knight grinned and glanced over the doc’s shoulder at Spider that was having a staring standoff with the female nurse who was easily a foot shorter than he.
The doctor sighed disappointingly. “Susan, let the man in.”
“But Dr. McKenzie…”
Susan never got the chance to finish her sentence before the doctor interrupted, “he’s family. Let the man in to see his partner.”
Chances were that Knight was the only one in the small space that detected the inflection the doctor used on the word partner. Still, he wasn’t going to correct the doctor’s assumption that he lied about he and Spider just being coworkers if it diffused the situation.
The nurse stepped aside and returned to the doctor’s side to assist in finishing patching up the bullet wound in Knight’s shoulder. Spider stepped up to the other side of Knight’s hospital bed and frowned down at the man. He looked so much like Slade that it was beyond freaky. If it weren’t for seeing the two men together, he may have never believed they weren’t the same person.
“You’re staring.” Knight smirked up at Spider. He knew why the man was frowning down at him and it had nothing to do with the wound the nurse was now bandaging.
“I know.” Spider wasn’t ashamed to admit and grinned when Knight chuckled. “When will they be here?”
Knight shrugged and winced at the pain in his shoulder. He should fucking know better than to shrug after the last bullet wound he taken to that side.
“An inch to the right and you wouldn’t even have a new scar,” Spider commented because he had seen the newly healed bullet wound scar on the INET agents shoulder before the nurse taped down the white gauze pad.
“Yeah, not that lucky I guess.”
The nurse finished up and left after informing them that she would return with the discharge paperwork.
“So, did Zep really shoot you?” Spider asked because he was curious.
“No, but it was still his fucking fault.” Knight smiled. “Just like the last time.”
Spider raised an inquiring brow, but Knight wasn’t about to go into the only other INET mission he had been a part of. It had nothing to do with the fact he wasn’t even an agent then or that it was only Zep’s fault he got shot because it was on Zep’s op they were going into in order to extract the man and Slade.
“He really shot you?” Knight couldn’t help but ask.
Spider nodded and chuckled as he sat his large frame into a rickety plastic chair. “Yeah, he did. In his defense, he didn’t know I wasn’t a Blade and to be honest, I’m pretty sure he reacted before he even realized it was me.”
“Probably, especially if Hunt couldn’t see you through the smoke.”
Spider smiled. “Glad someone was watching his back to give him a warning even if I did end up on the ass end a friendly fire.”
Knight studied the ATF agent who he knew Zep used to be scared shitless of, but was now sexually involved with to some extent. The way the man’s eyes warmed when he spoke about Zep’s safety encouraged Knight because he had noticed the change in his teammate where this man was concerned.
“You care about him,” Knight stated and was surprised the agent’s body language didn’t change. “More than just someone to screw around with.”
Spider studied Knight, but couldn’t think of a single reason to hide or deny his feelings for Zep. He’d cared for the man for years and should have known he was in love with Zep well before this op had thrown them together again.
“I do, more than I realized,” Spider admitted. “More than he’s likely going to be comfortable with after our past, so I don’t expect him to return my feelings.” Spider couldn’t keep his disappointment or the tinge of sadness from coloring his words. “But, I’ll take what he’s willing to give me for as long as he’s willing to give it.”
Knight didn’t have time to form a reply before the curtain to his ER room was yanked aside. Slade, Lita, and Zep all stood there, but only Slade and Lita stared at him. Knight grinned while he watched Zep’s eyes roam over Spider from head to toe and back again before the man relaxed.
“They’re bringing your papers,” Slade informed Knight while he walked closer. “You need to stop getting fucking shot,” Slade growled and glared before he leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Knight’s lips. “I’m going to fucking go stir crazy sitting in the office again while you heal.”
“You’ll survive,” Knight whispered against Slade’s lips. “But the rest of us might not.”
Zep ignored Slade and Knight. His full attention was focused on Spider who was sprawled out on the small plastic visitor’s chair. A white bandage was wrapped around his right bicep and if it wasn’t for that glaring bit of gauze, anyone would think Spider was just visiting a friend.
He let himself take his fill of how Spider looked because Zep knew this was the last time he would allow himself to indulge in the view. Zep finally met Spider’s gaze, but was reluctant to speak because he wasn’t sure he could keep his voice steady.
“Don’t beat yourself up. It’s only a flesh wound,” Spider made light of his injury and his words and tone had nothing to do with the painkillers they had given him.
No, his comment and attitude had everything to do with the way Zep was looking at him. It was as if the man was burning his image into his memory and Spider didn’t even want to consider why. He refused to even think that Zep was regretting their time together, as brief as it was, or being with him at all.
“Rob?” Spider sat up and was about to stand when Zep held up a hand to stop him.
“Don’t.” Zep stopped Spider from standing by holding up a hand and taking a step back. “I’m sorry I shot you.”
“It’s okay. I’m not mad at you.” Spider stood and was confused by Zep’s behavior. “You were doing your job and as far as I’m concerned, you’re damn good at your job.”
“I’m still sorry,” Zep repeated, turned, and left Knight’s curtained ER room.
“What the fuck?”
Zep heard Spider ask his teammates as he fled the ER. He had to make sure Spider was okay and once he did, he needed to make a clean break. He knew he should have at least said something to Spider to indicate that was what he was doing, but he knew if he tried to voice why they couldn’t try to make things between them work, he would have caved to any agreement Spider presented. So instead, he took the cowardly way out and fled from the man.
Spider attempted to follow Zep, but Lita stepped into his path. For a moment, Spider considered putting the man on his ass to get the agent out of his way. He barely managed to use his words instead of his fist.
“Get the fuck out of my way.” Spider barely recognized his own voice when he glared up at the large blonde agent.
Lita didn’t bother to reply. He stood his ground because it was apparent to him that Zep wanted, or at least needed, to get away from the ATF agent. Lita knew Spider’s anger was because he was being prevented from following the man he cared about, but Lita still refused to move. He thought, and believed, that Spider really did have feelings for Zep, but apparently his teammate didn’t feel the same. Or, at the very least, Zep needed some time to himself. Regardless of why Zep had practically run out
of the room, Zep was his teammate and Lita’s priority when it came to loyalty was Zep.
Slade’s voice tore Lita’s gaze away from Spider’s aggressive glare to focus on his team leader. He still didn’t move until Slade gave him a slight nod. Lita stepped to the side and didn’t retaliate when Spider shoulder slammed into him in his rush to chase after Zep.
##~~##
Twenty-seven
Hunt was pissed, but his anger didn’t eclipse his worry. The only information the hospital staff offered was that ‘Agent Payne is currently still in surgery’ and they wouldn’t even tell him exactly why he was under the knife in the operating room. Hunt practically had to threaten the head nurse of the surgical unit to get even that much information about Payne’s status and an assurance they would update him the moment something changed.
Six hours. It had been six long fucking hours since Hunt watched Payne be rushed into the medevac chopper through Knights surveillance cam. Six fucking hours.
Hunt was pacing the small room that was set aside for families of surgical patients. He never even noticed the arrival of the rest of his team and it had nothing to do with his teammates not making any noise.
“Hunt,” Slade finally called out to their Irish teammate after the man paced back and forth three times without acknowledging them.
Slade had never seen Hunt act this way in the last two and a half years the man had been part of his team. Hunt’s behavior over Payne being in surgery made absolutely no sense to Slade. Hunt had barely worked with Payne before Payne was dispatched to infiltrate the Blades.
“Hunt,” Slade called again and when Hunt’s pacing didn’t stop, he stepped in the man’s path.
Hunt pulled up short between one step and another because he almost ran Slade down. Hunt was jolted out of his worry over Payne when he saw his team leader standing in front of him looking concerned.
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