A Restored Man

by Jaime Reese

  "Jessie is the master of research," Aidan absently commented, taking another roll. He looked up at Cole then at Ty. "What?"

  "Nothing," Cole said with a grin. "You're doing just fine."

  Aidan looked down and focused on his roll. Jessie reached out and gently placed his hand on Aidan's forearm, drawing his attention. Aidan looked up and smiled. It seemed Jessie was, without question, a lion tamer in another life. He may be the master of research, but the way he mastered Aidan without effort was mesmerizing.

  "What about the stealing car thing? What can we do with that?" Cole asked. He glanced at Ty and covered his mouth to hide his smile, but the glimmer of mischief in his mismatched eyes was undeniable. Ty pointed at him and gave him a warning glare, hoping to calm the temptation he knew brewed within his troublemaking partner. Luckily, Jessie was so focused on Aidan, he didn't see their exchange.

  Aidan looked at Cole. "Jessie seems to think we can nail him on theft of trade secrets."

  Jessie withdrew his hand and turned to Cole. "Yes, that's another federal charge we can add."

  Ty cocked his head, suddenly curious. "Really?"

  Jessie nodded quickly. "As long as Cole can get him to admit he's stealing the car for his own economic benefit because of the tech in Drayton's line, yes, we can use that. We can argue he's stealing the tech to reverse engineer it and profit from it in his own line. Assuming it's relatively unique?"

  Ty nodded. "It is. He's been working with his development team for years."

  "There isn't a car that has that configuration with that level of speed," Cole interjected.

  Aidan looked over to Cole. "Are you sure you can do this?"

  "Do what? Fake steal a car?" Cole asked with a smirk. "Uh, yeah."

  Aidan rolled his eyes. "I know you've stolen cars before."

  Cole leaned forward. "Allegedly, man. I was arrested for stealing one car. But I think I can wing it and do this." He then turned to Jessie. "I'll get what you need him to say. Don't worry about that. As long as your Aidan here can get a wire on me." Cole turned to Aidan, and Ty knew damn well it wasn't a slip of words.

  Aidan glared at Cole, the jab obviously hitting its mark. "I'll make sure we record the exchange," he said through gritted teeth.

  They ate the rest of dinner silently and moved on to the dessert. All the while, Ty couldn't help stealing glances at this new side of Aidan. After a late movie, Aidan and Jessie left with a promise to get together again once the upcoming week's chaos was over.

  Ty locked the door and switched off the lights, yawning and stretching his arms above his head, making his way to their bedroom. He now understood why Cole pushed so much and loved playing Cupid. Underneath the worry and the death glares, Jessie made Aidan happy.

  He stilled after a few steps, stricken with memory. Ty hadn't seen that in years. Not since the accident, but before, while Aidan was still in the service. Before his last deployment, his smile and snark were still in place. Only now, after seeing it again, did Ty realize his brother's smile had transitioned into something darker.

  "I know it doesn't take that long to turn off all the lights," Cole yelled from their room.

  Ty chuckled and walked into the dark bedroom, stripping and easing into bed and Cole's waiting arms. "Dinner was a great idea and I really like Jessie."

  Cole hooked his leg over Ty's and wrapped his arms around his torso, resting his head at the crook of Ty's neck. "Told you he's awesome."

  Ty ran the tips of his fingers up and down Cole's bicep. "He's not what I expected but seeing them together, it just makes sense."

  "Uh huh," Cole said, kissing up Ty's neck.

  Ty angled his head a little, giving Cole better access to continue his path upward. "Mmm. I thought you were sleepy."

  Cole pushed his unmistakable arousal into Ty's leg and kiss-bit his jawline.

  "You've got a hard-on," Ty said with a moan.

  "And people say I don't show any personal growth," Cole said, pulling Ty flush against his body.

  Ty reached up and ran his fingers through Cole's hair, encouraging him to continue with the kisses as he ran his other hand up and down Cole's spine. "You're out of the halfway house this week."

  "Uh huh."

  "You've got your car now."

  Cole jerked backward and stared at Ty. "Something's bothering you."

  Ty reached out and stroked Cole's cheek, a sudden tightness squeezing his throat. "You can walk away."

  Cole leaned in and slowly pressed his lips to Ty's. "I won't ever walk away from you. For some reason, you love me, and I'll do everything I can so you never regret that. I just want to deserve you."

  Ty reached out and pulled Cole into an embrace, reveling in the thick, warm, muscled frame that always settled him. "I love you." He screwed his eyes shut and swallowed heavily past the lump in his throat. He didn't want Cole to steal the car or put himself at risk. They had planned everything, down to the last detail, but he couldn't risk losing Cole or this sense of wholeness he always felt in his arms. "Can we just stay like this tonight?" he whispered.

  "Anything you want." Cole pressed a tender kiss to Ty's lips and pulled him closer, flush against his body. He silently ran his hands along every curve and kissed every inch of accessible skin.

  Ty screwed his eyes shut and wrapped himself around Cole. Spider monkey nickname be damned, he didn't care. All that mattered was holding Cole close and feeling the warmth of his strong embrace.

  He lay in the darkness of their room some time later, trying to let the rhythmic puff of air against his neck lull him to sleep. He ran his fingers up and down Cole's body then pressed a gentle kiss to Cole's hair. He closed his eyes and inhaled the always comforting scent he had come to crave. He pressed his cheek to the side of Cole's head and tightened his hold on Cole's body, silently praying no one would ever steal this precious gift from him.

  Cole watched Ty over-polish the chrome accents on the Yenko. They celebrated the completion of his term at Halfway House the night before and drove in together that morning. The change of routine was nice and spending the evenings curled up with Ty sure as hell beat any night elsewhere. Ty would wrap one arm around Cole's shoulders and the other around his waist, then pull Cole into the crook of his neck while he ran his fingertips along each curve of Cole's body. The heat, the warmth, the feeling of being exactly where he was supposed to be. It all felt perfect. Cole could cuddle the fuck out of Ty all night long if that's what he wanted.

  Ty was quiet, pensive, and had been since their weekend together. Something was bothering him but Cole knew he'd talk about it when he was ready. He screwed in the door locks and shifter accents to keep busy, but his focus remained on the permanent crease etched between Ty's brows.

  Ty discarded the shop towel and walked over to him. He straightened when Ty neared and watched a mix of emotions race across his face. He stood in front of Cole, the crease between his brows deepening. "I don't want you doing this."

  "Doing what?"

  Ty turned his back and ran his hand through his hair. "Tomorrow night. Stealing the car. All that. I don't want you doing it. Something can go wrong."

  Cole cocked his head and lowered his brow. "That's why we've covered the bases. Drayton knows what's going on and we've gone over the plan plenty of times. Aidan will be there in the warehouse a block down from the meet point, ready and waiting."

  "I have a bad feeling about it. I don't want you to do it." Ty rubbed his hands together with so much force Cole could see his arms flexing.

  Cole wrapped his arms around Ty's waist from behind. He always trusted his instincts. The one time he hadn't, he ended up handcuffed in the back of a police car. "How often do you get these bad feelings?"

  Ty anchored his hands on Cole's arm. "Once before. The night of the accident. Please don't do it," he said quietly.

  Cole rested his cheek against Ty's back. "I have to. But I promise to be extra careful."

  "I love you," Ty whispered, his tone barely audible.
>
  Cole took a deep breath and closed his eyes, letting the words flow through his body.

  "You never say it."

  Cole opened his eyes and laced his fingers with Ty's. "I don't want to risk messing it up."

  Ty turned in the embrace, his eyes filled with sadness. He reached out and cupped Cole's face. "I need you. I don't think I can handle losing you," he finished, his voice unsteady.

  "No one's ever needed me like that," Cole said and looked away. He knew Ty loved him. Even without the words, he saw it in Ty's smile, in the glimmer in his eyes when they teased each other, and in the way they made love. Ty had told him often enough that Cole had become his rock, his support system and motivator. Cole was almost scared to admit to himself how much he needed Ty. Not just his touch and his laugh, but the way he grounded him. He looked up at Ty with a serious expression. "It's why I have to do this."

  Ty stroked his cheek. "Tell me you love me."

  Cole shook his head. "I'm not saying it. It's too important. If anyone can fuck it up, it's me." He firmly grabbed Ty's face. "Don't second-guess how I feel about you."

  "You've never told me how you feel." Ty looked away.

  "Anyone can tell you whatever you want to hear, actions are more important. After all these months, don't you feel it when we're together?" Cole asked, feeling as if his heart had been speared.

  Ty turned and wrapped his arms around Cole, pulling him close. "I do. I'm just really worried about tomorrow. Ignore me."

  "I could never ignore you."

  Ty leaned into the embrace. "Just promise you'll come back to me," he whispered in Cole's ear.

  "You already know I'll always come back to you," Cole responded.

  "Promise me."

  Cole released Ty from the embrace and firmly gripped his chin. "I promise I'll come back to you."

  Ty exhaled deeply. "Good. You've never lied to me so you have to come back."

  "I'll come back even if it means I have to Ghost you," Cole teased.

  Ty stilled. "That's not funny," he said, pulling away.

  Cole planted his hands on his waist and looked up. "Now do you see why I don't like to say anything when it's important?" He was never going to get this pausing shit right.

  Ty ran his fingers through his hair then pressed the palms of his hands to his eyes.

  Cole walked up to him and pulled his hands away. "Stop it. You're overthinking and you're worrying too much about this." He pulled one of Ty's hands to his chest, over his fast-beating heart. "You feel that?"

  Ty looked at his own hand pressed against Cole's chest and slowly nodded.

  "That's what you do to me. Every fucking day, all day. So you bet your ass I'm coming back." He grabbed Ty behind the neck and pulled him into a kiss. He didn't want to risk saying another word, so he desperately poured every emotion into the kiss with force. Ty dove into his mouth with equal fervor and wrapped his arms around Cole so tightly he had a hard time breathing. They finally separated from the kiss, still holding each other closely. Cole stroked the back of Ty's neck, trying to soothe the tremble he felt in Ty's body.

  Ty ran his fingertips up and down Cole's arm. "I'll be in the warehouse with Aidan. I need to know what's going on."

  "Okay," he responded, still stroking the back of Ty's neck. He was going to add a comment about wanting Ty to see him in action, but he didn't want to risk screwing it up. He tightened his hold on Ty instead, hoping to convey that he needed him just as much.

  This was one promise he knew he couldn't chance breaking. Not just for Ty, but for himself as well. He already knew what it was like to be without him, and there was no way in hell he was going back to that life.

  Cole drove his car down the empty road Friday night, the prickling at the base of his neck was annoying as hell. He looked in the rearview and side mirrors. Nothing. He watched his speedometer and backed off a little. No need to draw any unnecessary attention.

  "You should be coming up to the stop point in about a minute," Aidan said through the earpiece.

  Cole arrived at the address and parked a block away as planned. As soon as Robert had heard about Drayton's attendance, he jumped at the chance to schedule the boost during the charity event. He exited the car and cut through the line of bushes, ducking to make his way to the lot faster. He hurriedly walked down the sidewalk and shoved his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. He casually looked over his shoulder and scowled. He raised his hand to cover his mouth. "Are you tailing me?" Cole asked.

  "No. Why?"

  "Nothing." Cole squared his shoulders and walked with more determination.

  "Can we get eyes on him?" he heard Aidan ask.

  "Working on it," Geek said. "I'll check for local closed-circuit networks."

  Cole had contacted Geek and Tracker the night before and asked them to be with Aidan to help if something didn't go as planned. There was no way he was ignoring Ty's gut feeling and he usually had a Plan B in place with any job. The two crew members' presence helped ease his discomfort. However, being in the same room with a twisted detective who happened to occasionally liaise with the feds didn't sit well with them one bit. So after a little begging on his part and pulling strings from Aidan, thankfully, he was able to secure them immunity from whatever happened that night.

  "You want to abort?" Aidan asked Cole.

  "No fucking way," Cole mumbled, cautious to not move his lips too much just in case someone was watching. "I want that bastard to go down. Let Geek do what he does. I'm at the lot next to the exit gate. How far?"

  "The private garage is by row E. It should be up at the front on your right," Aidan said.

  Cole walked past the row of cars, looking at the sea of luxury sedans and sport coupes, mentally ticking off how easy each would be to jimmy the lock and start the car. A smile tugged at his lips. Seconds. That was all he'd need to unlock and bail from the lot with most of these babies. He tipped his chin up and saw the garage enclosure. "I see it." He weaved between the cars and stopped almost immediately by a Lamborghini Huracán. "Fuck," he said, barely audible.

  "What's up?" Aidan asked.

  Cole's gaze traced each elegant curve of the bright lime-green toned fender, inching broader along the wide rear around the back to the sharply angled taillights that sliced through the rear spoiler.

  "Cole? Talk to me," Aidan said through the earpiece. "Geek, how long before we can see what the hell is going on?"

  He could hear Aidan argue with Geek and Tracker. He didn't care. He was in a trance, craving the feel of controlling that much power. He reached out a shaky hand and ghosted his fingertips along the angled rear, inhaling sharply when his skin touched the cool aluminum exterior.

  "We've got eyes on you," Aidan said.

  His pulse sped as his fingers followed the arc of the rear light housing. He closed his eyes. He could imagine the rumble of power echoing in his ears and the rough feel of the street vibrating through his body.

  "Cole," Aidan said in a menacing tone. "Don't you fucking dare. Your immunity agreement does not cover this. I'll put your ass in a maximum security prison for the rest of your fucking life and you won't ever touch another car again."

  "Give him a second. He's got a lot of things circling in his head right now. He won't do it."

  Ty's voice faintly coming through the earpiece helped to channel his thoughts. He needed to focus on the task at hand. He screwed his eyes shut and tried to filter through the million thoughts, memories, and scenes playing through his mind. He'd never risk what he had with Ty. Period. He bit his lip to hide a smile. My-Ty. Being with Ty far outweighed the adrenaline rush of stealing an exotic. He took a deep breath and exhaled heavily. He took a step back then another and finally turned away and walked through the row of cars. He worked his way around the lot until he stood in front of the locked garage door. He reached out and held the padlock in his hand, unable to control the chuckle that escaped.

  "What's wrong?" Aidan asked.

  Cole sighed. "You'd think t
hey'd at least use a decent lock on this thing considering what they're trying to protect."

  "Can you get through it?" Aidan asked.

  "I'm insulted." Cole reached into his pocket and withdrew the lock pick kit Geek had given him. Within two seconds, he had the lock open.

  "Do I want to know where you got that from?" Aidan asked.

  "Immunity, man. This is part of the deal." Cole pushed up the sliding garage door high enough to drive out the car. Even in the dark enclosure, the elegance of the beast could not be denied. The hint of light that filtered into the darkness reflected off the flecks within the paint, glimmering like a precious stone. He reached under the rear driver side fender and found the box exactly where it was supposed to be. He withdrew it and slid open the top to reveal the key. Even the key fob looked elegant and sleek.

  He felt the prickling behind his neck again and peeked outside the garage door.

  Nothing.

  "Cole, what's taking so long?" Aidan asked. "Was the key there?"

  "Yeah. But I'm waiting a few seconds so it seems as if I'm actually stealing the car. Chill, man. You're going to get all gray and growly and Jessie won't want you anymore."

  "Fuck you."

  Cole chuckled. "You're too easy." He unlocked the car and slid into the driver's seat. He pressed the ignition button and the beast quietly awakened. He'd never understand the lure of the electric motor and their silence. It was the equivalent of castration.

  He put the car in gear and eased out of the enclosure, driving down the aisle of cars to exit the lot. He made the right onto the street and worked his way to the Rickenbacker Causeway. "I'm out."

  He looked in his rearview mirror. That damn prickling at the back of his neck was making him uncomfortable. Something wasn't right.

  * * * * *

  Ty stood alongside his brother staring at the monitor, watching the yellow car drive down the causeway. He knew how tempting that lime-green beauty had been, but he also knew Cole and where his heart was. Cole never said the words, but he did scream them with each of his actions. Ty should have known better than to second-guess that. He wanted to wrap this up and be done with Robert and the stupid dark cloud that hovered over him. Over them.