Free Cut & Run 05 - Armed & Dangerous by Abigail Roux Page A

feet apart. Zane faced the door while Ty faced the balcony, synchronized like they’d been doing this a long time. The dogs began yipping plaintively, and Smith and Wesson both sat down in the opening to the bedroom, ready to enjoy the show.
Cameron cocked his head, listening. He could hear nothing over the complaining of the dogs.
    The door burst open suddenly, kicked hard from the hallway, splintering the doorjamb. Julian’s gun was drawn already, trained on the two so-called federal agents. Zane was already facing him, gun up and pointed. Ty didn’t turn to face Julian. He kept his gun trained on the silent balcony.
    Julian moved into the room, hulking and livid. He pointed his gun at Zane, and the two men stood there aiming at each other, silent as they sized each other up. Cameron was struck by the strong resemblance between them.
    “Julian Cross?” Zane finally asked evenly.
Julian answered by pulling back the hammer on his gun.
    Cameron saw the trigger move. It was just a tap away from a bullet now. He swallowed hard and forced himself to keep his eyes open. But Zane didn’t even blink.
    “We’re here on orders from Richard Burns, assistant director of the Criminal Investigations Branch of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, to call on your status as a registered federal informant,” Zane rattled off efficiently, neither his weapon nor his voice wavering.
Cameron’s eyes widened in surprise as he saw Julian’s gun waver ever so slightly.
    “And we would appreciate it if you’d put that gun down,” Ty added without turning around. “And tell your buddy I don’t appreciate the feeling of his crosshairs on my forehead.”
Julian’s eyes darted between them and Cameron. “Are you okay?” he asked Cameron.
    “Yes,” Cameron said, resisting the urge to run over to his lover. He was using Julian Bailey’s American accent, and Cameron remembered that Julian had told him that was a warning sign, that it meant he didn’t know or didn’t trust the people they were with. “They didn’t touch me.”
Julian’s black eyes moved back to pin the man in front of him. “Put your weapon down. Then we can talk.”
     
“I’m telling you right now, Cross, tell your buddy on the roof next door to stand down,” Ty interrupted in a gruff voice.
     
“Put down your weapon and we’ll discuss it,” Julian repeated slowly.
     
“Don’t think I won’t shoot your Irish ass just ’cause I’m a Fed,” Ty growled. “We don’t need you to be walking.”
    Zane’s gun was still trained on Julian. As far as Cameron could tell, he hadn’t even twitched as Ty talked.
Even though Ty wasn’t even looking at Julian, the threat still made Cameron shiver. Somehow they knew Julian wasn’t American. Cameron had to swallow hard on a fresh wave of fear.
    And Cameron didn’t know how Ty knew someone else was out there at all. Cameron knew that it was Preston, Julian’s ever-present, forever silent driver and cohort, which meant that if Ty even twitched he’d be on the floor, and Zane wouldn’t be but a second behind. Cameron really didn’t want corpses of federal agents in their apartment.
“Julian, please.”
    Julian waited another breathless moment before lowering his weapon. He eased the hammer down and then held it up sideways as proof that he’d done so. He slid it carefully back into its hiding spot.
“My man on the roof stays trained on your partner while you show me a badge,” he bargained.
    He held up his hand in a signal to Preston. Cameron looked between Julian and Zane as Zane moved the hand bracing his gun and slid it into his jacket. He pulled out a leather wallet and tossed it to Julian.
    Julian caught it deftly with one hand, then flipped it over to look at the identification within. He stared at it for a moment before looking up at Zane.
    He made a “quit” motion with his hand toward the balcony. “You can tell Richard Burns to stick it,” he finally said as he handed the wallet back.
Zane