Kell

 

“The trigger pull—in my opinion—is the most important aspect of shooting well,” Dana told them, pacing back and forth while he lectured. “Discharging your firearm is your absolute last resort. When it’s either your life or theirs. Then you draw. And you shoot to kill.”

Kell hated the sound of that, but it was the world they lived in and the job he’d signed up for. These men worked as a unit, which meant Kell would be responsible for the man beside him. His partner. Ty. 

Kell listened intently. Their field commander really knew his firearms. He’d entered multiple marksman competitions before becoming a bounty hunter and had won or placed in each of them. Kell felt privileged to be learning from someone of Dana’s caliber. While he prayed daily that he’d never have to pull a firearm on anyone, he knew Duke needed them to be fully prepared. Ty was three partitions away, firing off rounds from a M9 semiautomatic. He was so fluid and calm with it Kell found himself staring more than once. The firearm had become an extension of Ty’s long arm as he hit the target center from twenty yards away.

“Kell. You’re still flinching a bit when you fire. Hold the grip a little tighter and lean forward just a bit…” Dana pushed his palm between Kell’s shoulder blades and inched him forward. “Widen your stance. Shoulders forward of the hips, bending slightly at the waist, remember. This position allows you to be more active against the recoil.”

“Maybe I need something smaller.” Kell shrugged, removing his protective earmuffs. He pointed the .45 down while Dana pinned-up another paper target and pressed the button until the marker was at ten yards.

“We often use less-lethal weapons. We carry tasers, pepper spray, salt guns, anything to get a violent offender down without severe damage. The goal is to get them back in lock up, not six feet under. Just like officers that come to arrest, we have to protect ourselves too, so we don’t use anything less powerful than a .45 caliber on the streets, Kell. Otherwise, if you got someone firing a Desert Eagle at you or a machine gun and their closing in, what do you wanna pull out… a baby .380? A flintlock pistol? If you do you’re gonna get your head blown off. Some of these guys have put up their last stand in their living room, because they weren’t going back to jail no matter what. You have to be prepared for anything out here and you gotta know how to even the field. You’re a disciplined fighter, like Quick. Even he’s learned the hard way that none of these criminals are disciplined, so they’ll turn the fight dirty real fast.”

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.

“Don’t matter to me none. Race never has.” Dana shrugged then winked at Kell, “We all black when the lights turn off.”

Kell choked on his saliva trying to hold in his laughter at Dana’s crazy joke.

“I thought you said no personal business on the job,” Ty broke in smoothly, covering his grin. He didn’t raise his head from the file, his tone nonchalant. “Business isn’t concluded for the day. Stay focused.”

Dana shot Ty a frown—that he ignored—then Ty turned his wide brown eyes on Kell. All he could do was sit back with a cheeky smile on his face. Ty was something else.

Ty

 

Dana circled the large grounds of the posh country club. The parking lot was full for the middle of the day on a Tuesday. Inside were most likely prominent business men, retirees, and well-off housewives, enjoying the good life. Looking around the lavish gardens, no one would expect bounty hunters to roll up and point out a bad apple amongst their pretentious orchard.

“He’s here. That’s his silver Benz right there. I’m gonna back up and park on the side.” Dana pointed out of the window. “I’ll sit on that bench over there until he comes out. When he does, I’m just gonna walk up beside him and show him the warrant. James Smith is a very successful real estate agent, I’m not anticipating a showdown with him. He’ll want to keep things quiet. Still. Keep your eyes open.”

Dana parked the truck where they could still see the front entrance and got out. He casually walked across the parking lot in his jeans and heavy coat as if he was considering a membership. He sat on the bench in front of a fountain, where a couple of older men were talking. The inside of the truck was silent. There was nothing Ty needed to say to Kell that didn’t involve work, and he surely wasn’t about to distract him with what was really on the forefront of his mind.

Have dinner with me again.

Another forty minutes of silence went by before Kell said, “That’s Smith.”

A man dressed in tan khaki pants and a white-collar shirt beneath a thick, navy pullover came out of the front door. He was walking with another man in his late forties, carrying a large TaylorMade golf bag as if he hadn’t a care in the world. Dana tucked his cell phone into his pocket and fell in line behind them. Luckily, the visitor broke off with a wave and headed toward another parking lot. Dana must’ve said something to get the bounty’s attention because he stopped and turned toward Dana with a carefree smile. The moment Dana pulled the warrant from his inside pocket the corners of the man’s mouth turned down.

Dana pointed to where the transport was parked. Ty lowered his tinted window farther. He wanted the disappointed man to see that Dana wasn’t alone. Their bounty hefted his bag onto his shoulder and began his walk of shame. Dana let him lock his expensive golf clubs and a few pieces of jewelry in his trunk first. Their field commander was being lenient, perhaps even showing his trainees how far their compassion could go. Dana hadn’t put the wire cuffs on yet, instead allowing Smith to walk beside him as if they were buddies, so none of the other club members would know what was transpiring. Ty also noticed that Dana didn’t once take his eyes off their skip or get to comfortable with his cooperation. The hunters told them they were to always be on alert.

When they got to the truck Dana smoothly slid the cuffs onto Smith’s wrist and dropped the tailgate for his bounty to climb in. The man grimaced as if he was disgusted—not because the cab was filthy, it wasn’t—as if the mode of transportation was beneath him. When he was inside he sat in the middle of the carpeted bed as if he didn’t want to touch anything that other criminals had touched. Bars and a partition separated their bounty from them. Unlike the couple of others Ty had seen transported so far, Smith didn’t make a sound the entire way. When they pulled up to the sheriff’s office in Fulton County, he broke his silence and asked Dana if he could make a quick phone call before he took him inside, and Dana agreed. Again, showing a measure of kindness.

They gave the man a moment to call what sounded like his wife or his lady. “I don’t know how long before I can get in front of judge. Just call my lawyer, honey, please. Okay. I love you. I’ll be home soon I promise… just. Okay. I love you. I understand. Please don’t leave this time. I swear… I know. I love—” The man hung up without a goodbye, or she did. He turned watery eyes toward Dana, “I’m ready.”

Ty and Kell trailed Dana while he walked them through the process of securing a bounty back into custody. There were only a couple of documents to fill out, then their skip was turned over to the sheriff. Dana shook hands with a few guys he recognized, then they were out of there.

“That’s it?” Kell asked when they were back in the truck.

“Yep. We just transfer custody.” Dana started the engine. “The jail and courts take it from there.”

“Easy enough,” Ty murmured.

“Sure. The transfers are fine, it’s the locate and apprehend that takes all the work.” Dana looked at Ty. “Hopefully, that’s where you come in. Brian calls you a mastermind. Says you’re best under pressure.”

“I guess we’ll see won’t we,” Ty answered.

“You forgot I was one of the ones that came with Brian to get you. I’ve seen what you do under pressure,” Dana remarked, pulling into a small convenience store right before the interstate ramp.

“And what did you see him do because he’s yet to show me his super power?” Kell smiled at him teasingly from the backseat.

“You wouldn’t believe it if I tried to retell it. I’m thirsty. Be right back. You guys want a water?” Dana asked, already halfway through the door.

Both he and Kell nodded. When Dana was in the store, Ty turned and stared at Kell. He wanted to say what he needed to in a tactful manner.

“What?” Kell asked. “Say what’s on your mind.”

“If you want to know something about me, then ask me. Not another man.” Ty wasn’t smiling.

“Okay,” Kell said firmly. “I get that.”

“Thank you,” Ty whispered. He was glad Kell didn’t take that the wrong way. But the thought of another man speaking about him to Kell wasn’t sitting well inside him. He didn’t want anyone in Kell’s ear about him, just like no one could come at him with anything negative about his partner. If he wanted to know details, he only wanted to hear them from the sexy lips he was looking at.

“Eat with me tonight.” It wasn’t a request.

“Are you telling me to?” Kell tested.

Ty smiled at him.

“Don’t smile at me like that.” Kell turned his head, but Ty saw the blush before Kell could cover it with his scarf.

When Dana got back into the truck, Kell didn’t ask him to continue with his tale. Ty appreciated how much Kell understood his idiosyncrasies. His partner hadn’t gotten defensive, smart-mouthed or nasty with him, instead he’d sat at Ty’s back like a soothing presence. He couldn’t wait to get them alone again. The end of the work day couldn’t come fast enough. Ty checked the time. Two-forty.

Dana was driving them back to the office when he asked, “We’re done for the day. No one’s at the office. I’m just heading back to drop the truck and get my car. Ya’ll wanna get dropped off somewhere?”

Kell hadn’t agreed to dinner with his mouth, but he had with his eyes, so Ty spoke up, “Thank you, we’d appreciate that. Can you drop us in West Paces, off Northside if it’s not too much trouble?”

“You got it,” Dana responded, barreling down the interstate to an area filled with amazing eateries.