Ty

 

Ty put his arm around Kell. They were already back in the town car that’d been waiting for them out front. No one followed them or the hunters out of the back door. His plan had been a success. He told the driver to circle around to the back of the club where he knew they were loading Alexander into the transport truck.

The driver slowed and parked next to Brian’s truck. Ford had already gone. He’d taken off with the bounty as if he were a dangerous repossession. Ty understood they couldn’t risk anyone coming out back and hearing Alexander screaming for his life. Ty and Kell got out of the car. Dana ran over to them first, giving him and Kell enthusiastic fist daps.

“That was fuckin insane, man! How in the hell did you come up with that? We’ve put off going after that guy for months and you do it in two days!” Dana looked at Ty’s outfit. “Shit, dude. Can I borrow that coat sometime?”

Ty laughed off the request, thinking in his head the whole time, hell-to-the-no.

Duke approached next with an amused, slightly guilty expression on his face. “I won’t doubt you again,” was all he said, while shaking Ty’s hand.

He bet he wouldn’t. Not after he and Kell had just secured fifteen thousand dollars for him in two days, and his team hadn’t even had to break a sweat.

“All attention ain’t negative attention, boss.” Ty shrugged. “Sometimes it’s just a distraction.”

Duke and Quick laughed. Dana joined back in, wanting Ty to explain how he had developed that plan. “Yo. We’ve never seen anything like that before. Bring the skips to us with phony phone calls, creating hot-ass distractions to deflect attention. Crazy, Ty. For real. I’m excited as shit right now.”

“It’s why we followed his father,” Brian added.

Everyone went quiet.

“The things he could come up with were unimaginable to anyone else. That’s why he rarely revealed his plans until the last minute. ‘Kept out the doubters and cynics,’ he’d say. It didn’t matter. We executed his every order. Followed him without question.” Brian squeezed Ty’s shoulder. “I’m proud of you, Prince.”

Ty exhaled sharply. His father used to call him that. He was a king and Ty was his prince. While Kell was talking to Duke, Ty pulled Brian to the side. It took him a second to compose himself to ask his question.

“Brian. Tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” Brian said gruffly.

“Will you be there? Please.” It was all he could manage to say, around the lump in his throat.

“I wouldn’t’ve missed it,” Brian said and yanked him into a strong hug. When he released him, Brian stared at Ty’s coat for a long time as if he was caught in a memory.

Brian’s slight smile never reached his haunted eyes. “I remember when your father found the shop to make this coat. We’d been searching for days. God, I was so sick of him carrying around that damn delicate-ass fur. Drove me crazy. But he was so excited to have it made for you. Said it was fitting for a prince.” Brian swallowed hard. “I never thought I’d see you in it.”

When they were back in the car, Kell sat close to him, giving him his silent strength. Ty needed it. He knew he had a lot of his father’s mannerisms and intelligence, but it was still hard to have his best friend constantly complimenting him on it. He was his own man and wanted to create his own path. He could understand Brian still hurt after the way he’d lost his comrade, so Ty would do everything he could to be there for his father’s best friend.

He asked the driver to wait for him while he walked Kell inside his building.

“You really looked amazing tonight,” Ty whispered in Kell’s hallway. It was after two in the morning and they both had a pressing engagement with Judge Jackson in the Fulton County Magistrate’s office at noon.

“I have a question?” Kell asked, leaning against his door.

“Okay.” Ty braced one hand beside Kell’s head while he traced the pattern of holes in his mesh top with his other. He rubbed his thumb over Kell’s hard nipple, making him gasp.

“Where am I going to be living after tomorrow?”

“With me.”

“That’s nice. Where?”

“In our home.”

“And where exactly is that, because you live in a hotel?” Kell kept inquiring, his smile getting wider the more Ty evaded.

“I’ll show you tomorrow.” Ty kissed Kell’s cheek.

“Ty,” Kell practically whined.

Ty smiled and covered Kell’s lips with his own, cutting off his questions. He kissed him like he’d been wanting to all night. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Kell sighed, seeming to no longer care what he’d just been talking about. With his lips pink and shiny from their kiss, he gazed up at Ty as if he was his world.

“I’m going to marry you, Kellam Knight.” Ty touched his lips to Kell’s temple, “In nine hours, I’ll call you by a different name. My name.”