Ty sat in the smalloffice he and Oren had commandeered on site, the scent of sawdust and fresh plaster still clinging to the air.Morning sun filtered through the high windows, casting golden stripes across the rough-hewn table and the open architectural plans spread across its surface.He ran his fingers over the lines of the design, heart full.
He smiled to himself, still basking in the glow of last night’s passion and this morning’s lazy intimacy.They’d shared breakfast curled in Dale’s kitchen, sipping coffee, stealing kisses, and laughing over eggs and toast.Oren had perched on the counter, teasing Dale about his obsession with sourdough while Ty had leaned in to steal more than just toast.It was easy—so damn easy.No awkwardness.Just three men in their own rhythm, a harmony that felt both brand new and as old as time.Ty had caught Dale watching Oren with this fond, amused look, and when their eyes had met, Ty knew.They were all in this.All of them.
The door creaked open and Ty looked up to see Marsh stride in, manila envelope in hand, a grim set to his jaw.
“Got a minute?”Marsh asked.
Ty nodded, pushing the plans aside.“For you, I have three.What’s that?”
Marsh slapped the envelope on the table and pulled out a few sheets.“I finished that background check you wanted me to do.Carson Rourke.”
Ty’s jaw tightened.He hadn’t liked the guy from the start, and the way Oren had looked after that encounter had kept a stone lodged in his gut ever since.He had no idea what Marsh was there to tell him, but he knew how he hoped it would help.
“Anything we can use to get rid of him?”
Marsh grunted.“Not yet.Your HR team says we need cause, and so far, he’s toeing the line.But something about him rubs wrong.So, I dug deeper.”
Ty leaned forward.“And?”
“His resume checks out, but I made a few calls to people who weren’t on the reference list.Turns out Carson’s been following Redline Developments for a while—trying to get on your crew.Every time you moved to a new job, he’d find work nearby.If he couldn’t get hired directly, he’d settle for subcontractors or nearby sites.One guy said he’s been honing his skills and experience just to get close enough to slip into your ranks.That’s not just persistence—that’s obsession.”
Ty exhaled slowly.“Great.Just what we need.”
Marsh slid into the seat opposite him.“There’s more.I can’t find anything about him from more than three years ago, and that just does not happen.I find everything about everybody.If I can’t find anything, then that means there is nothing there to find.He did not exist until three years ago.”
Ty frowned.“How can that be?”
“Simple,” Marsh said with a shrug.“Our boy Carson paid someone to set him up as of three years ago, but couldn’t afford the back story.”
Oren stepped further into the room, a faint frown between his brows.“Carson?You’re looking into him?”
“Yeah,” Ty said, almost defiantly.He expected pushback, but when Oren met his eyes, there was something else there—relief.
“Good,” Oren said quietly.“There’s something I need to tell you, we didn’t get to it last night, and I know I promised but we were, ah, kinda distracted.”
Marsh grinned.“Really?”
Ty rolled his eyes at Marsh as he tapped out a message on his phone.“What are you, a teenage girl?”
Marsh laughed.“Yes, I am, sometimes!All wrapped up in a hot as hell package with more than just your average sprinkling of intelligence.”He walked toward the door.“Let me know if there is more that I can do.”He looked at Oren over his shoulder.“You two are Dale’s.Which makes you ours.Which means that whatever you are going through, we will hunt down and cut something vital off before we end them and bury them out behind the shooting range.”
With that he left.
Oren looked over at Ty with a frown.“You think he was serious?”
Ty didn’t even have to think about it.“Hell, yes, he’s serious.And if it weren’t the team doing the hunting, it sure as shit would be me and Dale.”
Oren nodded, tension easing from his shoulders just slightly.“I guess that makes sense.If either of you were in this situation, then I sure as hell would be going huntin’.”
Ty moved around the desk, pulling Oren into his arms.“Even though we now have an excuse to get rid of that prick, I still want to hear what the bastard said to you yesterday.”
Oren nodded as he placed his own arms around Ty.“Yeah, I had a feeling you weren’t going to let that slide.”
“Nor should he,” Dale said as he strode into the office.“Because I sure as hell wouldn’t either.”
Oren turned to him, surprise flickering in his eyes.“How did you know to come?”
“Ty messaged me,” Dale said, stepping closer, “but I was heading this way anyway.Had a gap in my schedule.”
