Chapter 38

"Marvin Jones is in room 1546," Kaz said. "Jones? That's almost too easy to be our guy. And what self-respecting Zendir would call himself Marvin?"
"One who didn't want to draw attention to himself," I offered, though I knew both men were perfectly well aware of that. "So this death-by-telekinesis thing. Will he be able to use that on you two?" I knew they were both big, tough demons, but I still didn't like the idea of them walking into danger.
Ty shook his head. "It's not quick. He probably knocked them out somehow first. I doubt he'd be able to take down both of us, especially since I can do the same thing right back."
"I'll take a couple of my staff too," Kaz added. "We add in a vamp and a wolf, and he's going to go down fast - assuming this is our guy."
"Just be careful." I thought about offering to go as backup, but didn't. They would both spend more time worrying about me than about themselves.
"We will," Ty assured me. He tipped his head toward Kaz and added, "And thanks. You make a good mediator."
Kaz made a pained face but nodded. "Yeah. You do." He got up from behind the desk, walked over to the couch and pulled me to my feet so he could plant a big, hard kiss on my lips. "Thank you." He turned to Ty and held out his hand. "Shall we do this?"
Ty's grin lit up his entire face. "Yeah." Instead of shaking Kaz's hand, he leaned in and kissed him. "Damn, man, it's good to see you again."
"Okay, boys, promise you'll come let me know you're both okay? I'll be waiting to hear what happens." Waiting. Ha. I'd be pacing the floor.
Kaz hesitated until Ty elbowed him and nodded. With a sheepish bow of his head, Kaz agreed. "We'll stop by your room once all of this is wrapped up. Promise."
Ty wiggled his eyebrows and grinned. "Get some sleep if you can. You'll need it."
I really did try to sleep, but of course I didn't - even though it was six hours later when Kaz and Ty finally knocked on my door.
Before I even let them in, I scanned them both to make sure they were each in one piece. Though their clothing was a bit the worse for wear, the men themselves seemed to be unharmed, so I stepped back from the door and let them enter.
Of course they both stared at me. I doubt either of them had expected me to answer the door in a garter belt, black fishnet stockings, a demi-cup bra and matching lace thong, all covered with a tiny robe so sheer it was barely a wisp of a black shadow against my pale skin.
"How did it go?" I moved over to the bar and pulled out the bottle of fifteen-year-old scotch I'd had sent up, and three cut-crystal glasses.
"It's done," Kaz said, dropping onto a chair by the table-computer desk. He peeled off his leather jacket and hung it over the back of the chair. The room boasted a little sitting area to the front of the king-size bed. Ty took the other straight chair, leaving me the single, oversized easy chair. While Ty shrugged out of his suit coat, I handed each of the men a drink before curling up in it, tucking my bare feet up under the flimsy robe.
"It did turn out to be Marvin Jones," Ty elaborated. "He had another tourist up in his room when we showed up and had already gotten her home address. Woman will never know how lucky she is. Kaz had to alter her memories a bit, but we got her out safe and sound and back to her room. Jones - real name Mavaz Joag - has been delivered to the Zendir Ruling Council for judgment."
"And you're both okay?" I watched Kaz tip his head back and down the three fingers of scotch in a single swallow. Wordlessly, I handed him the bottle.
He poured a single this time and sipped it slowly before nodding. "I'm officially unbanished from Zend. Not that I have any intention of ever going back again."
"And you two are - all right with each other again? I mean, any idiot can tell you really care about one another." It was none of my business, but I hated to see the two of them suffering. Sometimes guys, of whatever race, could be so dumb about this kind of stuff.
"I don't know," Ty answered carefully. "Are we, Kaz? Can you ever forgive me for what I did?"
Kaz took another sip of the scotch then set the glass down. He reached across the table and took Ty's hand in his. "Yeah. We're okay. I know you did what you thought was best for me at the time. And I appreciate it. It couldn't have been easy to be left on the outside when I married Lily."
Ty shrugged. "It happened. She wasn't the kind of woman who could handle two men in her life. And when it came down to it, she needed you a whole lot more than I did."
A short bark of sardonic laughter erupted from Kaz's full lips. "No. I just thought she did. I figured out that I'd made a mistake about a year into the marriage. I loved her, don't get me wrong, but what we had - it was never whole. There was always something missing."
"I was sorry to hear she'd died," Ty added. "I tried to tell you, but you wouldn't answer my calls."
"I know. And I can appreciate that - now," Kaz told him. He looked at me. "Here's the story. Both Ty and I were sent here by our government to keep an eye on other Zendir - make sure none of them went off the deep end like Joag, or messed around too much in human politics, or let on to the humans that we exist. The problem is, some members of our Council don't like it if a Zendir gets too involved with humanity. They call it contamination. When I married a human, I was considered contaminated and banished."
"It was the '50s, when we met Lily Bernard. She was a newspaper reporter who'd discovered our secret. She fell in love with Kaz but could never quite come to grips with the idea that he was bisexual. So I stepped back, out of the picture," Ty added. "And yeah, when the Council was going to force you to choose between returning to Zend and staying with Lily, I told them it was too late. You'd have chosen your people, Kaz, and you'd have regretted it for the rest of your life. I'd much rather have you hate me than hate yourself."
Kaz picked up Ty's hand and kissed the other man's knuckles softly. "I get that now."