"Me?" Theo said in shock. "What are you doing here?" He knew he shouldn't have been surprised that Cyrus hadn't followed his warning, but at the same time, he was stunned. Didn't Cyrus know that the whole casino would be surrounded by cops the second they got Oak? Didn't he know how dangerous it was for him to be out in public anywhere right now, let alone in the very place Spiro was practically hunting for blood?
"Same as you," Cyrus admitted, glancing down the row of slot machines. Theo followed his gaze. The guard was gone now, and where his hopefully unconscious body had been placed, he had no idea. Jordan Mills stood at the end of the row now, his hands clasped as he casually watched them, his big eyes soft but wary, like he was unsure if he was supposed to intervene or not. Theo looked back at Cyrus as he let go of his hand.
"You can't be here." Theo reminded him.
"Yeah, I'm starting to get that."
"I literally told you that you couldn't show up here. I told you that Spiro and I were going to be taking down-" Cyrus shushed him and pulled him away from the slot machines until they were pressed against the wall, hiding behind a large potted plant whose leaves slapped at their faces.
"I know what you told me," Cyrus insisted, staring at him. "But I also know Oak. He's a dirty guy, and he's got eyes everywhere. I wanted to make sure you were safe."
"I'm always safe, unlike you, and I know about his eyes. We've had his bodyguards on file for weeks," Theo hissed back. Cyrus sighed, rubbing at his face, and Theo suddenly realized just how close they were standing. If Spiro were to pass by and see them... Sure, Cyrus's back was to the rest of the casino, but it still could look suspicious. Supposed mortal enemies didn't stand this close.
"How many guards do you think he has?" Cyrus interrupted his drifting trail of thought.
"Six." Cyrus swore.
"Did you bring back up?"
"What? No. It's just Spiro and me, wherever the hell he is. Why?"
"The, he's got twelve last time I counted, and Benny said there were at least fifteen here. He must've heard the cops got word of the poker game and brought extra protection." Theo froze. Fifteen. Fifteen?! What low life gangster needed that many guards? Since when were there even that many members of the Cardinal Rebels? There was no way he and Spiro could take out that many, even with guns. He was starting to think that they should've focused on Oak a bit more before showing up; but Cyrus had always been a bigger threat, so Oak had always been overlooked. Bad idea, apparently. But if Cyrus was here, and Mills and Benny were too... Theo wracked his brain. There had to be a smart way they could still do this without exposing Cyrus and without drawing blood. Cyrus seemed to read his thoughts.
"You go find Spiro," He said. "Take him, head to the game and get Oak. I'll handle the guards."
"Cyrus-"
"I've got the backup and the power. Just get your guy and don't do anything stupid on the way. I'll figure out the rest." They stared at each other, and it suddenly occurred to Theo that this was the first time they had ever worked together like this. Sure, he gave the Hunters tips all the time, and Cyrus would give him little things sometimes to keep his guys on their toes, but this? Detective and Gang leader, working side by side? They had never interacted together in a place where both their masks were on at the same time. Theo wasn't sure if he liked it. Cyrus was a different person in the Hunters. He had to be. But the idea of working with cruel gangster Cyrus made him wish he was back home with the husband he normally knew.
"What if you get caught?" He whispered. It was something he never wanted to think about, but in a situation as risky as this, he had to. Even if he and Spiro were outnumbered, taking down Oak wouldn't be worth it if it meant Cyrus got hurt in the process.
"I never get caught," Cyrus said confidently. The pride in his voice only added fuel to the fire that was Theo's growing anxiety. "I know what I'm doing here, The. I know every back door this place has, and with Kramer, there are a lot of them. I'll be fine. Just go do your job, but let me help you." He was looking a little desperate for Theo to agree. "I never get to help you anymore." He had a point. Theo had helped him and the Hunters so many times he'd lost count; Cyrus rarely ever had the chance to return the favor. And he was already here and willing to help with however many of the Hunters were hidden around...
"Alright, but be careful." Theo agreed. He sighed and double checked that his gun was still where he had left it before looking back up at Cyrus. "Same old job," He started, his mask falling away for a moment. Cyrus stared back at him, no longer wearing the face of a gang leader. His gaze dropped to Theo's lips for a moment before drifting back up to his eyes.
"Same old gangsters." He whispered back before rushing away, Mills on his heels. Theo leaned against the wall of the casino with a sigh. How his husband jumped between personal stuff and work so fast, he'd never know. He forced himself back into the detective mindset and headed to find Spiro, not even bothering to look for any guards on the way. He didn't need to look behind him to know that at least one Hunter member was close by, keeping an eye on him and taking out any threat before Theo even spotted them. Cyrus did his job quite effectively, after all, and no matter the job, if Theo was around, then his safety was top priority.
Theo found Spiro crouched over the fallen body of a guard, and they headed for the poker room. There was one guard by the closed doors, and he spotted them from far away, drawing his gun. That was another thing separating Hunters from Rebels. Oak's gang was quick to draw their weapons, whereas Hunters liked to dance around that line. They didn't let their enemy know they were armed until the last possible second. Cyrus kept you on your toes like you were a trained ballerina, whereas Oak was as predictable as a high school cliche.
For the second time that day, Theo found himself in a standoff. Him and Spiro against the guard.
"What if I sneak around back," He muttered. "And we rush him at the same time?"
"He's looking right at us," Spiro said back. "He'll see anything we do coming from a mile away."
"Well we can't just stand here and wait to be shot!" Theo paused. Or could they? Whoever had been following him before was likely still close by. Cyrus wouldn't call back his guys just because the guards were gone, and if this was one of the Rebels, then surely somebody would be here any minute to take him down. They just had to wait for that moment to strike, and hope it came before the guard got nervous enough to fire at them. They kept their eyes on the guard, and out of the corner of his eye, Theo saw Spiro reach for his gun.
"Don't-" He started to hiss, but then their opportunity came with a flash of red hair and a surprisingly stylish inconspicuous outfit.
"Holy shit," Spiro swore, freezing. "Isn't that Felicia O'Connor?" Sure enough, Felicia strutted right up behind the guard, looking like she was heading for a quarter that had rolled behind him. But then she hit the larger man square in the back of the head and the guard let out a shout, the hand with his gun raising high. Spiro and Theo ran towards him, splitting up as they neared the guard. "Get her!" Spiro cried, as an afterthought, knowing it would be just as good to have Felicia in custody as Oak. Spiro slammed into the guard's front, the two of them instantly struggling for the gun. Theo dove around back and grabbed Felicia's arm. She pulled her other arm back, fist ready, but hesitated on whether or not she could hit him.
"Go." He urged her, his voice quiet and nonnegotiable. He released her arm and she ran off as Theo turned his attention to the fight between Spiro and guard, trying to judge how he could help. They were on the floor now, the gun caught between them, each fumbling for control of the trigger and where the barrel was pointed. With a dirty kick to the gut, Spiro got a hold of the trigger and Theo dove, shoving the barrel away from himself and the rest of the casino, pointing it towards the guard instead.
"Stupid pigs," The guard sneered, struggling to regain control. He shoved Spiro and the detective jerked back, pulling the trigger in an attempt to keep his hand on the weapon. A loud bang echoed, and through the ringing in his ears Theo wished the guard had remembered a silencer like his buddy. He and Spiro rolled off the guard as the man groaned in pain, clutching at his shoulder. His hand came away red, but he'd live. Theo focused on the red, his heart dropping. And if one drop of blood hits my carpet...
Shit.
The doors to the poker room flew open, no doubt triggered by the shot, and people flew out, fleeing from the scene. Theo scanned the group, his eyes landing on Oak. He and Spiro stumbled to their feet and ran after him, chasing him a few steps before tackling him to the floor. Oak struggled against them, but Theo drew his own gun. They had already broken Kramer's one rule. What was more blood on the floor at this point?
"Stop." Oak froze, as did Spiro. Theo looked up, and time seemed to slow as Kramer stepped up to them, two large Bruce Willis guards at his side. Spiro was practically sitting on Oak, pinning his hands behind his back as Theo knelt beside them, a gun still pointed at Oak's head. Kramer stopped before them, his eyes cold. He hadn't flounced this time. This time it was a cold, death fueled step; one that made Theo realize exactly why he was on the Hunters payroll. He picked a piece of dust from his suit before settling his gaze on Spiro.
"I believe you broke my rule," He said calmly. He snapped his fingers, and one of the guards pulled Spiro up, slamming him into the wall hard enough that Theo swore he heard a crack. Whether it came from the wall or Spiro himself, he didn't know. He dove to keep Oak pinned as Kramer walked over, the guard's thick hand still holding Spiro's throat, slowly cutting off his air.
"You shot a man in my casino," Kramer went on. "In my house. Leaving blood on my hands is quite unacceptable, so I have a rule. No bloodshed. You break it, and it's only right that I take blood for blood." He nodded, and the guard's hand tightened, choking Spiro, who gasped and started to claw at the hand. Theo's eyes widened, and he was suddenly torn. He couldn't try to help and risk Oak getting away, nor could he sit back and watch Spiro be injured or killed. He was his partner, for crying out loud. Sure, he lied to him on a daily basis, but he still cared about the guy. Spiro was his friend. One of the only ones he had, really.
"Kramer," He pleaded, his eyes wide with fear. "You don't-"
"You knew the rules when you walked in here." Kramer said. "Let's just both be grateful your blood didn't end up on the floor today."
"Nobody ever wants blood on the floor, do they, Kramer?" Theo's heart dropped, recognizing the voice. So much for him getting out unnoticed. Spiro's eyes widened, his face turning more purple, and even Kramer had the knowledge to stiffen as Cyrus walked up. He tilted his head towards Spiro. "Why don't you let the poor detective go?"
"We have a rule here, Mossberg. A reputation to uphold," Kramer objected.
"As do I," Cyrus countered. "And I doubt a dead member of the law enforcement would do us any good. If anything, the one you left alive would go running back, and there'd be an army of furious cops here within the hour to arrest you for murder." He gestured to Theo, as if to emphasize the point, and Theo forced himself not to look at his husband. Kramer scoffed.
"I'm not the one choking him to death, are I? I'm innocent."
"I don't know, this looks more like second degree murder to me," Theo said. Cyrus smirked.
"You heard the man. Let him go."
"But-"
"Kramer, you've made plenty of comments today about how you don't want blood on your casino's floors. I assume you want that comment to include your own blood, yes?" He nodded. "Then be a dear and let the poor detective go before your Bruce Willis impersonators crush his vocal chords." Kramer hesitated, and Theo darted his gaze between the shady casino owner and his partner before Kramer finally nodded towards the guard, who released Spiro immediately. He dropped to the floor, gasping and coughing.
"You owe me for this one, Mossberg," Kramer snarled before spinning on his heels and storming away, his guards following. Theo and Spiro stared up at Cyrus, who glanced between them with a thoughtful expression. He nodded towards Oak and turned to Theo.
"You should probably call that in," He said. He winked at him, walking off. "See you around, boys." Spiro gaped after him and it took every inch of Theo's being not to grin.
"What the hell was that?" Spiro demanded hoarsely.
***
Backup was called, and before they knew it, Oak was fuming in the back of a police cruiser. Officers scanned the casino top to bottom and the surrounding areas, but, as usual, Cyrus was already long gone, to Theo's relief. He and Spiro sat on the hood of one of the cruisers, still in awe.
"Cyrus Mossberg saved my life," Spiro muttered, a strange, conflicted look of disgust and confusion on his face.
"I know," Theo said in return, a little proud.
"Wh-Why would he bother doing that? That doesn't make any sense! Wouldn't he want us dead?" Theo shrugged.
"Who knows. Maybe he thinks we're incompetent in catching him, and he doesn't want a better detective taking our place."
"I don't know. I just don't know."
"Or maybe he just didn't want anyone to die." Theo guessed.
"He's a gangster, Theo. Why would he care?"
"Well, think about it. How many murders have the Hunters actually committed?" Spiro paused. "Maybe Cyrus just doesn't believe in killing. Maybe he's got enough morals for that, who knows." Theo dropped his head, fiddling with his wedding ring. Spiro stared at him, frowning. He'd never seen a detective consider the good side of their opponent before. Especially when it came to someone like Cyrus Mossberg.
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