“It’s just tag football.” Steve rolled his eyes. “We’ll take it easy on ya. Come on…stop being such a girl.”
“I am a girl,” Jill mumbled under her breath, hearing the rest of them calling for her to come on. Standing up, she kicked dust back on his shoes, then shoulder checked him as she ran past, almost knocking him down.
The guys stood around while Adam explained, in quick fashion, the game to Jill who looked bored out of her mind. “You got it?” Adam frowned when she blew a bubble, popping it loudly.
“Run after the guy with the ball and touch him, or catch the ball and run like hell.” Jill cocked an eyebrow chomping away on her gum.
Adam nodded looking around at everyone. “Yeah, that’s pretty much it.”
Walking over, she followed what the other guys on her team were doing, bending over across from someone on the other team putting both hands on her knees. She guessed she was supposed to run in the direction she was facing and catch the football if Adam threw it at her. Seeing everyone else move, she started forward, but found herself on her ass looking up at one of the other half-breeds who bent over, smirking at her.
“You have to dodge, little girl.” Jeff, another half-breed, and the one she’d beaten at arm wrestling, laughed as he walked away.
Back in position, she took off and once again found herself ass-planted on the concrete with a smirking Jeff walking away.
“Chill out, Jeff.” Adam walked over, holding his hand out to help her up.
“I’m fine.” Jill ignored his hand, picking herself up. “Just make sure you throw me the damn ball.” Jill walked back to the line and bent down across from Jeff again. She may hate football, but she was competitive and she was catching on…fast.
As soon as Jill saw movement, she thrust kicked Jeff in the stomach, knocking him on his ass. Jumping over him, she turned to look for the ball while running. With a small leap, she caught it and ran where Adam and Steve had told her to go if she got the ball. But before she made it, a heavy weight landed on her back crashing her to the ground. The air left her body with a whoosh. She may be part vampire, but that didn’t mean being tackled by a hundred and eighty pound dude was a pleasant experience.
Finally able to suck in a deep breath, she figured Adam and Steve had tugged him off until she heard Jeff’s angry tone. “Get the fuck off me.”
Jill tried to push herself up, but her body protested. Suddenly Jeff was slammed next to her, his face smashed to the ground. He struggled against the large hand holding his face to the concrete. “Doesn’t feel too good, does it, badass?” an unfamiliar, deep gravelly voice growled.
“Damn, girl.” Adam leaned down helping her to her knees. “You okay? Jesus, Jeff, what the hell is wrong with you?”
“Get this fucker off me.” Jeff still struggled.
Jill held her shoulder, finally getting a look at the owner of the large hand holding Jeff’s head to the concrete. He was large, larger than any of the other Warriors. His raven hair was shoulder length and hung in his face as he held Jeff down, his large knee in the half-breed’s back. A leather jacket, well worn, hugged his body as did his light faded blue jeans. Wanting to see what his hair covered, she leaned to see his face, but moaned as sharp pain spiked in her shoulder and down her arm straight to her fingertips.
“Are you hurt?” the man asked, pushing Jeff’s head harder into the concrete before looking at her.
The breath was sucked right out of her for the second time in less than a minute, she felt light headed. She couldn’t have talked if her life depended on it. Could men be beautiful? Because this man was the most gorgeous being she had ever laid eyes on. She opened her mouth to answer, but closed it back when nothing came out. She resorted to nodding like an idiot.
“Hey, dude.” Adam stepped next to the man, looking at Jeff. “I think you’re breaking his face.”
The man looked away from Jill, lifting his knee off Jeff’s back. “I’m going to let you up, badass, so I suggest you calm down.”
As soon as the man lifted his hand, Jeff jumped up to get in his face. “You son of a bitc-” Jeff’s voice squeaked to a stop as soon as he realized he was yelling into the man’s chest. His head tilted up to look the man in the face, his throat working in a visibly hard swallow.
“You were saying?” The man frowned down at Jeff, taking a step forward, and then smirked when Jeff took a large step back.
“Jeff, go cool off.” Adam gave him a small push. “I think you just bit off more than you can handle.”
“Apologize before you run off.” The man’s deep voice radiated authority.
“She kicked me,” Jeff argued. “I’m not apologizing to her.”
“And from what I saw, you were supposed to be playing tag football, but the first two hits you gave her didn’t look like tag to me,” the man growled. “Now apologize.”