Ryder came after all. He stands next to me now. The two of us are up against a decimated concrete wall. I’m in all black. He has an intimidating skull mask around his mouth. Both our eyes are covered in protective gear.
“Damn, that stung like a motherfucker!” he blisters.
“Stop whining, *.” I barely breathe. “They’re going to hear you. Besides you’ve been clipped by worse.” I’m thinking knives, bean bag rounds, taser prongs, bullets. “It’s a freaking paintball,” I hiss.
I feel the air current change next to my face as a paintball whizzes past me and splats against the wall behind me, leaving a bright green stain in its wake.
“SHIT!” Quickly, I pull back. “Stop fucking talking!”
“Yeah, okay … *,” he retorts. “Just go on, I’ll cover you.”
Ryder shows me with his eyes that we’re going to make a break for the steel cylinders about fifty yards away. He holds up three fingers and counts down.
When he gets to one, we run like hell!
Dirt kicks up from our boots, and paintballs come at us from Will and Sam, who are behind the shell of an old, trashed car. He’s pissed and has a vendetta. Whatever—it’ll spice up the game!
Ryder and I slide down behind the pipes. If I had to be caught in a war zone—like a real one—Ryder, Jake and Liam are the ones I’d want beside me. Jake was Army Special Forces and toured in Iraq and Afghanistan. He’s smart and keeps his cool under pressure and is nearly fearless in a courageous way. Now retired, he teaches extreme sports and enjoys being a husband and father.
Who would’ve thought he’d be the first one? Even though I didn’t then, now I feel like he was the first to come to his senses. But I hadn’t met Sophie yet.
Ryder is especially versed in tracking, observation and warfare tactics and strategies. He learned a lot of special-ops military skills from his trainer and mentor, who also got him into the bounty hunting business—not to mention his capabilities in the mixed martial arts—he’s one hell of a soldier.
Only problem with Ryder is that I don’t think he wants to see his twenty-sixth birthday. He lives every day on the edge, like it’s his last, and defies death every time he takes a job. He only goes after the most dangerous criminals the regular bounty hunters won’t touch. He’s considered a specialist in his field, even as young as he is.
I think about the word vendetta. I just put that word on my angry brother Will, but Will isn’t angry, he’s just superficially pissed off. Ryder, he’s angry. He’s been angry since I met him. He lives and breathes the vendetta he carries around inside of him.
Out of the corner of my eye I see Reese trying to make it to a pile of concrete rubble. It looks like an actual war zone here for our play. I wish all wars could be fought like this—with some beers and paintballs.
I position myself, aim and …“FUCK YES!” I shout before taking cover.
“Nice hit!” Ryder fist bumps me.
“Aw, man you suck!” Reese yells as he rolls on the ground, D. E. A. D.
Talon is suddenly there and tucks himself up next to me. “I found their flag position—it’s over in the forest up an oak. Do you think we can make it into the brush?”
“All right, Talon!” I say quietly through my teeth. “Let’s do it.”
We wait for the opportune time, then run.
Talon goes down in a puddle of mud, and Ryder doubles back to help him while I cover their asses, and soon we’re hidden and making our way through the brush.
We pass undetected as Caleb, Jake and Nate rush at Will and Sam, completely taking them out!
HA! After a LOT of swearing the two move to the dead zone.
When we get close to the flag, I cover Talon and Ryder as they take it down.
We wave it triumphantly, indicating the other team’s defeat!
All in all it was a great day, and it took my mind off of everything, but now in the silence of the house all I can think about is Sophie: if she’s okay, if we’re okay, if everything’s going to go as planned in the morning. That makes the adrenaline rise through my veins. Then I imagine Sophie and what she’ll look like tomorrow. Of course that gets me thinking of the dirty letter I sent her. I wonder if she’s read it yet. At the thought, my dick begins to rise. I cover it with a steady hand.
“Down, boy. Tomorrow will be here soon enough.”
Chapter Eleven
Sophie
I carefully skim the letter—absolute erotica at its finest—but I can’t do it without him. I have to wait. Instead I take the thumb drive and stick it in the USB port of my laptop.
As it loads I grab a glass of water and gulp it down. I’m still a little buzzed.
Oh, and Charlie was so cute when I Skyped with her this evening right before she got into bed. She’s so excited about tomorrow.
And she wants to call him Daddy.