Page 35 of Just Between Us

Team Sullivan’s green flag should have been perched on the flagpole, surrounded by discarded tires, but when I looked, it was gone. Another twig snapped, and I peered through the trees.

Other Tall Chad was on his belly, Army crawling through the brush with the neon-green flag flat against his back, tucked into the waistband of his pants.

Well, I’ll be damned . . .

“Psst,”I hissed, trying to not draw too much attention to ourselves. Other Tall Chad looked at me. “I’ll cover you.”

All we had to do was ensure birdman got off their side and back to our flag podium, and the game would be ours. Soft, thundering footsteps pounded through the trees.

I peered through the branches to see Lee running.

Pop. Pop.

Chartreuse paint splattered across Lee’s shoulder. In his dramatic fashion, Lee gripped the shoulder, crying out and making choking sounds as he slowly lowered to the ground. I laughed as he lay there and twitched.

Penny’s shrill war cry sent birds flying off their branches as she ran to him. “Noooooo!”

Her body was blocked by tree limbs, but from the ground Lee held up an arm. “You have to go on. Fight for me!”

Those two are ridiculous ... and also kind of cute.

I was shifting to try to get a shot when my subtle movements caught her eye. A snarl curled her lip when she saw me.

“Revenge!” she screamed and came barreling toward where I was crouched behind a boulder. She was on the warpath, and her sights were set on me.

When she broke her cover and used a large rock to jump off, a single pop echoed through the trees.

“Ow!” Penny landed and looked down at her stomach. On the plated vest was a splatter of neon-purple paint. Penny stomped her foot and glared at me. “Next round, you’remine.”

I chuckled and saw MJ in the distance shoot me a thumbs-up before pain overtook her face. “Hey!” She stood, whipping around and touching the blue paint on her thigh. “Are you serious? I’m on your team, doofus!”

“Oh, my bad.” Tall Chad’s face fell.

With a grunt, MJ fired her paintball gun right at him.Pop. Pop. Pop.“Now you’re out too.”

I shook my head and wiped sweat from my brow. Her temper had cost us a teammate. Based on my calculations, Veda was solo in the forest—the last of her team to survive—and Other Tall Chad had Team Sullivan’s flag. All I needed to do was get her out of the game and ensure he could reach the goal.

Cheers from the observation deck spurred me forward. My eyes swept through the abandoned cabin and around the boulders meant for protection. He was nowhere to be found.

“Oh, it’s going down now!” Lee Sullivan grinned and shouted from the spectators’ seats. I tracked his gaze and froze.

Between the trees, Veda was hauling ass, running at full speed with her weapon braced against her shoulder. Her eyes locked on a target.

What the fuck?

Her muscular legs pumped as she hurtled forward. She jumped over a log and twisted her body midair to shoot a crouching and terrified Other Tall Chad. When she hit the ground, she rolled but popped right back up to continue her run.

I was starstruck and staring like an idiot when she disappeared in the shadows of the forest. My blood hummed. It was she and I, but I couldn’t shake the feeling I was severely underprepared. Veda had turned into some kind of supersoldier before my eyes, and I couldn’t wrap my brain around what was happening.

Fear prickled at the base of my skull as the quiet of the forest enveloped me.

“Hey.” Her velvet voice washed over me like a lover’s whisper in the dark. My dick twitched, and I turned toward the sound.

Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop.

Sharp pain pierced my flank as orange paint exploded on my side and splattered as high as my face and neck. I grunted from the impact and landed on my ass. Veda popped out from behind a tree as cheers erupted from the stands.

Veda stood over me, a warrior who’d won in battle. “Consider that payback for the milk stunt.”

---