Page 106 of Slay Ride

“Keep it down.” I glance around, but most everyone is inside the armory now. Only a few no-names mill around outside. “That’s why I need your help. Me, you, and Cat are going to hunt as a team.”

His face falls. “I kind of wanted to hunt solo.” He looks at me and registers the rage in my eyes. “But this is fine too.”

“Look, I know it’s a pain in the ass, but it’ll be you eventually. One day, you’ll be the one to beg one of us to join some fucked-up scheme so you can win over some fucked-up chick. Right now, it’s my turn, but when you’re up, I’ll have your back. Deal?”

“Somehow, that’s doubtful,” he mutters. “What do I have to do?”

I smile and clap my hand on his back. “Light work. When others are around, you play the part of Cat’s doting boyfriend. Once we’re alone, you play lookout while Cat and I hunt.”

“Aw, fuck, I don’t want to babysit.”

“It’s not babysitting.”

“But what about the hunt?”

I tip my head back and groan. “Dude, just focus on the task at hand and we’ll kill some shit along the way, okay? We’ll run the same setup we had on the island. You dart them, and Cat will finish them off.”

“Can we take turns?”

My fists clench, and I struggle to keep myself from punching him until he stops speaking. “Sure. We can take turns.”

Cat emerges from the armory and looks around. Whatever she’s hunting for, she doesn’t see it, but then her eyes land on me. The smile is immediate.

She waves and hurries toward us, hitching her pants every few steps. It was sweet of Kindra to loan her a pair of pants, but they don’t fit very well. She’ll need a belt if she wants to tromp through the Alaskan brush.

I turn to Maverick. “Are you wearing a belt?”

He nods.

“Give it to me.”

“What?”

“You heard me. Hurry up.” I motion for him to move, and surprisingly, he does. He’s just lowered his snow pants to his knees when Cat reaches us.

“I don’t think he needs to strip upon seeing me to make people think we’re together,” she says, eyeing him up and down. She looks at me, and her smile softens. “Thanks for what you said, by the way. I forgive you for telling your fucking brother.”

A bit of snow falls onto her lashes and clings there. I want to step forward and brush it away, but Kindra and Eve emerge from the armory and stay my hand.

Maverick pushes the belt against my palm, and I pass it to Cat.

“What’s this for?” she asks. “I was gonna use the crossbow. I mean, I guess I could use the belt if you guys are going to?—”

“For your pants, moron,” I say.

Hurt blossoms in her eyes. “Excuse the fuck out of me.”

I clear my throat and look past her, and she turns around and realizes why I was being a dick.

“I guess the truce is off?” Eve asks. She turns to Cat. “Do we need to remove him by force?”

Cat shakes her head and cinches the belt around her hips. “No, this is just our way, I think. The truce is just for kills. I won’t get in his way, and he won’t get in mine. We still plan to give each other shit, though. That will never change.”

The mischievous glint in her eyes nearly gets me hard.

“We just came to check in a final time before the hunt,” Kindra says. “Cat, are you sure this is what you want?”

Cat looks at me. “I’m positive.”

---