Page 36 of The MC's Little Brother

Since we all had time to cool down, I didn't think the flush on Xander’s cheeks had anything to do with him being overheated. I nudged him playfully, loving the shy smile on his face. He wasn’t used to people fighting over him, and I hoped it made him feel wanted.

“Oh, come on! That’s not fair!” Circus argued.

“Why not let him choose?” Vegas suggested. “Hey, little Wraith. If you pick my team, I’ll buy you dinner.”

I swung around with a gasp. “No bribes! That’s cheating!”

Xander laughed, shaking his head as the guys shouted out bribes that got more and more ridiculous. When Rooster offered to give him a motorcycle, Xander immediately stepped up beside him.

“He wins.”

Rooster did a fist pump, shouting a smug “Yes!” He pointed at Wraith. “You’re going down.”

I sidestepped, so I was standing next to Xander. “You can’t steal my bestie away from me. We come as a pair.”

Rooster didn't seem to care. He offered me his fist to bump. “Pleasure to have you on my team, little sister. Let’s show these losers how it's done.”

“Oh, you’re gonna get it for that,” Vegas growled. “We’ll take you down easily.”

“We’ll see about that,” I crowed.

We had to trade vests to be on different teams, and Xander looked a little nervous as we headed back in. I nudged him, tipping my head to get him to follow me. Once we were at a good place to hide, I lifted my eyebrows and waited.

He grimaced. “I… don’t want to shoot Mattias.”

Aw. I would definitely say the game was a success if he was feeling that loyal towards Wraith. I patted his arm reassuringly.

“That’s fine. You go after Circus. I’ll tell Rooster to go for Vegas. I’ll go after your brother.”

He seemed more comfortable with that, and after I sent him off, I went looking for Wraith on the second floor. I knew he’d be up here, he was always looking for the best vantage point to start off. He’d only move once he was discovered.

“Wraith?” I whispered harshly. I didn't need the idiots downstairs to think we were fraternizing with the enemy. I just needed to share Xander’s feelings on the matter.

“What’s wrong?”

He popped up behind me, making me jump a foot into the air with a yelp. I swung around, glaring at him. “Do you have to do that?”

He gave me a bland look, but didn’t respond. I shook off the surprise, gesturing him out of the way so none of the others would see us. Once we were alone, I relayed what Xander told me and the plan we came up with.

He nodded. “I can do that. I’ll steer clear of him. I planned on it anyway. I didn't want to sneak up on him in the dark. We both look too much like Jorge. I didn’t want to freak him out.”

I hadn’t considered that when I chose this game, but he had a point. Especially in the dark, that might trigger Xander.

“I’m glad you thought of that. I’ll tell Rooster we’re going one on one to make things interesting. It’ll be you against me. Think you can handle it?”

A smirk pulled at his mouth and he leaned closer, his low grumbling voice giving me goosebumps as he spoke. “I won’t go easy on you. Better watch your back.”

I honestly couldn’t decide which thread to follow and I didn't really have the time. I had to book it to find Rooster and tell him the plan.

The lights flickered, and I ducked behind an obstacle, trying to get my head in the game. It was hard when Wraith’s words kept flitting around in my head. It almost sounded like he was flirting with me. Which wasn’t possible. Right?

The lights dimmed as the game began and I ducked down low, peeking around my cover to scan the area. Finding Wraith would be hard, since he was good at popping up out of nowhere. It would be easier to let him come to me and keep my guard up. But I wasn’t going to be a sitting duck either. I was more of a face the problem head on kind of person. So, after makingsure he wasn’t camping above my head, I ducked out of my hiding space and ran, dodging out of the way when Rooster nearly collided with me as he tried to get away from Vegas.

My vest beeped and went dark, telling me I got hit. I swung around, looking for the culprit, but I couldn’t see him. I ducked out of sight again, peeking around the half wall. There was only one way over to this spot, and if he wanted to get close, he had to come into view.

I grinned when I saw the shadow just on the edge of my view. If he didn’t have flashing colors attached to him, it’d be impossible to see him. I took aim, waiting for him to prowl closer, and pulled the trigger. His vest went dark, and I cackled, taking off in another direction.

We went back and forth for a while, but eventually I pulled ahead by one. I knew him well, and he was too serious to change how he played to get an advantage over me. I watched the walls, knowing he wouldn’t come straight down the middle if he didn’t have to. Any time I saw a flash of red, I fired and heard him curse as I took off again.

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