Page 103 of The Protégé

As we continued, Butt Crack lost his footing and slipped again. When he stood up, his shorts fell to his knees.

Elena gasped, and I cursed, blocking her vision with my hand. Butt Crack let out a series of curses too. But his girl came to the rescue and helped him along.

I stood there shaking my head, while Elena tried her best to suppress her laugh.

“If that happens to you, I’ll help you,” she said.

“You know you can pull down my shorts anytime. Just not here.” I wiped the mud off my face and arm, but that only made it worse.

“If there’s anyone I want to be nasty with, it’s you, Slingshot.” She embraced me, smearing more mud on me.

But I didn’t mind it. I’d try my best to achieve victory with her.

We climbed over wooden barrels, hopped into rows of tires, zigzagged our way over cones. Then we arrived at the Pyramid Net, a forty-foot climb up and down a net structure. Unlike the other obstacles where she dove ahead immediately, this one had her feet rooted to the ground.

Chantel and Sabrina approached, flicked us a bitter look, and moved on. They jumped onto the net and climbed.

Elena didn’t see them or her mind was too focused on the pyramid net. Anxiety strained her face, and she inhaled and exhaled slowly.

“You okay?” I asked.

Her hand trembled. “Not a fan of heights.”

I remembered her hesitation on the balcony of my office and gripped her hand. “I’ve got you. One step at a time. There’s no rush.”

“Thereisa rush. We’re part of a huge team. I don’t want to be the last couple.”

“Who cares?” Even though I hated losing, I’d rather she be safe. “This is for fun. We’ll be losers together.”

A smile fought its way to her lips. “You don’t seem like a guy who likes to lose.”

“This course is to promote teamwork, comradery. There are only winners.”

“Okay. We’ll be the last winners together.” She wiped the patch of mud on her chin, smearing her face even more and looking adorable.

Ten people had already climbed to the middle. We gripped the rope and pulled ourselves up. Elena looked scared, but also brave.

Not too far away, Chantel looked at Elena moving slowly on the rope. She exchanged a glance with Sabrina and they jumped on the net, making it more unstable for everyone, but especially for Elena.

Another contestant shouted to Chantel. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

But Chantel and Sabrina ignored her.

Elena yelped as she lost her footing. She tried to find it and got one foot on the rope again, but Chantel shook theneteven more.

“Stop it!” I told Chantel.

But she arched a defiant eyebrow and continued. Anger soared in me.

I reached for Elena just as her other foot slipped. She screamed and gripped the rope with both hands. The fear in her eyes was . . . unforgettable.Her fear pierced through me. It was worse today than what I’d witnessed on my office balcony.

I stepped to the next grid, reached out, and wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling her to me.

With her feet balanced on the rope, she tightened her arm around me and held on tight. Her face was in my muddy shirt.

“I’ve got you, baby,” I whispered.

“You guys need help?” asked an older man who stopped climbing with his wife to check on us.

---