Page 36 of Revamped Rucking Reaper

“This is it! Turn here.”

The second the engine stops, she jumps out of the car. I expect her to climb on the hood. Instead, she heads in the opposite direction, toward a brick building. Flood lights shine bright as Eve approaches the door. She punches in a code.

“Eve?”What the hell is going on?

She opens the door and leads me by the hand. There’s a large open space. Restroom signs and commercial bathrooms are to the right. A concession sign hangs to the left over a counter with an iron gate pulled down from ceiling to floor in front of it.

“Eve, are we allowed to be in here?”

“Of course!”

“Honey, I think we should leave.”

“Not yet. Come on, let’s go look at the field.”

She takes my hand, and I follow in stunned silence. I stop before we go outside of an interior door with an exit sign over it. I can’t tell what’s out there because it’s dark out, but I don’t want to get stuck out there.

“What the hell is going on?”

Her eyes open wide. “Oh, that’s right, the lights! Wait here; I’ll be right back.”

I watch as she heads through a door that says employees only. A dim glow trickles in from outside when she returns.

“It will take a few minutes for the light to get to full strength, but look!”

Confused as a worm in a jar of tomato sauce, I keep my mouth shut and wait for her to explain.

Taking both my hands in hers, Eve smiles ear to ear. “I bought this place. This field.” Her teeth graze over her bottom lip. I listen, hearing her out before I ask how or why. She takes a deep breath, visibly nervous. “It’s the new home of the Ruthless Reapers!”

“Ruthless Reapers?” Our hands separate. My body is tense, rigid. I can sense that whatever she has to tell me is going to piss me off to no end.

She nods, smiling, glowing. “Okay, so I had this idea. The Nurples have a good business model. You agree, right?”

“Yeah.” I let out a long breath. Softening, I explain. “Exhibition baseball has already been done. The Nurples aren’t going to share the market with you.”

“I know. That’s why the Ruthless Reapers are going to be an exhibition rugby team.”

Chapter 23

Eve

“Are you out of your fucking mind!?” Tate yells. “There’s no such thing as exhibition rugby. It’s not a fucking pansy game.” The veins in his neck bulge. I’ve never seen this side of Tate. “People can get seriously hurt. They could fucking die playing like it’s a fucking joke!”

“Tate.” I didn’t expect him to fall over himself at the thought of exhibition rugby, but I didn’t expect him to impersonate a volcano and erupt, either. Carefully, I bring my hands up. My fingertips graze his chest before he shoos my hands away. “There’s no reason to go crazy.”

---