Page 6 of Vigilante
Grief can be like that. Sudden and full of rage.
I feel so seen by this man that I’ve known for only a handful of minutes that it should unnerve me. But it doesn’t. Maybe it’s my loneliness or my still grieving heart, but I can’t help but feel entirely safe and understood by him.
“We’re here,” I say, tugging at his jacket so that he’ll follow me.
A frown burrows deep onto his face, and then he laughs as he realizes where I’ve taken him.
“Laser tag?” Those dark eyes of his dance with delight.
I shrug my shoulder. “It’s my favorite way to let off some steam after a hard day. I love this place.”
“I promise you there are much more fun ways to let off some steam.” He says with a wink, and my stomach flips as I catch his meaning. “But this is good, too. I don’t think I’ve played in years.”
The place is mostly empty, save for a group of teenage girls here for a birthday party with a few moms who look like they’d rather be anywhere else but here. The place smells like stale popcorn and sweat, but I can’t help but feel instantly comforted by the familiarity.
“Julia. Nice to see you again.” The owner greets me from behind the counter.
“Hey, Joe. How’s the wife?” He’s an older man in his early seventies with grey, bushy eyebrows and a shiny bald head.
“She’s on a meatball kick. Meatball subs, meatball spaghetti, breakfast meatballs. I tell you, if I never see another meatball again, I’ll be a happy man.” He pats his prominent belly, and I laugh.
“Two, please,” I say as I’m about to pay, but Max stops me.
“My pleasure.” He says, and a little intrusive thought answers,I’d love to know what gives you pleasure.I mentally smack myself.
Joe winks at me and wiggles his eyebrows, and a flood of heat rises to the apples of my cheeks. I never bring anyone here. It’s my sacred space—where I can forget about the world for twenty minutes and just be.
We grab our gear, locking the pads around our chests as they light up in a bright neon blue. The teenage girls keep looking at us and whispering as they put their neon red vests on. It’s clear they find him just as hot as I do by the way they keep checking him out.
“I think you have a fan base over there,” I say, gesturing to the girls.
“I’m fine with the one I have here.” He says, grabbing the laser tag gun, and I bloom underneath his praise. The lights start flashing as the countdown begins.
“You ready?” I ask, getting in position and raising my gun.
“You bet your ass I am.”
The buzzer sounds, announcing the game has begun. The doors open wide, and we run at full speed into a maze of obstacles as all hell breaks loose.
Shrieks from the girls rain down on us as lights flicker all around.
“Up here!” I direct, knowing the layout by heart. He follows closely behind, shielding my back from an oncoming attack. The sound of automated gunfire echoes in the enclosed space, and my face breaks out with a wide smile. I fucking love this shit.
The adrenaline. The rush.Not knowing what happens next.
I aim at some of the girls below and light them up before they even have a chance to take cover.
“They’re up there!” The girls scream. We duck just in time to avoid their fire.
“Follow me,” I say, grabbing him by the vest.
We find an alcove and crouch down, waiting for the girls to make their way up to us. We can see them clearly from where we are, and I take a moment to look at Max.
He’s staring at me, head tilted, and eyes crinkled like he’s smiling under that mask of his. It feels almost like he’s admiring me. We crouch down together in the dark, inches away from each other. Hiding from the incoming attack.
“You are a fucking surprise, Julia.”
“Is that a good thing?”
