Page 8 of Bratva's Vow
CHAPTER THREE
WREN
The moment we stepped inside TagX, I forgot how reluctant Maxim had looked moments before. The place was a neon fever dream. Dark walls pulsing with streaks of blue and magenta light, upbeat music pumping through ceiling-mounted speakers, and black light-reactive murals of armored warriors battling on alien terrain lining every surface. It was part nightclub, part battlefield, and somehow exactly what I didn’t know I needed.
“Whoa.” I took it all in. “Okay, this is actually kind of amazing.”
“Told you it’d be awesome.” Jess sounded smug, even though she was as new at laser tag as I was. I knew for sure she hadn’t known what to expect either.
A tall brunette in a sleek black-and-silver uniform greeted us at the counter with a glossy smile. “Welcome to TagX! You guys have a private session booked for six, yeah?”
“Yes, that’s us.” Jess stepped forward, retrieving her booking confirmation from her phone.
“I’m Casey, and I’ll be leading your briefing today.” She looked us over, her eyes lingering on Maxim a second too long, so I sidled closer to him. He chuckled and placed an arm around my waist.
“I’m Jess,” she said brightly, slipping her phone back into her pocket. “These two hunks behind me—Nik and Darius—are mine. Yes, both of them. No, you can’t have either of them. And no, it’s not confusing so don’t overthink it and make it weird.”
Casey blinked, caught somewhere between intrigued and terrified.
I poked Jess in the side. “Don’t think anyone asked you about the kinky details of your life.”
“But don’t you just love how she owns us without apology?” Nik was grinning from ear to ear. Even Darius’s lips were twitching while Sergei rolled his eyes.
Jess turned slightly, flashing her megawatt smile. “This moody snack with a scowl? That’s Sergei. Don’t worry. He only bites if you deserve it. But I have a feeling his bites are good, and he’s totes available, so shoot your shot, sweetie.”
“Please don’t,” Sergei groaned. “I’m only here because Maxim threatened he’d fire me otherwise.”
I gasped. “Maxim, you didn’t.”
He shrugged. “It’s your fault. You told me to convince him to tag along. You’re welcome.”
“And those two lovebirds”—Jess nodded toward me and Maxim—“are Maxim and Wren. They’re the vanilla of the group.”
“We’re not vanilla!” I cried. Where the hell did she come up with this kind of stuff?
“Just kidding, love, but thanks for confirming Maxim has turned you out.”
“Nik, Darius, control your woman,” I growled.
Nik, laughing, pulled Jess back between him and Darius while Casey grinned hard.
“I can tell you guys are going to be a fun bunch,” she said. “Let’s get you all geared up.”
As we followed her through the lobby, I leaned in toward Jess. “Trust you to be the only one who can do a full PowerPoint presentation from thin air.”
“It’s a gift, baby.” She winked. “Darius says I have a way with my mouth.”
I shook my head. “Oh, I bet he did.”
We were led into a low-lit prep room with metallic walls and rows of lockers. A giant flatscreen displayed a looping video of players ducking, diving, and lighting each other up with laser fire. In the corner stood two long racks of futuristic-looking vests and laser rifles.
Casey motioned us over. “All right, this is your base. You’ll be playing three rounds in total—Team Elara versus Team Orion. Your gear will light up in your team color. This button on the chest plate reactivates your shield after you get hit, and the trigger here”—she picked up one of the matte black rifles and pointed toward the grip—“fires your laser. Please aim for the vests only. No headshots, and absolutely no physical contact.”
As she went on about rules, zones, and emergency procedures, I was more focused on the equipment than anything else. The vests were heavy but well fitted, the guns surprisingly sturdy. Mine lit up a pulsing cobalt blue when I fastened it. Maxim’s matched mine, and Sergei’s blinked to life a second later with the same icy hue.
“Wow, I’ve never held a gun,” I said. “This absolutely counts, doesn’t it?”
“Sure it does,” Maxim said, his voice tinged with humor. “You’ve never played laser tag?”
