Page 84 of Obsessed in Blood
“I wasn’t part of the drill,” Sergi muttered and pushed my legs off him as he jumped up.
Devon laughed. “You were in the marked zone. Cressa might not have noted that when her grasp on the rope broke, but Ginger, as weak as she’d become after all the climbing, had the presence of mind to stay focused, even when exhausted.” He put out a hand to Ginger, which she gladly took.
I growled as I got to my hands and knees, and after several long breaths, managed to stand, though my legs trembled. I’d started the drills an hour before Ginger, but I had to give her credit. She kicked our asses but still bumped her fist into mine. I managed to take down Sergi, so it was a team effort.
Sergi scowled. “Humans are unpredictable.”
“Especially women,” Simone added, her smile not diminishing in the slightest.
“This shouldn’t be news to you, but let’s hope Lorenzo’s vampires have the same blind spot.” Devon tossed towels and bottles of water to us. “You have an hour to clean up and rest. Then back to the conference room to review the plan.”
Ginger moaned. “Again? I’d almost prefer another drill.”
Devon’s brow raised, and he glanced at Simone.
Ginger raised her hand. “Don’t even think about it. It will take me most of the hour to climb the stairs.”
I put an arm around her shoulder. “Let’s go to the pool. We can shower there then jump into the hot tub for a few minutes.”
I dragged her away, each of us a support for the other. “We need to get out of here before they think of some other form of torture.”
The vamps laughed, even Sergi. We waited until we moved into the hall before our grins came out, and we fist-bumped again.
“I can’t believe I’m still standing. How long have we been at it?”
I glanced out the windows as we shuffled into the pool room. “It’s close to sunset.”
Ginger’s head popped up. “We’ve been at it for what, almost four hours? No wonder I feel like my bones melted.”
We took turns in the shower, then spent fifteen minutes in the hot tub before another quick shower. We went back to our rooms to dress for dinner. I waited ten minutes before giving up on a nap and, feeling restless, left my room. Ginger was already a few steps ahead of me.
“Hey, wait up.” I hurried to her, and we walked down the stairs, opting for a celebratory glass of wine in the library. Surviving a four-hour training session with vamps and still being able to walk around and crow about it was worthy of a whole bottle.
We had just poured the last of the bottle into our glasses when Simone sauntered in.
“I’m glad some of you have time to relax.” Her tone suggested otherwise.
“Don’t blame us. We’d be happy to assist if someone gave us a task. But my only worth seems to be drop-dead drills and practicing constructs with Colantha.” I should have let it go, but I was suddenly in the mood to test buttons. “It’s not our fault you’re a workaholic.”
She stared at me, and Ginger kicked me without the convenience of having a table to hide it. Subtle it wasn’t, and Simone caught the gesture.
I ran my hands through my hair then lifted the empty bottle of wine. “Sorry. I’d pour you a glass if we weren’t already drinking the last of it.”
She dropped into a nearby chair and smoothed her peach-colored caftan. “Everyone has been showing signs of stress. It’s fortunate I’m able to maintain my normal mood.”
I held back a snort and sneaked a glance at Ginger, who suddenly needed to examine her scarf for signs of who knew what. But when I thought about it, Simone was right. Sergi and Lucas had been short-tempered. It had been a shock to hear Sergi laugh after our last drill. Even Devon seemed to have difficulty keeping his emotions in check.
I took a gulp of wine. “We need to release this build-up of stress.”
“The Wolf is coming in a couple of days, right?” Ginger asked.
Simone nodded.
“Let’s make it a social gathering. Drinks before dinner then some entertainment after. Devon has a huge gaming room with a pool table, darts, and all kinds of things. We can make it seem more like a pub.” She sat up, pulling her legs underneath her. “Devon and The Wolf can do their private business, and the rest of us can blow off steam.”
Simone gave us a smile that made me shiver. “One thing I know to be true. I’ve never seen a shifter pass up a game of pool.”
ChapterTwenty-Nine
