Page 61 of Road to Redemption

“Fuck you.” Rolling my eyes, I turned my attention back to Leo who had vaulted the barricade and grabbed a handful of ping-pong balls.

“You first, darlin’.” Leo winked.

I took a deep breath before launching a ball toward the center of the table. The ball bounced off the rim of a few before settling between four bowls.

Leo’s voice was low and gentle as she moved behind me. “Pick a bowl and visualize the ball going inside.”

It was an old trick, one my dad had taught me but I often forgot to try. Maybe it would work, just this once.

Closing my eyes, I picked the first bowl that I saw when they opened. Before doubt could creep into my mind, I flicked my wrist and released the ping pong ball toward it. Tapping the rim, the white sphere bounced along the rim before settling inside and plunking into the water.

“Yes!” I cheered, Spencer jumping up with excitement with me.

With a huge smile, Leo stepped up to the barricade with a few ping-pong balls. She shot two off, both missing the bowls.

But as she pulled in a deep breath, I knew she was trying to win.

Just as she released the ball from her grip, Spencer yelped to distract her.

“Fucker!” Leo roared as her ball bounced off the table. Reaching her long arms out, she grabbed the fabric of Spencer’s muscle tee. But Spence was quick on her feet and just slipped from Leo’s grasp.

“Nice try.” Spencer winked.

But then I spotted the game I really wanted to play. The High Striker.

A tower of numbers and goofy slogans. At the very top, a rusty old bell rested — just waiting to be tapped.

Walking over, my eyes searched for the hammer that would certainly accompany it.

Leo and Spencer immediately went to work looking for it. The two of them were moving through brush hunting for it. Nearby, Lady trounced through the park, investigating every corner she could find and enjoying the sniffies.

“Last game.” Dom called out, still leaned against the other tent.

I didn’t see what the problem would be, the sun was going down but it would be a while before it was dark.

“Got something.” Spencer stood up and held a small mallet in her hand. It wasn’t the kind intended for the game, far smaller and meant for hammering tent clamps into the ground. For our purposes, it would do just fine.

“Quite the challenge.” Leo looked up at the tower and then back down to the small mallet in Spencer’s hand.

With a wink, Spencer shrugged. “Not up for it?”

“Not what I said.” Annoyed by the challenge, Leo stepped up to the High Striker. “Do you mind, Princess?”

I shook my head, wanting to see her technique before blowing them away with my own.

From behind us, I saw Dom shake her head.

There’s no way she remembers this. Right?

Shaking out her shoulders, Leo’s face turned to a scowl as she lifted the hammer and smacked it down on the rubber block at the base of the tower.

The puck shot into the air, but fell a foot shy of the bell.

Spencer winced. “Ooh, tough luck. Doctor, not a soldier, right?”

Her cockiness was unbelievably hot, and so was the competitive fire building in Leo’s eyes. If I thought my body could handle any more of them, I might have let them have me right there.

Grabbing the mallet from Leo’s hands, Spencer stepped up to the strongman tower and cracked her neck. “Watch and learn.”