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“Me neither,” Rose agrees.
They both have their backs to me, wearing only their bikini bottoms and running shoes with their guns pointed straight ahead, scanning the field in front of them.
“You guys look like X-rated Charlie’s Angels,” I say, grinning.
“Hell, yeah!”Tessa agrees without turning around.“And there are three of them, so that means you’re one too.We’re the badass trio.All for one and one for all.Wait, that’s the Three Musketeers.Dammit if this vibrator isn’t getting me so turned on that that stick is starting to look attractive.”
At that moment, Roman looks over at me and smiles, and I realize with a rush of certainty that I reallydon’twant to leave the games.I want to stay.Not just to damage Anthony’s reputation, although I’m more committed to that goal than ever, but also for me.For the first time in ages, I have friends—real friends, the kind who have your back no matter what.And then there’s Roman, whose unwavering confidence in my strength somehow makes me strong, and who’s uncovered some long-hidden passionate side of me that I never knew existed.Now that I know what all the fuss is about, I don’t want it to end.Not yet.I’m not ready to go back to the shell of a life I had before, to work and numbness and merely surviving without really living.I’m not ready to say good-bye to Roman and the way he smiles at me like we’re the only two people in the world, or the way he pushes me to give him everything I have and then more.Somehow, he’s brought me back to life.He’s made me feel again, and it’s addictive.
“Tessa and Rose, you two fan out a little,” Roman commands, his voice authoritative.“Michael, you cover the back.”
My protectors move away from us, and without looking at me, Roman says tersely, “You may be ready to quit, but I’m not giving up on you yet, Avalon.And I’m sure as hell not letting you go this way.You’re going to have to say it if you want to quit.”
“I don’t want to quit,” I say softly.“I want to stay.”More than I care to admit.
“Then why the hell did you volunteer to be captain?”
Is that what he thought?“I didn’t volunteer to be captain because I don’t want to stay in the games,” I protest.I drop my voice lower so only he can hear me.“I volunteered because Michael threatened to hurt Carly if they got eliminated because she was the captain.I refuse to stand by and see someone victimized.”My voice is steely with resolve.
“Christ, Ava,” he says, his voice a mix of exasperation and admiration.“You are arguably the biggest-hearted girl I’ve ever met, but you’re also the most frustrating.I don’t know what to do with you.”
“You’ve seemed to have some pretty good ideas so far,” I say drily.
He flashes that smile at me again, and I feel a tug of desire in response.
His demeanor changes in an instant.He holds his hand up for silence, and we all freeze, looking around warily.Even though I know it’s just a game, I can feel the hairs standing up on my arms, that pricking awareness of being hunted.
“You’re a good shot,” Roman whispers encouragingly.“Stay calm and take your time.”
Then all hell breaks loose.The other team bursts into the clearing, shooting, and we shoot back.I take Roman’s advice, shutting out the fear and distractions around me and focusing solely on training my gun on Stefan.I fire, and he looks down in shock as the paintball splatters on his shoulder.Yes!Desiree is standing next to him, and although I miss her with my next shot, either Tessa or Rose gets her.There’s another volley of fire, and a sidelong glance reveals that Tessa’s been hit and so has Michael.But not me.And not Roman.We’re still in the games, and we’ve taken out Caleb, Stefan, Desiree, Eva, and Sam, which is half their team.
“Rose, you okay?”Roman shouts.
“Yes, Sir!”Rose yells back cheerfully.“It’s not that Jake’s a bad shot.I’m just indestructible.”
Roman laughs and looks at me.“You okay?”he asks.
I nod.
“All right.We’ve got to assume there are four more of them still in the games, although according to Rebecca, Shawn and Megan are at their base guarding Sabrina.That leaves Karl and Bella still at large.”
The minutes tick by as we survey the field around us.I catch a slight movement out of the corner of my eye and train my gun on the woods.“I think I saw something,” I whisper to Roman.
I see Bella move through the trees, and I fire, hitting her as she raises her gun in my direction.There’s another volley of fire, and then Karl emerges from the woods, a bright blue splat of paint in the middle of his chest.
“Damn, Roman,” he drawls.“You sure you’ve never lived in Texas?”
“Remind me never to duel with you,” Roman says ruefully, and I notice the blue paint smeared across his safety goggles.“We’d both be dead.”
I look at Roman wildly.I need him.I can’t do this by myself.“Looks like it’s down to you and Rose,” he says lightly.“You girls have got this.You’ve only got to hold them off for a couple more minutes, tops.And all that’s left on their team are Shawn and Megan, and that’s assuming none of the rest of our team have shot them, which is unlikely.”
I nod, reassured.He’s right.
Rebecca reappears at our base, slightly out of breath from running, or maybe it’s just the combination of the plug, vibrator, and clamps that’s made her breathless.“Our team was ambushed, and everyone’s down but Emmett.He just took out Shawn, and he’s trying to get a shot at Sabrina now.”
“Good,” I say with relief.It’s got to be almost over.
Megan emerges from the trees where Rebecca just came from, holding her hands up.“I’m out of paint,” she says.Then she lifts her gun and shoots me, right as the air horn sounds.I’m officially out of the games.
