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There’s nothing we can do. We’re trapped. Cornered. Sitting ducks.
Liam looks at me and smiles as he gets murdered over and over.
“You got killed because of me,” I say.
“Youkill me,” he says softly, running the back of his calloused hand softly over my jawline. I’m not sure if it’s his words or his touch that send a bigger jolt of electricity through me. He pushes a stray lock of hair behind my ear tenderly, and I look up into that gorgeous face. Trace my eyes over the stubble and scar and eyelashes and mussed up hair.
“AndI’mgonna kill Luke for interrupting that.”
He grins. “That’s the spirit. On three?”
I peek around Liam and see that I’m currently concealed from Luke. The perfect sneak attack.
“One, two…” I count.
“Three!” Liam finishes as he darts sideways, moving his body away from mine and offering me the perfect kill shot.
“Gotcha!” I cackle as I shoot repeatedly at Luke, who whirls in horror to try and take me down.
Bursts of light explode all around me.
Fireworks.
33
LIAM
“Good game, Jacobs.” I give Annie a nod as we exit the arena, then turn to acknowledge the rest of my team.
We’re a motley crew after that insane death match. Luke is positively drowning in sweat—the man looks like he went for a swim fully-clothed. Todd is taking hit after hit of his inhaler, stopping between each one to let out a wheeze. Vanessa’s broken a strap on her shoe, and I’m pretty sure Barb is half-drunk after smuggling in a hip flask.
But Annie?
She’s glowing. And looking at her makes me glow, too, because I’m pretty damn sure I know what’s making her smile that secret little smile she keeps sharing with the floor.
What happened in there was… hot. Like, crazy hot.
I’m a tangled mess of thoughts that involve full lips and shaky breath and soft skin.
I need to get her alone. Like, now.
“We lost by a million points.” Annie raises her eyebrows at me, then bites that lip I can’t stop thinking about. “But I will say that it was very… eventful.”
“Not quite eventful enough, I’d say.”
She flushes prettily, then attempts to unbuckle her harness. A futile attempt. Her damp, messy hair tangles in one of the clasps, and it’s so hilariously predictable that I laugh. She looks helpless, like a turtle on its back. “Need a hand?”
“Please.”
I step towards her and gently take a lock of her hair between my fingers, trying to be as delicate as I can as I unfurl it from the clasp.
“How are you getting home tonight?” I ask quietly, trying to distract myself from how close we are. I remind myself sternly that everyone can see us.
Act normal, Liam. Or, as normal as possible.
Annie bites her lip and gives me a look that’s so loaded, it’s all I can do not to just grab her and kiss her. “Um,” she says. “Well, I wasgoingto ask Barb.”
Going,past tense.
