Page 21

CHAPTER 21

WILLOW

EASILY MANHANDLED

After the first card game, which I won, I surprised myself when I realized an hour passed without me retreating to my headphones. It wasn’t a bad time. Years of going through shouting card games with my family sharpened me to kick some smug Adam ass.

Maybe I wasn’t part of the cult, but I didn’t dislike hanging out with them.

Especially with Lawson being gone. Then I could pretend like I was spending time with some classmates.

Another hour passed and I folded. My headphones were calling my name, and I had a book on guitar chord theory to pass the time until we drove into Riltier's Point, Texas. The place outside of any long-standing civilization. No phone service whatsoever.

"Have fun!" I waved, putting my headphones back in.

King's hand stopped me.

I pointed towards my seat. "I’m staying right here."

He shook his head.

"Yes. I am."

"No, you’re not. They’ll ask for photos." He shifted his weight, watching me. "Leave your glasses. You’ll need protective gear."

Protective gear?

When I heard about paintball, I was thinking about chasing each other in cute white jackets, throwing paint, a great nineties soundtrack in the background, the iconic classic Ten Things I Hate About You. Not military-grade paintball where we had to sign literal waivers not to sue for bodily harm.

King pressed a firm hand to my back and led me through the crowd of football players and their girlfriends, towards huge tubs where people fished out goggles, tactical gear, and knee pads.

"What the hell?" I whispered.

King pulled out camo crap, all way too small for him.

"No, no, no—" I backed away. "There’s no way I’m putting that on."

He didn't give a shit.

King grabbed my arm and zippered, tied, and buckled me into every layer that could possibly exist. I could barely breathe while he touched me but at least he was quick about it. In minutes, I was fifteen pounds heavier and so irritated, smoke could’ve unfurled from my ears.

He held up the helmet-goggle combination that was supposed to wrap around the back of someone’s head.

"That’s not going to fit over my braids," I snapped.

All he did was gaze at me with a ‘ figure it out ’ stare.

Muttering, I hurried to grab a bandana amidst the sea of football players and smoothed down my hair. I wanted to put the goggles on myself but apparently, I couldn’t be trusted with that either. He slipped it over me, clasping it in the back.

King wouldn’t fuck me, but he easily manhandled me in front of his teammates.

What.

The.

Hell?

My voice was muffled. "I’m pissed off!"

"You’re wearing protective gear," he insisted and fished out a gun that made me nervous just looking at it. If I hit someone over the head with it, they wouldn’t be getting up any time soon. He pushed it into my arms and nodded, like any of this made sense. Like I belonged on a paintball field.

For the life of me, I couldn’t understand him. First, he was totally into me, and then he dropped me, and ignored me, and now this? He was literally hovering, tightening the straps on my shoulders, like if I stepped five inches away from him, he would’ve combusted on the spot.

"Why are you doing all of this?" I finally demanded, my voice stifled through the helmet.

"I need to keep an eye on you."

"I don’t care what Lawson told you?—"

"Willow."

"Just stop ."

"You’re not going to get hurt."

I gestured to his teammates, twirling the paintball guns, laughing loudly as they snapped photos together. "Take a look at what I’m up against! The bus would’ve been safer!"

"Capture the flag!" Ryan roared and I jumped, turning back with the crowd as the captain stood up on a boulder, taking his place over everyone. "Whatever bus you drove with, that’s your team. Did everyone sign waivers?"

Cheers met him and I shrunk back.

What the fuck did I sign up for?

"We still have to train together so I better not see anyone fucking around with these," Ryan said, lifting his paintball gun. "If I catch you doing dumb shit, I’ll have you lifting weights until you throw up blood."

It was nice of him to try to lighten the intense mood.

Except everyone stayed silent.

Ryan took ten minutes to explain the rules and I found my new objective.

While everyone else stopped, dropped, and rolled around five acres of open fields, tunnels, and mazes—why they had those, I had no idea—I needed to get shot three times, as per the rules, and take my happy ass back to the bus. Then I’d wait out the remainder of the paintball game with my headphones and a tranquil peace of mind.

Everyone else looked only too happy to hoist up a gun. Even Kassie grabbed one.

" You’re doing this?"

She grinned. "Hell no. I’m hanging back with Pipes and working defense."

"Well, I’m on no-fense. The moment that whistle blows, I’m running into enemy territory, and getting a one-way ticket back to the bus."

"No, you’re not," King retorted. "You’re coming with me."

Ryan raised an eyebrow. "You and Willow are on offense?"

"Uh—I have no idea what he’s talking about," I said.

"Shows," King said easily. " Bars. "

What the fuck?

While Ryan pulled Kassie aside to talk about something, I got into King’s space, in disbelief over this man casually threatening me. "That’s blackmail."

King grunted. Because he didn’t care.

"I can’t shoot a gun," I snapped.

"You’re staying with me so I can make sure you stay safe. If anybody thinks of aiming a gun at you, I’m putting them out of the game."

"You can’t?—"

"How badly do you want Jade the Architect to stay a secret? You want them to find out today?" He dipped down, cutting the distance between us. "You really think they’re going to let their underage daughter go to bars every night?"

I blanched. "What the fuck is your problem?"

"If you do this, I won’t threaten it again," he vowed. "But you’re coming with me. That’s final."

Never would I have ever pegged Tattoos as someone who could do something as cruel as this and I openly gaped at King, shocked beyond words. I didn’t have a choice. He was going to push and shove me towards paintball and there was nothing I could do about it.

"You’re an asshole ."

King just motioned me along.

We weren’t the only ones on our trek. While Piper and Adam came to play defense, Kassie and Ryan changed plans. I shot her a quizzical look, but she shrugged. "Ryan and I have a side bet going on. Guess I’m on offense now."

"What about the zoo?" Ryan came up beside me. "Do you like the zoo? Kassie likes the zoo."

" Ryan, " she chided him, pushing him away. "Sorry about him."

My gaze landed on their silent mutual friend, blackmailing me into the Texan wilderness.

If she wanted to apologize, she should’ve apologized for King.