Page 48 of Her Paramedic (Men in Uniforms #3)

S late was talking to Matteo about a position he was thinking of applying for when something cold flew and hit him on the side of the neck. It only took a second for him to realize it was ice. He cut his eyes at Journee, who’d been trying to break it up in the cooler.

“I’m sorry,” she stated.

He hummed in acknowledgment as he picked up a plastic cup and scooped ice out of the cooler. Journee realized his intentions, and she backed away as he advanced on her.

“Slate, stop. It was an accident,” she tried.

He knew it was, but he wouldn’t miss the opportunity for a little retaliation and to tease her.

After all, she had said at the hospital, she didn’t know that having big brothers would be annoying.

It was only right for him to live up to that statement now and then.

Journee turned to run, but Slate was quicker, grabbing her and dumping the cup of ice down her back, drawing a squeal from her while the surrounding few laughed.

“Ugh! You’re so annoying,” she told him, pouting as she grabbed the back of her shirt and pulled it a few times to allow the ice to fall out. “I hope Talia doesn’t give you any tonight.”

“Hey, whoa. Why would you wish that on me? I thought I was your favorite big brother,” Slate countered.

“I changed my mind,” she replied as she walked over to his cousin. “It’s Axel.”

Slate chuckled as arms wrapped around his waist. “Mm, she might have a point. I should punish you by not giving you any,” Talia said.

“You can try,” he responded. “But we both know you won’t succeed, and then I might have to be mean to you tonight.” Slate turned around, and she placed her chin on his chest, looking up at him.

“We both know I like that,” she responded. He smirked, leaning down to kiss her. “When are you all starting your tournament?”

“We’ll start soon.” He wrapped his arms around her. “Do I get a prize if I win?”

Talia raised a brow at him. “Why would I give you a prize? I’m not the one who put the contest together.” She smirked at him.

Slate chuckled. “And you call me mean.”

“Talia,” Alivia said, walking up. “You want to play the bean bag toss with me?”

“Sure,” his girlfriend responded, and Slate released her. The two headed towards where they’d set the game up, and he returned to Matteo, picking up their conversation.

“When you apply, how long before you hear something?” Slate asked.

“It could be a long process. The applicant pool will be steep, but if I don’t get it, there will be other opportunities. I might have to relocate for them, but I’m not opposed to that.”

“Okay, I have the cards,” Zuri announced, and Slate turned his attention to her.

“There are seven face cards. Ace already has, well, the ace of spades since he was the individual champion a couple of years ago. Whoever pulls the other ace will go up against him, and the winner from that match will go up against the winner from the rest of the tournament.”

He and Matteo walked over and, once all eight of them had a card, they showed each other.

He’d drawn the king of spades while Matteo had drawn the king of clubs.

Killian pulled the ace of clubs, which meant he and Ace were up first. Axel and Gram pulled the jacks, and Maximus and Jax pulled the queens.

Everyone gathered around as Killian and Ace went to the center, where Gram had drawn a box in chalk spray. They picked up the rope before turning to the crowd.

“We need a referee,” Ace informed.

“I’ll do it,” Journee volunteered.

“Ain’t no fucking way,” Ace protested, shaking his head. “You can’t ref a match your boyfriend is in. As a matter of fact, you can’t referee at all. Kaydence and Talia, you can’t either.”

His girlfriend made an offended sound as she leaned into his side. Slate draped his arm over her shoulders and refrained from chuckling.

“I’m offended that you think I’d cheat,” Journee replied. “But whatever.”

“I got it,” Aryah volunteered, walking over to the two men. “Are you ready?” They both nodded. She clapped her hands together and yelled, “Go!”

Slate watched as they both pulled, the flag attached to the rope not moving an inch. After a moment, he watched Killian dig his feet in, slacken his grip on the rope momentarily, reaffirm it, and give a hard tug. It pulled the flag to his side, and Ace followed shortly after.

“I should have known you were going to pull that bullshit,” Ace said.

“Knowing still wouldn’t have helped you,” Killian responded while Axel and Gram took their spots.

Axel won the match between him and Gram. Jax won the match between him and Maximus, and Slate knew he’d gloat about it to Maximus for at least a week, since the older man had beaten him last time they’d gone head to head.

Slate pulled on his gloves before going to the rope.

Aryah called for them to go, and he and Matteo pulled.

The flag moved back and forth within the box, but it never came out on the other side.

He readjusted his hands and gave it one hard pull, bringing the flag to his side and coming out the winner.

Once the rest of the matches were done, it came down to him and Killian. Slate was aware that his cousin liked to pull little tricks.

“That shit you pulled with Ace isn’t going to work on me,” Slate told him with a smirk.

“Simmer down, little cousin. I don’t need it to.”

Slate narrowed his eyes at Killian. The other man was barely two years older than him, but he knew Killian had only said it to annoy him.

Aryah called for them to go, and the flag barely moved back and forth.

For a moment, it didn’t seem like it would do much more than that.

Their match was dragging on longer than the others had.

Killian twisted his wrist in the rope as he centered his weight, and Slate should have seen it coming.

“Fuck,” Slate cursed, as his cousin pulled quick and hard, the flag moving over to his side.

“Better luck next year,” Killian stated, and Slate rolled his eyes, going back to Talia.

They went through their sibling matches, and the oldest four against the youngest four. Slate was sitting in a chair with Talia on his lap as she checked the scar on his arm to make sure he hadn’t strained it. The wound had healed up nicely, and the scarring was fading.

“Do you ladies want to go? Or we could do men versus women.” Maximus said.

“Absolutely not,” Talia replied at the same time Journee said, “No, thank you,” and Kaydence responded, “I’ll pass.”

Slate chuckled. He was positive with the way he threw her around in the bedroom that she wouldn’t, but he would have let her win. He was sure they all would have. Talia pinched him, and he raised a brow at her.

“I know what you’re thinking and don’t laugh at me for self-preservation.”

“I’m not, baby. I think it’s cute that you know your limits.” He placed his lips next to her ear. “It’s even cuter when you let me push them.” He kissed her neck, and Talia laced their fingers together.

Slate missed whatever had happened around him, but when he looked up, he found Alivia was on one side of the rope.

“I’ll go first,” she announced. “Who wants to go against me? Want to take your shot?” she asked, her eyes shifting to Journee, and Slate refrained from snorting. It seemed Alivia had an unyielding need to push people’s buttons.

“I will,” Nova volunteered.

It didn’t last long. Maximus signaled for them to go, and Nova yanked the rope, immediately pulling the flag to her side. Alivia protested, claiming she hadn’t been ready. They went again. She still lost, and Slate couldn’t help the snort that escaped him.

S late was coming down the hall an hour later to grab more paper towels when he found Alivia in the kitchen.

She was leaning against the counter, arms crossed, waiting.

Considering, to his knowledge, they were the only two in the house; he assumed she was waiting on him.

How she knew he would come into the house was beyond him.

“I appreciate you like Talia, and you treat her right,” Alivia stated, apparently wanting to get down to business. “What I don’t appreciate is you coming between plans that we make because you want her to stay with you instead.”

Slate raised a brow. “What are you talking about?”

“A couple of weeks ago, we were supposed to have dinner. She stood me up to stay with you.”

Slate refrained from rolling his eyes because she was talking about the weekend of the fire and he’d gotten hurt.

He hadn’t asked Talia to stay with him; she’d volunteered, and he knew from asking Talia as they’d eaten that she’d called and texted Alivia to ask for a raincheck.

Either his girlfriend hadn’t told Alivia what happened, or she had, and Alivia still felt like it was his fault.

“She’s allowed to spend time with someone other than you.”

“I never said she wasn’t,” Slate responded. “And you’re wrong. I don’t like Talia. I love her, and I don’t just treat her right, I treat her the way she deserves.”

Alivia narrowed her eyes. “Whatever you say. As long as she’s happy, I have no reason to dislike you.” Slate got the unspoken, but I don’t like you . “Respect the boundaries of the time we spend together, and it’ll stay that way.”

“Alivia,” Talia’s admonishing voice cut through the room, and they turned to find her standing in the entry to the kitchen. The women stared at each other before Talia turned to him. “Babe, will you give us a minute?”

“Of course, baby.” Slate grabbed the paper towels and exited the kitchen, kissing Talia’s temple on his way out.

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