Pops signaled the horn that two more players were eliminated. Seconds later, Anne’s gleeful shrieks were heard from the far end of the woods near the road.
“Son of a bitch!” Bones growled as he punched the air.
“Push-ups, Mr. Bones,” Hattie said while hiding her giggle.
The look on Bones’ face was murderous. Donovan’s wasn’t much happier. The rest of the men, including the men from other teams, grumbled their complaints or kicked at the grass.
Grady was the only one who seemed entertained, grinning at me. “You bet on our arrogance.”
I shrugged. “You guys categorize people by threat level. And we all know Anne’s shooting skills are lacking.”
We’d left Anne in hiding to be our last man standing, covered under a layer of leaves and nets. Her only job was to count the fog horn blasts until they hit the number thirteen. Even if I wouldn’t have eliminated Bones, the rules stated that once a player walked out of the woods, their participation in the competition was over. Our last hope of winning had been if team Alpha forgot about her or miscounted the fog horns and left the woods.
“Nicely done, cousin,” Charlie said as she wrapped an arm around my shoulder.
As Team Alpha and the other teams cussed their way back toward Headquarters, Team Kelsey and family waited for Anne. When she emerged from the woods, she ran to Whiskey, jumped into his open arms, and wrapped her legs around him. She was laughing into the nook of his shoulder. He chuckled and started carrying her to the house as we all followed.
I was in desperate need of a shower and had already decided I was going to skip the singles competition for the Circle of Hell, the fighting machine Carl had built. I was sore and tired from the long weekend. Besides, Donovan, Grady, and Bones had practiced for weeks. One of them deserved to win. Taking the team trophy was more than enough for me.
As we approached the house, Agent Kierson stepped out on the upper balcony.
“Shit,” Charlie muttered beside me.
“Trouble in paradise?”
“I wasn’t built for this relationship crap.”
“Must be in our bloodline. I can’t seem to figure it out either. Even before Grady cheated, the idea of marrying him freaked the crap out of me.”
“You got further than I did. After living together for less than a week, I was contemplating setting him on fire while he slept.”
“Damn.” I laughed as we separated. I walked with everyone else through the basement slider entrance as Charlie turned off to meet Kierson at the bottom of the deck stairs.
“Everything okay?” Hattie asked me. “Agent Kierson looked upset.”
“I don’t think they’re going to make it as a couple.”
“That’s too bad. I’d like to see Charlie settled with someone who makes her happy.”
“Based on the violent thoughts she just shared, Kierson doesn’t have what it takes to make her happy.”
“Mom?” Nicholas interrupted as he slammed into my hip. “Can Sara and I go watch the fighting tournament?”
“Ah, Nick,” I said, wiping the sweat off my forehead with my forearm. “I’m tired, muddy, and smelly. Can’t we sit this one out?”
“Please, Aunt Kelsey?” Sara whined.
“I’ll take them,” Anne said, still grinning ear to ear. “I’ll have Tyler drive us over.”
“I’ll go with them,” Jackson offered. “Tyler can watch them long enough for me to take a shower, then I’ll bodyguard the little monsters.” He ruffled Nicholas’ hair. “I’ll bring them home after the tournament.”
The second I agreed, the kids raced up the stairs in a loud commotion of giggles and laughter, with Anne hurrying after them. Hattie shook her head as she climbed the stairs at a slower pace. Pops walked up behind her, there to catch her if she slipped. She had been sick, but the new medicine she was taking was working its magic.
I looked over at Jackson who stood beside me, smiling. “You’re not competing?”
“Nah. No point. Donovan or Bones will take the trophy, which is how it should be.”
“What about Grady? You don’t think he has a chance of winning?”
Jackson’s face lit with mischief. “I’m still a little pissed at Grady for cheating on you.” He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and steered me toward the stairs. “I shot that paintball straight at his bad shoulder. He’ll be icing it the rest of the night.”
While on a mission in Mexico to save his ex-wife Sebrina, Grady had been shot in the shoulder. The bullet went straight through and didn’t cause any permanent damage. The aftermath of him and his ex-wife reuniting, though, murdered our relationship.
Grady claimed he was faking the relationship to protect the family. Stay close to the enemy and all that. Whether that was true or not, he took things too far when he chose to spend his nights with her in his dorm room.
I looked up at Jackson. “Thanks, brother,” I said as I slugged him in the bicep.
“That’s what family’s for,” he said as he shoved me ahead of him up the stairs.
Chapter Two
CHARLIE
Sunday, 10:02 a.m.
“Why are you here?” I asked as I approached Kierson.
“The better question is, why are you here? You were supposed to come back to Atlanta so we can make this relationship work.” He carefully shifted his suit jacket away from his hips to place his fists there. The move rankled me. I mean, heaven forbid he’d chance being caught in wrinkled clothes, even while off-duty.
“You and me… we don’t work.” I glanced around to be sure everyone had cleared out.
“We just need more time.”
I rubbed a hand
