The MC’s Little Brother (Bikers and Babies #3)

Chapter 21

21

Melissa

Y ou’d think with a game that was technically made for kids, it wouldn’t be such a workout. But by the end of the first game, I was sweating. It took work to keep the attention on me and away from Xander. I didn’t really care if Wraith got hit, because it was for fun and he needed to loosen up, but I could tell Xander was nervous. I wanted to give him a chance to enjoy it. So I ran all out and made noise so the guys would keep coming for me and stay away from him. It was actually really fun, and everyone was smiling by the end of it.

We lost the first round, which wasn’t totally surprising. Xander was too nervous to go off on his own at first. He stuck like glue to Wraith. And since that was what I’d hoped for, I didn’t push for him to get out on his own. The second round, though, he started moving a little farther away from his brother, warming up to the guys’ teasing taunts and goofy antics. Whenever we passed each other, he gave me a high five, and he had a bright smile on his face.

“Oh, come on! How the hell is he doing that?” Rooster shouted over the loud music in the arena.

“Where even is he?” Circus demanded .

A noise made me spin around, but I relaxed when Xander popped up behind me, his face all red and sweaty. I was glad it wasn’t just me.

“Who are they talking about?” I whispered.

He pointed toward the top floor. “Mattias. He really is like a wraith. He keeps shooting them when they can’t see him.”

I snorted, leaning my head around the corner of the obstacle we were hiding behind to get a good look. I couldn’t see where Wraith was hiding, but I did see Vegas creeping through the obstacles, only to be shot by an unknown enemy. It wasn’t me and Xander, that was for sure.

The booming voice alerted us all that we were in the last minute of the round, so I turned back to Xander with a grin. “They’re all gonna look for him now. Let’s split up and come at them from both sides, okay?”

He nodded, a big grin on his face. It was exactly what I’d hoped for, and I was so glad he was having fun. He ducked away, staying low and out of sight. He was smaller than the rest of us, so it was easier for him to hide.

I gave him enough time to get in position before pushing to my feet and tiptoeing out of my hiding place. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw another flashing red vest near the opposite wall. We moved together, taking out the guys from both sides, until the buzzer sounded and the lights brightened to indicate the end of the round.

Xander jogged over to join me, giving me another high five when he got close. We headed out of the door to meet up with the others, and I smiled to myself when I saw the score with us as the winners.

Rooster bemoaned his loss, his head dropped back dramatically. “It wasn’t a fair match! You can’t have Wraith and little Wraith on the same team. That’s cheating.”

“Not to mention energizer bunny over here,” Vegas said, giving my shoulder a friendly bump. “Seriously, you’d pop up one spot, then be on the other end of the room a second later. I could’ve sworn you were teleporting or something.”

Wraith stood quietly, watching the discussion. He didn’t look nearly as sweaty as the rest of us, but his eyes were softer than normal, and he gave Xander a supportive shoulder squeeze when he wandered closer.

“Okay, I vote next round that little Wraith is on my team,” Rooster demanded. “He’s like a ghost and there’s no way we can lose. ”

“Ooh me too!” Circus shouted, throwing his hand into the air like a kid in school.

I made a face. “No way. You can’t steal Xander from us. Take the loss like adults and deal with the fact that our team is better than yours.”

When I looked over my shoulder to Wraith for backup, he nodded, crossing his arms in that way that intimidated most of the crew. “He’s my little brother. He stays on my team.”

Since we all had time to cool down, I didn't think the flush on Xander’s cheeks had anything to do with him being overheated. I nudged him playfully, loving the shy smile on his face. He wasn’t used to people fighting over him, and I hoped it made him feel wanted.

“Oh, come on! That’s not fair!” Circus argued.

“Why not let him choose?” Vegas suggested. “Hey, little Wraith. If you pick my team, I’ll buy you dinner.”

I swung around with a gasp. “No bribes! That’s cheating!”

Xander laughed, shaking his head as the guys shouted out bribes that got more and more ridiculous. When Rooster offered to give him a motorcycle, Xander immediately stepped up beside him.

“He wins.”

Rooster did a fist pump, shouting a smug “Yes!” He pointed at Wraith. “You’re going down.”

I sidestepped, so I was standing next to Xander. “You can’t steal my bestie away from me. We come as a pair.”

Rooster didn't seem to care. He offered me his fist to bump. “Pleasure to have you on my team, little sister. Let’s show these losers how it's done.”

“Oh, you’re gonna get it for that,” Vegas growled. “We’ll take you down easily.”

“We’ll see about that,” I crowed.

We had to trade vests to be on different teams, and Xander looked a little nervous as we headed back in. I nudged him, tipping my head to get him to follow me. Once we were at a good place to hide, I lifted my eyebrows and waited.

He grimaced. “I… don’t want to shoot Mattias.”

Aw. I would definitely say the game was a success if he was feeling that loyal towards Wraith. I patted his arm reassuringly .

“That’s fine. You go after Circus. I’ll tell Rooster to go for Vegas. I’ll go after your brother.”

He seemed more comfortable with that, and after I sent him off, I went looking for Wraith on the second floor. I knew he’d be up here, he was always looking for the best vantage point to start off. He’d only move once he was discovered.

“Wraith?” I whispered harshly. I didn't need the idiots downstairs to think we were fraternizing with the enemy. I just needed to share Xander’s feelings on the matter.

“What’s wrong?”

He popped up behind me, making me jump a foot into the air with a yelp. I swung around, glaring at him. “Do you have to do that?”

He gave me a bland look, but didn’t respond. I shook off the surprise, gesturing him out of the way so none of the others would see us. Once we were alone, I relayed what Xander told me and the plan we came up with.

He nodded. “I can do that. I’ll steer clear of him. I planned on it anyway. I didn't want to sneak up on him in the dark. We both look too much like Jorge. I didn’t want to freak him out.”

I hadn’t considered that when I chose this game, but he had a point. Especially in the dark, that might trigger Xander.

“I’m glad you thought of that. I’ll tell Rooster we’re going one on one to make things interesting. It’ll be you against me. Think you can handle it?”

A smirk pulled at his mouth and he leaned closer, his low grumbling voice giving me goosebumps as he spoke. “I won’t go easy on you. Better watch your back.”

I honestly couldn’t decide which thread to follow and I didn't really have the time. I had to book it to find Rooster and tell him the plan.

The lights flickered, and I ducked behind an obstacle, trying to get my head in the game. It was hard when Wraith’s words kept flitting around in my head. It almost sounded like he was flirting with me. Which wasn’t possible. Right?

The lights dimmed as the game began and I ducked down low, peeking around my cover to scan the area. Finding Wraith would be hard, since he was good at popping up out of nowhere. It would be easier to let him come to me and keep my guard up. But I wasn’t going to be a sitting duck either. I was more of a face the problem head on kind of person. So, after making sure he wasn’t camping above my head, I ducked out of my hiding space and ran, dodging out of the way when Rooster nearly collided with me as he tried to get away from Vegas.

My vest beeped and went dark, telling me I got hit. I swung around, looking for the culprit, but I couldn’t see him. I ducked out of sight again, peeking around the half wall. There was only one way over to this spot, and if he wanted to get close, he had to come into view.

I grinned when I saw the shadow just on the edge of my view. If he didn’t have flashing colors attached to him, it’d be impossible to see him. I took aim, waiting for him to prowl closer, and pulled the trigger. His vest went dark, and I cackled, taking off in another direction.

We went back and forth for a while, but eventually I pulled ahead by one. I knew him well, and he was too serious to change how he played to get an advantage over me. I watched the walls, knowing he wouldn’t come straight down the middle if he didn’t have to. Any time I saw a flash of red, I fired and heard him curse as I took off again.

I was running out of steam by the time the final minute warning called out over the speakers. Laser tag was fun, but required a ton of energy. I found a corner to hide in, giving myself a second to catch my breath. Next time I was suggesting something more low key. Like a half marathon. That’d require less energy than this.

“Caught you.”

Whipping my head up, I tried to raise my plastic weapon, but Wraith grabbed it, pushing it aside with a smirk. He pointed his at my chest, his grin playful. I swore a swarm of butterflies dumped into my belly.

“Any last words?”

“Hit me with your best shot,” I tossed out, because I really didn’t know what else to say. My mind seemed locked on our close proximity and the fact that we were alone in a dark corner. My gaze dropped to his mouth automatically and my stomach clenched when his smirk grew into a teasing grin. The sounds of the room were muffled, and I could only focus on him.

Right before he could pull the trigger, his vest went dark. Then the buzzer went off, and the lights flickered brighter, signaling the end of the game. He looked down and then turned, both of us gaping at the figure behind him.

“Uh… I thought you were Circus?” Xander lied, a shit-eating grin on his face.

I held my breath, hoping whatever Wraith had to say wouldn’t accidentally scare the kid. But Wraith seemed conscious of himself because he only huffed out a laugh and shook his head.

“Cheater.”

He stepped back, putting more space between us, and I felt cold for just a second before I pulled myself together. Strange energy aside, nothing happened. And nothing ever would. I needed to remember that.