Chapter 30
If this is what they mean by teambuilding, I’m out.
Addy
“I don’t know about this.”
Gage checks to make sure my gear is fixed properly before kissing my nose. “It’ll be fun.”
Fun? We’re at Glowin’ Galleon to play paintball with his teammates, and I’m dressed in protective gear. Protective gear equals danger. It does not equal fun.
“Your definition of fun is not the same as mine.”
He steps closer and leans over to whisper in my ear. “Pretty sure we both had fun last night.”
I shiver at the promise in his voice. We did have fun. Even though our original plans for last night changed due to my siblings. I never knew how much fun sneaking a boy out of the house could be. I didn’t have time for boys in high school.
I never realized how much I missed out on. I glance up at Gage from beneath my lashes. Or maybe it’s Gage I was missing.
Tanner skips into the staging area. “This place is cool. I’ve never seen a paintball course on a pirate ship before. ”
“How many paintball courses have you seen?” I ask and he shrugs.
He appears perfectly comfortable in his protective gear. I study the other men. They’re perfectly comfortable, too. Whereas my chest protector is inhibiting my ability to breathe. This is a mistake.
“What did you think a galleon was?” Nolan asks him.
“A gold coin.”
I roll my eyes. “This isn’t Harry Potter. Galleons are large sailing ships used primarily by European states from the 15th to the 18th centuries for war and commerce,” I explain. “They were powerful but also vulnerable to pirate attacks due to their large size and slow speed.”
Tanner narrows his eyes at me. “You know an awful lot about ships and pirates. Are you certain you’re not a pirate?”
“Nope. I’m a smuggler. Trust me. There’s a difference. We learn about pirates and smuggling during Prohibition at school. It was mandatory. We also had classes on mermaids and mythical creatures.”
Tanner grins. “Smuggler’s Hideaway is cool. I hope the Seals hold training camp at Coastal State University again next year.”
I smirk. “You hope they hold training camp here, or you hope Alaia will still be living on the island?”
He sniffs. “Alaia and I are just friends.”
Brock grunts. “I’ve seen Nolan study the blitz with less focus than you look at her.”
Nolan holds up his hands. “Leave me out of this.”
“Nolan’s been too busy planning ‘events’ at the resort with Terri.” Tanner winks.
Corbin growls. “Are we doing this paintball, or are you going to gossip all day? I have other things to do today if you’re going to gossip all day.”
“What other things?” Tanner bats his eyelashes at him. “Do tell. Do other things involve a sexy landlady?”
Corbin prowls toward Tanner but Brock drags him out of the way before Corbin can reach him. “Do you want to die today?”
Tanner snorts. “As if Corbin can catch me.”
“He has no sense of self-preservation.”
“Speaking of self-preservation.” Gage hands me a full-face mask.
I cringe. “Do I seriously have to wear a mask?”
“Yep. Non-negotiable.”
The mask covers my eyes, nose, and mouth. “If I pass out from not being able to breathe, it’ll be your fault.”
“Don’t worry, songbird. I’ll resuscitate you.” He waggles his eyebrows.
I slap his chest. “Ow. I forgot you were wearing chest protection.” I shake out my hand.
“I wasn’t planning to but you wouldn’t wear yours unless I wore mine.”
I motion to his teammates. “No one else is wearing chest protection.”
Brock shrugs. “Don’t need it. ”
“He thinks because he’s the biggest, he’ll be safe. What he forgot is, being the biggest also makes him the slowest.” Tanner points at Brock. “I’m coming for you.”
“We’re on the same team, doofus.”
Nolan motions for me and Gage to join him. “Let’s discuss strategy.” He glares at Brock, Tanner, and Corbin until they wander off to the other side of the galleon.
“Strategy?” I gulp. “Why is there strategy? I thought this was a fun outing.”
Gage chuckles. “We’re professional athletes.”
I roll my eyes. “I’m aware.”
“We’re competitive. It’s in our blood.”
“I’m already regretting agreeing to this outing.”
He squeezes my shoulder. “Trust me. It’ll be fun.”
Nolan claps his hands. “All right. Listen up.” He points toward the other end of the galleon where Tanner is laughing like a villain in a low-budget pirate movie. Brock and Tanner appear ready to throw him overboard.
“This isn’t a field. This is tight quarters. Elevation matters. Corners matter. And that rope bridge?” He points upward. “It’s a death trap.”
My nose wrinkles. “So… don’t use the rope bridge?”
“No. We absolutely use the rope bridge,” he says. “If we control the lower deck first.”
He taps a barrel. “These are our offensive line. We use them. Move barrel to barrel. No sprinting across open deck unless you want to become target practice for the enemy.”
Gage smirks. “So basically, don’t be Tanner. ”
“Exactly.”
Nolan motions to the deck. “Tanner will charge straight down the center deck like he’s raiding a British merchant ship. Let him. He thinks chaos equals victory. This is when you tag him.”
I tap my chest. “Me?”
“Yes.” He points at Gage. “You’re our flanker. Use the lower cargo hold. Stay low. Move fast. Pop up behind those rum crates and apply pressure.”
Gage salutes. “Aye, aye, Captain.”
“Corbin is our real problem. He’ll take the high ground.
Probably the captain’s deck. He’ll wait.
He’ll be patient. And he won’t make a sound.
We’ll bait him.” Nolan smirks. “I’ll draw his fire from mid-deck.
While he’s focused on me, Gage takes the stairs to the upper deck.
Addy rotates starboard side and picks off anyone who tries to help. ”
I widen my eyes. “Did you say starboard?”
“Yes. Commit to the theme.”
“Good thing I grew up on an island obsessed with pirates,” I mutter.
“And one more thing.” He looks directly at Gage. “You do not abandon position because Addy yelps.”
I scowl. “I won’t yelp.” I’ll probably scream, maybe shout, but there will be no yelping. I refuse to be a damsel in distress.
Nolan ignores me to address Gage. “You will hear her yelp. You will want to charge heroically across the deck. You will not. You will stay in your lane.”
Gage grumbles. “I don’t break formation. ”
“You absolutely break formation.” Nolan pulls down his mask. “Remember. We control the ship. We control the angles. We don’t play pirate chaos.”
The horn blares and chaos erupts instantly.
Tanner screams, “FOR THE GLORY OF THE GALLEON!” and sprints straight down the center deck.
I fire at him before ducking behind a stack of rum barrels. “I got him!”
“You missed,” Nolan mutters as he leans out to shoot.
Paintballs splatter against the wood. One explodes against a crate inches from my face. I’m not complaining about wearing a face mask anymore.
“Starboard!” Nolan yells.
I dart right. Bad choice. Smack. A paintball hits me square on the outer thigh. There’s a sharp, hollow pop before neon blue paint bursts on my leggings.
Ouch! “Sinking smugglers!”
Gage whirls toward me. He growls. “Who hit her?”
I point to Corbin on the Captain’s deck above. Gage fires blindly toward the upper deck, but Corbin ducks behind the wheel.
“Get back!” I yell at him. “You’re exposing yourself.”
“Don’t care,” he mutters.
“We’re going to lose.”
Those words have him shutting up and ducking behind a barrel .
“Cover me,” I shout before making my way to the next barrel. Except my leg doesn’t listen to me. It trembles before giving out. I crumple to the floor.
Gage rushes to me.
“What did I say about breaking formation?” Nolan shouts.
“Addy.” Gage searches for my injury but I swat him away.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re laying on the floor. You’re not fine.” He bats my hands away and lifts my oversized team hoodie to inspect the damage. He winces. “It’s going to bruise.”
I lift my chin. I won’t be defeated in front of him and his teammates. “I’ve had worse.”
“From what?”
“You’ve met my baby sister.”
He chuckles. “Nonetheless, you’re done.”
“But we’ll lose.”
“Don’t give a shit.” He lifts me in his arms bridal style before walking through the middle of the ship on his way to the exit.
Balls of paint come at us from every direction but he doesn’t duck or flinch.
“Go paintballing, they said. It’ll be fun, they said. Who’s having fun now?”
Tanner pops up from behind a crate of beer. “I’m having fun.” A ball of red paint hits him in the chest and he ducks back down.
“You should go back. With Tanner eliminated, maybe you can win.”
“Not interested in winning. ”
“What about being a competitive athlete?”
He squeezes my hip. “You’re more important than winning, songbird. I choose you.”
I melt in his arms. How can I resist him when he says such sweet things? I can’t. There’s a reason I fell hard and fast for this man, after all.
I just hope he doesn’t break my heart at the end of the summer.