Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
NAOMI
Mac gives me a few glances, making a quizzical expression. “What?” I know she’s getting at something.
“You’re giddy.”
“Giddy?” I glance down at myself.
“You’re not showing it, but you’re into him getting a front-row seat to this.”
“I enjoy when he watches me.” I have no qualms in admitting that.
The feel of his eyes on me has a way of not only relaxing me but also giving me strength.
I didn’t know it could be this way, but I should have.
I have seen other couples in my family. Having a partner never hinders them; if anything, it makes them more bloodthirsty.
There is more on the line when you have a person you’re not sure you can live without.
What’s been bigger for me is how I check with him about most things. I want his opinion. I could convince myself that my reliance on him is due to his ability to analyze situations quickly in his head, but the truth is that it’s more than that.
“I think you enjoy a lot of things about him.” She wiggles her brows at me. Mac is returning to her old self. It still doesn’t stop my want of hunting down Luigi. I will make an example out of him. Let him know what happens when he hunts down not only a Marino but a female as well. I know his type.
“How do you want to play this, or are we splitting?”
“Let’s split this time. I more want to see if I can stay hidden from them.”
“All right,” I agree when we make it to the tree line. Mac opens her hand, letting the drones fly up over us, and then pulls out a pair of glasses that I’m sure are tech-related. “They don’t come in contact form?” A real spy movie out here.
“Hey, I’m getting there. I want to perfect them first,” Mac says defensively. “Oh, you were fucking with me.” She smacks my arm. “Forgot you got laid, and now you got jokes.”
“I will not talk about my sex life.”
“Oh, honey…” Seduction drips from the word. “Jealousy looks good on you.”
“Well.” I shrug. “Pax thinks everything looks good on me,” I tell her before bolting into the woods.
“Ahh!” She laughs at me before taking off in the other direction, and I circle back to try and cover her tracks before taking off again and making mine more noticeable so they follow me and not her.
I stop and quickly make a trip line, knowing they’ll see it but make another close after it. Then I settle up against one of the trees and wait a few minutes, giving my brothers time to enter the woods.
I listen to everything quietly. I peek around the tree, not seeing anything, but to be safe, I drop down to my haunches as I backtrack. When I hear the snap of a branch, I drop flat to my stomach and see Romeo creeping by forty yards out from where I am.
I patiently wait, not caring how long it takes.
You don’t ever let yourself get antsy. When he disappears from my sight, I spring to my feet and take off, watching each of my steps as I go.
I don’t want to land on anything but pure ground, allowing my knees to have more bend to them, my steps landing mid-foot, making them as quiet as possible.
The one plus to being small is being quick; your weight allows you to do things others can’t. I spot Marcus still waiting on the edge of the tree line. I’m guessing they told him to wait and then follow. It’s a sign, however, that Cooper is tracking Mac.
I quickly climb one of the trees; the thick branches tangling together allow me to hop over a few right as Marcus checks his watch and heads into the brush. They think they’re hunting me, but not today. They’re my prey.
I watch, barely breathing, as he passes under me.
I grab the branch above me to hang from momentarily to brace myself before I let go, landing right behind Marcus, but stay down as he swings around at the sound.
I swipe his legs out from under him, sending him tumbling to the ground. I pounce on top of him.
“You’re out.” I boop his nose before taking off again. One down, two to go.
I know I need to be quick because word will spread fast about my coordinates. I sprint toward the direction Mac went. I freeze when I see a tiny-ass drone coming at me head-on. It stops a couple feet out from me.
Lead the way, I mouth.
The freaking thing isn’t easy to keep sight of, and I worry paying attention to it will distract me from watching myself, but I trust Mac wouldn’t lead me right into one of them.
It stops and shoots up, and I take that as a sign and move to cover.
I press my back into a tree and slide down to my haunches, putting one hand on the ground, and listen, hearing a sound coming from my east.
“Naomi!” Cooper comes charging toward me, yelling loud enough to alert Romeo. I bolt to my feet and move through a few trees, my eyes taking each of them in until I spot one that will work, but I need more momentum.
I dart toward the right and push off with all my force with my left to propel me, my right foot landing on the base of the tree, and I push with it next to launch me high enough to grab a branch right as Cooper comes to stand below me. I stare down at him and smirk as I pull myself up.
“You think you’d catch me that easily?” I grab another branch to balance myself on the one I’m standing on.
“You appear stuck to me.”
“Yeah, but maybe—” I cut off when one of my feet slips off the branch, and I correct it.
“Oh shit, sis, not looking too good.”
“Fuck,” I mutter, making Cooper’s smug smile spread wider. “Well—”
“Well, what?” he says smugly.
“Well, you’re out,” I tell him as Mac jumps onto his back, screaming, “Got you, sucker!”
I drop to the ground in front of them.
“Be right back,” I say as we’re heading back toward Romeo. I spot him twenty yards up but don’t slow until I’m about to pass him. I drop and roll as he bursts around the giant old log tree that fell years ago.
I jump back to my feet and keep running. He mutters a curse and follows. I’m quicker in sprints; they can’t catch me, but add some distance, and their long legs eat up the distance faster than my own.
I run full force until I’m near my target.
“It’s not tag! The tree line doesn’t make you safe!” Romeo shouts out from behind me. I freeze at the tree line and spin around, wanting to see this. Not half a second later, Romeo trips on the planted line. I almost can’t believe that actually took him down.
“Got ya,” I say when I come to stand over him.
“You’re a brat, and that fucking hurt.” Those wires can be a bitch. I give him my hand, helping him to his feet. “That’s always fun even if I don’t catch you.” He wraps his arm around me, giving me a half hug.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it. I was—” I’m swept off my feet, and I know it’s Paxton before I can see him.
“The hell did you come from?” I tap his chin.
“I’m always close when it comes to you.” He’s not smug about it, putting me back onto my feet.
“Where did you fucking come from?” Romeo mimics my question, glancing around. I’m honestly not sure either and am highly impressed. It might turn me on too, but when it comes to Paxton, it doesn’t take much.
“I have a job for the three of you.”
“Wait, I can go?” Marcus asks, coming up from behind me. I’d both seen and heard him.
“I don’t see why not, but know—”
“I know, I know.” He stands up straighter. “I got it. No jokes or fucking around. I swear.”
“All right, let’s meet up at the house, and we’ll go over things.”
“Come on.” Romeo slaps Marcus on the back, and they head up together. I’m sure Cooper and Mac are already making their way back too.
“Kansas City has been handled.” One by one things are falling into place.
“Is Bonte’s father headed out?”
“Yes, we got him all his supplies and sent him on his way. He said he’d need a week.”
“The man is going to have too much fun. It’ll be like a damn murder vacation for him.” Some people have a taste for blood. It’s part of them, and you have to find a place to channel it. I don’t enjoy killing, but I do rather like correcting someone’s behavior if I must.
“Going to have some fun myself.” His hand goes to my ass, lifting me off my feet. I wrap my legs around him.
“I want to get married. We’ve been putting it off.”
“I’ll marry you any day at any time.”
“I know.” I bring my finger to his lips, tracing them. “I need it.” I know he’s mine, but I want more. It consumes me at times, this obsession I have with him. I want him to be mine in every way he can be.