For the Bond (Romantic Suspense) (Beyond Blood, #3) Read Online Free PDF

handicap.”
    I scrunched my forehead. “Isn't me only needing to hit you guys twice your handicap?”
    Jacob's laugh was soft as velvet. “No, that's just us being fair.”
    Fair, he called it. Slinking through a dark forest while they chased me down was a nightmare in the making. Remember, I told myself. They think this will be easy. I can see it in their smiles. My finger brushed the trigger of my gun. I hated being underestimated. I was a realist, but smugness—justified or not—fueled my determination.
    My voice was flat, as emotionless as I could get it. “Good luck, boys.” Turning, I sprinted into the bushes without looking back.
    I hadn't been killing in secret for years. I didn't have tons of practice under my belt like they did. But it didn't matter what outcome they predicted. Whatever happened here tonight...
    I refused to go down easy.
    ****
    L eaning against the tree, I held the gun tight to my chest. Acid tore through my throat, my lungs. I kept seeing things move on the edges of my vision. Shadows that played with me and taunted me. Made me wonder incessantly about where either of them was.
    Holy shit, this was not fun!
    My jacket was heavy, it forced clammy sweat from my pores. The plastic of my goggles kept fogging up. I wiped the smudges away so I could see. How much time did I have left? Why didn't I wear a god damn watch? Shit!
    Peeking over my shoulder, I snuggled rough bark and thought of my next move. If I was good at anything, it was hiding. I needed a place that would protect me from them, somewhere I could take aim and fire.
    The pine trees were big, unreliable. If I got too high up, I'd be trapped. Looking around, I checked my options. Some boulders, lots of bushes, and a sloping hill on one side. Heading towards the dipping ground, I got low and stretched on my belly. It wasn't perfect, but with the leaves and branches around me, I was both hidden and low enough that they might not see me. Rolling and running, if I needed to, was still possible.
    Breathing in tiny bursts, I stared fixedly off into the woods. My ears were on overdrive, trying to spot a single cracking twig. How sneaky were they? The idea of them prowling around in search of me was making my belly convulse. Then again, was this so different from last night?
    Together, they had hunted me down on the dance floor, attacked me with their seductive eyes and silky hands. I'd lost to them, though the results had been delicious.
    I didn't want to lose again. Not so quickly.
    Movement, it was brief and in the distance. Every muscle knotted up in my body. Crushing the gun, I stared at the area and watched for more. There, again; just a flicker, but reddish hair danced between the leaves. Kite was yards away, a rough shot to take.
    Wait till he gets closer, I told myself. Aiming the paintball gun, I squinted and closed my left eye. Kite froze, as if he had heard my thoughts. Impossible, but it still made my brain tingle nervously. Wait longer. Just wait. You're fine, Marina, just wait.
    I should have been more patient.
    Pulling the trigger, the gun shook—the ball of red exploding from the canister. I knew it would miss, yet still, I prayed. Kite stood tall, hearing the gun before startling as the crimson splattered on the tree near his head.
    His eyes landed directly on my hiding spot. Thudding with adrenalin, I tucked sideways, scrambled down the slope and bolted. Pain exploded behind my knee. It was brief, like a rubber band snapping. Wetness speckled my hand as another explosion hit me.
    Gasping, I pumped my legs and kept going. Branches tore at my face, harming me more than the dumb paintballs. Faster! I commanded myself. My lungs argued, threatening to shred from how much I demanded out of them.
    Sliding on some wet leaves, I skidded to a halt down a hill and into a ditch. Water soaked my rear, mud on my knees. I didn't care. God, my heart would not stop racing. Fuck fuck fuck. He was so quick! I'd missed my shot. That really got