Partner Games
Page 32

My eyes widened in surprise. He did? “She told you?”
Plate shook his big head, and his harness jangled. “No, but it’s pretty obvious. I mean, I don’t know details, but I have a sister that was abused. I can see the signs, you know. I’m not blind.”
Oh. I nodded, unsure of what else to say.
The look on Plate’s face softened. “I adore your sister. Not just as spank material, but I really dig her personality. You know? She’s the perfect woman. A fucking goddess. And I would never hurt her.”
“I know. I just wasn’t thinking logically.” I wrung my hands. “It’s just–”
He put a hand up to stop my words. “I’m not putting the moves on her. Not the way Swift is with you.”
“Hey,” Swift called from the other side. “Now, wait a second–”
I put my fingertips to my lips to stop my giggles.
Plate put an arm around my shoulders and turned me away from his partner, pretending like we were having a quiet tete-a-tete. “Here’s the thing, Tiny. I’m a patient man. If all Georgie can handle right now is friends, I’ll be her friend. It doesn’t mean I can’t love her from afar. It just means I’m gonna wait for her to tell me when she’s ready. I’d never push her.”
Wow. My heart was breaking for poor Plate. What a great guy. If even a few words of that were true, he was one in a million. “I really hope Georgie can see that someday.”
“You and me both.” He tugged me forward and then I found myself with my face pressed to his enormous chest. “You’re a good kid, Tiny. Plus, you fight like a girl.”
I punched his arm. “I am a girl.”
“Back to your spot, red team,” a producer said. The Doctor Moms were scowling, arms crossed over their bright yellow shirts.
“Going,” I said, giving a small wave to Swift as I headed back toward the third place spot in line. My chicken sister still hadn’t returned from the restroom – either that, or maybe she hadn’t found one yet. It was just me.
“Looks like someone’s finding another dick to suck,” came a mutter from down the line.
I turned, and behind Jendan and Annabelle were the Green Machine.
“Let’s not be rude here,” Jendan said, frowning. He instinctively moved his girlfriend behind him to protect her when both cops put their hands on their hips, looking menacing.
And they were looking in my direction.
“It’s obvious, isn’t it?” Drew tilted his chin at me. “They had a tiff and now someone needs to suck up to the big guy so he can keep helping them. I guess the hot one’s letting the nerd one have her sloppy seconds.”
Annabelle gasped, and Jendan scowled, stepping forward.
I wasn’t going to let anyone else fight my fights, though. “Oh, you guys are so full of crap,” I said, stepping forward and out of my place in line again. “Are you trying to scare me off from being friends with the One Percenters? Because it’s not going to work.”
Foster made a dick-sucking gesture with his mouth and wiggled his eyebrows at me. Drew just gave me an evil grin. “Your strategy needs work, little girl. You suck up to one team and everyone else is going to angle to get you out.”
“Bullshit. You’re just saying that because you’re trying to scare me.”
“Am I? If people had to pick sides, who do you think they’d pick? Yours or mine?” He rocked on his heels and then leaned forward. “This race isn’t just about picking the right tickets, little girl. It’s about friendships and relationships. The right ones can get you ahead.”
“Then I’m surprised you’re not in last place,” I said loftily. “Because you guys are the biggest pair of jackasses I’ve met.”
Off to the side, Annabelle snickered.
“Oh, we can still win this leg if we’re in last place,” Drew said. He tilted his head, an evil look in his eye. “As a matter of fact…”
As I watched, he turned and stepped out of his place, and began to head toward last place – which was Team Daddy.
“Hey,” he said to the back end of the line. “You know what, guys? We’re confident in our ability, so we’re gonna do something nice for everyone.”
Now the entire line of contestants was watching Drew. I got a sick feeling in my stomach. What was he trying to pull?
“Me and Foster are volunteering to be last place on the jump here,” Drew said, spreading his arms. ” That means the teams behind us get to move up a slot.”
I watched their faces light up in surprise and pleasure.
As I watched, Drew and Foster headed to the very end of the line, and the other teams high-fived them, joking and smiling as they all moved up a slot.
I’d underestimated those guys. In one move, they’d gained three new sets of allies, and I’d gained three enemies.
Now I really had to jump, didn’t I?
Ugh.
 
 
Chapter Twenty-One
 

“No one’s playing around anymore. Shit got serious overnight.” – Swift, Team One Percent, The World Races  
 
I screamed as the cords went taut, the wind whistling as the jump began.
“Chill, Clemmy,” my twin said next to me. “It’s not even your turn yet.”
I burrowed my face against her chest. It didn’t matter that we were still standing on the bridge. I was freaked the heck out. “Why does this have to be so high?”
“Um, because if it wasn’t, we’d hit the pavement?” She patted my back. “Seriously, it’s going to be okay. They have people jump all the time.”
“Yes, but those people aren’t me!”
A few people down the line chuckled at my whining. I didn’t care. I squeezed my eyes shut and clung to my twin for moral support as on the other side of the dam, Swift dangled and bounced in free-fall.
“She gonna be able to do this?” Annabelle asked from behind us.
“If she doesn’t, we get a four hour penalty,” my twin said. Her voice was strong, but I could feel her hands tighten around me. She didn’t want that penalty. I didn’t either. If we took it and everyone else jumped, we’d be out of the game for sure. This was the last task for this leg, which meant that after this, we’d have the finish line somewhere in Switzerland.
Last one there would be eliminated. I glanced down at the end of the line, where the Green Machine stood, arms crossed, smug looks on their faces. They didn’t seem worried despite being in last place. That meant they were supremely confident in the fact that they could out-race anyone else to the finish line…
Either that or they really expected me not to jump. Dicks.
I began to breathe hard again, feeling ill. The zip line had been bad, but at least it was just moving gradually down. Sort of. This would be willfully flinging myself off of a dam and expecting the cords to save me from certain death.
I started to hyperventilate.
“Look, here’s a paper bag,” Annabelle said helpfully. She pulled a postcard out of it and offered it to me.
I took it from her and began to breathe in and out of it, the bag puffing with every gasp of my breath.