Page 33 of Brutal Reign

Avery barks a laugh, slapping a hand over her mouth as she shoots Cam a look. He smirks back at her and I furrow my brow in confusion, eyes pinging between the two of them. “What was that all about?” I ask, wrinkling my nose.

“Who knows,” Cam sighs, swiveling his chair back toward his computer. “They’d get a lot more done if they could actually get along.”

“Aw c’mon, they’re just flirting,” Avery snickers.

I turn my gaze on her, raising a brow. “You’ve got a warped definition of flirting,” I mutter.

“I just call it like it is,” she shrugs, tossing her hair over a shoulder.

I heave a sigh, not wanting to get into another debate with her about how she and Cam are the exception, not the rule. Sometimes people are just plain incompatible.

“What time is it?” I ask casually as I bend forward to toss my chapstick back in my duffel. “I wish you guys were leading the afternoon session today, Archer and Ares are brutal.”

“Then you’d better get out there, you’re already two minutes late,” Cam murmurs.

I shoot to my feet in alarm, snatching my bag off the floor. “Crap, why didn’t you tell me?!”

“Hey, it’s not my job to watch the clock for you, recruit,” he scoffs, the corner of his mouth tipping up in a little smirk as he glances back at me.

Damn him.

I cut Cam a glare as I sling the strap of my duffel over my shoulder and stomp toward the door, my heart beating a riot in my chest. I can only hope that everyone’s still warming up and they won’t notice I’m not there. Or that Archer and Ares are late themselves. Anything to get out of running laps.

I jog through the halls of the squad complex as quickly as I can, pushing through the big double doors to find the other recruits out on the field stretching. A few of them glance my way as I toss my bag aside, but I just keep my head down as I dart into the fray, hoping I can slip by unnoticed. As long as one of the Raines brothers doesn’t see me, I’ll be in the clear.

I sweep my panicked gaze around as I make my way toward my friends, heart stuttering in my chest when I spot Ares. He’s got his back turned, so odds are, he didn’t clock my late arrival. Except he’s standing across from Seb and Ace, and both theirgazes hook on mine instantly. I quickly look away, but not before Ares turns over his shoulder to glance in my direction.

Crap.

My stomach sinks like a stone as I stumble up to Hayden, flustered and out of breath as I drop down onto the ground beside her.

“Cutting it a little close, aren’t you girl?” she whispers, violet strands of hair fluttering in front of her face as she turns her wide-eyed stare on me.

“Lost track of time,” I murmur.

“If you just stuck with us, you wouldn’t have that problem,” Gus teases, bumping his foot into mine as I extend my legs in front of me to stretch my hamstrings.

“I know, I know,” I sigh, folding at the waist to hold my stretch.

“Just admit it, you’re too cool for us,” Kendrick remarks.

I roll my eyes as he tosses me a playful wink. “Nah, just avoiding certain people. You three are the coolest ones here.”

“About time someone noticed,” Gus comments, puffing out his chest.

I laugh softly as I shift positions, skin prickling beneath the weight of the stares I still feel burning into my back from the other end of the practice field. I don’t have to look to know it’s Seb and Ace, and Kendrick confirms it when he flickers a glance past me, shaking his head as his eyes return to mine.

“I can put Seb in his place if you want,” he drawls, smirking conspiratorially. “Might as well get some benefit outta being sparring partners with him this week, right?”

“Sure, give him hell,” I snort. “Feel free to break a few bones while you’re at it.”

“You’re a savage,” Gus laughs.

I shrug a shoulder innocently, lips curling into a grin.

“Dude, you don’t know the half of it,” Hayden chuckles, pulling an arm across her chest. “This one time, some asshole tried to grab her ass at a party, and she straight up knocked him out.”

Kendrick and Gus both look to me for confirmation and I laugh softly, shaking my head. “Hey, he deserved it. I’d already told him I wasn’t interested.”