Free Dare You Forever (Brothers of Ink and Steel #2.5) by Allie Juliette Mousseau Page A

party. This is just the dinner.”
    “Yeah,” Sam puts in. “Can we just eat and go? I’m starving.”
    “I think it’s the principal of the thing.” Caleb is now in the circle. An auburn haired server winks at him. “Yeah, I’m going to need a cold shower.”
    Ryder and Reese are at a side table actually chatting up two of the waitresses, who they’ve talked into sitting down with them.
    “Looks like they’re going to get fired,” Connor states factually.
    Chase laughs. “Yeah, well, I’d bet a twenty we’re going to lose the two of them for the rest of the night.”
    “Does Will have a direct line to Hugh Hefner? Because it looks like we stumbled into the Playboy Mansion.” Talon is observant.
    “I’m leaving. I can eat on the road,” I decide.
    “I’m with you,” Nate says.
    Liam settles things, saying, “Whoever wants to go ahead, do it, I’ll make sure the rest of the party gets out right after dinnertime and I’ll meet you there.”
    “Thanks, Liam,” I tell him.
     
    ***
     
    Ryder came after all. He stands next to me now. The two of us are up against a decimated concrete wall. I’m in all black. He has an intimidating skull mask around his mouth. Both our eyes are covered in protective gear. 
    “Damn, that stung like a motherfucker!” he blisters.
    “Stop whining, pussy.” I barely breathe. “They’re going to hear you. Besides you’ve been clipped by worse.” I’m thinking knives, bean bag rounds, taser prongs, bullets. “It’s a freaking paintball,” I hiss.
    I feel the air current change next to my face as a paintball whizzes past me and splats against the wall behind me, leaving a bright green stain in its wake.
    “SHIT!” Quickly, I pull back. “Stop fucking talking!”
    “Yeah, okay … pussy,” he retorts. “Just go on, I’ll cover you.”
    Ryder shows me with his eyes that we’re going to make a break for the steel cylinders about fifty yards away. He holds up three fingers and counts down.
    When he gets to one, we run like hell!
    Dirt kicks up from our boots, and paintballs come at us from Will and Sam, who are behind the shell of an old, trashed car. He’s pissed and has a vendetta. Whatever—it’ll spice up the game!
    Ryder and I slide down behind the pipes. If I had to be caught in a war zone—like a real one—Ryder, Jake and Liam are the ones I’d want beside me. Jake was Army Special Forces and toured in Iraq and Afghanistan. He’s smart and keeps his cool under pressure and is nearly fearless in a courageous way. Now retired, he teaches extreme sports and enjoys being a husband and father.
    Who would’ve thought he’d be the first one? Even though I didn’t then, now I feel like he was the first to come to his senses. But I hadn’t met Sophie yet.
    Ryder is especially versed in tracking, observation and warfare tactics and strategies. He learned a lot of special-ops military skills from his trainer and mentor, who also got him into the bounty hunting business—not to mention his capabilities in the mixed martial arts—he’s one hell of a soldier.
    Only problem with Ryder is that I don’t think he wants to see his twenty-sixth birthday. He lives every day on the edge, like it’s his last, and defies death every time he takes a job. He only goes after the most dangerous criminals the regular bounty hunters won’t touch. He’s considered a specialist in his field, even as young as he is.
    I think about the word vendetta . I just put that word on my angry brother Will, but Will isn’t angry, he’s just superficially pissed off. Ryder, he’s angry . He’s been angry since I met him. He lives and breathes the vendetta he carries around inside of him.
    Out of the corner of my eye I see Reese trying to make it to a pile of concrete rubble. It looks like an actual war zone here for our play. I wish all wars could be fought like this—with some beers and paintballs.
    I position myself, aim and …“FUCK YES!” I shout before taking