Page 151 of Five Brothers
Army pulls me along. “Let’s do this.”
The teams start approaching their cars, wind kicking up as I pull my hair back into a ponytail and pull on my hoodie again. I look back at Dallas. “You joining in?”
His mouth twists to the side, but I can see the amusement inhis eyes. He whips off his jacket as all of them pile their leathers next to the rear tire.
“Boys in first,” Clay instructs. “I’m not getting crushed.”
Macon probably went home. I don’t know if it did any good to get him out today. I probably just solidified in his mind why Saints are frivolous and foolish.
The MC announces all the teams, and as soon as they call out Sanoa Bay, I spit out, “Eyes up.”
The boys raise their chins, taking the hint. Don’t avoid eye contact. Let them see you. Clay and I cheer extra hard—Liv too cool for that—until the speaker moves on to the next team.
“Staff will be walking around to ensure everyone is safe,” she says, “and to offer help if you need. Are you ready?”
Everyone shouts and howls, and there are a few rushed instructions about the rules for arms and legs that I don’t hear, but then the air horn slices through the air, splitting my ears at the same time everyone starts leaping into the cars.
It starts too fast for me to tell what’s going on, but the men go first, sliding into seats and hopping into the back.
“Krisjen!” Army calls. I dart my eyes to him in the passenger-side seat as he gestures for me to hop up to the sunroof. “Slide in. Come down in my lap.”
Trace scoots his seat up on the driver’s side, squeezing his legs into as tight a space as possible as Aracely throws her weight into Army’s door to get it closed. Stepping up onto his open window, I hop up to the roof of the car, about to swing my legs in first, but someone pulls me down into the back seat. I squeal.
“Hey!” I laugh, getting caught up in the fun. Dallas shifts underneath me, and Army throws him a look from the front seat.
“We got to puzzle this shit together,” Dallas barks. “Little people on the floor.”
He shoves me down between his legs, but I end up in some weird position on my side, my left leg unable to fit enough for me to sit.
“We’re gonna need to lay someone this way!” I hear Trace instruct. He shifts his seat in front of me, and I pull my hands back, checking that my hair isn’t in his tracks. I wince. This feels unsafe.
“She’s not gonna be able to breathe!” Army yells, and I hope he’s talking about me. I need more room.
I try to shift my legs, but they run into more legs, and I see Aracely coming down feetfirst above me. I flinch. “Watch my head!”
Cheering starts outside, I try to turn my gaze, but all I see is Dallas’s crotch. I try to inhale deeply, but this is ridiculous. Why do I have to be on the floor?
“Aracely over here!” Dallas shouts. “We have to use every inch of space. Krisjen, move!”
Something knocks into my head, and I finally growl. “I’m going to die down here!” Clutching Dallas’s thigh, I haul myself back up.
“Don’t be a baby,” he shoots back. “Just sit on me, then.”
“Sit on you?” Army blurts out. “She’s not sitting on anything of you.”
“I’ll sit on his ex,” I offer, watching Aracely slide through the roof.
Someone laughs, and Dallas grabs me by the waist, trying to move me over onto his lap as he digs his fingers into my stomach. I try to hold back my laugh because his fingers tickle. “Let me go!” I shout.
“No—”
But then I’m out of his arms, his words cut off as I’m flipped over, straddling someone else’s lap in the seat next to him. My smile fades, and I don’t blink as I stare at Macon and he stares back. Aracely descends, pushing against my back and shoving me into Macon.
“Yeah, yeah, exactly like that,” I hear Trace say. “Aracely, get in Dallas’s lap like Krisjen’s in Macon’s. Your puzzle pieces fit together once before.”
“Shut up!” I hear her snap.
Puzzle pieces.