Page 64 of No Rules

As Alex aimed and fired his rifle, he focused more intently than ever before. Gone were the distractions; all that remained was him, his weapon, and the target. His breath came in a slow rhythm that barely had his body moving as he squeezed the trigger, sending bullet after bullet toward the bull’s-eye.

“Nice shot!” Josh complimented him and pulled the target sheet forward. He whistled between his teeth. “Look at that beauty…”

Alex’s heart skipped a beat. He’d hit dead center all three times.

“Holy shit,” Ryan said. “That’s…” He glowered at Alex. “I didn’t know you were that good.”

“I told you he was a sharpshooter,” Wander said calmly, preparing for his first round with his rifle.

“Yeah, but not at this level.”

Alex’s whole body buzzed with that unexpected praise. Somehow, earning Ryan’s approval mattered most. Josh, unsurprisingly, delivered a target sheet that had just one big hole in it. He’d sent all three bullets into the exact same space.

“Fucking hell,” Ryan said. “What the actual fuck? How…?”

Connor sighed. “Josh was an Army sniper.”

“A fucking sniper? And you didn’t think that was relevant information for us to have before accepting the bet?”

Connor shrugged. “I told you we’d regret it.”

Ryan spun around and faced Wander. “Did you know?”

“Of course. You know I always do my research into clients.”

“So how come you…?” Ryan’s shoulders sagged. “Oh, I see how it is. You all conspired against me. You have nothing to lose, Wander, since your sub isn’t part of the deal. And Connor will find a different way to punish Josh, I’m sure, so that leaves Alex and me…”

Alex smiled sweetly. “And I’m going to enjoy that week of unlimited orgasms.”

“In your dreams,” Ryan muttered.

“You wouldn’t violate the terms of the deal we made, would you?”

“He won’t.” Wander’s tone held an edge. “He should’ve known better than to step into a bet with this many unknowns.”

“Traitor,” Ryan said under his breath.

“Whatever.” Wander didn’t seem affected at all. “Last round.”

The Doms went first, and while they did well, Ryan’s shots especially were off from the center. Josh and Alex had to be able to beat that, right?

Josh, predictably, nailed every single shot, so now it was down to Alex. If he did well, they’d beat the Doms, but would he be able to keep his nerves in check?

“Last three shots, Alex. Make them count,” Josh said as Alex was loading his rifle. “Remember your breathing.”

Right. He settled into his position, taking his time to make himself comfortable. He didn’t need to rush. Okay, perfect.

Breathe in.

Relax.

Hold.

Relax.

Breathe out.

Hold.