Read For the Bond (Romantic Suspense) (Beyond Blood, #3) for Free Online

and listened. Marina had darted off again, her jeans soaked from mud and paint. The crisp air was magical, it was humming with the energy of the hunt.
    Abruptly, the calmness was shattered—Marina was shouting, firing in the distance. She wasn't far, her voice echoing through the trees. Standing up, I spotted Kite across the path. He was just as confused as I was. What was she shooting at?
    Shaking my head, I slipped towards the racket. Her voice floated up, wary and strained. “I'm out of ammo, guys! I don't know where you are... but I'm out.”
    What? Had she been firing blindly at where she thought we were in the shadows? The news deflated me. I hadn't wanted this to be over with so quickly. Call me twisted, but chasing this girl had my blood on fire. I was bursting at the seams with a primal desire to stalk her down and claim her for myself. Now, she was announcing her early defeat.
    Shoving a thorny bush aside, I exposed the stretch of land. There, in the dipped earth and surrounded by skinny branches, was Marina. Her gun was in one hand, she was facing away from me. All around, the forest looked like a massacre. Red paint coated bark and rocks alike. It was good that the paintballs were non-toxic. It'd wash away in the next rain storm.
    Kite stood on the other side, just out of her view. He watched me for instruction. I motioned for him to keep his gun trained on her. I hadn't counted her ammo, this could be a silly ploy.
    Breathing through my nose, the noise—or maybe my piercing stare—alerted her. Spinning, Marina's eyes bounced frantically. Finally she spotted me. Instantly her arms lifted, the gun dropping to her feet. She was surrendering without a word.
    Not a ploy, then, I thought in frustration. She really had just emptied her tank and lost. Seeing her with her hands in the air, wide-eyed and lips tight, I still found a smile taking hold. Maybe the battle was over, but the fun wasn't.
    “I thought you'd last longer,” I said, keeping my gun on her as I approached. I doubted she was fast enough to grab hers, but I wasn't taking chances. When I closed the gap, I kicked her weapon away casually. As close as I was, I could see the shine of sweat on her forehead. Her lips were trembling. “Why are you so quiet?” I asked, cupping her chin. “Are you nervous? Scared of what I'll ask for as my prize?”
    Marina blinked, flicking her gaze from my gun, to my face. The girl who was so clever, so sassy. Seeing her turned silent by my presence was... exciting. God, she could get me going by just existing near me.
    Glancing sideways, I was going to call to Kite. Tell him the game was done, she couldn't fight back anymore without ammo. Instead, I paused—pulled back to this sexy woman and her shifting expression. Marina breathed in deep through her nose. Was she waiting for me to kiss her? Her smile was sudden. Too satisfied, out of place. Before I could react, she pursed her lips.
    A kiss wasn't what was waiting for me.
    Wet, thick streams of red exploded from her mouth. They hit me on the cheeks and forehead, some staining the front of my jacket. When she was done, it dribbled down her grin and left her teeth gleaming like blood. It was a terrible sight.
    Into her open palm, she spit the remains of some gel capsules. “Two shots,” she said, wiping her lips with the back of her arm. She'd never looked more proud. “That was all I had to hit you with, right?”
    Slowly, I rubbed at the paint on my face. It reminded me of this morning, the bloody nose Kite had given me. Today, everyone was getting me with cheap shots. My smirk was tense. “That was very sneaky.”
    “I learn from the best.”
    From my right side, a loud, raucous laughter started. Both of us turned, watching Kite as he hugged himself and bent double. “Holy shit! She got you!”
    Stepping back, I cleaned my face with my sleeve. “We lost, Kite.”
    “So what?” He had tears in his eyes, a grin so huge it was contagious. “This is amazing.