Page 86 of Tactically Acquired

“Just give me a piggyback ride to the barn.”

He scoffed, staring up at the sky. “Why? Aren’t you done injuring yourself?”

“I’m not injured. I’m recovering!” I snapped, grabbing onto his shirt. I pretended like I was trying to climb on him, but I was really holding myself up. But if I fell now, no one would let me leave the house ever again.

“This is not recovering. This is begging for another injury. Unless you want to go back to the hospital and play the part of Mrs. Baldy again.”

That didn’t sound appealing at all. “I just want to get the footage. That’s what we came here to do!” I stomped my foot.

“Actually, we came here because someone tried to kidnap us. If we were at OPS, then I could understand trying to do the live-action film. But we’re not there, and this is insanity.”

“You’re insanity.”

“Ooh, that was a good one,” he said mockingly. “I think I might have to go to the burn unit.”

“Are you going to help me or not?” I hissed.

He stared at me for a moment, but then bent over and crouched low for me. “Just so you know, I’m doing this under duress.”

“You’re doing this because you love me.”

“No, it’s because I know you’ll do it without me. And then we’ll find you passed out somewhere with birds pecking your eyes out. I can’t be responsible for that.”

I climbed on and wrapped my arms around his neck, then pressed a kiss to his cheek. “You really are the best.”

“Yeah, tell that to my mother the next time we visit,” he said as he started walking toward the barn.

“Your mother loves you.”

He scoffed at that. “My mother loves you more than me.”

“That’s because I always bring her dildos when I visit.”

He slipped in some mud at my confession and dropped me to the ground. I yelped as my ass hit hard while the rest of my body slipped and slid in the disgusting puddle. He spun and glared at me accusingly. “You do what?”

I rubbed my butt cheek, hoping I didn’t have a massive bruise tonight. Fuck, that really hurt.

“How could you give my mom dildos?” he shouted.

“Hey, your mom is a woman. She needs comfort, too!”

“My father?—”

“Died a long time ago. She has needs!” I argued, struggling to get off the ground. Mud was caked everywhere and I slipped when my shoe hit a slimy patch, falling on my face.

“See? That’s karma, right there!” he pointed at me. “That’s what you get for sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong!”

I lifted my head and glared at him through mud. “This is what I get for helping your mom? She’s lonely. She needs to get a release!”

He turned away, shoving his fingers in his ears. “I’m not hearing this! I can’t believe you would talk about my mother?—”

I scrambled to my knees and reached out, snagging him around the foot. I gave a hard yank and laughed when he went down with a harsh thump. I snorted out a laugh, trying to hold it back when he pushed off the ground and looked back at me with a steely look in his eyes.

“That wasn’t funny,” he snarled.

“It was a little funny.”

He shoved to his feet and tried to brush off the mud, but it only smeared on his clothes. “Great! This is never going to come out! This is all your fault. I’m not even supposed to be here. I should be on set somewhere, but you just had to go on vacation instead.”

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