Going Wild (The Wild Ones, #2)

by C.M. Owens

I’m not used to having to be wary. If I feel funny in a second, I’m going to karate chop his dick so hard that he’ll have to fuck a girl around a corner to deal with the new angle it’ll have.

“You truly are a beautiful man,” I say on a long sigh as I release the sides of his face. “Beautiful?” he asks, laughing lightly. “Yes. A beautiful…prick.” I pat the side of his cheek, and all the humor in his expression disappears.

I pull back as he watches me with lust-filled eyes, and he brings his fingers up, sucking them into his mouth while winking at me. That’s what snaps the last of my restraint. He started this, so that means the line has been crossed and I don’t have to hold back anymore. Liam just doesn’t realize he released the kraken or whatever. At least not yet.

“Now that I’ve finally run into you, my stalking game is about to get strong. I’ve been holding back.” I can’t help it. I smile. “You realize stalking is not bragging rights.”

He carries me effortlessly, and I lean against his warmth. “My boots,” I say again. “I have to—” “I’ll go get them as soon as I get you inside.” I smile for no real reason. “They’re in—” “They’re in a box inside a chest that is latched and resting in Penny’s yard. I know. I told you I stalked you all day and night.” He looks down as I try really hard not to kiss him, and he grins at me. “Stalker game is about to get strong.”

Kylie walks out, and I turn around in time to see George’s fake smile vanish like it was an illusion all along. His eyes narrow and he mimes a throat-slicing gesture on his neck before pointing at me. Right. Got it. I just nod like a bobble-head doll—because how the fuck else do you respond to that?—and walk out, following Kylie, who hops in on the passenger side of my Jeep.

“For the last time, Hale, we are not going to wear loin cloths as a challenge! It’s not decent!” Vick—the only cop in this town—groans. “No one wants to see balls all the time.” “My balls are beautiful,” Hale deadpans. “You knew the ones with tiny dicks would never go for this,” Killian tells his brother dryly. Then reaches down and grabs his crotch. “They’d have to be put to shame by us, then all those desserts and casseroles would start coming to the Wild Ones instead of the boring ones.”

“This is why we banned Wild Ones from these meetings. Why did you let them back in?” another man asks. “There’s a reason they can’t all be in the same place at the same time for very long.” A guy—a Wild One from the Nickel family, I think—makes a sound that eerily mimics a jaguar’s battle cry, and another guy falls out of his chair. The jaguar impersonator snorts a laugh and bumps fists with the guy on his left, who is also laughing. “Oh, for fuck’s sake, someone get them out of here. This is getting ridiculous,” another man groans. “I’m cool with the loin cloth challenge,” Kai Wilder states absently, a massive knife in his hand as he shaves the head of his brother in front of him.

“This is why they were banned,” a bearded man gripes as he gestures to Hale, who is pretending to hump the face of the man getting his head shaved by a machete, causing an eruption of laughter from everyone around.

Vick takes a calming breath before gritting his teeth and continuing. “Every weekend and holiday, whenever they hear Lindsey Stirling playing over the town speakers, who wishes to vote that all men must river dance?”

“Consequences,” Bill happily states, causing a melody of groans to emerge. “If you’re in town when the music plays, and you don’t river dance, you have to swim across the lake in a tutu while singing Girls Just Want To Have Fun.”

“So help me, if you say I need to follow my heart, I will punch you in the tit,” I warn her. “Which tit?” she asks seriously. “The left one, of course. I know you favor the right.” She nods like that’s acceptable.

Liam breaks up the silence by saying, “I tried to get your father out of jail, by the way, but Vick said they weren’t under arrest, just in a ‘time out’ until they could both calm down. Chester also got arrested and was locked in a bathroom.” When people say this stuff out loud, it makes it sound much crazier than it is when you’re living in the moment.

“I’m sorry they invaded your day.” “I’m sorry you’re going to have to see me try to river dance at some point,” he states flatly as he puts his beer down. “I can promise you that will be twice as painful to endure.” My eyebrows rise, because that’s random even by my standards.

“Our sheep are the best quality you can find, but Malones are most known for their jackasses.” She bursts out laughing, while all the other Malones groan in unison. “It’s never going to be funny,” George tells her. “It’s just too obvious,” Eric states on an exasperated sigh.

“Just curious, why the beaver?” I ask, gesturing to the flags. “Because we like beavers,” Jason quickly fires back, winking at me. “Just wondering if it was someone’s way of labeling you all pussies and convincing you to wave the flag with pride.”

“You calling me stupid?” he asks, scowling. “No. I just think you have bad luck when you try to speak and think at the same time.”

As Kylie settles back on me, verbally sparring with Jared, I feel how relaxed and comfortable I am. Some people go their whole lives without ever figuring out where they fit in. Turns out, sometimes almost dying can save your life.

A trooper car suddenly soars by, two more close behind it, screams following their wake. Everyone turns to watch as another trooper comes “speeding” by on a…pink bicycle? He’s looking over his shoulder, panicking as he pedals like his life depends on it.

I check to make sure Kylie can’t hear me, then I walk over, grab Lilah by the arm, and drag her quickly toward one of the back guest rooms. “If this is a ploy to make it put the lotion on, you should know my husband is a total ninja—holy crap,” she says, her eyes widening when I jerk open the closet door that opens into a huge walk-in closet full of…boots. Lots of brand new boots. “Cheese and rice on a bed of guacamole,” she says, not making a bit of sense as she looks over the obnoxious amount of boots I’m hiding.

“If it’s already spreading around town, why isn’t he getting the baked goods like Benson was?” Hale asks, acting as though it’s no big deal the Malones are docking and glaring daggers at us. “Kylie’s flag is still up in his yard, so people think she’s there,” Killian tells him conversationally, while the Malones start climbing onto the dock and stalking toward us. “Ahhh,” Hale says as though that makes perfect sense, finally paying attention to the Malones. “We should lower it until at least a few trays of brownies or cobbler have been delivered.”

George points his finger at me. “I warned you,” he growls. That…confuses me. I thought he’d just flipped his lid. “Warned me about what?” I ask him. “I told you if I found I saw a speck of blue on her, I was going to tear off your limbs and feed them to the bears.” I’ll take suggestions on what to say to something like that. “I’m sorry, what?” is probably the worst response I could give, but it’s the one that pops out. He continues to point a finger at me. I’m beyond grateful that it’s not armed. “You hid her away over here in the Vincent corner, hoping I wouldn’t ever see it. But I’m smart, boy. I had Max call me if she came in to buy blue paint.” “I’m sorry, what?” is again the worst response I could currently have. “And now I’m going to rip your arms off and beat you with them,” he says on a frustrated breath, not really all that angry.

“And you?” George asks Benson incredulously. “He’s a Vincent now, remember?” Hale points out, as Benson pinches the bridge of his nose and mutters something about loving this town in mantra, as though he’s convincing himself of this. Someone shoves Jared out toward Benson’s side, and he curses while glaring at Benson.

Jared curses when Benson smirks at him. Usually Jared looks like he wants to hurt someone, but apparently Benson is the one guy no one particularly wants to fight. Jared snatches Eric and pulls him closer. “Five on four means I get one to help me with the ninja,” Jared explains.

“Was it another girl?” George asks me, narrowing his eyes, and a stone drops in my gut. “Look, I ended things with Felicia after just three weeks with Kylie,” I assure him. “And I would have ended it sooner—” “What?” everyone asks at once, causing my eyes to widen into saucers when I see this is apparently brand new information. I’m not sure what exactly the original question was that led me down that hellish path of confession, but I clearly misunderstood it completely. “That was the first time!” I’m quick to defend. “Not this time. No. I’m one thousand percent Kylie’s boyfriend and no one else’s, and I haven’t been with anyone since her the first time.” It feels a little warmer out here than it did a minute ago. “And I would have broken up with Felicia sooner, but I sort of forgot about her,” I prattle on, getting nothing but silent stares in return. “She was overseas. Out of sight, out of mind,” I add, laughing nervously because I just can’t seem to stop making it worse. It’s as though my mouth has conspired against me. “Stop talking,” Hale says like he’s truly embarrassed for me. Hale Vincent is embarrassed for me. This morning started off so well…

“I really think there’s a less violent way to—” Absolutely no one is listening to me anymore, so I just shut up and step back, eyeing Jason as he snaps his teeth at me. What the actual fuck?

Music starts playing, and I realize instantly that it’s Born to be Wild. “Is this the fight mood music?” I muse, causing Benson to snort and mask a laugh. The Malones turn it up, and…then everyone just starts punching at the air like they’re warming up. Or maybe I’m getting lucky with a pretend fight. Jason does a Z slash with his hand, eyes trained on me with murderous intent like he’s inside my head and wants to cut out my hope. Two women running in the distance distracts me for a moment. Are they carrying popcorn? Shaking my head, I return my gaze to the Malones. “So when does the fighting begin?” I ask curiously. As if cued, the chorus screams, “Born to be wild,” starts playing, and several of the Malones start pounding their chests like gorillas. The Vincents howl loudly into the air. Then everyone but me charges into action. I stand still while nodding to myself. “Of course we were waiting on the chorus,” I say under my breath, dodging the first weird snake-hand strike from Jason before slamming my fist into his side. This is my Friday.

“Fine. Let’s do this before they start enjoying themselves too much,” I groan as I pull my boots off and put them to the side. Lilah smirks at me. “It’s been a while, Kylie Malone, and I’ve wanted to do this since you helped kidnap me for Aunt Penny’s evil plan.” “You’re happily married,” I remind her warily. “True. But that’s not the point,” she says, backing up as her eyes light up with mischief. “If you pull my hair, I will pull yours back,” I warn her. “Touch my nipples, and I’ll pull your eyebrows,” she threatens as she continues walking backwards, her eyes not leaving mine. “And this is why most of us will die single,” I hear Nila sighing. Lilah and I stare at each other for a minute, her smile growing like mine. Without waiting any longer, I charge her. Krysta’s wildcat battle cry announces our arrival before I even crash into my best friend.

Making very little progress with the beast squirming, I start running in a circle in hopes of making him dizzy, using his leg like a handle on a merry-go-round. “What the hell are you doing?” he snaps, as George and Hale waddle by us, Hale still strapped to his back like a relentless clinger.

“Lilah Vincent, don’t you dare!” she shouts, just before Lilah launches herself, taking Kylie back to the ground. Our fight gets put on pause as we watch the…ridiculous girl fight. “Cheater!” Kylie snaps, cupping each of her breasts as she stares at Lilah in horror. Lilah just grins, wiping her long hair out of her face. “Just for that, I hope that litter of kids does stretch your vagina so much that Benson has to spin circles just to feel you!” Kylie shouts, then grabs Lilah’s…eyebrows? Lilah screeches and bats her hands away.

Now? Now that damn violin has just started playing on the town speakers, and Kylie turns to me with wide, excited eyes. “This day just got better,” she says in a squeal, clapping her hands together. This is the worst day ever. I groan, even as George starts river dancing like a pro down the dock. In fact, all the Wild Ones are dancing like it’s no big deal.