Before I can get more info, three bodies leap up from the bushes, throwing back their camouflage coverings, and they grapple Lilah even as she struggles and spews threats.
I might grin when Jason gets kicked really hard in the mouth by her combat boot.
“I’m so going to kick all your asses!” she shouts, then levels me with a glare. “Well played, Malone. Well played.”
I grin at her as they start tying her up, holding her down as they struggle with that task. Lilah is a hellcat when cornered, so she’s writhing and thrashing around, causing them to curse every time they almost get pegged with an elbow or foot.
“Oh, this isn’t my revenge, Lilah Vincent. This is my present,” I explain.
The confusion on her face is adorable, but it’s replaced with fury again when Jason starts manhandling her, tossing her over his shoulder and walking toward the lake.
“Someone let me on their back. These are my suedes, and I’m not stepping off the trail in them,” I call out.
Heath kneels, and I hop on his back. He carries me all the way to the boat, where Jason deposits Lilah carefully to the seat.
I turn the radio up to drown out her questions and threats as I drive us toward her aunt’s house. She finally gives up…
Until we dock and there’s no more music to tune her out with.
“What the hell are you doing?” Lilah demands as Jason lifts her out of the boat, her hands and feet tied together as we step onto Penny’s dock.
“I told you. This is my present.”
“Oh, Kylie Malone, don’t make me kick your petite little ass.”
I just grin.
“Your boots may suffer,” she adds viciously.
I turn a glare on her, and she smirks.
“Too far?” she asks, wiggling her eyebrows as she gives me a taunting grin.
Jason puts her in front of him like she’s a shield, but I finally smile, knowing Lilah would never be stupid enough to touch my boots. After all, these are a pair of tan suedes. The blue in the flowers matches my blue dress. And my suedes are always my precious.
“Why are there four flags flying?” Lilah asks suddenly, and I turn back to look at her as Jason starts carrying her toward the yard.
She pales as her eyes widen, and her head snaps to me. “She didn’t!”
“Oh, she did,” I say, smiling bigger.
She starts struggling again, but Jason is three times her size and carries her effortlessly toward the cabin, where Penny walks out, beaming.
“Let’s get our girl ready! People will be here at any moment!” Penny announces.
“Aunt Penny, you can’t be serious!” Lilah snaps.
“You can’t possibly be surprised,” I drawl, grinning when she cuts that death glare toward me.
“Really? You’re supposed to be my friend.”
“I am your friend. That’s why I stood in and let her alter the dress on me to make sure it fit you. After I tried on your clothes to see the exact difference. And got stabbed by a needle five different times when your brothers were out shooting and distracted her.”
Pausing my little monologue for dramatic effect, I pat my chest right over my heart.
“That’s love, Lilah Vincent. I love you.” I grin at her, even as she mutters a threat to pay me back.
“Let’s get that dress on her. And you,” Penny says, pointing at Lilah, “will behave. Otherwise, I’ll bring in the Wilders to help hold you down while I put your dress on you and fix your hair.”
Lilah pales. I’d be a little queasy too.
There are four families of Wild Ones. All of us have our own brand of crazy. But there’s only one wildcard. That’s the Wilders.
Ironically enough. Or is it coincidentally enough? Irony versus coincidence always gets me.
Lilah goes still, but I can see it in her eyes that she’s not done fighting it just yet. Why bother? She knows too many people will wrangle her down that aisle if she tries to escape.
“Grab the tux and take it to the boys,” Penny says to me.
Damn it. Vincent boys? Really?
Cursing internally, since I know better than to argue with Penny, I go grab the tux from inside, toss a rifle on my back, and then walk forever through the woods, adjusting the rifle on my shoulder as I go.
The door to their house is never locked—because what suicidal dumbass would break in on them?—and I walk in…then stumble to a halt.
“What the actual fuck?” Benson roars, a burlap sack on his head as he struggles against the ropes confining him to a chair.
I roll my eyes before looking over at Hale and Killian, who are both smirking at me.
“Hi, Kylie,” Hale says far too sweetly, a secretive grin on his lips.
“Fancy seeing you here,” Killian goes on, his lips also curving in a grin.