Going Wild (The Wild Ones Book 2)(44)

“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.

Because publicly shaving your brother’s head with an apparently super sharp machete is a completely normal thing to do while having a town challenge committee meeting.

“Because you’re a Wild One,” Killian says with a shrug. “And they don’t have the balls to go through with it,” he goes on, gesturing around at a few red-faced, angry men.

“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.

Even I have to restrain a smile when the half bald guy reaches for Hale, and misses by inches, not giving a damn there’s a knife close to his head as he leaps to his feet and scrambles to grab the quick-footed Vincent.

Seeing a guy with half a head of hair and half a bald head curse as he chases Hale, slinging shaving cream everywhere in the process…well, it’s not something you witness every day.

Hale laughs as the bigger guy chases him, and Kai Wilder wipes the machete blade off on his jeans to remove the shaving cream.

“What’s the vote? Who wants to do the loin cloth challenge?” Vick says on an exasperated sigh.

Only the Wild Ones, excluding Benson, raise their hands.

“So that’s a no. Onto the next challenge suggestion,” Vick says as he reads a card. Then he groans as his eyes come up to meet Bill’s. “Again, Bill? Seriously?”

Hale is still running circles, wearing down the half bald guy who is struggling for breath. Kai sticks his foot out, tripping Hale, and giving Half-Baldy a chance for a split second, until the nimble Vincent is back on his feet and out of reach again.

Bill rubs his hands together like a giddy teenage girl as he perks up beside me. “I say put it to a vote,” Bill states confidently.

“With the Wild Ones, he’ll get the votes he needs. Them and that new city boy that stalked Kylie,” a man snaps as he jumps to his feet on the aisle across from us.

Ah, great. Everyone knows I’m a lunatic. Awesome.

Weirdly, no one even bothers looking over at me, as though it’s a casual thing to stalk a girl these days.

Only in Tomahawk.

Half-Baldy finally gives up chasing the ever energetic Hale Vincent, and finally drops back down, smearing a wad of shaving cream on his head again as Kai whips his machete back out.

Since they’re both in the section allocated for Wilders, I can only assume that’s his brother.

I don’t know that I’d trust anyone with a blade that size near my head, but certainly not my family.

“He’s been trying to get this passed for three years! And it’s ridiculous! People will laugh at us!” the man shouts.

“Sit down, Chester. Your weak challenges have tired us all. It’s time for some more fun,” Bill argues.

This…is why I signed up. I grin as I sit back and continue to take it all in. I’m more of an observer than a participator.

“His last challenge lasted nine damn years!” Chester roars.

“And it was the best challenge this committee ever had, because you started outnumbering us when you got the Wild Ones booted.”

“George never left, so I didn’t get rid of all the Wild Ones,” Chester spits, glaring at George like he’s somehow offended him by existing.

“George is part of the founding families. He can’t be excluded,” a man says dismissively from close by. No one seems bothered by the tension. It’s…again…normal to them.

“George thinks it’s time for a bigger, better challenge, and George believes Bill is right,” George says, stating the words flatly before “scratching” his cheek with his bird finger that is aimed at Chester.

I grin broader.

It’s so ridiculous you can’t help but be entertained when it’s real-life action rolling out in front of you.

“How is this even manly?” Chester screeches.

“How can you ask that in such a girly voice?” Hale volleys, causing Chester’s blood pressure to become obvious when he turns a very alarming shade of red.

“It’s romantic, and if Chester got laid by anything but his calloused hand, he’d understand how fucking manly you have to be in order to be romantic,” Bill says with so much conviction and pride that I’m instantly intrigued.

He’s never once told me what I had to vote for. Just said whatever he or George put to a vote better get voted for by me. I didn’t bother asking about the consequences.

They’re like the quirky rat pack in this place.