Becoming A Vincent (The Wild Ones 1)

A loud boom rattles the air, and my aunt and I both exchange horrified looks before darting to the door to see what my brothers have blown up.

The second we’re outside, we freeze, staring as another boom rattles the air, and water sprays straight up. I cock my head, trying to figure out what’s going on. But the scene before me makes no sense at all.

My breath catches in my throat when the water sprays up again, and I see the two boats racing toward each other.

“Please tell me they’re not really throwing pipe bombs again,” my aunt says dryly.

My brothers are in one boat. And two other brothers are in another—Benson and Deacon.

Benson cuts the wheel, and Deacon sprays water from a water cannon, blasting Hale as my brother readies to launch another pipe bomb. Hale is thrown from the boat when the water pummels him in the chest.

“Where’d he get a water cannon?” I ask on a breath.

“They’re going to kill each other,” Aunt Penny hisses, running down the stairs. “Our boys are supposed to be the damn Wild Ones. They’re going to start a fifth corner if this shit keeps up.”

Right. Right. A water cannon’s origin is not the most important part of this right now.

I race after her as my uncle walks out of his shop, wiping his hands on a rag that’s already stained with grease. His eyes widen when Killian gets blasted in the chest with the same water cannon.

Deacon howls with laughter when Killian finally falls off the side of the boat, killing the motor in the process. Deacon bumps fists with Benson as they circle my brothers like sharks.

“Where’d he get a water cannon?” Uncle Bill asks.

See? It’s not just me. A freaking water cannon demands attention.

“Does he realize he’s starting a war?” my aunt demands. “And what happens if they keep this up? The town will insist on a fifth corner. Who would move?”

The sound of cars pulling in behind us has me turning around, and I see people getting out of their vehicles, hurrying toward us. Tons of people too, not just a few.

“What the hell?” I ask on a long, confused breath.

“For once, I have no damn clue,” Aunt Penny groans, looking over the ridiculous amount of uninvited guests.

Delaney is practically beaming as she races toward the edge to watch the showdown.

“If you want out, you have to promise on the graves not to throw another one of those fucking bombs. Ever,” Benson tells them, moving over to take position behind the water cannon as Deacon takes over the boat’s helm.

“Fuck. You,” Hale seethes, starting to haul himself out.

Benson blasts him with the water cannon, and Hale flails backwards, slapping the water with a clap when he lands on his back.

“I must have heard you wrong,” Benson says, grinning as he holds his finger on that trigger.

Seriously! Where’d he get a water cannon?

“Don’t move to the wilderness, they said.” Liam’s voice has me jerking my head to the left to see him right beside me, his arms crossed over his chest as he stares out at the lake to see this bizarre turn of events.

“You’ll be bored to death, they said,” he goes on. “Peace and quiet gets old, they said.” He turns and gives me an eye roll. “Funny how this wasn’t in the town brochure.”

I’d laugh under normal circumstances, but these are most definitely not normal circumstances.

“Wait…Tomahawk has a brochure?” I ask, unable to help myself.

“Yield or freeze to death. Your choice,” Benson tells my brothers, reminding me there are far more important things going on than brochures.

“Damn it, they’re going to freeze to death,” I grumble.

“We’ll yield the pipe bombs, but you still aren’t getting near our sister,” Killian acquiesces.

As if he’s known exactly where I’ve been all along, Benson turns to face me, and he says something I can’t hear to Deacon, as both my brothers start scrambling to get on their boat.

Benson’s boat turns and shoots toward us, and he curses when Deacon doesn’t line up correctly, bumping the dock too hard when he tries to dock it.

“Sorry. I don’t drive a boat to the store in Seattle!” Deacon defends loudly.

Benson says something I can’t hear, and hoists himself onto the dock before jogging my way.

I look for somewhere to hide, but there’s really no way around this. Only problem is…I now notice half the town is here.

Benson doesn’t stop until he’s right in front of me, cupping the sides of my face.

My eyes stare into those dark brown ones, and he lets his gaze rake over me like he can’t bear not seeing everything at once.

“I’ve been in love with you for over a year, Lilah Vincent. You’re a different brand of crazy than I realized if you think I’m going to let you go now.”