Wilder (The Wild Ones 3)

After I’ve word vomited my entire family history to him, I sit quietly for a while, regretting every damn thing I’ve said. Just like I always do when I word vomit my family drama.

I swear, this is why it’s important to keep the filter on.

He holds my hand until he’s forced to let go and shift gears as we enter the town.

“Was your sister throwing an axe last night, or was that my imagination?” I ask him.

“Not your imagination,” he says as his lips ghost a smile. “She gets queen every year, and as queen, she has the right to challenge the king. Every year, Killian crushes her. This year he only beat her by three center hits. It was still a win, even if it was a loss.”

I don’t know why that makes me smile. Maybe it’s the pride in his tone over something as simple as a town axe-throwing competition.

“What’d you do as a party girl? A weed virgin doesn’t seem like much of a partier,” he notes.

I snort, and then I outright laugh. Eventually it turns into a sadder laugh.

“Lost all my self-respect for a while. Fortunately, boys don’t really care for desperately broken girls who are trying to mend in all the wrong ways. It helped save me some regret. Let’s leave it at that,” I tell him.

He shrugs like it’s no big deal to him.

“What are we doing?” I ask when he drives on through town, heading down a road I’ve not been on yet.

“Finishing up a project I started this morning. Hale slept in, so I didn’t get to complete the task. I needed to get back and make sure you got food in you,” he tells me, which only has my Grinch’s heart growing three more sizes.

I swear, I could fall in love so easily with Kai Wilder that it’s terrifying. I’m glad he’s driving. Otherwise, I’d probably be throwing myself at him over something that simple.

“Hale’s supposed to be meeting us. I went and borrowed Ma’s phone to check in. Hell, maybe I will get one of those,” he says.

“A phone?” I ask, too amused to help myself.

“Yeah. It was a lot easier and safer than traveling all the way to the Vincent side of the lake just to see why that lazy ass forgot we had plans,” he gripes.

“Reese was probably rewarding him for being a good and decent human being, if he took care of her last night,” I tell him.

He rolls his eyes. “That motherfucker sounded happy, so you’re probably right.”

And it’s official. I suck. I should have rewarded Kai. Instead, I dumped all my baggage on him. Not that he seems to want a reward from me.

Is it arrogant to refer to my vagina as a reward? Because, it’s more likely that I’d be the one feeling rewarded…

Sheesh, I’m a bigger mess than I realized until this moment. Reese is more thoughtful and better at appreciating someone than I am.

I had no idea I was a bigger mess than she is, damn it.

It’s decided. It is arrogant to think my vagina is some sort of reward. It’s not like it’s a dolphin that does tricks or slaps high-fives.

It’s just an ordinary vagina. There’s not even any magic in it.

Obviously, I keep this particular inner ramble to myself. He’s heard enough of my insecurities for one day.

It’s probably good that this is ending soon. There’s no way I know how to treat a guy like Kai the way he deserves to be treated. It’s not like I’ve had the best role models when it comes to relationships.

I spot Reese and Hale up ahead of us, a Jeep abandoned on the side of the road, and my inner musings cut out completely.

“Why is Hale dragging a sled with two huge barrels on it?”

“Because he failed to show up for the rest of the job. That means he got the hard part,” Kai tells me.

I’m confused…

“What job?”

“Revenge on Porter and Tate,” he answers as he parks and abruptly exits the Jeep before I can even formulate a response.

I sit and blink a few times, watching as Reese excitedly waves at me. In stunned silence, I absently pull on my gloves and beanie until the stupor wanes.

Quickly, I hurry to join them, as they all start walking down the street. Hale huffs and puffs, grunting with the effort it takes to drag those—

I cover my nose when a putrid stench assaults me.

“What is that?!” I hiss.

“Shhh!” they all three snap at me.

Blinking a few times, I shuffle my feet as quickly as possible, as Kai moves in beside Hale and starts helping him pull the sled.

“What’s going on?” I ask Reese, who loops her arm through mine and starts guiding me to some sort of camouflage shelter.

I don’t get any answers as Hale and Kai start jogging, and we watch through the opening of the shelter as they turn the barrels on their sides and dump them into some huge hole in front of a small cabin I haven’t noticed before now.