Wilder (The Wild Ones 3)

With one harsh gulp of cold, buzzing air, I release the follow-up scream that hits even higher pitches. I don’t even think I’m able to blink as everything around me soars by at outrageous speeds.

How do I brake?

When I do brake?

Where is the fucking brake?

In a survival situation, I’m the first person who’s going to die. I wasn’t a screamer before I came to Tomahawk, but as my lungs burn with the exertion my next scream has, I realize I’ll never be the same again.

I spot Kai’s wide eyes as the line tries to level out, and he shouts something at me. It’s too loud to hear what he’s saying, because my screams are all I can hear.

With the line leveling out like it does, I slow down a lot, but it’s still way too fast by the time I reach him. He snatches me at the waist, the force of his arm across my middle knocking down a lot of my speed. But…the momentum flings him off the platform’s side, as I’m jolted to a halt by the foam pads that are haphazardly taped to some surface.

My face slams into it so hard that tears spring to my eyes, and my entire body seems to get jarred by the abrupt impact.

“You okay?” Kai asks around a groan, as my throat aches and burns.

With completely shaky arms and legs, I shove back from the mats and go completely limp, hanging only by the harness as I stare up at the levers marked BRAKE.

Damn. I knew I was forgetting something.

“Are you okay?” I ask him instead of answering.

My body is too limp to be certain I’m not damaged yet.

“I’m not dead and nothing’s broken, so…yeah. I think,” he groans.

“Sorry. I forgot to brake,” I tell him around a grimace.

“I noticed,” he deadpans.

So much for the ultimate rush of endorphins that would give me courage. Sex is the last thing on my mind right now. I just want to be able to move.

I don’t want to feel my body though. Something tells me it’s going to hurt…when I stop being numb.

I think I’ll ignore Reese’s advice from now on.

***

“Stop questioning me. My plan only failed last time because you forgot to brake and damn near killed him,” Reese says as she sits on the snowmobile.

We’re out with all the Wild Ones today. It’s hard to spend time alone with Kai, since he seems to stay busy.

“Just don’t freak out. Trust him as he drives the sled. That was my mistake, and because of that, I have to sit out,” she says, lifting her arm that’s still in a cast up to the elbow.

Gotta hand it to her; Reese makes a cast look like child’s play. I’d have been a big baby if I’d broken a bone.

Fortunately, my latest excursion left me with even fewer bruises than it left poor Kai.

I didn’t try to seduce him yesterday. I needed a minute to feel all the aches and pains that started the second I got feeling in my body again.

“When you get to the bottom, you’ll giggle like a refined woman and knock him to the snow. Your eyes will meet, and if he doesn’t make the first move, you will. Just make sure you’re kissing like there’s a goal to be reached, so that he’s left desperate to have you by the time you get back,” she says, rehashing the plan as she gives me another little motivating shake. “You’ve got this.”

I give her a firm nod, tighten the strap on my helmet, and turn around just in time to see Kai moving toward me.

Hunter is helping him unwind a roll of…is that bubble wrap?

I watch with confounded curiosity as the two of them cut it, hold it up toward me, and start pulling out more.

What the…

Kai walks toward me with bubble wrap in one hand, and a roll of tape in the other.

“What are you—”

My words cut out abruptly when Nila comes to help him wrap the bubble wrap around me at my waist, causing my eyes to widen a little more.

“What the hell?” I ask as they strap my arms down with it.

“Kai wanted me to help instead of Hunter because he’s territorial and didn’t want a guy to touch you,” Nila answers like that’s the question I’m asking.

But…awwww.

I wipe the stupid smile away as Kai rolls his eyes and starts taping all the bubble wrap around me.

“Seriously, what are you doing?” I ask him.

“After what happened with the zipline and your sister ending up in a cast, I’m not taking any more chances with you,” he tells me as he steps back and admires his handiwork.

I can’t move.

My legs are wrapped individually, but my knees can’t bend. My arms are strapped to my sides, and the bubble wrap comes all the way up to my neck. He removes the helmet I’m wearing without any warning, and a full helmet comes down over my head. Next comes a thick set of goggles.