Smirking, I crouch, making sure my dress isn’t showing anything it shouldn’t be, as I shoot him five times in the side before he can swing toward me.
His eyes flare with excitement, and suddenly he’s shooting that damn thing rapidly at me. Those fuckers hurt too.
I laugh, running back toward the Malone corner…but scramble to a halt when I see Jason holding up a grenade. My mouth opens in a silent scream, and he sees me too late, already throwing it.
I try to jump out of the way, but I feel the wet blast of it against my legs, arms, and face as I fall to the ground, curling into the fetal position, and making myself as small as possible, while they launch five or six more.
It’s like one wet blast after another, my body right in the kill zone.
Paint is all over me now.
Those dicks better be glad I put my precious suedes up nice and safe.
I’d kill them. For real.
Two arms grab me, and I look up as Liam hoists me up, dragging me quickly back to where he and Hale are firing toward my family.
Normally I wouldn’t shoot at my own, but those fuckers just launched a grenade arsenal while I was in the line of fire.
I prop up beside him, and I start ticking them off, hitting them hard in the chests. That’ll leave some pretty bruises because they didn’t wear the thick chest plates.
My dad yelps when I catch him right smack dab in his arm pit, and he narrows his eyes at me. I shoot him again right on his thigh, smirking when he drops to the ground. Then I hit Jason right in the balls.
Goliath collapses with a pale face. I actually hope I didn’t hurt him too bad, because I didn’t aim for that.
Hale and Liam both groan with sympathy, but I don’t stop firing until the song ends.
All the while, Lilah has finished up her cake, and now she’s dabbing the corners of her lips like a dainty little princess. Not one drop of dirt or paint is on her beautifully white dress.
I’m panting heavily as I drop the gun.
“That’s all?” Liam asks, sounding oddly disappointed when he notices everyone putting away their weapons.
“End of the song. Don’t worry, sharp shooter; they’ll sing it again,” Hale tells him, laughing as Liam frowns, reluctantly relinquishing his weapon.
“Come on. We’ll get a drink,” I say on a sigh.
Liam smiles down at me, one of his hands going for my curls again. I let him. Somehow the paint avoided my hair. At least I think so. It better have, or so many Malones are going to pay.
“Kylie Malone never lets anyone touch her curls, so I have to be nosy,” Nila Wilder says as she joins us, reaching past us to use the keg.
I roll my eyes as Liam’s hand falls away from my hair.
“I stalked her here all the way from LA, so I guess she takes pity on me, since I love those curls.”
Nila’s eyes finally turn to take him in, and they widen as she says, “Hibbida Hibbida.”
Don’t know what that means? No one does. She tends to mumble gibberish when she finds someone attractive and tries to speak to them.
“What?” Liam asks with a grin.
Her eyes widen more as she blushes and darts a panicked gaze at me. Since she came over here to mock me, I just grin, enjoying the moment. It’s always fun to remember Nila is just as human as the rest of us, since nothing else seems to faze her.
Penny joins us, smiling wildly as she saves Nila. “All the hearts of the non-Wild Ones just broke,” Penny says on a long, mock sigh, gesturing back at a few women who are watching us with annoyed eyes.
I shake my head, not correcting her, because I want the she-wolves at bay. Only the Wild Ones should howl. Yeah. I know that sounds lame, but I’m in a mood. Lame is all I have right now.
“Non-Wild Ones?” Liam asks, frowning as he looks back at me.
“Oh, don’t worry. I wasn’t saying Kylie doesn’t still want you,” Penny laughs.
When I give her the eye, she stops laughing immediately, catching on.
“Anyway,” she goes on, looking back over at him. “I meant the non-Wild Ones would never be brave enough to go after a man in challenge. But a Wild One…wouldn’t back down if they wanted something, right, Nila?”
She elbows Nila, who clears her throat and nods, turning five more shades of red. She has no clue what she’s even agreeing with. She’s just ready to get the hell out of here.
Penny flashes a grin at me again, and I try not to smile back. Wouldn’t want Liam’s head swelling.
“Good thing you’re all friends, though. Otherwise, life would be complicated,” Penny goes on.