Page 124 of Hendrix

Cara punched a hand to her hip and cocked it, her eyes flashing at her ol’ man. “I blame you for this. You let him get away with murder. He’s a goddamned hellion.” She turned back to the pen and screamed, “Wilder. Get. Off!”

“Woooohooooooo!”he shouted, spurring the llama on with his feet.

John rolled his lips together to hide his grin.

Atlas roared with laughter. He bent over double, holding Lola tightly as he stooped.

Lola giggled along with her dad.

“Yeeehaaaawwwwww.”Wilder’s voice carried over the breeze.

Anna appeared at my side. “Don’t just stand there. Somebody go save Wilder.”

As she said the words, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. “Fuck!” I muttered. “Here we go.”

Blade stood over by the pony rides, his eyes on Wilder, barking orders down his phone. “Mayday. Mayday. Mayday. We’ve gotta situation. A kid’s riding a llama. Animals are getting agitated.”

A scream pierced the air.

My eyes sliced back toward the animal pen, and I swore under my breath.

The animals were indeed getting agitated. My lungs stopped working, and I watched in horrified fascination as the other llamas started to paw at the ground. Their heads went up and twisted, and then suddenly, they all took off as one unit. That was when the ostriches joined in the stampede, except for one of the spiteful little fuckers who ran at Addie and nipped her shoulder.

She wailed and started to sob loudly.

The kids’ screams were deafening as they stood there terrified while exotic animals ran at them, nipping and spitting in their faces. Then they started to run, and I watched, horrified, as the pen turned into a scene from a horror movie with animals running after kids. All except for Wilder, who was still doing his rodeo cowboy impression and yelling,“Woooohooooo!”

“Secure the perimeter,” Blade barked. “Protect the kids at all costs.”

My men started to move toward the carnage, tugging their weapons from their cuts as they approached.

“No!” Kady screamed. “Don’t shoot the llamas!”

Atlas roared, wiping tears from his eyes.

Breaker grinned.

Cash’s skin paled.

Bowie scraped a frustrated hand down his face.

Anna slipped her hand through my arm. “This is crazy,” she murmured. “How the hell did my son’s baptism turn into Armageddon?” Her kaleidoscope eyes lifted and locked with mine. “Is this going to be our life from now on?”

I took in my ol’ lady’s soft face, then looked down to study the beauty of my boy, fast asleep in my arms, and my heart wrenched inside my chest.

“I hope so, Freckles,” I muttered, leaning down to drop a kiss on the lips I loved more than life itself. “I really fucking hope so.”

THE END

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