Page 83 of Wilde's End
“Renovating.”
“Why?”
“That’s our business.”
Lynx looks down at Bob. “Did you hear that? His business, he says.” Cold eyes meet mine again. “It would be a shame to have to get my answers by cutting them from your head.”
I’m done with this. I’m about to shove my brothers back inside and slam the door on Lynx—though what we’d do after that I have no fucking clue, considering the whole back of the house is missing—when the sound of an engine makes us all turn.
Wilde’s faded red truck comes into view, rolling to a stop on the road just down from us. He climbs out of the driver’s side when Ziggy climbs out of the other.
“Lynx,” he calls. “I thought I forbade you from coming here.”
Lynx spins his machete with impressive confidence. “You did.”
“Then why the fuck didn’t you listen?”
“Because you failed at getting rid of them. You can’t expect a teddy bear to do an animal’s job.”
“This teddy bear is doing fine.”
I’m still tense, still holding my brothers back, but having Lynx’s attention off me, even if that demon cat is still staring my way, makes it a fraction easier to breathe.
“Fine?” Lynx cackles, but it cuts off too fast, and when he speaks, that chilling nothingness is back. “You were both lookingvery finedown by the swimming hole yesterday.”
It takes me a moment to realize he saw us. I could hope it was only while we were swimming, but the pointedness to his words makes me think it was more than that. “You were perving on us?”
“You were out. In public. I assumed you wanted me to stay for the whole filthy show.” He lifts his machete my way. “You’re lucky I didn’t trip and land this in your back.”
“What we did was none of your business.”
“This whole town is my business. See, I’m the pest control inthese parts. And you …” He sneers my way. “You’rethe biggest pest we’ve ever had.”
“That’s enough,” Wilde snaps. “I told you I’d handle it, and Iwillhandle it.”
“Tick tock …” Lynx whispers through the building rain. “I don’t play well with patience.”
Wilde stalks toward him. “You don’t make demands of me.”
“Indeed, my liege, but don’t forget. The only demands you make are the ones I let you get away with.”
“Threaten me one more time—” Wilde’s hands close over Lynx’s shirt, and before he can finish his sentence, the cat pounces.
It smacks into Wilde’s side, jaw locking over his neck as it takes a swipe at his face with one large paw.
I’m moving before I notice I am. My shoulder slams into Lynx’s back, throwing him from the bottom step into Wilde and the stupid cat, and the three of them hit the wet road. I haul Lynx away, tossing him to the side before he can take a swing at me with the machete, and Wilde snarls as he throws the cat off him.
Then he looks down at his outer thigh and the blood seeping through his jeans.
My gut bottoms out, and I’m about to drop down beside him and make sure he’s okay when Wilde pushes unsteadily to his feet.
“For fuck’s sake. I have Peril next week!”
Lynx straightens, body coiled like an animal about to pounce. “The city boy pushed me.”
“If I catch you here again, I’ll be calling a town meeting.”
“Call a town meeting,” Lynx spits, and the careful detachment is gone, replaced by a feral growl. “And I can’t promise you’ll wake to see it.”
