Page 150 of Blackwood

Calm down, Little Lex.

“Are you trying to kill me, baby?” I growl under my breath, barely able to breathe.

She mouths a kiss, rolls her hips just once, then gets up.

“Not fair, baby. Get your ass back here.”

Ellie takes her place on my lap, grinding on me for a few bars.

Then Haley climbs on, locking eyes with me as she arches her back with her hands in my hair.

Jesus Christ, I might actually combust.

“The fuck are you girls doin?”

Haley winks, gets up, and all three of them move off in perfect sync, spinning back into formation for the final run.

The Wolves lose their minds.

Knox is saying something but I can’t even hear it. Those girls didn’t just perform. They declared war and they looked fucking good doing it.

Knox’s voice is finally audible over the crowd, “Okay, Maddie Rae. I hope one of you can sing… because we’re about to mic you up.”

I raise an eyebrow. “This should be good.”

Ok, turns out they can’t sing. Shocker.

Some off-key Britney Spears disaster mixed with breathy dramatics and a lot of awkward arm sways. Maddie’s mini-me tries to riff and ends up sounding like a dying hyena.

“E for effort, Maddie Mini,” I mutter. “And by E, I meaneject.”

The crowd claps out of pity.

“Alright, Bella,” Knox announces, “you’re up, baby.”

Baby? The fuck, Knox? Bestie or not, don’t fucking call her that.

I lean forward in my chair, ready to lose my shit… but then the beat hits. It’s twangy. Southern. Country as hell.

Maddie laughs, that grating fake cackle she does when she thinks she’s won something.

“You realize Bella is literally from the south Maddie?” Haley says pure sass. That shuts her up.

I don’t even know the song. Some country banger that sounds like it was made to blast from a truck at a state fair. I should really listen to their Trifecta playlist more.

Sorry, baby.

But that twang? That smooth-as-whiskey Southern heat in her voice? I’ve never been more mesmerizedin my life. Bella belts out some hilarious lines about what women actually want from us guys.

Something about being loved when she’s ugly.

Ugly? Baby, you’re the most beautiful thing in the goddamn world.

She throws in something about bad hair days.

Never you, baby. You’re flawless 24/7. Even in my shirts. Especially in my shirts.

Sheyeahsand points at the crowd. The crowdyeahsback. She’s eating it up. And I love it. I fucking love it.