“THE MINNOW REVOLT!” Dice yelled, with his hands in the air as he barreled across the grass.
So much for sharks chasing minnows.
Now the sharks were screaming and fleeing in every direction as the guys charged like linebackers.
Olive and Fallon teamed up. They circled Cue Ball like a pair of tactical ninjas. He tried to double back, but Fallon lunged low while Olive swatted his back.
“TO THE SHARK SIDE!” Olive screamed and pushed Cue Ball toward the girls’ side while Compass started chasing them down.
I fell back to the original shark line and just watched for a moment, breathless with laughter. This was insanity. Absolute, unhinged chaos.
Watching a group of women chase a pack of grown-ass bikers around the yard was prime entertainment.
Compass zeroed in on Fallon, but she stopped short, turned fast, and slapped her hand across his cheek. “Got you!” she screamed, triumphant.
“God damn, woman!” Compass laughed, scooping her up and slinging her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. “You almost took my head off.”
“To the shark line!” she squealed as he tickled her ribs.
“You’re a minnow! You can’t carry her to the line!” Sloane yelled and darted past with Aero hot on her heels.
“This is the minnow revolt, babe!” Aero called, clearly loving every second. He managed to corner her by the back fence, grabbed her around the waist, and lifted her with a growl. “You’re coming to the minnow side!”
“Nooo!” Sloane shrieked through her laughter and kicked her legs.
One by one, the girls got picked off.
Even Mac was cornered by Drew and Mark, laughing too hard to escape.
Eventually, it was just me, Rocky, and Pirate left standing.
Dove held her hands up. “We’ve got one left!” she announced like a referee. “Saylor! Resist!”
I looked around like, Really? Me?
I was still sore. My bruises ached. And I wasn’t about to outrun a teenager and a very agile, very determined Pirate.
“You wouldn’t capture a hurt shark, would you?” I said sweetly, and turned to Rocky and gave him my best wounded Bambi eyes. “You wouldn’t want to be responsible for taking me out, would you?”
Rocky hesitated—just a little—but glanced toward Pirate.
“Don’t fall for it, Rocky,” Pirate warned. “This one’s for the minnows.”
“What?!” I gasped. “Maybe we can talk about this. Come to an understanding?”
Rocky shook his head slowly, and a wicked little grin pulled at his lips.
Oh no.
“Now!” Pirate shouted.
They both charged.
I turned to run, but I didn’t get two steps before Pirate’s arm was around my waist.
“Got you!” Rocky crowed, and ran in a circle around us like he’d just won a prize.
Pirate pulled me back against his chest, and his arm was snug around me. His mouth was right by my ear, his voice low and rough. “Got you, baby.”