Page 116 of A Wolf After My Own Heart
Before she could form an appropriate rebuttal, she heard a screech, and then Macropi’s Outback was roaring up the lawn
“My hydrangeas!”
and was still moving when Caro Daniels opened her door and jumped out, shouting so hard she was spitting.“You leave her alone!”
“I’d listen,” Lila advised an increasingly shocked and pain-riddled Harriss. “While we’re killing time, you wouldn’t have any fertilizer in that truck, would you? The soil here’s a little too sandy. I want great big hydrangea flowers, big as my head. What? Why is the racist deadbeat arsonist looking at me likeI’mthe freak? Oh, no. No-no-no. Keep your clothes on. This has all been surreal enough without a naked Harry Harriss thrown into the mix and you’re totally ignoring me and now you’re naked and whatareyou?”
There was squirming and writhing as Harry’s other self fought to get free of his overalls, and then there was a squat beast with black fur with a splash of white fur running across its chest, a thick tail, and small, roundish ears with pink insides. Harriss had long whiskers where you’d expect whiskers to be, and also on the top of his head for some reason. Now the size of a big fat basset hound, he scream-growled and tried to run at her, remembered he’d been shot, and then hunched in on himself, probably to look fierce. Instead, he looked like he was taking the mother of all dumps, which was anything but frightening.
“Okay, I—now this is just sad.” Lila lowered her gun. “You’ve made me sad for you. I don’t want to be sad for the guy who thinks setting fires means he’s the good guy, dammit!”
“Careful, m’girl.” Macropi had rushed to her side while Daniels loomed over Harriss like an avenging angel in herA wise man once said NOTHINGsweatshirt. “His bite force is ridiculous. See the disproportionately large head?”
“No, I was distracted by the fat tail. And the whole turning into whatever he is.”
“Tasmanian devil.” Macropi looked down at him and tsked. “Sarcophilus harrisii. Caro, you come away from him now.”
“Really?” Lila inspected the bulky beast from a safe distance. “TheLooney Tunescartoons made them seem a lot more intimidating. Shouldn’t he be a whirl of flailing limbs and teeth?”
“He can crush bone. Don’t you try it, Harry Harriss! You just sit there and think about what you’ve done until we get someone to tend to you! Oh, what your father will say, I just can’t imagine.” Then Macropi’s hands landed on Lila’s shoulders as she pulled her in for a close look.
“That’s a terrible idea when I’m holding a gun, Macropi.”
Nose to nose, anxious blue eyes searched her face. “Are you okay, dear?”
“Sure. And don’t worry, the kids are back of the shed, hiding in the woods until I give the all—”
“Here we are!”
“Goddammit.”
Sally had stopped long enough to put on one of Lila’s old sweatshirts, which fell to her knees. Devoss had put his jeans back on and nothing else, then rushed to tell Daniels what she’d missed.
Sally darted straight for Lila, who had to pick her up or be bowled over. “You were wrong,” she said, and kissed Lila’s cheek with a loud smack. “YouareMary Poppins.”
“Oh, ugh,” she replied, then looked away so they wouldn’t see how much that pleased her.
12. Yep. Spellcheck disagreed, but the dictionary insisted.
Chapter 47
“Your new revolution starts in theReflections Dance Academy?”
“Bold,” Annette added.
“This benighted studio was built over the burial mounds of our people,” Gulo declared.
“No, it wasn’t,” Annette scoffed. “The burial mounds are in the historical district down by the Minnesota River. Note my use of the present tense, becausethey’re still there. You could walk out the door we just came in and find them in ten minutes. This is another reason why your Genocide 2.0 is doomed to fail. You can’t be bothered to do your research.”
“That doesn’t matter!” Gulo snapped. Despite the CLOSED sign, they’d been able to walk right in. Gulo was leaning on the reception desk and none of them seemed to be in a hurry to go anywhere. Waiting for a signal, then. Or reinforcements. “This dance studio is a symbol of Stable tyranny and complacence.”
“And also a great way to stay in shape,” Oz added.
“I know our lives are in danger,” Annette said, “but I really feel like we’re nailing some of these asides.”
“Oh, yeah.” Some people went on roller coasters to get a rush; he and Annette faced down insecure grumps with guns and riffed. If he hadn’t cared deeply for her since they were teenagers under Mama’s roof, he would’ve loved her for that alone. “We’re on fire! That’s not an invitation to set us on fire, by the way.”
Mock lashed out, quicker than thought, and the gun sight split the skin just above Annette’s left eyebrow. Blood trickled, then streamed. Oz knew any wound on the face or head bled so much it looked worse than it was, knew that a week from now it would be nearly healed, but that didn’t stifle the urge to break out Mock’s teeth and shove them up his ass.
