Twisted Metal Heart - Eve Langlais Page 0,48
with long sleeves, pants down to the ankles and shoes on his feet. A single glove covered his metal hand.
He visibly recoiled upon seeing her, and his lip curled. “You.”
“Hello, Titan.”
“Don’t hello me, princess.” The word was bitten off as an insult.
She didn’t flinch and instead looked at his bionic limbs, moving with him. “I see you’re doing better with your arm and leg.”
“Depends on the day,” he growled. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to rescue you.” Part of the truth.
His lips curled. “I don’t need rescue.”
“You’re being kept prisoner in a dungeon.”
“Probably the best place for me. What else am I going to do? At least this way I’m not a burden to anyone.”
“Are you really pulling a woe-is-me? I told you I’m sorry. I can’t say it enough times.”
“This isn’t about my arm and leg anymore.”
“Then what is it about?”
“You’re the queen’s daughter.”
“Not her favorite one,” she replied with a grimace.
“You didn’t tell me.”
“Can you see why?” was her sarcastic retort. “Do you think you’re the first person to react like you did?”
“With reason! That cunt cost me my father.”
“Did it ever occur to you that I hate her, too?” she yelled right back.
He frowned. “But she’s your mother.”
“And? You said it yourself. She is a cunt. A mean fucking queen and a horrible excuse for a mother. She made my life a living hell.”
“If that’s the case, then why didn’t you try to kill her?”
“I want to. It would be better for me if I could. But there is something encoded in me. Something that won’t let me harm her.” She shrugged. “I keep hoping someone will get close enough to ram a knife in her gut.”
“A lot of people share that same hope.” His lips tightened, and he visibly struggled. “Even if you hate her, it doesn’t change the fact you lied. That I can’t trust you.”
“I did lie, and for that, I am sorry. Hiding has been a part of my life for so long that it never occurred to me to admit it.”
“Look at you saying all the right things. How much of it is still lies?” He sneered.
It hurt her that he didn’t want to forgive her because that obviously meant he didn’t remember with the same fondness what they shared. Didn’t crave it. “I won’t apologize for protecting myself.”
“Why are you here?”
“Partially looking for you. When I realized Burton and Alfred were gone from the citadel, I went looking for them and found out you survived.”
He hung his head. “I am afraid they didn’t. I lost them when the tunnels collapsed on us.”
She winced. “I worried about that section the last time I went through.”
“How did you get here?”
“There’s more than one way.”
“You’ve been here before and know the king.”
“Visited the outer bailiwick yes. Never visited the king. But I will say our first visit went well. He seems reasonable. I managed to negotiate your freedom.”
“Excuse me?”
He appeared shocked, so she explained. “The king has agreed to let you go.”
“No one asked you to do that.” He sounded so cold. Unlike the man who’d heated every inch of her flesh.
“I was glad to make the bargain.”
The wrong thing to say. He stiffened further if possible. “No bargain because I won’t be in your debt.”
“I never asked for payment.”
“And I didn’t ask for your help. I don’t need anything from you,” Titan grumbled. “I can take care of myself.”
That had her blinking. “I never said you couldn’t. But you’re kind of in a bind given you’re a prisoner.”
“Prisoner by choice. From my perspective it’s food, a room with a bed, exercise.”
She rolled her eyes. “Is that all you need? What about freedom?”
“I’ve had freedom. It’s overrated.”
“Then you’re not doing it right.”
For some reason that made him laugh. “Aren’t you fucking priceless.”
She didn’t know what he meant, so she changed the subject. “How long did it take to properly bond with your arm and leg?”
“Too long.” The reminder brought a grimace to his face. “It’s taken practice. And sometimes they still don’t act like I want.”
“Given your lack of gene, it’s doing better than I ever expected with you. May I?” she asked, reaching for his metal arm.
He jerked out of reach. “Don’t touch me.”
She frowned. “Why not?”
“Because when you get close the voice starts to shout.”
Her eyes widened. “What voice?”
His lips pressed into a tight line. “It doesn’t matter.”
“I want to help you.”
“I don’t need your help. You’ve done enough.”
For some reason, she got angry. “Are you done with the pity party?