Twisted Metal Heart - Eve Langlais Page 0,54
why you’re so perturbed. It has nothing to do with you. It is my problem.”
“You weren’t going to tell me,” he accused.
“Tell you what? You’re the one who made it clear I needed to go away. So I did.”
“I have a right to know.”
“And now you do. So what?”
“So maybe you could stop being so fucking self-sufficient for once and let a man feel like he can help.”
She blinked at him. “Help me do what?”
He growled. “Would you stop implying I’m useless?”
“Never said you were. Just not sure what you think you can do for me. You’re in a cell. I’m not. I’m being hunted. Again, not your problem.”
“I hear the bounty on your head is huge.”
“Thinking of turning me in?” She wouldn’t have expected it of him, but he still seemed rather angry with her.
“Thinking you’d make great bait to draw out a queen and take her out once and for all.”
“You’d give me to her knowing I carry your child?” she squeaked.
“If I kill her, then you’ll be free.”
“If. You’re staking an awful lot on your skill.”
“And you’re assuming it wouldn’t work.”
“I will not be dangled in front of my mother,” she huffed. “And if irritating me is your way of trying to get out of being a daddy, then you don’t need to bother. I don’t expect anything from you. I might not have meant to get pregnant, but I’ll handle this.” Somehow. She’d been stupid to think he might care.
“That is my child.” The cold glare met hers. “Do you really think you’ll be raising it alone?”
“It’s not an it.”
“I am aware.”
“Going to be difficult to be a daddy given you prefer to stay in prison.”
“I could get out if I wanted to.” Metal rolled in his eyes again, the strangest thing she’d ever seen.
It made her wonder at his psionic nature. Was it making him react differently with the bionics? Was her blood transfusion to blame? The spidus poison even perhaps?
“If you wanted out, then why didn’t you win?”
“Because Gunner needed it more than I did.”
“You could have pulverized him with your bionic hand, but you held back.” She’d noticed his restraint.
He rolled his shoulders. “Meat sacks are more fragile than metal.”
The reply had her exclaiming, “Who are you?” Because that wasn’t something Titan would say. Just how powerful was this voice he claimed to hear?
“I am the Tin Man. Bringer of justice.”
She snorted. “What about Titan? Nice guy worried about his friends.”
There was a clanging outside the cell, and she turned away from him. Two people slinked into the hall. Not guards, not the way they slouched and glanced everywhere. One of them caught her gaze, and his hand went to his waist and the hilt of his dagger.
“I have to go.” Either past them, which meant fighting two at a time, or going the opposite way and hoping the other end of this long hall led somewhere.
“What’s wrong?” Titan clung to the bars as she walked away. “Riella?”
She didn’t reply, rather began to run, and heard the sound of steps following.
“Fuckin’ cunt is getting away,” someone yelled.
“What did you call her?” She heard Titan’s deceptively calm voice as she reached a door at the far end.
It opened, and one more man plus a woman confronted her.
“That’s the Emerald queen’s brat. Grab her.”
Riella yelled as fingers gripped her flesh arm tight. She pulled and leaned away from them. “Let me go!”
Her metal arm swung to the rescue, forming a fist and slamming into the hand holding her, smashing a few bones. Something rammed into her from behind, and she hit the floor hard on her knees. A hand grabbed her hair and yanked, drawing a scream.
Which was followed by a bellow and a strange sound. The plaintive wail of metal and then a clang as if something heavy was thrown.
She jabbed her elbow behind her into something soft and was rewarded with a shriek of pain and a loosening of her hair. She freed herself from the grip, thankful the bounty required she be brought in alive.
She was also done being nice. She snapped a jab at the woman in front of her, only to curse as her attacker flicked a tiny whip, the coils of it wrapping around her metal wrist and jolting her. Damned thing threw current.
She pulled the bionic arm close and reached out with her other hand. It hurt when her knuckles crunched bone, but she yanked the electric whip free.
Someone behind her screamed. It was cut short. She whirled