Twisted Metal Heart - Eve Langlais Page 0,76
down hard then put his arm around Riella, tugging her close. Claiming ownership.
It wasn’t something she’d usually allow, but given his agitation—with reason—she gave that to him. Then to further soothe, she put her hand on his leg, high on his thigh. Brazen, which was why she didn’t look at Titan. She would have blushed for sure. But she felt his satisfaction.
“You and the cave man? Really?” Darius shook his head, his knotted strands jiggling. “I thought you had better taste.”
“Her taste is impeccable if you ask me,” Titan declared, relaxing a bit.
“Debatable,” Alfred declared, flitting through the broken door.
“Alfred!” Darius exclaimed.
“Don’t you start!”
“Are you mad about my prank?” Darius clutched his chest theatrically.
It was Titan who spoke in Alfred’s defense. “Your prank left Alfred in a pile of gunk. I rescued him.”
“Did you really?” Darius snickered.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Alfred could have incinerated it at any moment. He stuck around to help you,” she murmured since Titan obviously didn’t grasp it.
He stiffened. “That fucker.”
“Don’t you mean ‘thank you’ someone needed to guide you to the port and kept you from getting killed?” her robot declared.
“Because a cave man obviously wouldn’t know to follow a road.” Darius rolled his eyes.
“Titan, hold the pirate down while I shave him bald.” An ominous buzzing noise had Darius putting a hand to his locks.
“Touch the hair and I’ll have you melted into a toilet set.”
“It’s like we never left,” she grumbled. To Titan she said, “The pair of them never stop fighting. You’d think they were siblings the way they carry on.”
“Don’t be obtuse,” Alfred interjected. “I am too smart to be related to him.”
“Smarts wouldn’t have saved you from being smothered as a babe.”
The dual exclamations, while not exactly friendly, further eased the tension. Titan’s fingers brushed her arm. “Why did the one-eyed pirate kidnap you?” he asked.
Given the eye in question was a perfect replica, it could only mean Alfred had told him about Darius. Probably in a way that explained why Titan rushed in like a jealous lover.
“Darius is an old client and friend.”
“Clients hire; they don’t abduct,” Titan pointed out.
“A joke between old friends.” Darius teased.
“Friends keep their promises. You said you were going to send him a ride. Do you really want to break a promise to me?” She glared at the pirate, who lost some of his ease at her pointed words.
“I sent a cart for him. Not my fault it’s not as quick as the quads.”
“You should have left my wheels in the first place,” Titan bit off.
“But then I wouldn’t be a very good pirate,” Darius said with a wide, unrepentant smile.
“I’m still waiting to hear why he stole you.”
Darius resumed the use of his massager, letting its mechanical digits dig into his shoulders. “I do believe your newest project is worried you still have an affection for me. Alas, Riella broke my heart long ago.”
“More like you couldn’t stick to one woman, in one port. No thanks. We parted by mutual agreement,” she explained to Titan.
“I’m a changed man.” Darius did his best to look charming, but it had no effect. Only one man had the ability to quicken her blood.
“Not entirely changed. He stole me for a reason. He wanted to give me news,” she explained.
Disdain filled Titan’s reply. “You don’t abduct people to deliver news.”
Darius shrugged. “I’m a pirate. It’s more efficient than making an appointment. And, I will note, I didn’t technically harm you or Alfred. Just gave myself the time needed to chat with Riella, for old time’s sake.”
“Chat about what?” Titan was, true to character, grumpy.
She squeezed his thigh. “Remember how you wanted to kill the queen?”
“Don’t tell me someone managed it.” His expression brightened.
“Not yet, but it might happen soon if we help. Darius has a plan to get us in close enough to try.”
“Us.” It took Titan a moment after he uttered it before he asked quietly. “How do we rid ourselves of her?”
“By being incredibly bold.” Darius jumped in. “We shall sail to Crimson Bay, and—”
“You lost me at sail.” Titan shook his head. “That would involve a boat on water with the monsters…” He turned quite green at the idea.
“It’s mostly safe,” Darius declared, looking rakish with his dimpled smile. He still was handsome, but too wild for her.
She liked someone a little more serious—who read classics. She grabbed Titan’s hand. “We’ll be perfectly fine. Darius will follow the shoreline, which is relatively safe.”
“Safe compared to what?” Titan exclaimed.
“No worse than traveling through the Wasteland