Page 177 of Code Bound
As if he can’t stand to be near me.
“The safehouse is just up ahead,” Locke grumbles, gesturing to what looks like a strange bit of street jutting into the river. It’s like the street was built over the water and buildings placed on top of it. There’s one taller building with the words “Half-Moon Hotel” lit up on the side of it. There are also structures I don’t recognize, like a massive turning wheel with little boxes hanging from it. There are lights all around it, and the words “Wonder Wheel” flash and flicker. There is another large wooden track built up around the area, a link of boxes like a worm speeding around them. There are people riding in the boxes, their arms up in the air, screaming in delight. A variety of smaller buildings pepper the area as well, large signs directing everyone to purchase different foods or items. It’s loud, louder even than the Rune Stock Exchange, the sounds of excited people reaching our ears even as far away as we are.
“It’s beautiful,” I breathe, taking it all in. The bright lights flicker and dance, beckoning us forward, demanding we join in the fun. I’ve never seen something with so much happiness surrounding it. Nothing like this exists in Dross. I’m willing to bet there aren’t many places even in the Harrow like this.
Havoc scoffs behind us at my words, as if my admiration is ridiculous.
I stop walking suddenly, my annoyance getting the better of me. First, he’d made us wait around for him back in the Speakeasy Sprawl. Then he’d pulled that shit in the Rune Stock Exchange. And now here he is, shitting on something else. My face twists in anger and I whirl on him, making everyone else stop and stare at me in surprise.
“How about you fuck off?” I growl, crossing my arms.
He raises his brows. “First you beg me to join you. Now you’re trying to send me away?”
I narrow my eyes. “No one was begging,Warden.”
He snorts and rolls his eyes. “Yeah, okay.”
“You know what?” I hiss.
“What?”
“I’m already sick of your shit.” I take a step closer. “You stomp around with this grumpy ass attitude. You complain about everything. You treat us like idiots. And then there was that bullshit back at the Rune Stock Exchange!”
He watches me closely. “And what bullshit is that?”
“You could have told us from the beginning what the game was,” I say. “You let us stumble around like idiots?—”
“I’m not handing you all the answers,” Havoc growls back. “I’ve already defeated that boss, multiple times, and I did it by paying attention. If you can’t handle something as simple as the Wolf of Wall Street, you’re not going to make it much longer in the Harrow.”
“We could have fucking died,” Locke growls, finally letting his own annoyance out.
“Because you use your strength rather than your brains,” Havoc fired back. “Though I don’t expect much intelligence from a Bone Breaker. If not for Vesper, you’d have been fucked.”
Locke bristles and steps up beside me. “What’s your problem with Bone Breakers?” he snarls.
Havoc takes another step closer to Locke, putting them less than a meter apart as they bristle larger and larger. “Other than them all being bone heads?” Havoc goads.
My annoyance fizzles out at the genuine anger between these two, at the clear insult Havoc had just thrown at Locke. Of course. Of course, it’s going to turn into a cock measuring contest when there’s men around. This was about being a good team, and now it’s about who can look bigger.
Svetlana tickles my ear. “This is going to be good,” she giggles, watching it all play out, but I don’t enjoy the drama the way she does. Instead, watching them go toe-to-toe drains me.
Am I going to have to resort to babysitting these men’s egos the whole time?
“Fuck you,” Locke growls dangerously.
“You’re not my type,” Havoc responds, smooth as can be.
Locke jabs a finger in my direction. “Oh, but she is, I bet!” he spits. “That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? You wanna fuck her?”
I roll my eyes. “I should have known this would turn into a pissing contest,” I tell Svetlana.
“You are a queen,” she responds. “Queens deserve knights who fight for their favor. They are just paying their tax.”
I snort and toss a smile to the praying mantis on my shoulder. When she puts it that way . . .
“Don’t pretend you’re here for anything different,” Havoc accuses.
“It’s beneficial,” Locke argues. “We’ve been together since we entered this shithole!”
