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Read Online Seleste deLaney - [Badlands 02] by Clockwork Mafia - Free Book Online
Authors: Clockwork Mafia
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cot. “Take off your shirt. Does Spencer really need to send you out to make repairs while we’re flying? It seems unnecessarily dangerous. Can’t it wait until we land?”
Shirtless, Noah exposed a two-inch gash on his left biceps and shrugged. “Too many of the bullets hit us. Cap’n doesn’t want to risk it. ‘Sides, I know what I’m doing. Don’t you worry. This is my one and only visit today. Ever can fill your time herself soon enough.”
He grimaced as she started stitching then began whistling a melancholy tune. She didn’t know where he’d picked up the habit, but he did it every time she tended one of his injuries. Still better than Ever who cursed and spat and generally made getting anything done near impossible. As Henri worked, she tried not to wonder who she would find to take over and if they would bother getting to know the crew as she had. If they’d care.
She shook the thought away forcefully. She didn’t belong here. That was all that mattered.
“Please, don’t remind me. I have more than enough on my mind.” In truth, she could never forget when Ever was coming on board. Never shake the reminder of what she’d done. It had been a while since the warrior princess’s last visit, and the delay was probably a large part of Spencer’s moodiness. “However, to be completely fair, I am glad you intend to stop injuring yourself just to keep me on my toes.”
Noah grinned through his obvious pain. “Never gotten hurt on purpose. Last time, one of your machines turned on and wasn’t too happy about me chasing it around the hold.”
Tying off the last of the stitches, she winced. “I’m sorry.”
“No worries. Just doing my job. Between us all going down in a hail of bullets or me cutting the lines, decision seemed easy enough.”
She nodded and wrapped a bandage around his arm. They were all good at their jobs—so much so their dedication got them hurt. Got Zeke killed. Maybe they’d all be better off if they were a bit less good at what they did. “Does Spencer know who they were? After...what happened before, I didn’t exactly expect to face another firing squad any time soon.”
“Cap’n’s got no clue, but as for the other, don’t think none of us expected it.” He pulled back on his shirt, heedless of the blood drying on the sleeve. “Thanks, Henri.”
Turning to watch Noah leave, she worried at her bottom lip. She’d like to think the firestorm had been a case of mistaken identity—that someone had targeted the Dark Hawk in error—but they’d shot Noah. Good, sweet, playful Noah. As owner of the airship, she couldn’t sit by and ignore a possible threat to their safety.
She marched down the corridor, ignoring the siren call of her father’s things in the cargo hold. One threat at a time. Everyone besides Noah had gathered on the bridge by the time she entered.
“They fired only on us.” Catherine’s accent was more obvious than usual as she paced in the small area. “The likelihood they had any other target in mind is so slight as to be nonexistent.”
“But why would anyone be trying to ground us?” Spencer slammed a fist against a control panel, hitting it again as a row of lights blinked out. They flared to life and he spun around, fixing Henri in his gaze. “Is there anything you aren’t telling me?”
As much as the accusation stung, she tried not to let his words cut her. After she’d betrayed Spencer and the entire crew to her father, she deserved the treatment. “No. I may not have a lot of friends left in Philadelphia, but I don’t have enemies either. The attack has me as confused as you.”
He stared at her for a long moment before speaking. “We’ll have to tell Laurette.”
Catherine nodded. “Of course. The queen will want to know in case this is just another phase in the plan to destroy the Badlands. It is possible Senator Mason was not the only one involved in the plot.”
Telling Queen Laurette meant telling Ever. And
Shirtless, Noah exposed a two-inch gash on his left biceps and shrugged. “Too many of the bullets hit us. Cap’n doesn’t want to risk it. ‘Sides, I know what I’m doing. Don’t you worry. This is my one and only visit today. Ever can fill your time herself soon enough.”
He grimaced as she started stitching then began whistling a melancholy tune. She didn’t know where he’d picked up the habit, but he did it every time she tended one of his injuries. Still better than Ever who cursed and spat and generally made getting anything done near impossible. As Henri worked, she tried not to wonder who she would find to take over and if they would bother getting to know the crew as she had. If they’d care.
She shook the thought away forcefully. She didn’t belong here. That was all that mattered.
“Please, don’t remind me. I have more than enough on my mind.” In truth, she could never forget when Ever was coming on board. Never shake the reminder of what she’d done. It had been a while since the warrior princess’s last visit, and the delay was probably a large part of Spencer’s moodiness. “However, to be completely fair, I am glad you intend to stop injuring yourself just to keep me on my toes.”
Noah grinned through his obvious pain. “Never gotten hurt on purpose. Last time, one of your machines turned on and wasn’t too happy about me chasing it around the hold.”
Tying off the last of the stitches, she winced. “I’m sorry.”
“No worries. Just doing my job. Between us all going down in a hail of bullets or me cutting the lines, decision seemed easy enough.”
She nodded and wrapped a bandage around his arm. They were all good at their jobs—so much so their dedication got them hurt. Got Zeke killed. Maybe they’d all be better off if they were a bit less good at what they did. “Does Spencer know who they were? After...what happened before, I didn’t exactly expect to face another firing squad any time soon.”
“Cap’n’s got no clue, but as for the other, don’t think none of us expected it.” He pulled back on his shirt, heedless of the blood drying on the sleeve. “Thanks, Henri.”
Turning to watch Noah leave, she worried at her bottom lip. She’d like to think the firestorm had been a case of mistaken identity—that someone had targeted the Dark Hawk in error—but they’d shot Noah. Good, sweet, playful Noah. As owner of the airship, she couldn’t sit by and ignore a possible threat to their safety.
She marched down the corridor, ignoring the siren call of her father’s things in the cargo hold. One threat at a time. Everyone besides Noah had gathered on the bridge by the time she entered.
“They fired only on us.” Catherine’s accent was more obvious than usual as she paced in the small area. “The likelihood they had any other target in mind is so slight as to be nonexistent.”
“But why would anyone be trying to ground us?” Spencer slammed a fist against a control panel, hitting it again as a row of lights blinked out. They flared to life and he spun around, fixing Henri in his gaze. “Is there anything you aren’t telling me?”
As much as the accusation stung, she tried not to let his words cut her. After she’d betrayed Spencer and the entire crew to her father, she deserved the treatment. “No. I may not have a lot of friends left in Philadelphia, but I don’t have enemies either. The attack has me as confused as you.”
He stared at her for a long moment before speaking. “We’ll have to tell Laurette.”
Catherine nodded. “Of course. The queen will want to know in case this is just another phase in the plan to destroy the Badlands. It is possible Senator Mason was not the only one involved in the plot.”
Telling Queen Laurette meant telling Ever. And
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