Borderlands: Gunsight Read Free Page A

this time.
    “I don’t have time for any . . . for anything !” he shouted, over his shoulder. He took a step toward the door, hesitating. “I’m gonna go to Sanctuary, Daph, and hit the mission board—maybe see if Roland’s got something for me. Some kinda Crimson work . . . And . . .”
    “And what ?”
    There she was, glaring at him, outside the door from the balcony to the bedroom, hugging herself against the cold.
    It was funny—a sharp, cold wind started up the instant Daphne came out on the balcony, just as if she’d brought it there herself. She was wearing a sheer black negligee, black leather boots, and . . . nothing else. Except of course for the slim daggers she hid in those boots. Her long, straight black hair snapped in the wind like a pirate flag; her eyes flashed like dark gems. She was hugging herself in that vulnerable little-girl way—but she was glaring at him. It was a pretty unnerving glare—sure, she was small, curvy, pretty, but on many planets she was known as Kuller the Killer, one of the most prolific assassins to work for interplanetary organized crime. She’d retired from that life, to live here with Mordecai . . . but Kuller the Killer was still there somewhere inside her and sometimes Mordecai wondered if she might not get mad enough to let Kuller kill him.
    And that razor edginess was part of what he loved about her . . .
    “Baby,” he said, “I want to make you happy, but I just do not want to start any big organizations that require employees or any of that stuff. I mean, that’s just not me!”
    He had to look away from her—in that negligee, she looked smokin’ hot standing there and he didn’t want to give in.
    “I’m going,” he said firmly. “Just for a trip—into Sanctuary. You can come, or not. But I’m going, I’m gonna see Roland, and maybe earn a little scratch and some ammo and supplies and . . . and a present for you. How about that jeweled .200-caliber HyperHawk pistol you were looking at, with the diamond inlaid grip and—”
    “You’re not wriggling out of this with presents, Mordecai! We need to create a sanctuary of our own, not hang out at that one! I’m planning . . . well . . . I think we should have a baby!”
    It was his turn to exclaim, “What!” And even Bloodwing squawked something that sounded close to that.
    “Why not have a baby?”
    “On Pandora ? This hellhole is no place to raise a—”
    “People do it, in some of the settlements! The place needs to be civilized! Remember those people at Bloodrust Corners—”
    “And remember what they went through keeping their kids alive! It’s crazy, Daph!”
    Her eyes narrowed and she hugged herself tighter against the cold. “Okay. You go to Sanctuary. I’m not going with you. I might be here when you get back—and I might not. You take the smaller outrunner. And we’ll see. But you better think hard about it on this little party trip of yours—”
    “It’s not a party trip, dammit!”
    “Yeah, right! You’re going to see that bitch Moxxi. She never did give up on you, and she wants you back in her clutches!”
    Mordecai rolled his eyes. “Don’t start with Moxxi again! I’m not going to see Moxxi! I mean—I might stop in her place for a drink but . . .”
    “Like there’s only one place to drink in that town?”
    “Hey, she’s an old friend of mine—but a drink is all it’ll be—” Stupid to say anything about stopping in to see Moxxi; should’ve known Daphne’d take it all wrong. “Seriously—”
    “You are flat out full of shit, Mordecai. If you’re leaving, and going there without me—you’re going to see that whore Moxxi! I know it!”
    “That is just bullshit, Daph! I told you, you could come with me, I just want to talk to Roland, check the mission board—”
    But she’d already gone inside. He almost followed her . . . then growled to himself, snatched up the rifle, and walked to the other end of the balcony.