The Wicked City Read Online Free Page B

hurts. Why can’t people just be who they are, be the way they were made?”
    June narrowed her eyes. “Two fronts?”
    “I mean, your preference. You’re still harassed for that, I’m sure.”
    “My what?”
    Robbie looked at Cindy, frowning. “She’s not a lesbian, Cindy.”
    Cindy glanced in the mirror at June, brow furrowed. “You’re not?”
    June goggled at her. “No!”
    “I—you were checking out my rack, though. And the leather, and all the tattoos, I thought…”
    “Oh my God,” June said.
    Micha started snickering. June scowled at him. He snickered more. Robbie rubbed the bridge of his nose.
    “I have some wonderful lesbian friends,” June said. “But no, just because I have tattoos doesn’t mean I don’t like cocks. Straight women can have tattoos, you know. And I happen to like leather. It's sexy.”
    Cindy shrugged and mumbled, “Sorry.”
    An awkward silence fell, though Micha had his lips pressed in a tight line, rubbing his jaw.
    June looked back out the window. She narrowed her eyes. “Is that Millennium Park?”
    “Yes.” Micha's voice was tight with stifled laughter.
    Jason had been looking forward to visiting Millennium Park. He loved sculpture. She could see him sitting on the plane, book open in his lap, rattling on about his favorite sculptors. He thought she didn’t listen, but she did. Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate in Chicago. His Sky Mirrors were in front of Nottingham Playhouse and Rockefeller Center. His piece Taratantara stood outside the Baltic flour mills. She could take a test on Jason’s favorite sculptors and pass with flying colors.
    She hoped she’d still get a chance to.
    When they reached Navy Pier, the place looked like a carnival, complete with a Ferris wheel and the entrance boasting a huge lit-up sign akin to a funhouse. She sensed not much fun would go down, despite appearances. Cindy parked the car on the street in front and swiveled around.
    “Robbie will stay here with the car. I’ll come with you to meet him.”
    “Good idea,” June said. “You know where he is, after all. Unless we’re gonna just wander around like idiots.”
    “I don’t, actually. Sam doesn’t like to be predictable. But don’t worry. We’ll find him.” Cindy paused. “I’m really sorry about—”
    “It’s cool.” June held a hand up and quirked the corner of her mouth. “You do have a great rack.”
    They had to walk through what looked like a shopping mall to get to the outer part of the pier—a broad concrete walkway empty of people, the steady wind off the lake making the January cold fucking cold. The wind cut through June’s T-shirt like a thousand evil icy razor blades and forced her to zip up her jacket. The immense plane of bleak and choppy water was filled with big ice chunks like the ones she’d seen in the river. Farther out, solid sheets spread like snowy islands. The city stood across the water, thrust in a jagged line against the stark sky.
    “First time I’ve seen any of the Great Lakes.” June's teeth chattered.
    “Really?” Cindy asked. “I’ve never seen the ocean.”
    “I guess neither of us is a world traveler, huh?”
    Micha huddled into his coat. “Let’s walk down to the end.”
    June kept a cautious eye out as they started down the pier. They saw no one else, as all other people in the city were smart enough not to be walking next to the lake in freezing temperatures.
    “So what do you do when you’re not fighting the good fight?” June asked Micha, trying to keep her mind off the fact her face had already gone numb. They’d been acquainted nearly a week, but with fearing for their lives and June grievously worried about her brother and spending every waking minute trying to figure out a way to rescue him, they hadn’t made much small talk. She knew little about Micha beyond him being altruistic and sexy.
    “I’m an administrator at the College of Paranormal Science. That’s where the Institute gets most its staff. I run