Page 123 of Wild Like Us

Jordyn nods in agreement with him.

Lovely.

We’ve encountered two pricks who think amountainbelongs to them. Growing up in an affluent neighborhood, these are some of my least favorite people to run into. For Banks, who grew up in a poor neighborhood, these are also some of his least favorite people to run into.

He glares at them like they’re human stink bugs.

There’s less heat in my eyes. One of us needs todeescalate.

Calmly, I say, “I take it you’re not a Ryke Meadows fan.”

Banks effortlessly sidesteps to block the bathroom door fully, but they’re not paying him enough attention to notice.

Lincoln snorts. “The guy is a sellout, dude. Have you seen his Ziff commercial? He’s out there chugging a knock-off Gatorade for cash, and he wants to be known asthe bestclimber? Fuck that.”

“It’s ridiculous,” Jordyn chimes in. “Climbing should bepure. Not something to be profited on.”

“Knockoff Gatorade,” Banks grumbles under his breath. They don’t hear, and I try not to smile. Ziff is a Fizzle product, and he might as well have insulted the Calloway sisters. Sulli’smom.

Also, Ziff is quality.

I bite back an inciting retort. “Sullivan isn’t Ryke,” I tell them, hating that I even say these words because I’d like to defend Ryke too. But this will calm them faster, and we don’t need enemies at our camp. “She’s here to climb just like you two.”

“Not like us,” Lincoln points to the bathroom. “She’s in therealone. Taking up the whole bathroom. There are three stalls.”

Jordyn nods strongly. “Spoiled princesses shouldn’t be climbing Rattlesnake Knuckle. Tell her to stick to indoor rock walls.”

They both leave like that’s the endnote.

Shit.

“What asswipes,” Banks says gruffly. “Ben and Winona would never.”

“What?” I make a face.

“Those climbers don’t own this mountain,” he tells me more angrily.

I almost smile. “Don’t tell them that,” I say like an order. “We can’t have them pissed at us. It’ll just distract her.”

Sulli is going to eventually free-solo once she feels comfortable climbing the route.

Banks just nods, then grimaces.

“What’s that look?”

“I hate how easy it is for me to take orders that I don’t like.”

“It’s why you’re good at what you do,” I remind him. “Someone has to be theyes-man.”

“More like yessirman.”

I give him a pointed look. “Start calling mesirand see what happens.”

“You’d probably get a nice boner.”

With a smile, I quip, “I do love being in power.”

He smacks my chest lightly with the back of his hand, and then suddenly, the bathroom door opens that he’s leaning on. Banks steadies himself before falling through the opened doorway.