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“Stop that!” Nara hissed. “Any harder and sparks are going to fly from your mouth. And control the tick. I would hate for your face to get stuck mid twitch. Malfunctions happen every day.”
Malfunction? I’d show her a malfunction.Once this transport stopped, my hands were going to mysteriously malfunction and accidentally tie her to her seat. That way, she couldn’t run head first into danger.It was okay for me to do it. It was part of my programming.And part of what the Global Allegiance had expected of me. Now at least I was doing it because I wanted to.
I was no longer being forced to fight in someone else’s war. I got to decide what I fought for.Couldn’t Nara see I would willingly fight for her?Reaper might want her to prove herself to the rebellion, but for me, she’d already done so.
It was in the way she loved her cyborgs. The way she had been willing to give up her whole life for Core, Caliber, and Chaos without a second thought. So what she had worked for the Global Allegiance? So had Marley…and she wasn’t evil.
The Global Allegiance were liars. They probably told her anything to get her into their clutches. And once they had you, they made sure you stayed. Usually with threats and promises to hurt the ones you cared about.
Couldn’t Reaper see she had done it all for those cyborgs? I had only met a few humans who had put a cyborg’s life before their own. And all of those were the females of the rebellion. Nara could be one, too.
She could be mine.But Reaper was sending her off like she was disposable. My nostrils flared, frame tense, my leg bouncing as I fought the urge to jump out of my seat and use my fists to show Reaper what I thought about his decision.
A small hand landed on my knee and my leg immediately ceased all its movement.
Nara let out a sigh. “I don’t want to fight with you, Brone.” Tilting her head to the side, she peered up at me, her hand holding steady on my knee.
The touch seared through my clothing, her fingers warm and so light on top of my frame. She turned her palm up, a silent question flashing in her eyes. My hand shook as I placed my hand over hers, her fingers sliding in between mine.
She’s holding your hand. Don’t blow a gear.I swallowed, the anger at Reaper put on simmer as I relished in joy at Nara’s touch. A soft brush of her thumb against mine caused a shiver to race along my simulated spine.
“Don’t go thinking we’re married now.” Her voice was teasing and despite my fear about her being in danger, I found myself smiling. “You’re already planning the wedding, aren’t you?”
I shrugged, grinning wildly as the sound of Reaper’s unhappy growl met my ears. I deadpanned as I told her, “Reaper’s not invited.”
Nara pressed her lips together to hold back her laughter, her gorgeous form shaking as she slapped her free hand over her mouth. That only had Reaper growling louder, but I ignored him.
He was the one that wanted her here. Let her laugh at him. He deserved it.
The transport came to a stop, and Reaper shot us a glare. “Stop that, you two! We’re here. Now is no time for fun and games!”
Nara’s laughter died as her pulse shot up. The nerves she was desperately trying to conceal were wreaking havoc on my systems. The urge to drag her into my lap assaulted my processors, the need to reassure her that she would be okay cycling in my circuits.
But I couldn’t promise that. Lennox and her team would make sure the ruins of the rebellion were as safe as possible, but nothing was guaranteed.
Her hand tightened around mine. “I may have overestimated my confidence with coming here.” Her eyes grew damp. “I hate this. I hate knowing that I…” She cut herself off, shaking her head. “This wasyourhome. It shouldn’t be in ruins.”
I squeezed her hand. “No, it shouldn’t. But you didn’t cause this. The Global Allegiance holds all the blame. They didthis.And someday soon, we will make sure they answer for it.”
“Damn right, we fucking will,” Reaper growled.
Nara looked like she wanted to argue, but instead pressed her lips together as she let go of my hand to unstrap her safety belt. Standing up, she grabbed the bags to carry the things she had been tasked to find. “Let’s do this.”
Reaper was the first to exit, the rest following his lead out of the transport. Lennox’s team had arrived before us, deeming it reasonably safe for a short trip inside, and they had located a place where we could enter without causing further damage.
Nara went to pass by me, but I touched her arm. She turned, her brow furrowing as she dragged a hand down her shirt, worrying the bottom fabric with her fingers.
This wasn’t the first time I had seen her do it. It happened often. Almost too often, after scanning my processors. When her cyborgs were away from her side for any length of time. As she watched Reaper while his back was turned, knowing he couldn’t see her.
Whenever she ended up in the same room with Dr. Shaw.
I slid my hand down her arm, grasping her fingers, halting their movement. Her shoulders sagged as the crease between her eyes smoothed out. “Don’t try to be a hero in there and find everything they asked for. They will understand if you can’t get something. If something seems off or risky then walk away, got it, Nara?”
Nodding, she clutched the bags tighter to her chest. “I won’t get myself crushed to death to rescue the Beanie babies.”
I wanted one, but not at the risk of losing Nara. Iris was going to have to deal with it. I smiled. “Good. Let’s go.”
I may or may not have kept her hand in mine as we walked to the entrance.
