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“Be quiet. I’ll deal with you later. For now, enjoy your temporary savoir.”
The Service Model glared at me.
Okay, so I guess I won’t be getting a thank you for saving him.Not that I expected it. Service Models were designed to crave contact. The only type of contact this Service Model had been receiving was at the hands of this sadistic asshole.
The poor cyborg didn’t know any better, and no matter what I promised myself, I would try to show him that there was more to life than this.
So even after he glared at me, I kept his hand in mine, refusing to let go.Keep glaring, cyborg. From now on, we are going to be stuck together like glue.
Roman gestured to a chair. “Sit.”
I sat down and the Service Model tried to pull his hand from mine. I only held tighter.
Roman sank down into a massive leather chair behind an even more massive desk. The thing was a monstrosity. All black and made completely out of a block of obsidian, the top was so shiny you could see your reflection in it, as if Roman needed to see himself daily within the polished stone.
The rest of the space wasn’t any better. If the hall outside was beautiful but secretly deadly, the office made no attempt to hide its darkness. It was as if the room had embraced it only to spit it back out in garish shades of nothing but black and silver.
The one set of windows were hidden behind a set of heavy black curtains that allowed a tiny line of sunlight to break through. The thin band of light was the only reminder that out there, a whole world awaited, and you would only get to see it if you could escape Roman Rothchild’s clutches.
Had the Service Model ever seen the world outside? Does he know that there are humans who would love him and not harm him?
I pushed down the urge to cry. Steeling myself, I sat in the chair, my eyes holding his.
“And here I thought you would be easy, Miss Jones.” He leaned forward over the desk, bringing his face closer to mine. “Do you know how many screams these walls have absorbed?”His eyes zeroed in on the Service Model. “Its screams are among them. In fact, they are some of my favorites. But that’s not what you are here for. If I wanted you to scream, I would have already made it happen. You and I both know that you have something I need, so let’s not play games.”
“And what, Mr. Rothchild, do you need fromme?”
“Don’t play stupid with me, Miss Jones. You are going to give me a new batch of cyborgs that do what they are told to do.”
I bit my lip so hard I tasted the metallic tang of blood.“And if I refuse?”
“Then I follow through on my threat, my dear. The things that call themselves the cyborg rebellion are nothing more than outdated tech. No one cares if they live or die. Except for you. So tell me, is your cooperation worth their lives?” Roman clapped his hands. “I’ll even sweeten the deal. Since you seem to have taken a liking to my Service Model, you can have it.”
“But, m-m-master…” the Service Model stuttered.
“Silence.” The Service Model clamped his mouth shut. “Try it and if you find you don’t like it, I will take you to pick out a new one. A Model that better suits your tastes? A Tank Class, perhaps?”
I felt the pulse in my neck jump, my free hand digging into the arm of the chair.He’s lying. He terminated the cyborgs. There is no way he has a Tank Class.
But what if he does? Maybe he kept some instead of terminating them.It would explain the Service Model. That meant there were potentially many more cyborgs that needed me to get them out of here. I wasn’t Reaper. I didn’t have a clue about how to rescue a group of cyborgs who had been held captive for more than thirty years, but I knew I had to try.
That and I didn’t know how, but I knew Roman would make good on his threat. Brone was alive for now, but him and everyone else I cared about would die if I didn’t play along. My stomach clenched and my chest burned at the thought of working for this monster.
But you wouldn’t be working for him for real. Just enough to string him along until you can find a way out of here.Knowing that didn’t make agreeing any easier, but I had to save the fight for the right time and now wasn’t it.
“And how do I know that you’ll keep your word? I mean, I stole the Luxury Models. That must have pissed you off. Why not torture me to get what you want? Forgive me If I don’t just believe that you will leave what I care about alone and hand over the Service Model.”
Roman smirked. “Torturing you would mess up that pretty brain of yours, and I need it. I’m not the bad guy you think I am.” He laughed. “Okay, I am. No, I am worse. But I do know how to be civilized when the mood strikes me. The things you care about are useless to me. Let them think they won. In the end, it won’t matter. After you’re done, I will have brand new cyborgs who will do whatever I want and make the Global Allegiance investors happy.”
He sat back in the chair. “Losing the Luxury Models was unfortunate, but I am willing to overlook it since I know you can do so much more. You’re a smart woman, Miss Jones. You know this is the only way to keep those you care about from destruction while also making history. Why dabble with defective, outdated tech when you can have a part in creating masterpieces? In a hundred years, whose name do you think the world will remember? Dr. Shaw’s oryours?”
Rising from his chair, he walked over to stand in front of me, kneeling until our faces were a breath apart. “Join me and I’ll give you the world. Refuse and watch yours burn until it’s nothing but smoke and ash.”
I forced a smile. “When do we begin?” The words were bitter on my tongue.No matter what happens, it will be his world that burns to the ground. Even if I have to go down with the flames.
He clapped his hand then stood up, straightening the lapels on his suit jacket. “Your Service Model will show you to your quarters. Freshen up, get some sleep, and tomorrow I’ll show you to your lab.” He waved his hand. “You are dismissed.”
Brone
