“Noticing beautiful things.”
Taly rounded on him, her blue eyes flashing. “They’re still human. They’ve just been enhanced. They have thoughts and feelings. They wouldn’t have risen up against Shui if they didn't.”
“Sorry. Sorry.” Vujcec raised his hands in surrender. “I forgot you were involved with one.”
“What are you talking about?” Her brows drew together. No matter what the media outlets claimed, she hadn’t been involved with anyone in years.
“This Nas you risked your life to save,” he reminded her. “You must really love him.”
“Of course I do.” She couldn’t believe he would think she didn’t. “He’s my brother.”
“What?!” Vujcec’s eyes bugged out of his head. “How’s that possible? You’re the only child of a Supreme Judge. Your parents tried for years to have you. You’re their miracle child.” He spouted off the information given to her fans, but Taly ignored him. Instead, she rushed after the major.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Ranvir stomped through the halls of the Troubadour. He couldn’t believe he’d said that to Talyani even though it was true. Yes, she’d cut her hair, but it did nothing to lessen her beauty. Nothing ever could. He rubbed the spot over his heart. He didn’t understand why she affected him, especially since she belonged to a male he greatly respected.
He needed to find Nas, and soon, before these feelings he had for Talyani grew.
“Major!” He stiffened, not wanting to acknowledge her. She was a temptation he didn’t need. “Please, Major!”
Unable to ignore the plea in her voice, he spun around to face her. He masked his expression to make sure none of his inner conflicts showed on his face. “What?”
“I… I just want to thank you. For everything you’ve done.” When he continued to stare silently, she sighed. “Look, it’s obvious you don’t like me, but if we’re going to survive, we have to work together.”
“I never said I didn’t like you,” he denied gruffly.
“You didn’t have to,” she huffed. “It’s in every look you give me.”
“And how do I look at you?” he asked, genuinely curious. He thought he’d successfully concealed his reaction to her.
“Like my very presence irritates you.”
“It does,” he admitted before he could stop himself.
He instantly regretted his words when her face paled, and she stepped backward. He hadn’t meant to hurt her.
Now he understood why her fans adored her. She let them see everything she felt. Cyborgs weren’t allowed to show their emotions. Would she be that open and responsive in bed?
“But why?” Her striking blue eyes searched his for the truth.
“Because you shouldn’t be here,” he growled. His anger grew, remembering the present danger. “You should be back on Kirs. Safe. You risked your life when you didn’t need to. No male is worth your life, no matter how much you love him.”
“Nas is,” she told him firmly.
“Would he feel the same way?!” Ranvir demanded, moving forward until her back was pressed against the wall, caging her between his arms. Heat exploded between them. His body was close enough he could feel each breath she took. “How will he feel when he finds out what you’ve done? What you’ve risked?”
“He’ll be pissed,” she readily admitted as she defiantly glared at him, apparently not intimidated by his size. “But he’ll also understand. You protect your family.”
“Family?” He pulled back slightly, giving her a confused look.
“Yes, Nas is my brother, well, half-brother.”
The computer part of Ranvir’s brain quickly calculated this new information, pulling up his memories of Nas, of all the missions they’d been on together. They’d always conducted a debriefing within their team, above and beyond what the military demanded. Reiji, Nas’s dad, had stated it made them a more efficient unit. They’d been in-depth and detailed, with each member giving a step-by-step account of their actions and why.
Except on the Giles mission after Reiji and Nas had separated from the team and secured the family of a Supreme Judge. On that mission, they’d been vague. He hadn’t thought anything about it, assuming it was because of the family’s status. Now, he realized it was because it’d been very personal to Nas and his father.
He remembered how much crap he’d given Nas for watching the Worlds competition that year. They’d been patrolling the outer edges of the Eridani Sector at the time and had just returned from back-to-back missions when the broadcast, delayed because of the distance, had finally come through. When Talyani had won, Nas reacted as if he had a personal stake in it. Now Ranvir realized he did. Talyani was his half-sister.