Chapter Twenty-Eight
*Poe*
My eyes scanned theplace Dax called home. Stuff was everywhere, neatly organized by type, size and function. Not that I had known that before. Dax had excitedly explained in detail about how he had spent months working out the correct labeling and sorting system. He had declared it was now perfect. I would take his word on that.
Beakers, test-tubes, and containers of different colored swirling liquid were proudly displayed on the shelf. Sharp tipped needles bigger than my hand rested menacingly inside a drawer.Not going to ask where those go.Add that to drawers of filled with scanners, synthetic skin fusers-ouch-, and something that looked suspiciously like a high tech hand saw and I became secretly convinced my mild mannered cyborg was really some kind of mad scientist.
Mad scientist or not, he sure does fill out a lab coat.At the moment his arms were lifted above his head as he meticulously dusted the collection of vials holding the different colored liquids. The white sleeves of the lab coast were stretched tight over his upper arms showcasing his spectacular set of biceps. The edge of his coat had ridden up dangerously to tease me with a glimpse of his sculpted muscular ass clad in his signature black dress pants.
My hand reached out, tempted to give his cheeks a squeeze, but I resisted the urge not wanting him to lose focus on what he was working so hard on.
“These are all formulas I have created to improve the mechanics of the different model types of cyborgs. Some have a permanent effect and others only give a boost that works for a limited time. This one,” he pulled a dark purple colored one down from the shelf and placed it in my hand. “Will boost a Technology Model’s processors hacking ability to near impossible speeds.”
Holding it up to the light it almost appeared to glow. “That’s amazing.”
Dax gave a clipped nod then sighed. “Short term, there are no lasting effects. Use it for extended periods and it will fry their CPU. The Global Allegiance forced Viper to endure it for longer than intended. His processors had started to smoke as his CPU began to fry from the inside out.”
My fingers that held the vial shook, nearly dropping it. My gut tightened, my mouth going completely dry. I fought the sudden urge to race out of the lab to find Viper making sure he was okay. I wanted to inspect every inch of his frame, give him a hug and generally make a fuss over him. That would not go over well. Dax had informed me Viper hated being touched.
Look, don’t touch Poe.I couldn’t run around touching every single cyborg I came in contact with no matter how much I wanted to mother them and make sure they were okay.
As carefully as I could with my shaking hand, I put the vial down on top of Dax’s desk. He scooped it up, reaching up to return the vial back to its place on the shelf.
He ran his hands over the other vials. “Not all my ideas were worth the price of creation.” His shoulders fell. “I was so eager to show what I could do that I didn’t stop to think about the consequences. I never created anything with harming my fellow cyborgs in mind, but the Global Allegiance didn’t care. They used it against them anyway.”
Dax’s voice came out small and lost. Gone was the brilliant cyborg I had met in the woods. There was a cyborg who needed me standing right in front of me.My cyborg.I wrapped my arms around his waist, pressing kisses to his back along his spine. “You didn’t create things with evil intentions. Everyone here knows that. You may have been allowed to stay with Dr. Shaw, but that doesn’t mean you escaped unscathed.”
He twisted his frame so he could face me. The muscles beneath his cheek twitched, the weight of the past etched into every line on his face. The guilt I saw flashing in his eyes nearly crushed me.
I placed my hand over his heart. “You have carried this for so long, haven’t you? The guilt of your part in all of it. The fact that you believe you were spared while those you loved suffered.”
His frame trembled within my hold. “Everyone thinks...” he stuttered, his voice cracking. He drew in a deep breath. “Everyone thinks I should be happy all the time. They tell me I have nothing to feel sad or mad over. I wasn’t forced to pleasure cruel masters or sent off to battlefields, forced to fight for humans who viewed me as disposable. I never watched my brothers be used for target practice or have the circuits inside of my head fried to gain a second more processing speed.” He buried his head into the crook of my neck, shuddering in my arms. “But I know the damage it caused, the amount of pain each cyborg experienced down to the millisecond,” he whispered. “I put on a smile, but the heart that rests inside my chest was broken by my failure to keep my family safe.”
Wetness splashed against the bare skin of my neck as I held the cyborg I loved while he cried. I ran my hands in soothing circles over his back, while the walls Dax had erected around himself crumbled. “You aren’t alone anymore.” I peppered kisses along the side his face and top of his head. “I’ve got you.”
And I did.