Page 12 of Viper

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“Because except for you, Dax, and Axios, the rest of the cyborg rebellion hates me. Viper is the key to maybe earning a tiny fraction of their trust or at least forgiveness.” My body deflated against the exam table. “I’m stuck here, Poe. And it’s not like I had much going for me outside these walls, but I’m not the type to just sit around, especially somewhere I’m not wanted.”

Poe shook her head, “That’s not tru-“

I raised my hand, silencing her. “It is. No matter how much you don’t want to believe it. I get it. You love the cyborgs, and you love me, and you want this to all work out so you can have us both. You have to face the fact that it might not.” I took her hand. “Not sure what happens to me if that happens, but I’ve made peace with that. These past two weeks I’ve gotten my best friend back,” I smiled at her then turned to Axios and gave him one, too, “and I’ve made a new one. Not bad for a fuck up like me.”

Poe slumped against the exam table. “You are going to drive me to drink, I swear, Oz.”

“Well, if that happens, don’t do it without me. I could toss a few back myself.”

“Me, too,” Axios muttered under his breath before waving an injector in front of my face. “This is for the pain. The tissue is bruised but there is no permanent damage.”

I nodded my head, giving him permission. He placed the injector against my neck and with a small click and hiss, all my pain vanished. “Thank you.” With the pain gone I sat up, tugging my pants back in place before perching on the edge of the table. Probably shouldn’t be sitting, but since I couldn’t feel it, I didn’t care.

I needed a distraction, something else to think about other than what had happened between Viper and me today. Thank goodness my mind gleefully offered one. “Wait! Cyborgs could drink. Holy hell, you’ve been holding out on me, Axios. Screw popcorn, find a bottle, Poe. I need to get my cyborg best friend hammered.”

And that’s how Dax found us. In Axios’s quarters, blitzed and laughing like wild hyenas. Poe had only needed a tiny sip and she had been done for. My girl was a lightweight. Axios, on the other hand, had needed a bottle of Sythahol, a strong synthetic liquor that worked on cyborgs, before he had begun to feel it. The effect wouldn’t last long, but while it was working, it was fabulous.

I loved hearing the sound of Axios’s laughter. I had suspected that his life hadn’t been filled with much of it.

“What is going on here?” Dax demanded, a scowl plastered on his green face before his mouth dropped open. “Are the three of you,drunk?” His voice had risen in pitch, a look of horror sliding over his features.

“Maybe,” Poe giggled.

He pointed a green finger at me. “This is because of you, isn’t it?” Narrowing his eyes, he walked over to Poe and tugged her to his chest, causing her to let out another giggle.

She batted his hand. “Don’t be mad, sexy. It’s been crazzzy,” she slurred, “around hereeee.”

“And this was your grand solution? Getting, as the humans call it, shit faced drunk?”

“Onlyy had,” she hiccuped, “a sippp..”

It could have been my imagination or the fact everything was rather fuzzy at the moment, but I swore Dax’s face darkened to a shade of green I’ve never seen before.

Shit. We were in trouble.

He turned his gaze down to my best friend who was snuggled against his side and petting his lab coat covered arm. His face softened a tiny bit. “The two of you almost died recently if you don’t remember,” he sighed, “and you,” he leveled his gaze at Axios, “already have issues with your functionality. I don’t need to be a scientist to know that drowning your circuits in booze isn’t going to help anything.”

I tried to stand but the room began to spin. Nope. That’s a no go. ”It’s my fault,” I shouted much too loudly, making everyone in the room wince. “Sorry. My bad,” as I dropped my voice down into a whisper. “It’s my fault,” I repeated, much softer this time. “Don’t be mad at them, Dax. Be mad at me.”

“Oh, I am.”

I winced at his tone, sliding down the back of the couch as I tried to make myself smaller. Shit. I had royally pissed off my best friend’s cyborg. I had been doing so good staying out of trouble and I had ruined it all with one stupid idea. I shut my eyes, ignoring the queasy feeling in my stomach, ordering my body not to spew its contents all over the couch. “Sorry,” I muttered as I wished the floor would open and swallow me whole.

“You should be. Now, I am taking my female home to sleep off this nonsense. I suggest you two do the same.” With those words, he scooped Poe up into his arms and stormed out the door.

Axios dropped down onto the couch next to me. “Well, that ruined my buzz.” He gave my shoulder a gentle nudge. “Don’t worry about Dax. He is just overprotective over the ones he cares about. I swear if he wasn’t worrying, his circuits would stop spinning.”

I sighed, laying my head against his shoulder. “Don’t think he cares about me, big guy. I think he’s just pissed. And who can blame him? I fucked up.” Poe had told me the story about what had happened when she got what Dax had called the human upgrade serum. It had nearly killed her. For a split second, I was about to kick her ass for being so stupid, but then remembered about the illegal tech in my head.

Who was I to yell at her about dumb decisions? I was the queen of them. It was then I had realized that was why she hadn’t contacted me. The anger I had felt instantly vanished, leaving me with the guilt that I hadn’t been here when she needed me.

I told myself that we were still here. That we had both made it, we got another chance, and we shouldn’t waste it. But maybe getting drunk hadn’t been the best way to enjoy our new lease on life. If I was honest, I had done it because I was selfish. I wanted to forget about my brush with Viper, the feeling of his hands wrapped around my arms as he accused me of controlling him again. I refused to admit his words had hurt more than the pain in my ass.

“Stop that,” Axios hissed. “We are all adults. Poe and I could have said no.” He let out a sad sigh. “For me, it was a relief to not think about how defective I am. I forgot what I look like, that I don’t function properly. For a few minutes, I was completely pain free. It felt wonderful.”

I wrapped my arms around his waist as best as I could with the room spinning and laid my head against his chest. I had kept my mouth shut on the scars I sometimes caught glimpses of on his frame. It looked like he had been melded together with a fusion torch, all his different pieces joined together like some sort of sick art project.

I hadn’t wanted to bring up something that would hurt him. By the looks of it, he had been hurt more than any being ever should be. “You aren’t defective. You are unique and special and my friend. Don’t talk about yourself like you are less, Axios. I can’t take away your pain, but I can be here to remind you that you are perfect just the way you are. If anyone says different, I’ll kick their ass. Once the room stops spinning, that is.”

A deep laugh shook his frame. “Thank you for the defense of my honor. That’s twice now today. I consider myself very lucky to call you my friend.” He stood up. “Come on, let’s get you to bed.”

I shook my head. “Pretty sure here is my bed tonight. You really don’t want the contents of my stomach as a decoration on your couch.”

“I guess I’m on human watch tonight.” He sank down, sitting on the floor beside me. “Close your eyes and rest, Oz. I’ll be here if you need me.”

Very carefully I laid back, arranging my head against the side of the couch to use as a pillow. The whole time I silently cursed myself that the Technology Model who hated my guts was the one I had decided to stupidly crush on instead of my incredible rainbow best friend.


Tags: Kelsey Nicole Price Paranormal