She shook her head. “No, you don’t. This shit is private. And I’m not in pain. Just sore. That is what happens when you park a semi-truck into a tiny garage that hasn’t been used in a while, okay?” She moved towards the edge of the bed. Swinging her legs, she planted her feet on the floor and stood up. Her legs trembled and she grabbed for the bed to steady herself.
I scooped her up, cradling her to my frame as I growled, “I told you that I would carry you.”
“Better be to the bathroom, handsome.” Her hand cupped my jaw. “Trust me on this. I’m just a little sore. A hot soak in the tub will help. I don’t need Dax. My best friend’s cyborg should not have the opportunity to gather any data regarding our sex life.” She shuddered.
Oz had a point. Dax wouldn’t be able to resist. He would try and hold it in, having learned from experience that asking people about their sex life wasn’t such a good idea. Still, he would be buzzing with excitement, his hands fiddling with his bow tie until he finally gave in, and my Oz would have to smack him.
I wish I could say it would be the first time a female struck Dax, but he had a habit of following the other couples around, pleading with them to inform him about their bedroom activities.
It had gotten better after he had his own female, but he was still Dax. Oz was correct. A hot bath sounded like the better option. And after, if she was still hurting, I would drag her to Dax myself.
Not even my female’s own stubbornness would get in the way of me taking care of her.
After an hour-long soak in the tub, Oz and I found ourselves curled up on the couch with a bowl of popcorn between us. A stack of vid files sat on the table, and we were debating over which one we should watch first.
I had been about to reach for the one I thought we should start with when a knock on the door stopped me.
“It’s Dax. May I come in?”
Oz shot me a glare. “Tell me you didn’t.”
“I didn’t! I was in the tub with you the whole time! How would I have snuck off to send a comm to Dax?”
She crossed her arms over her chest, disbelief flashing in her eyes.
“Cyborgs aren’t telepathic,” I informed her.
“Yet,” Dax added from the other side of the door.
Oz chuckled. “I don’t think he’s going away,” she whispered. Standing up, she walked to the door, flinging it open.
Putting her hands on her hips, she tapped one foot against the tile floor. “We were about to watch a movie. I’m kind of on borrowed time here, Dax, so what’s up?’
Stepping up behind her, I tugged her back into my frame, my arms feeling empty without her in them. Leaning into me, I felt her relax, her body melting into mine.
Dax’s brow rose. “Looks like you two worked out your issues.”
Oz turned her head to flash me a wink. “You could say that. Now what was so urgent that you had to interrupt our domestic bliss?”
“Has Reaper been by to see you yet?”
I stiffened. “Yes. And I told him no. I am not going to waste the time I have with Oz to fight the Global Allegiance. So, if you are here to try and convince me, then you are out of luck. I’ve made up my processors. You can’t change them.”
He shuffled on his feet. “Actually, I am here for Oz.”
“Wait, what the hell could the dying girl do that would help?” Oz blurted out.
He began to fiddle with the edges of his lab coat. Whatever he was about to say, I wasn’t going to like it.
He sighed. “The implant in your head offers us a key advantage in hacking into the lab where the new model cyborgs are being held. Reaper’s intel suggests they are using an advanced security system. One that we have never seen before. Given enough time, we could figure it out, but we can’t wait. The cyborgs go up for sale in a week. We need them home before that happens.”
“No,” I roared, my fingers wrapping around Oz’s arm so I could tug her behind me. Her shocked gasp of surprise echoed through the corridor. Dax stepped back and out of reach. Good. He didn’t want to be anywhere near my fists right now.
“Don’t think I have forgotten what you said. Activating the implant will kill her! Not in a month, not in two, but as soon as she uses it again. You are asking my female to help when you know it’s a fucking death sentence?” Balling my right hand into a fist, I struck it against my left, the sharp sound of flesh striking flesh making the Science Model jump.
I pulled my arm back. One punch to his face should scramble his brain for a bit and make him forget about using Oz like she’s expendable.
She’s not.She never would be. She’s mine to protect. The cyborg rebellion would have to go through me to get to her.