“We wanted to know if it was possible to go to Medical and check on Brone.”
The corner of Lennox’s mouth twitched. “The four of you want to go check on the Tank Class? May I ask why?”
I tamped down my anger. It was a simple question. Lennox had every right to ask why. This was her show. Still, that one question made my hands clench by my sides. “He is our friend,” I shot back. “You do have friends, don’t you, Lennox? Wouldn’t you want to go and see how they were doing if they were hurt?” Okay. So that came out way snippier than I had intended. Whoops. This woman could totally kick my ass. What the heck was I doing?
“I must say, you keep on surprising me, Nara,” Lennox laughed. “And of course, you can go visit the Tank Class.” She turned to the cyborg she had been talking to. “Vault, could you please show them to Medical?”
He gave a curt nod. “Follow me.”
I guess the four of us warranted a chaperone. Oh well, she could have refused. I had only taken two steps behind Vault when I heard, “Oh, and Nara, be careful.Friendsdon’t just stayfriendswhen it comes to the rebellion.”
Brone
My new fingers gleamed under the lights. I flexed them, inspecting the shine, imagining what Nara would think. Dax and Dex…yep, that was the other Science Model’s name, had offered to reskin the parts that needed to be replaced, but I told them no.
Part of me wanted to see them and be reminded. Reminded of the day our home was destroyed. Reminded of the day we had lost Torque, and I had almost lost Nara. Plus, if Acer and Reaper could rock their metallic frames, then I could, too.
Confidence was sexy…at least, that is what I had heard. Human phrases still sometimes confused me, but that one seemed to be true. Marley and Aria found their cyborgs sexy…missing synthetic skin and all. Catching them on multiple occasions in rather compromising positions was all the evidence I needed to confirm that fact.
Part of that was probably due to the fact I had a bad habit of busting into other’s quarters unannounced. I couldn’t help it when I got excited.
Aria had told me that I reminded her of a large breed of dog called a St. Bernard. I had scanned my processors for the image. After looking them over, I wasn’t sure I saw the resemblance. Since I took it as a compliment, I hadn’t bothered to correct her.
The mated cyborg pairs should also not ‘make out’ (a human term) in the hallways where anyone could walk by. Then again, the thought of Nara and I doing the same sent pleasurable tingles through my frame.
My heart rate spiked and my pants grew tight. I imagined her hands would be soft, skimming over my flesh like the flutter of wings. Beautiful touches designed to bring pleasure instead of pain.
Would she allow me to touch her in return?I wiggled my new fingers, testing their mobility. The metal would be cool against skin.Would she enjoy the sensation, or would it be an unpleasant reminder that she wasn’t with a human male?
Not that it currently mattered. I had yet to convince her to be mine, so for now all I had were dreams of what could be.
The door to Medical swung open, and my eyes widened at who walked in. Nara stepped inside, trailed behind by Core, Caliber, and Chaos. Warmth expanded inside my chest at the sight.
They had come to visit me.At least, I hoped they were here for me. That hope was confirmed when Nara scanned the room, her eyes stopping on me.
A smile broke out on her lips. “Care for some company?”
My reply got caught in my throat as every system in me fired wildly as I struggled to process that she had come to seeme.It didn’t matter that she had brought her cyborgs with her. If I searched my circuits, I found that I was happy to see them, too.
Core had begun to grow on me. The other two would as well, I hoped.
“I would love some company.” I grinned. “As long as you don’t mind the view.” I tilted my head, revealing a missing piece of my skull that left my circuitry on display.
Nara sucked in a breath, the smile dying. “Brone…I can see inside your head.” Her hands began to shake, her lower lip trembling.
Nara had worked on cyborgs, so surely the sight of my exposed inner workings wasn’t any kind of surprise. She knew what we had in our heads.
The look on her face said otherwise. She appeared to be horrified.
I shrank down, curling my frame inward, shoving my hand under my leg. I twisted my head so that she could no longer see where I had taken damage. “Sorry. I didn’t mean for the sight to unsettle you.”
Strong, firm footsteps echoed on the tile floor as she headed straight for me. When she made it to the exam table, she put one finger under my chin, tilting it upwards. “Of course, it was unsettling, Brone. I may not be ready to jump into the relationship you picture for us inside your head, but that does not mean I don’t hate the sight of you hurt.” Her hand slipped down my arm, gently tugging my hand free from underneath my leg. Her eyes caught on the flash of metal from my fingers. “You fought, buying the rebellion time. You gave me and my cyborgs a chance to get free. Not all of us returned the way we were before, and one didn’t have the chance to return at all.”
My heart clenched at the mention of Torque. Leaving him behind had hurt more than any of the damage I had sustained. He belonged here with us, even if I knew it was only his frame that would be returning.
Her hand wrapped around mine, new fingers and all, and gave it a squeeze. “Because ofyou,I made it.” She looked back at the three cyborgs that had huddled just inside the doorway. “They made it. And I don’t have the words to say thank you.” Using her free hand, she dashed away a few stray tears that had made their way down her cheeks.
I carefully returned the squeeze. I was ever conscious of my size and strength. It would destroy me if I hurt her by accident. “You already thanked me on the transport.” I pulled my eyes from her face to look at the three cyborgs standing behind her. “Theyneed you.”I need you, too, I added silently.