But I couldn’t. I couldn’t have him, not when I didn't plan to keep him…when I couldn’t stay. I dropped my eyes. “You’re right. I have been avoiding you, but not because I still have lingering bouts of anger over the day in the tunnel. I wanted to live, Brone. And you did the right thing.”
A finger slid under my chin, tilting it upwards. “Then why?” He gazed at me, his features drawn tight, worry flashing in his eyes.
“It’s not you,” I blurted out quickly. “It’s me, Brone. There are things you don’t know. Things that no one does but once they do…” I trailed off, unable to finish. I slipped from his grasp, ignoring the look of hurt that bloomed in his eyes.
I steeled my spine.It was better this way. He’s hurt now, but he would be devastated if I let him get further attached.“Comm Reaper. Tell him to get Lennox and meet me in Medical. I already asked Dr. Shaw and Dax to be there. You should come too, Brone. That way you can hear the truth from me. You deserve that.”
Wrapping my arms around myself, I moved down the hallway, not waiting to see if the Tank Class did what I asked or if he followed me.
It was going to be hard enough to say what I needed to say without him there. But I had meant what I said. Brone had been there for me. Despite his world falling apart, he had taken the time to befriend my cyborgs.
The massive model had breezed through the cracks in my walls, lodging himself too close to my heart and I wasn’t sure I was ready to see the look on his face when he learned the truth.
Brone
I commed Reaper, telling him that Nara had requested his and Lennox’s presence, then I marched down the hall to Medical.
Following Nara through the door, I found a place by the wall and parked my frame, not quite sure I wanted to hear what she had to say. My chest had ached each time I had seen her the past three days, watching as she turned around and went in the opposite direction.
I had scanned my processors, desperate to find the source of my offense. Had I said something inappropriate? Had I pushed too hard in my quest to make her my female?
Now I knew it had everything to do with the secrets she had been keeping. Reaper and Lennox walked through the door and Nara’s entire body went stiff, her hands shaking.
She curled her fingers into fists as if that would help stop the tremors, her arms pressed againsther sides as she took a breath. It appeared like she was preparing herself to face a firing squad.
Pushing off from the wall, I strode over to her, encasing her hand with mine and tugging her to an exam table. I sat on the edge, scooting back to make room for the both of us. She let out a yelp when I lifted her and deposited her in my lap.
“Let me go,” she hissed.
“No.” Leaning down, I pressed my mouth against her ear, “They will have to go through me to get to you, Nara.”
Turning her head, she looked back at me, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. “Don’t you get it yet, Brone? I am the reason for all of this! The Global Allegiance doesn’t care about the Luxury Models. They destroyed the rebellion. They killed your friend; all in an attempt to find me! They wantme, Brone. And they won’t stop until they have me.”
“What’s so special about you? Or should I try and take a guess?” Lennox taunted.
Nara fought off a new wave of tears. “I’m sorry. I’d take it all back if I could.”
I caught her chin, forcing her to look up at me. “Take what back, Nara?”
“The ability to create more of you.” Her tears broke free, trailing down her cheeks. “They want me to make more ofyou.Tank Classes. Military Models. Service, Technology-all ofyou!The Luxury Models were just the start. They want a complete reboot of the cyborg program-but this time with a guarantee that the new versions would be able to be controllable.”
“How?” Reaper snarled.
“Stage one was the installation of emotion suppressors that would keep the new models from experiencing feelings. Stage two was to bury a code deep in their processors that would act like an off switch. If engaged, it would fry their core, killing them instantly.”
“Who would have access to their code?” Dr. Shaw inquired, a coldness in her voice I had never heard before.
“Whoever bought them.” Nara sagged in my arms.
“When we found you, you told us that you had no clue that your models were being sold to the highest bidder. You lied to us! About everything!” Reaper roared.
Nara flinched. “I didn’t! Not at first.”
Dax strode over, placing himself in front of Nara, his arms crossed over his chest. “But the Luxury Models have emotions. I’ve seen it.”
“I didn’t install it.” Nara shook uncontrollably in my arms. “I couldn’t do it.” She looked over Dax’s shoulder to Dr. Shaw. “When my parents realized how smart I was, they scraped together every credit to make sure I got the education they hoped would give me a better life. And it did-at least at first. When the Global Allegiance recruited me, I thought that was my chance. My chance at the better life my parents wanted for me. That everything my parents had sacrificed would have been worth it.”
Her nose wrinkled, lips curling as she pressed a hand against her stomach. “I didn’t realize then that I had essentially signed my life away. I wasn’t even allowed to attend my own parent’s funeral without someone from the Global Allegiance going with me.” Another tremor rolled through her body. “I was so distraught that when the person they sent to accompany me promised that I wasn’t alone, that the Global Allegiance would be there for me, I bought it hook, line, and sinker. Throwing myself into my work was a way to distract myself from the pain.”