Viper met my eyes. “Getting her back won’t be easy, Brone.”
Acer’s brow furrowed. “We can’t just waltz in there, Tank Class.”
“So that’s it? We are going to leave my female to her fate. They will torture her! All of you have females! What would you do if she wasyours?”
All four of them fell silent. “That is what I thought. All of you would do anything to get your female back. Nara is mine. I won’t leave her to suffer at the hands of my enemy!”
“Our enemy.The Global Allegiance isour enemy, Brone.” Reaper’s face softened. “Do you really think we would leave your female to suffer the fate they have planned for her?”
My gaze narrowed. “You don’t like her. You wanted to break the beginnings of the bond. It would be easier for you to wash your hands of Nara. Why risk yourself and the other cyborgs to save a female you don’t care about?”
Reaper’s eyes flashed, drifting shut before opening back up to reveal a well of hurt. “I know I am an asshole, but I am not cruel. Talking with Nara, hearing her Luxury Models and you defend her, made me rethink my view on the female. But even if I hadn’t already begun to believe that Nara wants to help us, not harm us, I could never leave a person, one of my cyborg’s loves, in the hands of our former tormentors.” He reached for my hand, clutching it tight. “If we lose her, we loseyou.I won’t lose another member of myfamily.”
I relaxed, my frame settling back on the table. I wouldn’t be alone. I would have my family by my side in this fight. Even if Reaper’s reasons were more about saving me than saving Nara, I didn’t care. He would do everything in his power to make sure Nara came home. To get her back to me.
Dax glared at me. “Nara needs you at full strength. I order you to rest, Tank Class. You have had part of your skull crushed, been nearly buried alive twice, and were shot in the head. Cyborg or not, your body needs time to heal. You need to trust us to find her, Brone.”
“And then it’s war,” Acer snarled. “I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m in the mood to kick some Global Allegiance ass.”
Viper grinned. “Count me in.”
“Don’t any of you forget who’s in charge.” Reaper’s lip curled. “If anyone is kicking ass, it’s going to be after I server a few heads from their bodies.”
“Um.” Poe appeared beside the exam table. “I hate to interrupt your plans to remove heads from bodies, but Oz and I think we have a plan. One that will save Nara and give us a chance to truly be free from the Global Allegiance.”
Oz threw an arm around Viper. “It’s a bit crazy, but you need to hear us out.”
Reaper crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m listening.”
Oz bit her lip. “So, don’t kill me.”
Reaper growled and Oz gave Poe a little push closer to Reaper.
Poe cleared her throat. “So what Oz is going to say.” Oz elbowed her in the side, and she let out an oomph, shooting Oz a glare. “What we are going to say is that we think…well, we think that the cyborgs need to come out of hiding and tell the world the truth.”
“The truth that you aren’t the unfeeling, defective pieces of tech the Global Allegiance wants the world to believe,” Oz added, offering Reaper a tentative smile.
“You want us to dowhat the fucknow?” Reaper shouted as the room descended into chaos.
Nara
Imoaned, gripping the sides of my head. A steady throb pounded behind my eyes and my throat was much too dry. The thud of footfalls against concrete had me sitting up far too quickly, a sharp pain shooting through my skull as my body jolted upright.
“Ahh, you’re finally awake.”
I cracked one eyelid open and sucked in gasp. Standing there was a blue Service Model cyborg, his sapphire eyes shining as they roamed over my face. “Get up, the master wants to see you.” His hand wrapped around my arm, dragging me to my feet.
“M-m-master? Who is that? Where am I?” If I was here, then where was Brone? My eyes darted around the room, searching for my Tank Class, but I found only a single cot pushed against the wall. The one the Service Model had dragged me from.
Had they only taken me? What had they done with Brone? My stomach swooped, my throat tightening as I struggled to breath. I couldn’t lose him. Not now. Not after I had fallen for his annoying smirk. The way the intimidating size of his frame had promised me safety. The ridiculous way he had refused to give up on me even when I had given up on myself.
I had been ready to bond with him. My soul had called out to his, wanting everything he was offering. A life filled with love instead of loneliness.
That stupid happily ever after I had thought only existed in fairy tales. I wasn’t a princess and Brone wasn’t prince charming, but he wasmine. And if they had stolen him from me, I would burn this place and everyone in it to the ground.
I let the rage take over as I dug my fingers into the Service Model’s arm. “Where is the Tank Class? The one who was with me at the cabin. What did you do with him?”
The Service Model’s eyes glowed. “You were alone when they brought you to me. There is no Tank Class.”