Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Epilogue

Author’s Note

Other Titles

A Fistful of Cyborg

Cyborgs on Mars

Honey Phillips

Copyright © 2020 by Honey Phillips

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author.

Disclaimer

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or people, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Cover Design by Pro Book Covers Studio

Edited by Lindsay York at LY Publishing

Chapter One

Major Sam Wilson tested his chains again. Forged from titanium, they were strong enough to hold him in place even with his new enhanced strength but that didn’t stop him from trying to break them. He was sure they were beginning to weaken, but it was a long and tedious process.

The overhead light came on, turning the room from pitch dark to blinding white. The nanites coursing through his body automatically adjusted his vision.

“I have a little surprise for you today, S-756.” The cold voice came from behind the glass screen at one end of his cell.

“My name is Major Sam Wilson.”

“That was your name when you were human. You are no longer human. You are just a machine. And you no longer have a name, just a designation. You are S-756.”

Sam shook his head the limited amount permitted by the chains. He was human, no matter what they had done to him.

“Perhaps today’s test will make you a little less stubborn.” Dr. Mingol chuckled, the sound sending a chill down Sam’s spine. “It certainly ought to convince you that you’re no longer human.”

A soft gurgle filled the chamber. A minute later, he heard the water entering.

“There is no water on Mars,” he hissed, trying not to panic.

“But there will be one day. And we wouldn’t want to find an unexpected weakness, would we?”

The water continued to flow, rushing into the cell with astonishing speed. He felt it begin to cover the lab table and flinched instinctively, despite his determination not to react. Of course, Mingol noticed and laughed again.

“Why S-756, does water bother you? What a shame. You should really slow your breathing. Your nanites are working much too hard.”

He gritted his teeth and forced his face to remain calm. He could feel the nanites rushing through his body, trying to slow his heart rate and even his breathing, but panic still flared from deep within. On an overcrowded and polluted Earth, open water was a rarity, but when he was a boy, you could still find an occasional exception. He and his friends had discovered a small underground reservoir and he had foolishly taken a dare to enter the pool. What none of them had known was that it was much deeper than it appeared. He had slipped and gone under, the dark water closing over his head. Unable to swim, he had panicked, flailing wildly, and somehow made it back to the surface. His companions had managed to pull him out. But he had never forgotten that sensation—the dark water, the inability to breathe, the certainty that he was going to drown.

The water was lapping around his head now, splashing over his face in little ripples that covered first his mouth, then his nose. He couldn’t prevent himself from thrashing, trying to raise his head above the level of the water, but it just kept rising. Despite his nanites, his heart pounded, terror racing through his system.

“My, my. Your readings are certainly dramatic. This will be an excellent test, excellent.” The small part of Sam’s mind not consumed by terror envisioned the scientist rubbing his hands together gleefully. “I will be back to check on you once the test is completed.”

And the room was plunged into darkness just as the water covered his head completely.

“Hush, Sam. It’s all right. You’re safe.”

The soft voice seemed to come from far away, but he focused on it desperately. He was alive. Of course he was alive. The changes the military had made to his body made him almost impervious to harm. But not to pain or suffering.

He shuddered, his whole body shaking. The water had drained away, leaving him wet and cold, but a warm, soft hand was sluicing away the last drops from his head and shoulders.

“Addie?”

“Yes. I’m here.”

“Please. Turn on the lights.” He’d never heard his voice so weak.

She hesitated. “It’s dangerous. What if someone sees it?”

Most of the walls of the cell were glass so he could be studied from every angle like the trapped animal he had become. When she snuck in to see him, she never turned on the light.

“Please.”

“Okay. But just a little.”

She moved away and a moment later, a faint glow spread through the room. Even with his enhanced eyesight, it was barely enough to let him see the shadow of her body as she returned, but it helped pull him out of the drowning pit of memories that had held him captive.

“How long?” he gasped.

“T-two hours.”

Two hours? Was that all it had been? It had felt like an eternity. He didn’t drown, couldn’t drown, but the physical reaction of his body to the water made him feel like he was drowning over and over again.

“He didn’t need to do that,” she added fiercely. “He knew after ten minutes that you would survive.”

“He didn’t need to do it at all. There’s no water on Mars. He’s a fucking sadist.”

His eyes had adjusted even more to the dimness and he saw her bite down on a plump lower lip. An unexpected reaction surged through his body. She was so pretty—pretty and soft and delicate—and she didn’t belong in this horrible place.

“You need to leave GenCon. Get away from here,” he told her, as he’d been telling her since the first night when she let herself into his cell to comfort him after he had been subjected to another one of Dr. Mingol’s experimental tortures.

“I told you it’s not that simple. And besides,” her soft hand stroked across his face, “I would never see you again if I left.”

A sound came from somewhere in the building and they both went still.

“I have to go,” she whispered urgently. “And I’m sorry, but I’ll have to turn the light back off.”

“It’s all right. I’m fine now.” He wasn’t lying. The brief interlude of light and the comfort of her presence had enabled him to regain control, to remember who and where he was.

“Until tomorrow night.”

“Only if it’s safe,” he cautioned, even though the thought of not seeing her made his chest ache.

“Tomorrow night,” she said firmly and bent down to brush her lips across his.

Her sweet taste flooded his senses and he couldn’t resist flicking his tongue along the soft curve of her lower lip. He expected her to pull away, but she lingered a second longer, shyly returning the caress. His body instantly sprang into full, aching hardness but he prayed the lights were too dim for her to notice. She seemed reluctant to leave, her tentative response beginning to deepen. He instinctively tried to reach for her but his chains arrested the movement and the quiet clang of the metal made them both freeze.

“I have to go,” she said again, raising her head. It took all of his self-control not to protest.

One last touch of her hand and she was gone, leaving only her delicate fragrance behind as the room plunged back into darkness.

How the hell had he wound up here, he wondered, not for the first time. He had known that the unified Earth Government was working on a top-secret experimental program to terraform Mars. He had even known that soldiers would be involved and had given his consent to the program. What he hadn’t known, until after he fell on the battlefield and woken up in a body that was no longer entirely human, was that the soldiers were being turned into cyborgs. He had struggled with the knowledge, but it wasn’t until he had been sent to the GenCon Corporation, to Dr. Mingol and his “experiments,” that he realized the full extent of what had been done to him.

As a cyborg, he had no rights. All he could do was endure.

Alone in the dark, the sleep he no longer needed refused to come. All he had to escape his surroundings was the memory of Addie and the touch of her lips.

She didn’t come the next night, or the next, and he was frantic with worry by the time she appeared on the third night. His days had been filled with the usual round of experiments but he’d been almost relieved. They gave him something to concentrate on other than his concern for her.

“Where have you been?” he demanded the second he heard the door open and caught her fragrance.

“I’ve been busy,” she said, her voice filled with excitement. “I think I know how I can get you out of here.”

“What?” Hope pulsed through his veins, despite his attempt to suppress it. “You said all of the entrances were guarded.”

“They are, but after the… incident the other night, I realized that there must be a holding tank for the water. It’s too precious to waste.”

He knew that—the lack of clean water on Earth had meant tight water rationing for many years.

“So I went looking. When I found the holding tank, I also found a small access tunnel. It leads out behind the labs. There’s a paved yard surrounded by old storage buildings. It’s right at the edge of GenCon property and it appears to be deserted.” She hesitated. “The only thing is, the grounds are enclosed by an electric fence. I don’t think I can turn it off without setting off every alarm in the place.”

“I can take care of it,” he said grimly. One of Mingol’s more creative ideas had been testing his resistance to electrocution.

“Do you think we could really do it?” she asked tentatively. “Leave this place and… be together?”

“Yes.” He didn’t hesitate. It would mean abandoning his commitment to the military which had dominated his entire life, throwing in their lot with the millions of undocumented individuals trying to escape the government’s notice, fighting for food and shelter, but it would be worth it if they could be together. And he could protect her. His transformation had left him bigger, stronger.

“I will need clothes.” Fortunately, the only sign that he was a cyborg was the panel on his chest where they had replaced his heart. It would be easy enough to conceal.

“Yes,” she agreed, but her voice had dropped to a husky whisper that sent illicit ideas surging through his blood.

He forced his thoughts back to the practical. “When?”

“I thought tomorrow night. Dr. Mingol will be away for the next two days.”

His heart pounded with excitement despite the efforts of his nanites to regulate its beat.

“Then you should go,” he said reluctantly. “It would be foolish to risk getting caught when the end is so near.”

“I know. It’s just… May I kiss you again?”

“You can always kiss me, Addie.”

She bent her head and this time, she wasn’t tentative. Her soft tongue swept across his lips, demanding entry. He groaned and obeyed. Despite her urgency, she was a little clumsy, obviously inexperienced, and yet he had never been as hard in his life. His hands wrestled with the chains, wanting to touch her, to pull her against him, but he couldn’t free himself. When she slowly, reluctantly, lifted her head, he had to bite back the instinct to demand that she kiss him again.

“Until tomorrow,” she whispered.

The next day dragged interminably. With Dr. Mingol absent, the tests were of a more routine nature—strength, speed, agility—and did nothing to distract his mind. After they chained him to the table again and turned off the lights, the time passed with agonizing slowness, but at last the door slid open.

“Addie?”

“Yes, I’m here.” She didn’t sound like herself, her voice low and shaky.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Just a little scared, I guess.”

“I promise I’ll never let anything happen to you.”

“Oh, Sam.” She gave a choked sob. “I’m going to turn the lights up a little so I can see to undo the chains.”

“Where did you get the keys?’

“They… they’re stored in the lab. No one would be crazy enough to let you loose,” she said bitterly.

“It’s all right, Addie,” he said soothingly.

The lights brightened, higher than she’d ever turned them before, and he got his first clear look at her. Long blond hair framed a heart-shaped face with wide-set eyes of an unusual purple shade. Beneath a pert little nose, that perfect rosebud of a mouth trembled.

“It’s all right, angel,” he said softly. “We’re going to be fine.”

“Yes. Yes, of course we are.”

She nodded and stepped towards him, coming to an abrupt halt. Her mouth dropped open as her gaze traveled from his head to his chest to his stomach to his extremely erect cock.

The little pink circle of her open mouth did nothing to help him control himself, but he did his best to speak reassuringly.

“It’s all right, Addie. I’m not going to hurt you.”

She finally dragged her eyes away from his erection, her cheeks a brilliant shade of pink. “No, of course not. I’ve just never—Never mind. Let me get these off.”

She’d never seen a naked man before? His cock jerked automatically, and he saw her eyes drop to it again. This time she managed to regain her composure and hurried to release his shackles, her teeth sinking into her lower lip. As soon as he was free, she stepped back, rushing over to retrieve a small bag which she shoved at him, her eyes averted.

“Here.”

Opening the bag, he realized that all it contained was a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. As he pulled them on, the fabric threatening to tear as it stretched across his muscles, he frowned at her.

“You didn’t bring anything else? There’s nothing you wanted to bring?”

“I… I couldn’t…” Her voice failed and she appeared to be on the verge of tears again.

“Don’t worry, angel. I’ll take care of you.”

He pulled her gently against his side and she nestled into him with a choked sob. He suspected she was of average height, but tucked against him like this, she felt impossibly small. Despite her short stature, her body, all soft curves, was entirely too tempting.

“I want to kiss you,” he growled.

She swayed against him. “Yes.”

“No. Not until we’re free and I don’t have to stop.” Her mouth trembled as she nodded, and he reluctantly let her go. “Lead the way, angel.”

He saw her hand tighten into a fist, but then she nodded.

“This way.”

As she led him through a maze of hallways, she grabbed on to his hand, her small fingers clinging to his. They passed more cells, none of them occupied, then turned into an even smaller warren of corridors, obviously devoted to storage and utilities, before finally coming to a halt beside a large metal tank.

“Up there.” She pointed at a metal ladder that led up the wall next to the tank.

“You first,” he insisted.

“But…”

“I won’t let you fall.”

Her eyes closed briefly before giving him a strained smile. “Okay, Sam.”

He boosted her onto the first rung, then followed behind her. The ladder climbed up into the shadows and as they grew higher, her pace slowed. He moved up so that his body was behind hers, enclosing her in the safety of his arms.

“You’re doing great, angel. We’re almost there.”

“Yes, I know.”

“My brave girl.”

A shudder ran over her, then she began climbing again, her soft ass brushing against him with every rung, her delicate fragrance surrounding him. He couldn’t wait until they were free and he could kiss her properly.

The ladder ended at a round metal hatch in the ceiling. Reaching over Addie, he twisted the handle. For once, he appreciated his enhancements as he forced the rusted bars to turn and then pushed open the heavy door. Air rushed through the opening, the familiar stink of Earth’s polluted atmosphere a relief after the antiseptic environment of the lab.

“Up you go, angel.”

“Sam, I just want you to know…”

“Know what?”

“I love you,” she said in a rush, then disappeared through the hatch.

Triumph roared through his veins. She loved him! She wasn’t going to regret this, he swore. No matter what he had to do, he would make sure she was safe and happy. A foolish grin split his face as he followed her up the last few rungs and stepped out onto a cement parking area.

The net caught him by surprise, appearing out of the darkness to wrap around his body, entangling his feet so that he fell heavily onto the hard surface.

“Addie!” he roared, struggling frantically against the titanium rope.

Floodlights sprang on, casting a blinding white light over the area.

“Surely you didn’t think I would be stupid enough not to know what you were planning,” Dr. Mingol drawled.

He stepped out of the shadows, yanking Addie along with him, and Sam could see where his fingers dug into her slender arm. Her head was bowed, her cheeks so pale they looked translucent.

“Let her go,” he growled.

Mingol laughed. “Oh, I don’t think so. You see, Adelaide has agreed to marry me.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Tell him, darling.”

For the first time, her eyes met his, those deep purple eyes shimmering with tears.

“Tell me it’s not true, Addie.”

“It is true,” she whispered, just as the sound of a helicopter appeared overhead. A moment later, it landed and General Biggs stepped out.

“I am here to retrieve Major Wilson.” He shot a suspicious glance at Sam, still wrapped in the net. “Why is he restrained?”

“Just a precaution. You’ve seen the results of my… testing. He will perform admirably.” Mingol gave Sam a mocking glance. “I will release the restraints if you are ready to leave, Major. After all, there is nothing for you here. Dr. Montgomery has completed her experiment.”

Mingol signaled to one of his minions, releasing the net holding Sam to the ground, and he stood, still focused on Addie. Doctor Montgomery? She was one of these bastard scientists? And he had only been an experiment?

Mingol continued to grip her wrist but she made no attempt to pull away despite the tears streaming down her cheeks. Still half-convinced he had misunderstood, he took a step towards her. She backed away from him, moving closer to Mingol. The pain tearing at his insides felt worse than anything he had been subjected to in the lab, but he turned his head and didn’t look back again as he crossed to the general.

“Welcome back, Major Wilson.”

“Major Wilson no longer exists. I am S-756.”

Chapter Two

Twelve years later

“Dr. Montgomery?”

The hopeful voice behind her jerked Addie out of her thoughts as she studied the ruined experiment.

“The test is a failure,” she said, doing her best to keep her voice cool and professional, but she doubted that Reggie, her lab assistant, was fooled. They had such high hopes for this latest process.

He peered over her shoulder. “Looks like the same issue.”

“I’m afraid so.” She carefully scraped the remains of the experiment into the incinerator. “Unless we can determine how to control the reproduction of the nanites, they always overtake the host organism.”

She pushed back from the lab table and rubbed her forehead as she tried to remember when she last slept. Twenty-four hours? Possibly even longer. Time in the lab had a tendency to obscure everything else in her life. Everything except one thing. Pushing aside the constant ache in her heart once again, she stood up.

“We’ll have to report this,” Reggie said, fiddling with his glasses and avoiding her eyes.

“I know.”

“They’re getting impatient.”

“I know that too.” GenCon had been sending constant missives demanding progress, each terser than the last. She forced a smile. “I’m going to get a few hours of sleep. Can you prepare a fresh batch of medium? I’ll go over the notes and we’ll start again tomorrow.”

Reggie opened his mouth, probably to protest, but in the end he simply nodded. “Yes, Doctor.”

As she strode along the corridor between the lab complex and the living quarters, she tried her best to avoid looking outside. God, she hated this. She hated the failed experiments, she hated the necessity behind them, and she really hated being on Mars under these circumstances.

As soon as she reached her quarters, she collapsed on the bed, too tired to even remove her clothes, but her mind refused to settle. If her room had been a little larger, she would have paced the floor but while GenCon had spared no expense in equipping the labs, they were far less generous when it came to housing their scientists. Her room was only large enough for a narrow bunk, a desk, and a minuscule amount of storage.

She closed her eyes but her thoughts kept returning to the experimental protocols, so she finally sighed and pushed herself back to her feet. If she couldn’t sleep, she might as well get back to work. After a quick wash, she changed into her last clean pair of coveralls, grimacing as they strained over her breasts. The standard lab uniforms weren’t designed for women with her build and they were either too tight or too long and baggy. Given the overall shortage of clothing, she had shrugged and accepted it, but she preferred the oversized version to these. Thankfully, no one in the complex would dare express any interest in her as a woman.

As she emerged back into the long corridor leading to the labs, a sudden impulse drove her to one of the windows that lined the hallway. She shuddered at the alien landscape that met her eyes, refusing to recognize the harsh beauty of her surroundings. A flicker of movement caught her eyes from one of the ridges surrounding the complex and she saw… a man on a horse?

She rubbed her eyes and when she looked back, the figure was gone. Lack of sleep must have been affecting her. And yet, she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone had been there. But how? Six months on Mars and the only time she had been on the surface was when she transferred from the ship to a rover and then from the rover to the lab complex, and both had been accomplished at night. Was there more to the surface than she had assumed? Returning to the lab had little appeal. Perhaps it was time to get acquainted with her new surroundings.

Pausing at the airlock to check the outside temperatures, she chose a thick thermal coat and one of the heavy-duty breathing masks. At least the atmospheric pressure had been stabilized to the point where she was not required to wear a pressure suit. Of course, all of the progress that had been made in terraforming Mars was due to the efforts of the cyborgs the government had sent to the planet.

The familiar wave of pain swept over her. Twelve years, and it still hurt.

Pushing aside yet another thing she did not want to think about, she opened the outer door. All of them had been thoroughly trained on what to expect on the surface, but as she stepped out onto the desert plain surrounding the complex, she realized that looking at the planet from inside didn’t begin to compare to actually being outside in the landscape.

She took one cautious step, then another, before coming to an abrupt halt as she looked up.

On an overcrowded and polluted Earth, she had no experience with such a wide expanse of open space. The pale orange sky was a vast dome far above her head. Behind her, the lab was half-hidden among the rocks but before her the land stretched out in a rolling red plain, interrupted by rocky outcroppings. It was awe-inspiring, terrifying, and oddly exhilarating. She was just a minute speck in the vast landscape but she was acutely aware of herself as a person, as a unique individual instead of one of the many cogs in the GenCon wheel.

Even though she was sure it had been an illusion, she found herself scanning the horizon for the mysterious figure of the man on his horse. The ridge where she thought she saw him did not appear to be too far away. She took a quick peek over her shoulder at the complex, reassuringly large and permanent, and decided that a short walk wouldn’t hurt.

Fifteen minutes later, she was beginning to regret her impulsive decision. The dusty surface beneath her feet was surprisingly hard to walk through, dragging against her boots despite the lighter gravity of Mars. She had reached the first of the rocky spires, but the ridge did not seem any closer. For a moment, she considered turning back, but the dogged determination that had carried her through more than a decade of unhappiness would not allow her to give in.

A small canyon wove between the rocks, leading in the direction that she had chosen. The ground between the rock walls was harder and appeared to be less treacherous than the deeper dust of the desert plain. Checking her bearings once more, she started up the ravine. The towering rocks on either side blocked the limited warmth of the pale sun and she shivered, glad for the comfort of her thermal coat. As she walked, she studied the many layers within the rock, trying to remember her college geology classes. Whether the Martian canyons had been formed by wind or water was still under debate and, not for the first time, she regretted that her doctorate was in nanotechnology rather than a more innocent subject like geology. But a different choice would have meant that she never met Sam and, in spite of the guilt and sorrow wrapped up with his memory, she would never want to lose that.

Still lost in memories of the past, she didn’t realize that anyone else was present until she stumbled into a small camp. She had reached the end of the canyon where it widened into a sheltered niche overlooking more of the desert. Three men were sprawled lazily against a rock face that caught the rays of the sun. A small portable heater was topped with a pot of food, bubbling merrily. All of the men were wearing the smaller breathing masks, leaving their mouths free to drink from the bottle they were sharing. Based on their dirty overalls and the equipment sled hitched to their rover, they must be miners.

She froze in place. They looked so at ease as they passed the bottle back and forth. Part of her was tempted by their lazy camaraderie and the idea of talking to someone who was not a GenCon employee, but three male strangers didn’t seem like the best choice for conversation. A little regretfully, she decided to slip away but as she backed up, her foot caught on a loose rock and she tumbled to the ground. Her ankle twisted under her and she couldn’t suppress a cry of pain. As she reached down to check the damage, a shadow covered her, and she looked up to find all three men looming over her.

“Well, well. What do we have here?”

The question came from the largest of the three men as his eyes traveled over her in a way that set off every alarm in her head. She tried to scramble to her feet, but her ankle wouldn’t support her. The best she could do was edge back until a rock reared up behind her. Her heart thudded painfully against her chest, but she raised her chin and did her best to use the cool authoritative tone that worked on her assistants.

“I am Dr. Montgomery. Unfortunately, I appear to have injured my ankle. Would one of you gentlemen be kind enough to escort me back to the lab?”

The smallest man laughed and elbowed the leader.

“Escort? She’s looking for an escort, Jimmy.”

“Yeah, I heard her, Steve.” Jimmy rubbed his chin as he studied her. “I don’t know about that, Doc. Gonna take time and fuel take you back to this lab of yours.”

Since she knew the rovers were solar-powered, his argument was completely false, but she bit back her protest.

“I’m sure that you will receive appropriate remuneration at the lab.” Now that they were closer, she spotted the small GenCon emblems on their chest pockets. Many of the miners had been brought here under contract with her employer. “We all work for the same corporation.”

“GenCon?” The small man spat in the dust. “Those bastards are more likely to charge us than to reward us.”

“I have funds of my own,” she said, trying not to sound desperate. Her hand dropped to the ground next to her, trying to feel for a rock she could use to defend herself. All she could find were a number of smaller stones, but she surreptitiously pulled them closer.

“I got a better idea,” Jimmy said, grinning as he grabbed his crotch. “We already got credits. What we don’t have is a woman.”

“I’m not available. I’m… married,” she said quickly. Her divorce had been final for more than two years, but maybe some good could come out of that nightmare.

“Don’t see no husband.”

“He’s back in the lab.”

“Pretty lousy husband that lets his wife go wandering around alone,” Jimmy said thoughtfully.

“Yeah, and a scientist too.” Steve leered at her. “Bet he hasn’t given you a decent fuck in years.”

The memory made her shudder. If one man had been able to hurt her so badly, how much worse would it be with three? Her heart fluttered wildly in her chest and she searched desperately for more stones. Little enough protection, but she would fight. She had always fought no matter how little it helped.

The big man stepped closer.

“Please don’t do this,” she said quietly, trying not to beg. Begging never seemed to help.

The third man, the one who had yet to speak, grabbed the leader’s arm.

“Come on, Jimmy. Leave her alone.”

“Ah, hell, Ronnie, I’m not gonna hurt her. Just gonna play with her a little. I’ll make sure she likes it.” A cocky grin split his face.

She shook her head violently. “I won’t.”

Jimmy paused at the dead certainty in her voice, but Steve laughed.

“All the girls love Jimmy. Hell, the whores at Madam Cherry’s practically fight over him.” Before she could respond, he darted forward with surprising speed and snatched at her coat. She kicked at him and he stumbled back, but not before ripping her coat open. All three men stared. When she risked a quick look down, she saw the top of her coveralls had parted, her breasts spilling into the opening.

“Now ain’t that a pretty sight?” The leader’s momentary doubt seems to have disappeared as he rubbed his crotch again. Her stomach churned at his obvious erection. How could this be happening to her again? She had thought once her divorce was final she would never again be subjected to a man’s painful lust.

In her shock at the man ripping her coat, she had forgotten about the stones beneath her hands, but she grabbed one now, clutching it in her fist.

“Leave me alone!” she cried.

“Aw, don’t be like that, Doc. We’ll just have a little fun and then I’ll take you back to that lab of yours.” Jimmy stepped forward, his hand already unfastening his overalls.

Her hands shaking, she tightened her grip on the small stone and threw it as hard as she could. To her shock, it hit him, glancing across his temple and leaving a bloody gash in its wake. He looked almost as shocked as he put a hand to his head, then stared at the blood on his fingers.

“Why you little bitch. I was gonna be nice but if you want to play rough, I can play rough. Grab her hands, Steve.”

Tears filled her eyes, obscuring her vision, but she grabbed another stone, and another, throwing them wildly in a vain attempt to keep the men away from her. But then Steve swore and caught her hand, squeezing her wrist until she dropped the rock.

“Got her,” he panted, as she tried desperately to escape his grip.

“Good,” Jimmy snarled. “Hold her for me.”

“Goddamn it, Jimmy. Why do you get to go first?”

“Because I say so,” Jimmy said impatiently as he freed his erection. “Unless you’re willing to fight me for her.”

Steve ducked his head. “Nah. Go ahead.”

“Don’t hurt her, Jimmy,” the third man said, but even he had his hand on his crotch.

“She’ll like it. They always do.” Jimmy grinned as he knelt over her. He seemed to have gotten over his anger but it made no difference; she knew he was going to hurt her. Closing her eyes, she turned her head away, trying to find a place in her head where she could hide. Jimmy’s hand touched her breast and she couldn’t help but cry out.

“Damn, woman,” he groaned. “You’re wasted on some damn scientist.”

She tried to twist away from him and his hand tightened.

“What the hell is going on here?”

The harsh voice surprised all of them. Her eyes flew open, trying to focus through the remnants of her tears. A rider on a massive black horse was silhouetted against the desert. He dismounted from the horse and strode towards them, looming even larger as he approached.

Four! Now there were four of them!

Panic tearing at her insides, she started struggling again. Steve’s grip had loosened, and she managed to pull free and throw herself backwards, but the rock wall was too close. Her head cracked against the unforgiving surface and a bright flare of agony washed over her before the world dissolved into darkness.

Chapter Three

S-756 swore as the woman tried to scramble away and cracked her head against the canyon wall. A soft cry escaped her lips before her body went limp. His enhanced sense of smell caught the coppery tang of her blood in the thin air, mingled with something tantalizingly familiar, and his vision went red with rage. Fucking humans.

The small man who had been gripping her hands stepped away from her, holding up his hands in surrender.

“It-it’s not what it looks like,” he stuttered.

He didn’t bother to reply as he focused on the man who had been bending over her. The man jumped to his feet, hastily trying to tuck his cock away. He was big, but not as big as S-756, and he wouldn’t have a cyborg’s strength. Even with the evidence of his intentions still half-visible in the opening of his overalls, the big man tried a cocky grin.

“We’re just having a little fun, Ranger.”

“So much fun that a woman would knock herself unconscious in order to get away from you?” he growled as he grabbed the man and tossed him away from the small figure lying huddled on the ground. “Where did she come from?”

The men exchanged a quick look before the third one spoke.

“She said something about a lab. Back that way, I’m guessing.” He pointed down the canyon.

Fuck. He had seen the GenCon lab earlier. He didn’t want anything to do with those bastards, but he couldn’t leave her here. And he still had to take care of these three.

“I should just shoot all three of you and get it over with,” he snarled.

The little guy’s hand flicked towards his gun belt. Before he could reach it, S-756 grabbed him, snapping his wrist in one quick movement.

“Don’t be any more stupid than you’ve already been.”

He tossed a pair of cuffs to the big man. “Handcuff yourself to him.”

The man’s cocksure grin had faded and he silently obeyed.

“Up against the rover.” He only had one pair of cuffs, but he could make do. He yanked a chain off the rover, threaded it through the cuffs and around the third man’s uninjured arm, then wrapped it back around the rover. It wasn’t pretty, but it should hold them until he returned.

He scowled at them. “I suggest that you don’t try to escape. I don’t take lightly to prisoners trying to flee.”

“Prisoners?” Despite the broken wrist he cradled against his side, the little guy scowled at him. “You don’t have the authority for that.”

“Yes, I do. I am the Judge.”

The man went pale and his companions looked down. A slight flicker of satisfaction filled him as he went to attend to the woman. Good. His reputation had preceded him. He was, in fact, the Territorial Judge for this section of Mars, but he had earned the title as much from his quick and merciless judgments as by his official status.

The men were forgotten as he bent over the woman, lifting her carefully into his arms in order to examine her injury. He bent her over his arm, ruthlessly ignoring the lush curves of her breasts as they pressed against him. For such a small woman, she had more than her share of curves. Once again, he caught a hint of a familiar scent, but he was too focused on her wound to try and chase the memory.

The point of impact was still bleeding but it had slowed to a sluggish trickle. The bone was undamaged, and he couldn’t feel the heat that would indicate subdural swelling. Still, head wounds could be tricky things. He needed to get her medical assistance as soon as possible, which meant he needed to get her back to the lab.

Still cradling her in his arms, he rose to his feet, pausing to glare at the three subdued men watching him from beside the rover.

“You had better be here when I get back. Don’t make me come looking. I will find you, and you will regret it.”

Without waiting for a response, he swung up onto his horse. Not an actual horse of course, since the legendary Earth animals wouldn’t be able to survive the still limited level of oxygen in the Martian air, but a robotic construction. A machine. And yet, he had begun to consider the horse as something more than just a collection of metal and rubber. Two of his fellow cyborgs had mated human females who named their animals and he had found himself referring to his own horse by name.

“Careful, Blackie,” he ordered as he turned up the canyon. “I don’t want to jostle her.”

The animal picked his way delicately along the rocky surface and S-756 turned his attention to his patient. He gathered her coat together, trying to cover her breasts where they threatened to spill out of her coveralls but as he did, his fingers brushed the silky flesh. To his shock, his body responded, his cock stiffening despite his usual restraint. No woman ever threatened his control, not since…

The woman moaned and batted weakly at his hand before her eyes flew open. Huge purple eyes stared up at him, eyes that he had never forgotten. For a brief second, joy filled him, wiping the past away, but then the memories came crashing back. An impulse to fling her away from him vied with the need to pull her closer.

She blinked up at him, obviously confused, and he couldn’t help but study her hungrily. Her body might have ripened over the years, but her face had a fragile quality, the skin stretched taut over her cheekbones. Shadows haunted her eyes and a worried line was etched between her brows but she was even more beautiful in her vulnerability. Every instinct he had cried out for him to protect her, but he had learned his lesson. He forced his face into its usual stern mask.

“I should have known. What’s the matter, Addie? Did those men not want to play your games?”

As Addie regained consciousness, her body rocked gently, securely clasped in a firm hold, and for a moment she relaxed, feeling safe in a way that she hadn’t felt for years. But then a warm hand brushed against her breasts. Only the lightest touch but she panicked, her arms flailing, the movement causing a burst of pain in her head. Her eyes flew open and she saw the face hovering over her, harsh, weather-beaten, but unmistakable. An overwhelming surge of delight—Sam, her Sam—was quickly swallowed by a rush of guilt and pain.

For a second, his eyes warmed, but then they turned a pale, icy blue. He said something, his voice low and harsh, but she didn’t hear the words, still drinking in that beloved face. How many times had she studied the image in his file? The clean-cut military man had been replaced by a rugged cowboy, but the change had done nothing to lessen his appeal.

“S-Sam?” she whispered.

“Sam doesn’t exist. I am S-756.” The harsh tone of voice finally penetrated, and she tried to push away from him. His firm grip turned into bands of iron and she couldn’t move.

“Let me go!”

“You’re injured.” The voice was implacable, uncaring.

“It wouldn’t be the first time,” she said bitterly. “Let me go.”

Tension thrummed through the arms surrounding her but they didn’t loosen.

“That’s what happens when you play games.”

“Games?” She stared up at him, but then the more recent memories came flooding back and she started struggling again. “Those men! What happened? Did they…”

She frantically checked for injuries but the only pain was in her head, not the familiar ache between her legs.

“No. I stopped them. Maybe I shouldn’t have.” A flash of regret seemed to follow the harsh words and his arms tightened momentarily, not in punishment but in… remorse?

“Sam,” she whispered again but his face hardened.

“S-756.”

He didn’t understand. How could he? But surely she could tell him now. It had been so many years and even if she hadn’t managed to escape Derrick’s control completely, he had other uses for her now.

“I need to explain—”

“I don’t want to hear it.”

As he spoke, he adjusted her position, holding her as far away from him as possible, no longer cradled against his chest. She immediately missed his warmth and shivered. When she tried to pull her coat around her, she realized that the fasteners had ripped and she had to hold it in place. The memory of how the damage had occurred swept over her and she shivered again.

“What happened to those men?”

“I’m dealing with them.” His tone did not invite questions.

“You?”

“I’m the Territorial Judge.” For a moment, his voice softened. “Why did you do it, Addie? Why did you go meet them there?”

“Meet them?” She shifted enough to see his face. “I wasn’t going to meet them.”

He scoffed. “You just happened to run into three men in the middle of the Martian desert?”

“I went for a walk. I-I thought I saw a man on a horse and I was curious. I didn’t know they were there until I stumbled on their camp.”

“You were always too curious for your own good,” he muttered, and her heart skipped a beat.

Her curiosity was the reason they met. She had been exploring the lab complex late one night, poking around to see what other experiments were being conducted, when she passed the dark cell. She had heard him groan, a low, pained noise, and something had driven her to open the door, to investigate. She’d been afraid to turn on the light and all she could make out in the darkness was the dim figure of a man strapped to a lab table.

“Are you all right?” She had rushed to his side. “What are they doing to you? Should I call the police?” she asked doubtfully, not at all sure that the authorities would dare step inside a GenCon building.

“No. I… volunteered.”

“You did?”

He laughed bitterly. “In a way.”

“Is there anything I can do for you?”

“Will you be in trouble if you’re discovered?”

“I don’t think so. I have clearance for this area. I can say I was cleaning your cell,” she joked.

To her surprise, he had taken her seriously, assuming that she was part of the maintenance staff, but she hadn’t bothered to correct him. She’d heard one too many jokes about geeky girls to invite more by telling him that she was a newly hired scientist.

“What’s your name?”

“Addie.”

“Talk to me, Addie. Remind me that there is more to life than this place.”

And that was how it began. She had visited him almost every night, talking to him, sneaking him desserts once she realized he had a sweet tooth, applying cooling cloths on those nights when his body had been strained to the limit and the healing process of his nanites overheated his system. Of course, she had looked him up as soon as she returned to her desk. Major Sam Wilson, one of the first cyborgs to be created and now subject to Derrick Mingol’s experiments to test his limits. He had never told her what he was and she had never asked. And each night, she had fallen more and more in love with him, enough to make the most painful sacrifice of her life in order to save him.

She had to tell him.

“Sam—”

Once again, he cut her off. “I don’t answer to that name, Addie. Or is that even your name?”

Her lips quivered but she supposed she deserved his scorn. “It’s a nickname. My full name is Adelaide Montgomery.”

“Isn’t that Adelaide Mingol?” he sneered.

“No.”

“You didn’t marry him?”

“I did.” She had no choice. “We’re divorced.”

The expression that flashed across his face was impossible for her to read—anger, relief—but then his lips twisted in a cruel smile.

“Did he get tired of your games too?”

That hurt much more than the lingering pain in her head. Through the tears filling her eyes, she saw the lab complex just in front of them.

“Let me down,” she demanded, hating the way her voice shook.

“I’ll take you inside.”

“Don’t trouble yourself.”

She pushed fruitlessly at his arms as he brought the horse to a halt. He hesitated, then swung smoothly to the ground, lifting her down with him. As soon as her feet hit the ground, she cried out as her twisted ankle gave way. Swearing, he lifted her back into his arms, carrying her easily as he stomped to the airlock. As soon as the outer door opened, she spotted one of the poles used to collect soil samples.

“Put me down. I’ll use one of those to support my leg.”

Once again, he hesitated, then obeyed. As soon as the sample pole was wedged securely under her arm, she hobbled to the door.

“Now leave.”

He walked past her in silence but then turned to face her.

“There’s just one thing you should know,” she said furiously. “They were never my games. They were always Mingol’s, and he hurt me just as much as he ever hurt you.”

Then she slammed her hand down on the button to close the door, not even waiting to see his expression as she turned away.

Frozen in place, S-756 watched as the outer door of the airlock slid closed. She had to be lying. He had been there. She hadn’t asked for his help; she had turned away from him, turned to Mingol. He wanted to go back and demand the truth, but what good would it do after all these years?

He still had to force himself to mount Blackie and ride away. Even if she was lying, his instincts kept demanding that he return, that he make sure she had medical care for her injuries. The feel of her body against his lingered. How could she still have felt so right in his arms?

By the time he returned to where the men were chained to the rover, his face was so grim that they shrank away from him.

“Judgment time.”

Chapter Four

Addie made it through the inner door of the airlock before the tears could no longer be contained. She leaned back against the door and dashed furiously at her cheeks, trying to stem the flow. Damn him. And damn herself. How could she blame him for hating her? But God, it hurt to hear him speak to her like that.

“Dr. Montgomery? Is something wrong?”

Reggie appeared next to her, his serious young face creased with worry.

“No. I-I hurt my ankle and hit my head.”

“You went outside?” He looked shocked.

She managed a rueful grin. “Apparently, it was a mistake. Can you help me to the med lab?”

“Yes, of course.” He blushed as he cautiously put his arm around her waist to help support her injured side.

They limped a few steps down the corridor before he spoke.

“I hate to ask, but is this going to affect the testing?”

“Reggie!”

He blushed again. “It’s just that we’ll need to let headquarters know.”

“I know, I know.” Her ankle throbbed and her head pounded but most of all, her heart ached. For a moment, the work she was doing seemed completely unimportant, but she forced herself to concentrate. There was so much more at stake than her personal feelings. “Let’s just see what the medical scanner says.”

Ironically, given the nature of their work, the main medical assistance in the lab complex was robotic. They had all been trained to operate the diagnostic machine and Reggie ran the scanner over her ankle and head.

“Your head is fine.” He pushed up his glasses. “No internal bleeding or permanent damage, although it does prescribe twenty-four hours rest.”

“I’m sure that’s just a recommendation,” she said wearily. No amount of rest was going to ease her heart. “What about my ankle?”

“Sprained but not broken.”

He helped her over to a second machine which quickly and efficiently encased her ankle in a rigid bandage. When she cautiously stood up and put her weight on her foot, it held her with only a mild ache.

“It also suggests a pain pill,” he added reluctantly.

“I think I’m fine.” She forced a smile. “But I still need to lie down for a short while.” She held up a hand before he could speak. “I know we’re on a deadline, but I have to get some sleep.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

“Is everything ready for the next experiment?”

“Yes.” He hesitated for a second, then burst out, “Don’t you think we should consider a live subject?”

The thought horrified her. “No. You know we’re not ready for that.”

“But some of the problems we’re having, they may not occur with a different subject.”

“That’s not the way the experimental protocol works and you know it.”

“I know. It’s just…” He adjusted his glasses again. “If we don’t make progress soon…”

“I know, Reggie, I know.” She sighed, exhaustion and pain making her sway on her feet. “But right now, I have to get a few hours of sleep.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

He accompanied her back to her room, shooting her a sideways glance. “Your ankle was pretty badly sprained. How did you manage to make it back to the lab?”

“I ran into one of the cyborg rangers,” she admitted reluctantly, firmly suppressing the memory of her other encounter.

“Really?” Reggie’s eyes sparkled behind his glasses. “I would love to meet an actual cyborg. What was it like?”

“He was very professional.” And just as tall, strong, and handsome as she remembered. Although in her dreams, his face had never been that harsh. But despite his equally harsh words, he had handled her with exquisite gentleness.

“Damn Earth Government,” Reggie muttered. “They have the technology. Why won’t they share it with us?”

Addie shuddered at the thought. GenCon was far too powerful already. If they had been able to create cyborgs of their own, there was no telling what they would have done to them—or with them.

“I suspect they prefer to keep it under government control.”

“But it could solve our problem. The nanites work in their systems. Did Dr. Mingol ever take samples of their blood?”

“He took samples of everything.” The bitterness couldn’t be disguised. “But the nanites are inert as soon as they leave the host body.”

“Maybe we need a live cyborg to help us…”

“Reggie!” She came to an abrupt halt, whirling to face him. “They’re not experimental objects. They are people. Derrick never recognized that, but I thought you were better than him.”

He adjusted his glasses again, but his chin jutted out obstinately. “If we can just crack this, think how many people we can help. Sometimes sacrifices have to be made.”

“The people who say that are rarely the ones making the sacrifices,” she said dryly. Although she knew he was driven mainly by idealistic fervor, as she had been once, it still concerned her that he seemed to be heading down the darker side of science.

“Look,” she said gently, “we all need some rest. Why don’t you get some sleep while I’m resting, or at least go have a meal and relax for a few hours? We’ll start fresh in the morning.”

“Yes, Doctor,” he muttered and headed off down the corridor.

With a sigh, she entered her room and stripped out of the torn coveralls. Exhaustion had her tottering as she washed up and climbed into her bunk, wondering once again how she ended up here on Mars. Because you had no choice, she reminded herself, her eyes going to the small picture that was the only adornment on her walls. Derrick had made it impossible for her to do anything else. She prayed once again that the legal agreement between them was as binding as her lawyer had promised.

She shoved her worries to the back of her mind with the strength of long practice, her thoughts turning to Sam again. She had assumed that he would be here on Mars, of course. Once the Green Shield—the magnetic dipole barrier that floated in space between Mars and the sun, blocking destructive solar winds and radiation—had made terraforming possible, the government created the cyborgs specifically to begin the process. Their ability to survive the low atmospheric pressure, the lack of oxygen, and the frigid temperatures made them ideal candidates for the job. But even though she had tormented herself with the idea that they would meet again, she hadn’t really expected it to happen. It was a large planet and she had been made strictly aware that her place on it was confined to one place: the GenCon lab complex.

But on the six-month voyage to Mars, she had allowed herself to speculate on what might happen. In her dreams, she had turned a corner and seen him and he had actually been happy to see her, lifting her into his arms and kissing her the way he had all those years ago, the way she had never forgotten. She pressed her fingers to her lips, remembering. Even in his anger, the way he had held her made her feel safe and…

She squirmed a little in her bunk as she remembered the feel of his body against hers and she suddenly recalled what she had been too upset to notice at the time. When he had lifted her off his horse and slid her to the ground, she had been pressed against the length of that big, strong body and she had felt the momentary pressure of a very large erection. Her nipples tightened and an unfamiliar ache started between her legs. Foolishness, of course. She knew all too well that sex was only for men to enjoy.

Still, as her busy mind finally drifted off to sleep, she let herself dream of pleasure, of long, slow kisses, of the intoxicating touch of another, of Sam.

Having dispensed judgment on the would-be rapists, S-756 resumed his journey. They should all live, although all would bear a permanent reminder of the day’s events.

He had intended to make a circuit of the power plants to the north, but as he headed in that direction, he found that he was warring with himself. Addie was here on Mars. He had never thought to see her again, had even managed to convince himself that he never wanted to see her again—at least during his conscious hours. During the few hours of rest his cyborg body needed, he often dreamed of her. And now she was here. His anger still tore at him, but her words kept replaying in his head. That it had been Mingol behind it, that he had hurt her. The thought kept poking at him and twice he almost turned Blackie back towards the lab.

No. That way lay madness. She was human and he couldn’t trust a human. Wouldn’t trust a human.

When night fell, the winds picked up and he decided to take shelter for the night. A shallow recess in one of the rocky outcroppings was enough to provide protection for Blackie and himself. Long habit had him running a small heater to make a pot of what passed for coffee. He didn’t need the heat or the drink, but it did make the nights easier to bear.

“Why did she stay with him?” he burst out, his voice echoing against the rocks. “I would have taken her with me.”

But would he? Would he have been allowed to take her? General Biggs was an old friend of his father’s and had treated him with courtesy, even after his transformation, but a cyborg was no longer a human being, no longer a person with even the limited rights most citizens were allowed by Earth Government. Would the general have supported his request to take a woman from GenCon? And what would she have done while he was on Mars? There had been humans here during those years, but not many of them, and he had rarely encountered them.

And she had been young, so young. She must be in her mid-thirties now, perhaps older. Her face had lost the innocence of her youth and her body… Her body had ripened into that of a woman. He remembered the vision of her lush breasts spilling out of her coveralls and the feel of a soft, round ass bouncing against his lap as they rode back to the lab. His cock stiffened, pressing insistently against the seam of his faded black pants.

What the fuck was wrong with him?

He couldn’t remember the last time he had felt even a glimmer of desire and now he felt as if he’d been erect since the moment he had seen her.

Just proximity to an attractive female, he told himself, even though he knew she was much more than that. With an impatient growl, he freed his erection. He just needed to relieve the pressure that had been accumulating. He gripped his cock, his hand hard and calloused, and stroked it roughly. Her hands weren’t rough. They were soft and gentle and he could imagine them wrapped around his cock, stroking it as she looked up at him, smiling at him the way she had so many years ago, as though he was the most important part of her world, as if she… loved him.

He exploded in his hand, his barren seed shooting out to fall on the equally barren soil in long, shuddering pulses.

There. Perhaps that would satisfy his unruly body. He tucked himself away and assumed a rest position, setting his system to keep watch. But all his control did not prevent his thoughts from drifting back to Addie—to her soft body, to the sorrow in her eyes, and to the question of why she was here on Mars.

Chapter Five

The sun hadn’t yet risen when S-756 was brought back to consciousness by his communicator beeping. The small device was strictly for use by Earth Government and their representatives and he frowned as he opened the recorded message. Because of the time delay in transmissions caused by the distance between Earth and Mars, live conversations were almost impossible.

“Major Wilson.” General Biggs’ gruff voice came over the communicator. He was the only person who still called him that and it was both annoying and oddly comforting. When he’d tried to correct him, the general snorted. “I’ve known you since you were born, boy. You’re still Sam Wilson to me.”

“I’ve had a request from GenCon,” the general continued. “They’re still trying to reproduce our technology. Not that they have succeeded, of course.” A raspy chuckle. “They have asked for assistance in their latest set of trials. From a cyborg.”

The pause on the line mirrored his own immediate rejection.

“My first instinct was to reject the request after they abused my trust so badly before, but… This is important work, even if it’s being done by that goddamned corporation, so I’m putting it to you. Are there any circumstances under which you would be willing to work with them again? Let me know.”

The message ended, the words hanging in the frigid pre-dawn air. He considered the request as he gave Blackie some supplemental feed pellets. The horse could exist off a combination of solar power and the minerals in the Martian soil, but he seemed to enjoy the extra protein.

His first reaction was an adamant refusal, but the longer he thought about it, the more he was willing to consider the idea. If he specified that he would only work with Dr. Montgomery, maybe he could get the answers to some of the questions that had haunted him all night. And while he had no intention of putting himself in GenCon’s hands ever again, if he could take her away from that place…

“What do you think, Blackie?” he asked as he finished feeding the horse. “Should I renew my acquaintance with the good doctor? On my terms this time?”

Blackie butted his head against him, then turned to face back in the direction of the lab.

“Not so fast. My terms this time, remember? I’m going to be in control.”

With a mixture of satisfaction and a spark of excitement that he hadn’t felt in a very long time, he picked up the communicator to send a return message. Dr. Adelaide Montgomery was about to have the tables turned.

Despite her exhaustion, Addie slept poorly. Her dreams were haunted by the sound of someone crying and she awoke feeling almost as tired as the night before. A brief shower in her tiny bathroom did little to restore her mood. At least her laundry had been returned and she was able to dress in one of the oversized coveralls that did a better job of hiding her figure. She brushed the short damp hair back from her face, feeling her usual pang of regret at the loss of her long hair, and managed to force a smile when she joined Reggie in the lab.

Huddled over his computer, he jumped when she entered.

“G-good morning, Dr. Montgomery.”

“Good morning. Do you have the new medium ready?”

“Yes, Doctor. But...”

“But what?”

“I really think we would make more progress with a live subject,” he blurted out.

“You would want to subject a living thing to the same fate as our last experiment?”

“Well, no. But you mentioned the cyborgs last night.” He hurried on before she could speak. “I’ve seen the old lab reports. They can survive anything—they could survive this.”

“They can’t survive everything.” Admittedly, very few things could kill them, but they were by no means impervious to damage. “Not only that, they can feel. They can suffer.”

“But they’re machines!”

“Only part of them, Reggie. The rest is quite, quite human.” Even if they sometimes chose to forget that. “They are living beings and I won’t subject them to our tests.”

He looked mutinous for a moment, but he finally nodded. “Yes, Doctor.”

“Good. Don’t worry, Reggie. I’m sure that we will find a solution. Now I propose that we change the rate at which we introduce the nanites. Perhaps a slower frequency will reduce the chance that they will reproduce too quickly. Let’s get started.”

By midday, the experiment had begun. She left Reggie to record the progress while she went to lunch. Perhaps he would be a little more hesitant to suggest a living subject if he spent more time watching the medium decay. Despite her positive tone earlier, she didn’t feel particularly optimistic. There had to be something she was missing. They had been quite successful with introducing nanites for specific targeted functions such as destroying cancer cells. The nanites were programmed to do their job and then dissolve harmlessly into the host. In this case, however, they wanted nanites to live in a permanent symbiosis with their host and she hadn’t been able to solve the issue of them either under replicating and dying off or over replicating and consuming the host.

“Dr. Montgomery. How’s it going?” The familiar voice pulled her out of her abstraction, and she bit back a groan. Dr. Aquinas was working on adapting algae for the Martian environment and he tended to assume that everyone was equally fascinated with the subject.

“Slow going, I’m afraid.” She looked around a little desperately but they were the only ones in the small cafeteria. “Looks like no one has time for lunch today.”

“Everyone’s trying to prepare. You know,” he lowered his voice confidentially, “for the big visit.”

“What visit?”

“Didn’t you get the message yesterday?”

“It was rather a stressful day.” She gestured to her foot, still wrapped in the rigid bandage.

“Oh goodness, I’m sorry. Are you all right?”

“I’m fine, but I didn’t check my email.”

“The new Managing Director for GenCon Martian Operations is coming for a visit.”

“Coming here?”

“Yes. I understand she’s touring all the GenCon facilities.” He lowered his voice even further. “She has somewhat of a reputation for being, well, a ball-buster.” A nervous titter escaped his mouth.

“What’s her name?”

“Serena Gatling. Do you know her?”

“I think I met her at a party once.” It had been right before her divorce. She only remembered because Derrick had compared her unfavorably to the other woman’s slim, cool elegance.

“Oh, yes, that’s right. You used to move in some important circles when you were married to Dr. Mingol, didn’t you?” He sighed enviously. “Such an important man.”

She barely managed to hide her shudder. How much Derrick would have enjoyed the man’s admiration, even though he would have accepted it as his due. Would this woman have the same need to impress all those she considered her inferiors?

“I much prefer the quiet life,” she said firmly.

“I do enjoy my lab time, myself.” He tittered again. “Why, do you know this morning I made the most interesting discovery…”

He was off and running about his algae and Addie plastered an interested look on her face and tuned him out as she tried to recall her encounter with Serena. All she remembered was that icy coolness—a coolness that did not bode well for failed experiments. She had to get this right and she was running out of time.

“Dr. Montgomery?”

The sound of her name finally penetrated her thoughts and she looked up to see one of the support staff staring at her.

“Yes?”

“You’re wanted in the communication tower for a call.”

“A call?” For a moment her heart skipped a beat, but it couldn’t be Derrick. If it was a call, the person on the other end must be here on Mars.

“Yes, Doctor. Please follow me.”

She excused herself and followed the young man down the corridor. Like all Martian immigrants—with the definite exception of some of the scientists—he was young and fit, but the width of his shoulders and the muscles in his arms were nothing compared to Sam’s impressive physique.

Stop that, she scolded herself. You’re probably never going to see him again.

She tried to ignore the desolation that thought caused as the man led her into a company meeting room, currently unoccupied, and gestured towards a large video monitor.

“The screen is active. I’ll wait outside.”

A little cautiously, she sat down behind the desk and studied the woman waiting patiently at the other end of the transmission, her expression composed. A perfectly tailored suit accented her slender build, her white-blond hair cut with razor-sharp precision to accent high cheekbones and exquisite features.

“Ah, Dr. Montgomery. I’m Serena Gatling. I believe that we met once.” Despite the low, pleasant tone, the woman’s eyes were as icy as Addie remembered.

“Yes, Ms. Gatling. I remember.”

“Please, call me Serena.” Still no warmth behind the poised smile.

“Yes, Serena. What can I do for you?”

“Actually, I think it’s something I can do for you. I received a message from a Reginald Bretman. I believe he’s your assistant?”

What the hell had Reggie done? She forced herself to match the other woman’s poise.

“He is, although rather young and inexperienced, I’m afraid.”

“He suggested that your experiments might be more successful with a live subject…”

“The process is not at that stage,” she said firmly. “It would only destroy the subject.”

“I reviewed your research and I agree, but his other suggestion was most intriguing. He suggested that a cyborg would be able to survive—”

“No!” She sprang to her feet. “I absolutely refuse to force someone to undergo those kinds of tests against their will.”

“My dear Adelaide, I was not suggesting that we force anyone.” Serena shuddered. “So unnecessary.”

“I don’t understand. What are you suggesting?”

“I have a few military connections so I simply asked if they had anyone willing to volunteer.”

“Volunteer?” Her lips felt numb as she sank back down in the chair.

“Yes. And it turns out they do have someone.” A flash of something that looked like annoyance crossed the woman’s face. “However, it appears that the volunteer has some conditions.”

“What kind of conditions?”

“For some reason, he does not appear to trust GenCon.” The ironic note was all too clear. “He specifically stated that he would work only with you. He also requested that we provide a portable laboratory so that the two of you can work in a remote location.”

Her heart thudded against her ribs and her mouth was so dry she had to swallow twice before she could speak. “Who is it? Who volunteered?”

Serena looked down at her desk to check, although Addie suspected that it was unnecessary. “His designation is S-756.” A small smile played across her lips. “I believe he… volunteered before.”

“No! No, I won’t do it.”

“Adelaide, I’m sure I don’t need to remind you what is at stake here. Not only for the Martian settlers but for more… personal reasons.”

The small smile remained but Serena’s eyes were merciless. She wasn’t going to take no for an answer and really, what choice did Addie have?

“When would we begin?”

“Tomorrow morning. The lab equipment is on its way. You will be ready.” It was not a question.

“Yes.”

“Good. I will expect weekly reports as to your progress. So nice to renew our acquaintance.”

The call ended but Addie sat staring at the blank screen. Sam had volunteered? But why? He had been so bitter and hateful when they met. Was he prepared to listen to her now? Or did he have something else in mind? What if he wanted to punish her?

No. No matter how much he had changed, she would never believe the man she loved was capable of hurting her.

Underneath the storm of questions, a small, guarded part of her heart glowed with happiness at the thought of seeing him again. But this was about more than just the two of them. How could she possibly use him as a subject, knowing what he had been through? But given the price of failure, how could she fail?

Chapter Six

After another restless night, Addie was up before the sky began to lighten. Three pairs of clean coveralls, underwear, and nightclothes barely filled a small pack. The remainder of her limited wardrobe would be stored for her until she returned. She dropped her reader into the bag and, after a moment’s hesitation, took the picture from her wall and wrapped it in one of the coveralls, pushing it beneath the rest of her clothing. A small toiletry kit and she was done. The room was empty except for the pack she was taking with her and the small container to be stored.

Not much to show for six months on Mars.

Some of the other scientists had paid the additional fees to bring more of their personal items but her funds had been depleted due to the endless legal battles with Derrick and, after all, material items weren’t that important to her anyway. Only one addition to her journey would have really mattered and no amount of money would have helped. She patted the folder containing the contract. Soon.

Slipping her computer into her pack, she slung it over her shoulder and left the room, only to find Reggie waiting for her.

“Dr. Montgomery, you have to believe I didn’t know this would happen.” He rushed into speech, wringing his hands together.

“No, you expected that the company would force someone to be our subject,” she hissed, anger washing over her.

She hadn’t returned to the lab last night, choosing to monitor the experiment from her room rather than deal with her treacherous lab assistant.

“I just want to succeed. I mean, I want the project to succeed.”

She suspected the first statement was closer to the truth. When would she learn that scientific talents could conceal ruthless ambition?

“Succeed at what price, Reggie? It’s people like you who give scientists a bad name.”

He fiddled with his glasses, almost in tears, but her usual compassion had deserted her.

“I monitored the experiment,” she said shortly. “I suggest you continue down that line of inquiries, reducing the speed at which we introduce the nanites until my replacement arrives.” The experiment had failed, but not as badly as the previous ones, and she would have pursued it herself if her hand hadn’t been forced.

“But… but aren’t I coming with you?”

“No. The arrangement only requires my presence. And even if I had been… allowed to bring an assistant, I wouldn’t have brought you. You betrayed my trust and went behind my back, Reggie, and I do not give my trust a second time.”

That lesson had been burned into her brain too many times.

“But Doctor… Addie!”

Ignoring him, she turned and headed for the transport dome. No one had given her specific instructions but if they were sending lab equipment, it would probably arrive there.

On first inspection, the large dome appeared to be empty of anything except vehicles, but then she heard the clang of metal and looked up in time to see Sam emerge from behind a sled loaded with equipment. He didn’t glance at her as he attached it to one of the big six-wheeled rovers that were the most common form of transportation on Mars.

“Are you sure you want to do this, Sam?” she asked. “It’s not necessary. We’ll find a solution eventually.”

“On the contrary. I think this is entirely necessary.”

Finished with his job, he strode over to her. He seemed even larger and more muscular today, looming over her in the harsh artificial light. Without the breathing mask, she could catch his scent. The combination of leather and musk, still instantly familiar, washed over her and her body responded. Her heart rate increased, her nipples tightened, and she could feel an unfamiliar dampness between her thighs. He was standing so close she could feel the heat of his big body, and she almost swayed towards him but he stepped back with a harsh laugh.

“I have a few experiments of my own to conduct.”

S-756 almost regretted his harsh tone but he had to do something to establish distance between them. When he had seen her standing on the far side of the transport garage, his heart had given a foolish and completely unacceptable leap. Even though she must be in her mid-thirties by now, she looked ridiculously young and vulnerable standing there in her oversized coveralls. No doubt she was attempting to disguise herself from him but nothing could conceal those lush curves. Despite his best efforts, his cock responded, remembering the feel of her in his arms. And when he stood over her in a vain attempt to intimidate, her soft floral scent had only added to his arousal.

Her face looked so vulnerable without the breathing mask, big purple eyes full of sorrow. She seemed so concerned—about him—and he had to force himself to speak abruptly. Before she could respond to his statement, he gestured to the rover. “Do you know how to drive that?”

She eyed it doubtfully. “We had holographic training on the ship out. Aren’t you going to drive?”

Sitting in a confined space with her, her warmth and scent filling the air, knowing she was only an arm’s length away? He fought back a shudder of desire.

“No,” he said abruptly. “I’m riding my horse. You will follow me.”

She bowed her head and started for the rover without another word. He was momentarily distracted by the gentle sway of her hips but then he noticed the slight stiffness to her right leg and remembered her injury. He strode after her.

“How is your ankle?”

She looked surprised, then pleased by his question, and he could have bitten his tongue. He had no intention of showing her any more compassion than she had shown him. That’s not fair, his conscience reminded him. She had shown him nothing but compassion—until she betrayed him and he realized that it had all been an act.

“I have a hard bandage enclosing it. It should be fine.”

“Good. I do not want your human frailties slowing us down.”

She looked as if he had slapped her and instead of feeling triumphant, he felt sick. He forced his face to remain expressionless, but when they reached the rover, he couldn’t stand to watch her struggle and lifted her easily into the small cabin, his hands burning from the warmth of her skin.

“Check the breathing mask,” he ordered.

“I won’t need it in the cabin.”

The enclosed cabins on the rovers were designed to provide an almost unlimited supply of supplemental oxygen, but he wasn’t going to take any chances with her safety.

“It’s a standard precaution. Check it.”

Small white teeth closed over a plump lower lip, but she didn’t comment as she obeyed.

“It’s fine,” she assured him when she had finished the safety check.

“Good. Close the door and check for leaks.”

Once again she didn’t comment as she ran the second check. She nodded and gave him a cautious smile when she finished. He didn’t return the smile, still wrestling with the need to protect her versus the need to treat her as she had treated him. As an experiment.

“I’ll open the doors. Drive outside and wait for me while I seal them behind me.”

After checking to make sure that the inner door to the lab complex was sealed, he opened one of the big bay doors and watched carefully as she maneuvered out of the garage. She drove slowly, but competently enough, stopping obediently just outside the opening. He set the door to close behind him and went to join her. Blackie was standing where he had left him, his head tilted as if he were studying the rover and its occupant.

S-756 shook his head. He had never regarded the robot horses as anything other than machines until the human females started interacting with them. Now he found himself wondering once again if he was any better than the humans who insisted that the cyborgs were only machines. And if the cyborgs were more than machines, perhaps the horses were too?

Pushing aside the philosophical question, he mounted quickly then checked on Addie. She was waiting patiently but still biting her lower lip.

“Follow me,” he called, waving an arm.

She lifted her thumb in response and he found the gesture unexpectedly endearing. Fuck. He needed to get his head straight. He spent the rest of the morning’s journey lecturing himself about not letting her fool him again.

They reached the spot he had chosen just after midday. They were far enough from the GenCon lab complex that he would be able to avoid their interference, but he would be able to make visits to each of the nearby power stations in less than a day. A narrow plateau at the top of a rocky slope, the site was raised above the valley floor, nestled into the base of a mountain range. Several of his fellow cyborgs had mining camps in these mountains and he found that he liked knowing there was assistance nearby if necessary.

Addie followed him up onto the plateau and brought the rover to a halt where he indicated. As she pulled on her breathing mask, he saw her hand tremble and realized that her face was unusually pale.

“What’s wrong?” he demanded as he threw the door open.

“N-nothing.”

“Don’t you dare lie to me, Addie. What’s wrong?”

“I’m tired and I’m hungry, all right?” she yelled at him. “I’ve barely slept in two nights and I haven’t eaten since yesterday.”

The short outburst seemed to exhaust her and she collapsed back against the seat, her mouth trembling. Fuck. He stared at her in appalled horror. He wasn’t used to accommodating human needs but that was no excuse for his neglect. She was under his protection now and he intended to take care of her.

“Just sit there for a minute,” he ordered.

Rifling through his saddlebags, he found a protein shake. It wasn’t tasty but it would hold her until he had a chance to set up the cooking facilities. Fortunately, she was wearing one of the smaller masks, leaving her mouth free.

“Drink this.” He jammed the straw in the drink and held it to her mouth.

“What is it?”

“A protein drink. It will help you feel better.”

“I’m already feeling better.”

“Addie.” He stepped close enough that he towered over her, deliberately blocking her view of anything other than him. “Drink it.”

Her throat worked nervously but she took the shake. He had been too concerned about her well-being to consider anything else but as he watched her lips close around the straw and saw her cheeks hollow as she sucked, his body sprang into full, aching arousal. He could only too easily envision her taking his cock the same way, stretching those soft pink lips around his shaft. Her knees were against his waist; one small push and he could be between them, his body pressed against the warmth and softness of hers. Her eyes had been closed but she opened them now, color rushing to her cheeks as she took in his expression, but she didn’t attempt to move away.

They looked at each other, purple eyes meeting icy blue, as she removed the straw and licked her lips. He couldn’t stop himself. With a hoarse groan, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Her legs circled his waist exactly as he had envisioned and he tugged her closer. She tasted like chocolate and Addie, a sweet, intoxicating taste that only made him want more. He forced her lips further apart, his hand buried in her soft hair as he tasted her, devoured her.

It wasn’t until he felt her hands fluttering against his chest that he realized she was trying to push him away.

Chapter Seven

Addie’s head spun as Sam finally reacted to her fists drumming against his chest and pulled away.

“I will not apologize,” he said stiffly, but his cheeks had darkened.

“I don’t want you to apologize. You just…” Thrilled her? Terrified her? Overwhelmed her? The words wouldn’t come and she waved her hand helplessly.

“Don’t forget who you’re dealing with, Dr. Montgomery. I’m no longer chained to an exam table.” He turned to stalk away, then hesitated with his back to her. “Sit there and finish the drink. I will prepare food once the habitat is assembled.”

Without another word, he strode to the sled and began unloading the contents with awe-inspiring strength.

Her hand went to her mouth as she watched him work. She could still taste him on her lips. Had she been wrong to push him away? The kiss had been wonderful at first and she reveled in it, reveled in knowing that this was Sam who was kissing her, but then he had pressed her tighter against him and she felt the massive bar of his erection and she panicked. Even though her own body had responded, her nipples tight points against his chest and a sweet ache between her legs. She knew what inevitably came next and she couldn’t face it.

Should she have trusted him? No, she decided, but she wasn’t quite as sure as she would have liked. He spoke so harshly to her, but despite his words, all of his actions had demonstrated caring. If a little on the rough side, she thought ruefully. But when he demanded that she check the mask or drink the protein shake, she knew he was doing it because he was worried about her, not because he wanted to intimidate her. Was her Sam still in there?

After she obediently finished the protein drink, she carefully climbed down and went to join him.

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“No. Sit over there in the sun and stay out of my way.” His harsh tone made her flinch and his face softened a fraction. “This just requires brute strength. You can help later.”

With a sigh, she went to the small boulder he had indicated and sat down to watch as he prepared the camp. First, he attached a long rectangular module to an airlock, then set it to inflate. Based on the designs she had seen, it was a mobile habitat—sleeping, bathing, and cooking in one small unit. Were they going to share it? Even with her earlier alarm, a little thrill of excitement went through her at the thought. A large dome came next, obviously designed to hold the lab.

As she watched him assemble the iron framework of the dome, his horse wandered over to where she was perched on the boulder. She studied him a little cautiously—he seemed even bigger now that she was down on the ground—and he seemed to return her stare. He was composed mainly of dark metal parts that gleamed in the pale Martian sun and she reached out an experimental hand. The metal felt warm and smooth, almost alive beneath her fingers and she stroked his nose. He nudged it closer and she laughed.

“You like that, do you?” She reached higher, into the mane of flexible tubing, and he pressed even closer.

“Blackie, come here,” Sam ordered. “Leave her alone.”

“No, don’t.” She put a restraining hand on the horse’s neck, not that she would have any hope of stopping him if he wanted to leave. “He’s fine. We’re just getting acquainted. His name is Blackie?”

“Some of the human females have given the horses names,” he said gruffly.

“Females?” A spark of something that felt uncomfortably like jealousy hit her. Did he have a better relationship with other women?

“Married to some… friends of mine,” he said shortly, then went back to his building.

Friends? He had friends? Did he mean humans or other cyborgs? And if he meant cyborgs, how could they be married? She knew that Earth law prevented cyborgs from marrying or owning property. Was it different here on Mars? She desperately wanted to ask him but the forbidding line of his back did not encourage questions.

Blackie nudged her and she absently put her hand up to pet him, still staring at Sam. It was impossible of course. Even if they could repair their relationship, she had a different path in front of her. But still, as she sat there watching him, the faint warmth of the sun relaxing her tired body, she couldn’t help but dream of a different future, a future that included Sam.

After S-756 finished assembling the lab dome, he looked over at Addie. He had intended to remedy his earlier softness by ordering her to begin transferring equipment into the lab, but he realized she was fast asleep on the boulder, Blackie standing guard at her side. He remembered that she said she hadn’t slept for two nights and didn’t have the heart to wake her. He checked her breathing mask, then pulled off his shirt and slipped it under her head as a pillow. He left her to sleep while he went back to work.

He was just completing the final building, a small greenhouse, when he heard her sleepy voice behind him.

“I’m sorry I fell asleep. Is there anything—oh!”

Her mouth fell open when he turned to face her and she took in his shirtless chest. Her face was already flushed with sleep but more color rose into her cheeks. The perfect circle of her mouth reminded him uncomfortably of his earlier thoughts and his voice came out gruffer than he intended.

“Some of us had too much work to do to waste it on sleeping.”

The hurt in her eyes made him want to kick himself, but she raised her chin. “You chose not to wake me. I did offer.”

“I know you did.” He sighed and scrubbed at his jaw. “Everything is done for today. It will be dark soon.”

Her eyes traveled down the small complex of buildings. “I can’t believe you got all of this done in an afternoon. Living quarters, the lab, a shed for the rover—”

“And Blackie.”

“—and a greenhouse?” She frowned at him. “Do we really need one of those?”

“Don’t you have one back at the main lab?”

“I believe they mentioned it, although I’ve never seen it. But don’t they take weeks to get established?”

“Yes.”

“How… how long are you planning on keeping me out here?”

“Do you have somewhere else to be?”

“Yes! We—” Her face changed, her eyes shifting away from him. “I mean, I have to complete this project.”

His jealousy was a raging beast inside him, but he kept his voice silky. “I don’t think that’s what you meant. Is someone waiting for you, Addie? A desperate lover, perhaps?”

Her laugh was so bitter he was tempted to believe it was genuine. “No.”

“I’ll make a deal with you. You succeed in completing the project and you are free to go.”

“But that could take months.”

He shrugged. “Then it’s just as well I brought along a greenhouse, isn’t it?”

Without waiting for an answer, he stalked over to Blackie, fighting the urge to return to her and apologize. “I’ll drill the well tomorrow so for tonight we’re on bottled water, but the oxygen is flowing and the habitat is safe.”

“Where are you going?” She rushed over to him as he mounted.

“Just to check out the area.” He looked down at her worried face and relented. “I won’t be gone long. Go inside.”

Of course he had surveyed the area earlier, but he felt the need to get away from the confusion her presence created. Once he was alone again, as he so often was, he could lock away his emotions and find that cold, safe place where he usually lived.

He rode down the hill and out onto the valley floor. The sun had disappeared beneath the horizon and thousands of stars were appearing, clearly visible through the thin atmosphere. He had always liked being out under the stars at night, knowing that he was free, but tonight he didn’t find the same comfort in the vast emptiness. Twice he realized that Blackie had started to return to the habitat and the third time he sighed and let the horse have his way. Coming up the hill and seeing the warm glow from the buildings, knowing that Addie was inside, he felt something he hadn’t felt in longer than he cared to remember. He felt as if he were coming home.

Chapter Eight

Addie stared after Sam in dismay as he rode off. The harsh Martian landscape seemed even more desolate now that she was alone. A mountain range rose steeply behind their shelter, the jagged rocks offering no softness, but there was something almost protective about the way they encircled the camp. They reminded her of Sam.

She looked over at the habitat he had built so quickly and sighed. Was he really going to keep her here until her project succeeded? What if she couldn’t find a way to make it work? She shuddered. Failure was not an option—she had less than six months left and she was not going to miss her deadline. In the meantime, they were going to be trapped together. They would have to find a way to live together and she suspected that she would need to be the one who found it.

The sun was setting rapidly across the valley and she decided she might as well inspect her new home. Stepping through the outer door of the airlock, she waited until the oxygen level stabilized and pulled off her mask with a sigh of relief. She started to remove her coat as well, then shivered and pulled it back on. The temperature inside was not as warm as she had expected.

The inner door opened directly into the living quarters. They were even smaller than they had appeared from the outside, more like a corridor than a living area. On one side were two narrow bunks, on the other a built-in table and benches with a long window above them. A small kitchen area and a minuscule bathroom completed the space.

The door at the far end opened into the lab dome, significantly larger than the living module. Many of the panels that made up the dome were translucent and they glowed with the light of the setting sun. Crates of lab equipment were stacked against the walls waiting to be unpacked. She wandered over to inspect them and her breath caught when she realized that some of the equipment was stacked on a metal table—a table that bore an uncomfortable resemblance to the one where Sam had been strapped for Derrick’s experiments. If he had brought this in, no wonder he was in such a bad mood. How could he possibly think she would ever use it to experiment on him?

On the far side of the dome, a door led into the greenhouse. The racks for the hydroponic gardens were already assembled, waiting for the flow of water and nutrients. She knew that they were common in the homestead settlements, used to purify recycled water as well as a source of both food and oxygen, but she hadn’t expected to be here long enough to need one. She imagined the room filled with plants and found it rather more appealing than she expected. She could picture the room filled with greenery, a pleasant antidote to the clinical sterility of the lab. It would be something to share with Sam.

The final building, a shelter for the rover and for Blackie, was attached to the far side of the greenhouse. The rover was already inside, but she eyed the space doubtfully. It seemed like a barren place to house an animal, even a robot animal. Was there something they could do to make it a little more comfortable?

Still pondering the question, she made her way back to the lab dome. The sun had set completely now so she turned on the small array of lights circling the floor, filling the space with an amber glow. But despite the warmth of the lights, the temperature in the dome had dropped considerably. Frowning, she located the small RTG that should provide both power and heat. The power worked but she couldn’t make the heat come on.

Damn. She wished she had spent some of the trip to Mars studying the more practical necessities of life on the surface. Instead, she had been overly confident that GenCon would be taking care of their day-to-day needs and she had concentrated on research instead. Looking out the front window of the dome, she strained to see any indication of Sam but all she could make out was a dark expanse of desert and the faint outline of rocky cliffs at the far side of the valley.

He said he would be back shortly but how long did that mean? The outside temperatures would be well below freezing shortly and would continue to drop all night. Without heat, she was in serious danger.

Think, she urged herself. You’re a smart woman. Figure this out.

Returning to the living quarters, she checked the supplies. Both bunks had thermal blankets and she wrapped one around her with shaking hands, feeling some immediate relief. The small living quarters should be well insulated. If she could just find a source of heat… The kitchen area!

The cooking facilities consisted of a microwave device and two small induction burners—not much, but they would have to do. She turned them, waiting anxiously until they began to glow red. It wasn’t much but hopefully it would stop her from freezing to death. She retrieved the second blanket and layered it over her head so that only her eyes and nose were uncovered. Her body still shook within the cocoon of fabric, but she thought she could make it through the night if Sam didn’t return.

She didn’t have a choice. She had to make it.

The night seemed to stretch out interminably. Despite the glow of warmth from the burners, the temperature continued to drop, and she kept stomping her feet to make sure they weren’t going numb. When she checked the time, she was appalled to realize that only thirty minutes had passed. It would be seven and a half more hours until the sun rose. As she turned to search for her bag, planning to layer on the rest of her coveralls, she heard a noise outside. A minute later, Sam walked through the airlock.

“Addie? What’s wrong?”

“N-n-no h-h-eat,” she stuttered.

“Fuck!” he swore, gathering her in his arms and surrounding her with the warmth of his body. “I didn’t set the RTG to heat?”

He strode into the lab as she bit back a protest at leaving the small amount of warmth she had managed to generate and pressed her face into his chest. He was so warm that she tried to bury herself against him. Still holding her in his arms, he squatted in front of the generator and a minute later she felt a faint heat against her back. Her body shook even harder with the returning warmth.

He swore again and sat down on the floor in front of the heater, cradling her in his lap. He unwound the blankets and draped them over the two of them instead so that nothing was between their bodies. She tucked her icy hands against his chest, then slid them under his shirt to get closer to the warmth of his skin.

“Your hands are like ice.”

“S-sorry.” She started to pull them away but he pressed them back against his chest with an impatient noise.

“No, leave them. My skin against yours will warm you faster than anything else.”

Taking advantage of his words, she undid the top buttons of his shirt so she could press her cold cheeks against the firm muscles of his chest. He didn’t protest, only pulling her closer.

“How are your feet?”

“C-cold.”

Without a word, he reached down and pulled off her boots, wrapping one enormous hand around the icy appendages and enclosing them in almost painful heat.

“Better?”

“Y-yes. Thank you.”

“I’m sorry, Addie. I’m not used to accommodating human biology but that is no excuse.”

“Y-you didn’t m-mean to let m-me freeze?” she asked, mainly joking although a tiny part of her wondered.

“Of course not.”

He sounded so appalled that she patted his chest reassuringly. His skin felt so warm and silky beneath her fingers she found her pats turning to strokes as she began exploring the intriguing hills and valleys of his muscles.

“Addie,” he groaned, and she stopped immediately, feeling her cheeks heat.

They relapsed into silence but despite the warmth surrounding her, her body still shook. She’d heard the expression chilled to the bone before, but she’d never really understood it until now.

“You’re still cold?”

“Yes.” A full-body shudder ran over her. “I can tell that the air is warmer but I still feel cold inside.”

“We need to raise your core temperature.” A brief hesitation. “Don’t be afraid.”

Chapter Nine

“Why would I be—oh!”

Addie gasped as Sam found the fastening to her coverall and opened it from her neck down to below her waist. While she was still trying to process what he had done, he lifted her up, stripping the garment off in one quick move. A second later, he lay back on the floor, bringing her with him so that she was lying on top of him. Her panties and bra were still in place, but the rest of her naked body was plastered against him. His chest was bare and the delicious heat seeping into her chilled body overcame her instinctive desire to protest. Instead, she pressed closer, seeking even more of that comforting heat.

The blankets still covered her back but beneath them, his hands glided soothingly up and down her back in long, heated strokes. God, that felt good. Breathing in his delicious scent, she tried to wiggle closer and suddenly realized that her core was resting over a massive erection. This time, she didn’t panic. He didn’t have her trapped against a vehicle and his hands were soothing rather than urgent. She wiggled again, experimentally, and felt a sudden explosion of warmth between her legs as she found the exact position that created a wonderful pressure against her clit.

His hands clamped down on her butt, not hurting her but with a firm grip that sent a shiver of pleasure through her body and created even more friction against her clit.

“Addie.” His harsh voice vibrated against her breasts. “I’m only hu—able to take so much. You need to be still.”

She raised her head so she could see his face and the movement sent another wave of excitement through her. His hands tightened and he dragged her slowly across his cock before he froze, holding her in place. His face was strained, skin pulled taut over those rough, masculine features, but his eyes blazed blue fire. Her breasts throbbed where they were pressed against his body. Very deliberately she rubbed them along the hard planes of his chest—the firm pectoral muscles and the even firmer plate where his heart had been replaced by a cybernetic organ—trying to relieve the unaccustomed ache.

“I don’t want to be still,” she whispered. “You feel so good.”

“You like this?” he growled.

His hands tightened again, spreading her legs further apart as he guided her up and down his shaft. The position exposed even more of her clit to the delicious friction, her panties flooding with damp heat. He adjusted his grip and his fingers slid under the edge of her panties, teasing delicately at the swollen flesh.

“Yes. Yes, I like it,” she panted.

The tension building in her body was almost frightening, far beyond the mild tightness leading to the pleasant little climaxes she had finally learned to give herself, but she didn’t want it to stop. Her whole body shook, and she clutched desperately at his shoulders. His pace increased as he pressed her harder against the ridge of his cock. A finger wrapped around the damp silk of her panties, then pulled them aside, leaving her completely exposed to his touch, and with one firm stroke of his hand across her clit, she exploded, her head snapping back as an ecstasy she had never felt before swept over her, her body quivering as wave after wave of pleasure rippled through her.

She collapsed against his chest, limp with satisfaction, barely aware that he was rolling her beneath him until he rose over her and she felt the wide head of his cock press against her entrance. Her eyes flew open as her blood turned to ice. Horrible memories rushed over her and she couldn’t bear the thought of Sam hurting her. She pushed vainly against his chest, knowing she had no hope of stopping him. If she hadn’t been able to fight off Derrick’s smaller, less powerful body, how could she succeed against Sam?

“Stop, please stop,” she whispered, knowing it was no use.

S-756 froze as the whisper reached him. He had been focused on Addie’s sweet little cunt, watching the delicate pink folds part for him, but his eyes jerked up to her face. A frustrated growl threatened to escape at her obvious distress. The rosy blush of pleasure had drained away, leaving her pale, and her eyes were wide and frightened.

‘What’s wrong?” he demanded, then winced at the harsh tone.

“I… I don’t like that.”

“Like what?” He frowned at her and she paled even further. “You don’t mean sex?” He couldn’t believe it. She had been so responsive to his touch, so wet and swollen against his cock, drenching him in liquid heat.

Her eyes flicked away from him. “It hurts,” she said finally.

Anger roared through him so quickly that he almost swayed. Someone had hurt her? Had hurt his Addie? And hurt her in the worst possible way?

“Who hurt you?” he demanded, just as the sick realization swept over him. Mingol. “Is that what you meant when you said he hurt you?”

She nodded, still avoiding his eyes, before finally her gaze rose to meet his. “I’m sorry. I could… use my mouth on you. That’s not so bad if you let me breathe.”

The implication behind the words sent chills down his spine. Although his cock jerked reflexively at the thought, his desire had completely disappeared. Instead, he rolled to one side, careful to keep his weight off of her. To his surprise, she followed him.

“Are you still cold?”

“No, but I… I like touching you.”

Her shy confession broke away another piece of the ice from the past. He gently gathered her closer. She nestled against him with a contented sigh and he realized that she wasn’t afraid of him; just of the act itself.

“Oh, angel.” He lowered his head slowly, giving her a chance to pull back. She didn’t. She moved towards him instead. Keeping his hands at his side, fists clenched to restrain himself, he lightly brushed her lips with his. Her mouth parted and her tongue cautiously swept across his bottom lip. He touched it briefly with his own, then raised his head.

“This doesn’t frighten you?”

“Of course not. You don’t frighten me, Sam. You never have.”

“I would never hurt you.”

“I know that. Even when you were growling at me, I wasn’t afraid of you.” She blushed and looked down. “And maybe, we could, um, work up to more than kissing?”

“I think we did more than kissing tonight, angel.”

The color in her cheeks increased. “I know. I’m sorry I had to ask you to stop. It was selfish of me after you made me feel so wonderful.”

“You were afraid, not selfish. You did the right thing.”

“I don’t want to be afraid,” she cried, and his heart ached.

“Then we’ll work on changing that. There’s no rush. We have all the time in the world.”

He liked the sound of that, but her face changed, shadows crossing it.

“I… I have a deadline for completing this project.”

“Why is it so important?”

“If we can get this to work, then Mars becomes so much less deadly. People wouldn’t need the breathing masks all the time. They would be able to handle the temperature shifts more easily.” She shivered and gave him a rueful grin. “They wouldn’t freeze to death if they didn’t know how to operate a heater or if the power went out.”

He couldn’t argue with her reasoning, but he couldn’t escape the feeling that she was holding something back.

“It is a worthy goal, but I don’t understand the urgency. Humans are surviving now. I am not aware of any deaths because of the environment.”

Her eyes cut away from him and she rolled to the side. “I should get dressed again.”

Disappointment roared through him. She was still keeping secrets, still playing games. “What a shame to cover up all those luscious curves. You’ll have to find something else to distract me with.”

His voice came out more sardonic than he intended and she flinched. For a second, her eyes flashed to his, guilt written across her face, then she bit her lip and stumbled to her feet. He saw her ankle start to twist and swore, jumping up in time to catch her. Resisting the urge to lift her up into his arms, he put a supportive arm around her waist until she found her balance, then reluctantly let her go.

“You shouldn’t be walking.”

“It’s fine,” she said absently, searching for her coveralls. “I think I’m just tired.”

“I will prepare something to eat and you will go to bed,” he ordered as he fastened his pants and threw his shirt back on without bothering to button it.

She had pulled her coveralls up to her waist and she paused to glare at him. “You can’t tell me what to do!”

“Can’t I?” He leaned down. “Don’t push me, Addie.”

Her eyes went wide and her teeth worried her lip again, but she didn’t look scared. This close, the sweet scent of her arousal hovered between them. Her upper half was still bare, only a brief lacy bra covering her full breasts, her skin glowing in the soft light of the dome and his arousal came flooding back. This isn’t the time, he tried to remind himself, but his body did not want to listen.

Her eyes had dropped to his chest, and then to his erection, and he heard her breath catch in a soft little gasp that did nothing to help him regain control.

“Food, then bed,” he growled.

Chapter Ten

This time, Addie didn’t argue with Sam’s order. Self-consciously pulling up her coverall and fastening it all the way to her chin, she was still aware of his eyes on her. The heat in his gaze hadn’t diminished. Unfortunately, she could see the anger as well. He wanted all of her secrets, but how could she tell him when she knew that it would only hurt him more? He didn’t even want to listen to her explanation about what had really happened back on Earth.

Even more than her wish to avoid his anger, she wanted to avoid his pain. Although he hid it behind the harsh mask, she knew he had been hurt so much over the years. The fact that he didn’t even think of food or heat spoke volumes. He was no longer used to human comforts, comforts that should never have been denied to him. What had the government been thinking when it sent the cyborgs to Mars to face all those long, cold years alone, just so that the terraforming would begin sooner and fewer “real humans” would be put at risk. Hadn’t they realized that the men they changed were still human as well?

Lost in her thoughts, she barely noticed when Sam pushed her gently onto the bench seat and turned to the stove, still glowing red from her earlier efforts. The warmth from the RTG had spread throughout the entire building now and she was overcome with exhaustion. The brief nap she had taken outside on the rocks hadn’t compensated for two sleepless nights and the months of overwork and pressure prior to them.

She suddenly realized that he was preparing a meal from some packaged rations.

“You don’t have to do that. I can just have a protein bar.”

“You will eat a proper meal,” he said, his voice uncompromising.

Part of her wanted to bristle at his peremptory tone, but his concern for her warmed her heart. It had been a very long time since anyone cared about what, or even if, she ate. Derrick would never have noticed—unless it was to make some cutting remark about her need to slim down. Sam doesn’t seem to have any objections to my body, she thought with a reminiscent shiver of pleasure.

She watched him from under her eyelashes—that big strong body, the harsh, masculine face—and despite everything, she could feel her body responding. Her nipples tightened, pressing against her thin lace bra. After her divorce, she had purchased the pretty underwear in an attempt to regain some of her confidence as a woman. When she packed for Mars, it was the one indulgence she had permitted herself. The light silk and lace took up little room and fit easily within her weight allowance.

A small smile curved her lips. Sam had certainly seemed to appreciate it.

A few minutes later, he placed a plate in front of her. The enticing aroma awakened her hunger.

“This smells good. Thank you.”

“It’s just a precooked meal,” he said dismissively, but his face softened slightly.

He had also prepared a meal for himself and they ate in silence for a few minutes. Once her hunger started to recede, she found she was watching him again from under her lashes as she tried to decide on a neutral topic of conversation. Instead, he broke the silence.

“How do you want to begin your experiments?”

Her mouth went dry and she suddenly lost her appetite. The thought of using him as an experimental subject made her skin crawl.

“I… I have the growth medium we were using back at the main lab. I can start there.”

His eyes narrowed. “You wouldn’t need me for that.”

“Well, no—”

“I understood that you specifically requested assistance from a cyborg.”

“I didn’t. My assistant did. Without my knowledge.”

“I see.” He pushed his empty plate aside and rubbed his jaw, studying her. “Why did he suggest it? Would it make a difference?”

“It might,” she admitted reluctantly. “We have yet to determine a way to balance the nanite growth without introducing cybernetic parts into the host.”

“The host?” He arched a sardonic brow. “What a delightfully vague way of referring to a person. But then again, I don’t suppose cyborgs count as people, do they?”

“Oh, stop it,” she said crossly. “You know very well I think of you as a person, Sam.”

“Sam was left behind in the labs. I am S-756.” He overrode her instinctive protest. “I am here for your experiments. We should begin there.”

When she didn’t respond, he added, “You implied there was a timeline.”

“There is,” she admitted. “Sam, are you really sure about this?”

“Yes.” He leaned across the small table, his body filling her vision. “Although I have no intention of letting you strap me to an exam table.”

Her breath caught at his nearness.

“I don’t make the same promise where you’re concerned.”

Apprehension and desire fought for dominance. She could imagine only too clearly what it would be like to be subject to his demands and a thrill of excitement made her pulse spike and her nipples tighten. She supposed she should be more scared. He had tried to make it sound like a threat but nothing he had done so far made her in any way concerned that he would hurt her, not physically at least.

“If that’s necessary,” she said, her voice coming out low and husky, and she saw the answering flare of lust in his eyes.

“I told you not to play with me, Addie,” he said harshly as he stood up. “I’m going to begin setting up some of the equipment tonight. You go to bed.” He started to leave, then hesitated. “Is there anything you need?”

“No. Thank you. That is—you said we don’t have any water?”

“Only bottled water tonight. I’ll drill the well in the morning but I need light to do so.”

“Is there enough to brush my teeth and wash off?”

He turned back to her, his gaze raking over her in a way that left her feeling completely naked.

“There’s more than enough for that. There are cleansing cloths in the bathroom. They activate with a little water.”

“I won’t use much,” she promised.

“Addie, I said there was plenty. Use as much as you like. I… I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”

She almost laughed. Uncomfortable? When she was alone in an isolated camp with the man who had captured her heart all those years ago. A man who had good reason to both dislike and distrust her. But despite his stern face, she knew that he was sincere, and she gave him a soft smile.

“Thank you, Sam. I’ll be just fine.”

“S-756,” he growled and departed abruptly, closing the door to the lab behind him.

S-756 tried to concentrate on unpacking the lab equipment, but his thoughts kept turning to the small woman on the other side of the door. He had intended this trip as a punishment. Not that he had any intention of hurting her, but he wanted her to have some understanding of what it was like to be subject to the control of another. Instead, he found himself more concerned than angry. She seemed so sad. Whenever she was quiet, shadows haunted her eyes. And the fear she showed earlier…

If that bastard ever showed up on Mars, he was going to kill him.

With a sigh, he decided that dreaming of an impossible future wasn’t going to get him anywhere and he got to work, trying to keep his mind off of Addie. Unfortunately, setting up the lab required neither the physical effort nor the mental exertion to wear him out. By the time he had accomplished everything he planned, he was still restless and unhappy. He could take another ride or maybe just go for a run—long enough to stretch his legs, to remember the cold and lack of oxygen that he had been subject to for so long.

Still, he supposed he should at least let Addie know. He walked back into the living quarters and found her curled up on the top bunk, looking impossibly small and defenseless where she had huddled under the covers. He didn’t have the heart to wake her and he hovered over her for a moment, unusually undecided.

She gave a pitiful cry and her eyes flew open, almost black in the dim light.

“Sam?”

“Yes, Addie. I’m here.”

“Could you—would you mind—holding me?” The words emerged in a rush. “I’m so cold.”

As he stepped closer, he realized she was shivering. The temperature was still set at a comfortable level for humans and he frowned. “Do you need me to increase the temperature?”

“I… I don’t think it’s physical,” she whispered, and he understood.

Those long nights in the lab before she came along had been far colder than the sub-freezing temperatures on Mars. He had never felt so completely alone, abandoned by the military that he had devoted his life to, treated as less than human by everyone he encountered. She had changed that. How could he deny her now?

With a muffled oath, he lifted her from her bed, still wrapped in her blankets, and lay down on the bottom bunk. It was a tight fit, but he cradled her on top of him, using himself as a mattress. She gave a contented sigh and burrowed closer. Her shivering stopped gradually, and he realized to his astonishment that she had drifted off to sleep. Even more astonishingly, his earlier discontent and restlessness had vanished. With a sigh of his own, he tucked her closer, set his systems to rest mode, and allowed himself to drift into a peaceful repose.

Chapter Eleven

Addie woke up conscious of two things: she was lying on top of a very large, warm body and there was an equally large, warm erection pressed between her legs. For a moment she froze, then she caught the scent of leather and musk and realized she was still cradled in Sam’s arms.

After the best night’s sleep that she’d had in months, possibly even years, she felt limp and relaxed, still half asleep. Then he shifted beneath her and his erection nudged her exactly where she needed it. A wave of desire swept over her and she could feel her nipples beading against his chest. She couldn’t help remembering the previous day and the pleasure he had given her without receiving any in return. Could she give him the same pleasure? A quick glance up at his face assured her that his eyes were still closed.

Her hands shaking, she slid down his body, keeping her movements as small as possible, which meant that she dragged herself along the length of his cock. Now that she was face-to-face with his erection, she was almost tempted to chicken out. He was just so big. But she wanted to do this for him.

Still using small, careful movements, she gently unfastened his pants. His shaft sprang free, thick, hard, and perfect. She gulped nervously before wrapping—or trying to wrap—her hand around him. Her fingers didn’t meet. His scent was even stronger here, filling her head with lustful thoughts. She realized she wanted to taste him, not for his sake, but to satisfy her own curious longing. She swiped a tentative tongue across the broad head and almost moaned aloud with pleasure. He tasted rich, salty, and delicious but as she returned a second time, his entire body stiffened. She looked up to see him staring at her, his face hard and flames of lust in his blue eyes.

“What are you doing?”

“I wanted to please you,” she said softly and licked him again.

He groaned and she saw his fist tighten on the edge of the narrow bunk.

“You don’t have to do that,” he said, his teeth clenched.

“I want to.”

Before he could respond, she gathered her courage and closed her mouth over the wide head. He filled her completely but he didn’t thrust, didn’t push, and she felt her mouth soften, letting her take another inch. His hand came to her head and she froze, waiting for him to force her deeper, but all he did was run his fingers through her short curls.

Grateful for his forbearance, she probed at the sensitive underside of his cock with her tongue, relishing his corresponding moan. Her hands tightened almost involuntarily around his shaft and he hummed approvingly. His other hand closed over hers, making her grip even tighter as he showed her what he liked. Pulling up, she concentrated on exploring the head, licking and sucking every inch, before plunging back down, taking more of him this time. Another groan rewarded her efforts and she increased her pace, slow sucking withdrawals followed by rapid plunges, each one a little deeper. He touched the back of her throat and she choked. A flash of unpleasant memory was erased by his immediate withdrawal.

“Slowly, angel. You don’t need to take all of me. Just the feel of your hot little mouth is all I need.”

The hand in her hair stroked soothingly as he used their joined hands to prevent her from going too deep. She licked him again, letting the taste and scent remind her of who she was with before she closed her mouth over him once more. As her confidence grew, her pace increased. His whole body tensed, his hand on his shaft squeezing around hers while the fingers in her hair stayed soft. One last plunge, forcing her mouth tight against their hands. He touched her throat again but this time she swallowed around him and with a hoarse yell he exploded, hot liquid jetting into her mouth and down her throat.

His body went limp beneath hers and she slowly raised her head, giving him one last lick and a tentative kiss before looking up at him. She had expected to find his eyes closed but instead he was staring down at her, his gaze both soft and thoughtful.

“Why did you do that, Addie?”

“I told you that I wanted to. It was the least I could do after you gave me so much pleasure yesterday.”

His face hardened. “You don’t owe me anything. I would never put my pleasure above yours.”

She stared at him in dismay. “That’s not what I meant. I enjoyed it too.”

A lot more than she had expected to actually. She was suddenly conscious of the damp ache between her legs and the throbbing demand of her breasts. He was still frowning so she forced herself into a sitting position, fighting back the urge to cry. His eyes dropped to her thin nightshirt and when she followed his gaze, she could see the taut buds thrusting against the thin cloth. His eyes widened and his nostrils flared.

“You are aroused.”

Ignoring the heat rising in her cheeks, she scowled at him. “I told you I enjoyed it.”

He sighed and pulled her up beside him with one easy movement so that they were face-to-face.

“I’m sorry, Addie.”

Was he always this suspicious of anyone being nice to him? A lump appeared in her throat. How much of that was due to her actions? Once again she tried to decide if she should tell him about what had really happened at the lab but unless he was ready to listen, she wondered if he would even believe her. Before she could decide, he gently pressed his lips against hers, then swept his tongue inside.

“You taste of both of us,” he murmured.

“Is that a bad thing?”

“I no longer know.”

The admission seemed to be torn from him. With another one of his effortless moves, he repositioned her on the bed as he climbed to his feet.

“You should get some more sleep.”

Looking past him, she could see the pale Martian dawn beginning to brighten the outside landscape and she shook her head.

“No, I need to start getting organized.”

“Oh yes. For your experiments.” The tone was sardonic but he didn’t seem as angry as he had the day before. Perhaps they should start off every day like this. I wouldn’t mind.

S-756 bullied Addie into eating breakfast before he left the habitat. As reluctant as she seemed to be to eat, he didn’t understand how she maintained her luscious curves. Or was she only reluctant to eat in his presence? He kept trying to remind himself that she was the woman who had betrayed him, that she was just another one of the fucking scientists who thought that cyborgs were no longer deserving of human rights, but he couldn’t convince himself. Every time he said something harsh and he realized that he had hurt her, he felt angry and ashamed. All he could do to atone was to provide her with everything that she needed.

Beginning with the supply of fresh water, he thought as he went to find the drill. More specifically, he would be drilling into the layer of ice that rested beneath the Martian surface. Once they tapped into it, the heat from the RTG would melt the substrate and they would have an almost unlimited source of water. Addie would enjoy that. He had seen the wistful glance she had given the shower when he handed her another cleansing cloth. Why did it feel so right to provide for her in spite of everything that had happened in the past?

The way she had woken him up this morning filled him with delight and not a small amount of guilt. He wanted to believe that she was trying to manipulate him, but she had been too uncertain and then in the end, too obviously aroused. He should have taken care of her needs, but he was afraid that if he touched her, he would have an even harder time restraining himself. Just the thought of her soft mouth stretched around his cock, her tongue sending shivers of pleasure up his spine, and the look of surprised pleasure in her eyes made him stiffen.

Fuck. He needed some hard work before he returned to the habitat and spent the rest of the day devoting himself to her pleasure.

After giving Blackie a handful of the food pellets he enjoyed, he let the horse out so that he could absorb sunlight then went to gather the drilling equipment.

A few hours later, he entered the living quarters. He could hear Addie humming in the lab and decided to test the new supply of water by taking a quick shower. The heating equipment had not yet been connected so the water was icy, barely above freezing, but he had experienced much worse and perhaps the freezing temperature would help him keep himself under control.

A hope that disappeared completely as soon as he walked into the lab and saw Addie bending over a piece of equipment, her coveralls stretched tightly across that luscious ass. Then she looked over her shoulder and smiled as if she were really happy to see him and he went from semi-hard to rigid. He had no defenses against her. Covering his emotions with a cough, he forced his voice to remain emotionless.

“Are you ready for me?”

Her smile dimmed a little as she turned to face him, but she lifted her chin and fuck if that little sign of rebellion didn’t turn him on even more.

“Not yet. I want to set up a batch of controls first and they won’t be ready until the morning.”

In spite of himself, he was interested in what she had planned.

“What are you trying to do?”

A little cautiously, she began to explain the experimental protocols but when he responded with interest, her enthusiasm took over. A few minutes later, he was being bombarded with details. He couldn’t follow all of it, but he understood enough to realize just how determined she was to make the project a success. A reluctant admiration washed over him as he watched her eager expression, her cheeks flushed, her hands waving as she explained her hypothesis. She looked almost as excited as she had looked the previous night and that sent his thoughts spiraling into a completely inappropriate direction.

He couldn’t spend the rest of the day with her without trying to capture some of that excited enthusiasm for himself.

“I need to patrol,” he barked, interrupting her as he forced himself to his feet.

Her teeth closed over her bottom lip. “I’m sorry. I know I bore people when I talk too much about my work.”

He heard the echo of someone else’s reprimands in her words and he didn’t have the heart to reinforce them.

“No, Addie. Your work is fascinating, and I can tell how passionate and determined you are about this project. GenCon is very lucky to have you.”

A pleased blush covered her cheeks and she gave him a small smile.

“But I have a job also and I really do need to patrol,” he said more gently.

“I understand.” She worried her lip again. “Will you be back before dark? Not that you have to report to me or anything,” she added hastily.

He remembered the previous night and finding her huddled, close to freezing, in front of the small stove and shuddered. He had no intention of taking any additional risks with her safety.

“I will be back by late afternoon,” he promised, then hesitated. “Do you have a gun?”

“They issued me one when I arrived, but I didn’t bring it.”

“Do you know how to use it?”

“I practiced a little at the holographic range on the ship,” she said doubtfully.

“That’s a good start. We will work on it some more. In the meantime, take this.”

He retrieved his holster from where it had been slung over a container and handed it to her. She took it reluctantly.

“I’m really not sure if I can use this.”

“And you shouldn’t have to. There is no one nearby and I didn’t tell GenCon where we were coming.”

“Then why?”

He hesitated, reluctant to remind her of her encounter with the miners, and comprehension dawned on her face. Her lips tightened and she clasped her hand more firmly around the gun.

“I understand. But… you don’t expect anyone to show up, right?”

If he did, he would never leave her.

“No. I checked and there are no claims anywhere nearby and we are not on the path to anywhere.” Despite the determination on her face, her mouth trembled just a little. “Don’t worry, angel. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

She smiled up at him and the trust on her face made him ache deep inside. “I know you won’t, Sam.”

He didn’t even have the heart to remind her to use his cyborg designation. He simply nodded and strode out of the shelter, fighting the urge to remain the entire way.

Chapter Twelve

As soon as the habitat was out of sight, S-756 began to worry. He had been entirely truthful with her about the lack of anyone in the surrounding vicinity but the memory of her at the mercy of those miners tormented him. He had intended to make a trip to the nearest power station to see if there were any disputes he needed to settle, but it would require a few hours there and an equal amount of time to return and he had no intention of leaving her alone for that long.

Fuck. He had thought he was being clever in choosing the location of their camp, but given his reluctance to leave her, he suspected carrying out his regular duties was going to be impossible. He could still act as a territorial judge, he decided, if he set up a regular schedule for trials in New Arcadia. Once that was established, he could even take her to the town with him. Would she enjoy meeting the other two human females who were mated to cyborgs?

But in the meantime, he still needed some breathing room before returning to their habitat and the temptation of her presence.

Two of his fellow cyborgs had established a mining claim further up in the mountains. Their camp was less than an hour away and he decided to visit them. He had heard a rumor that they had a human female up there with them, but he didn’t entirely believe it. J-817 was a grouchy old bastard, even less social than he was. On the other hand, he could believe that B-669, the younger and more reckless member of the pair, had come up with such a plan.

He was still speculating about their situation when he came to a narrow passage in the rocks and found B-669 sitting on a ledge overlooking the valley.

“B-669, what are you doing here?”

The cyborg jumped, too lost in his own thoughts to have noticed S-756’s approach.

“I’m not doing anything wrong.”

He almost sighed. Was that all anyone thought he was capable of? Searching for wrongdoing?

“I didn’t say you were,” he snapped, then forced himself to moderate his voice. “I was on my way to visit you and J-817.”

“You can’t,” B-669 said immediately, then looked around as if searching for inspiration. “He is… indisposed.”

“He’s sick?” he asked incredulously. The cyborgs were never sick. Had J-817 been hurt?

“No, not exactly.” A fleeting grin crossed B-669’s face, followed by a scowl. “He’s just having difficulty adjusting to a new situation.”

“What situation?” He remembered the rumor and frowned. Surely none of his brethren would take advantage of a female. “Have you done anything illegal?”

B-669’s face twisted. “Maybe it’s not exactly legal—although it should be—but it’s certainly not wrong.”

“You are not the person to judge that,” he said sternly.

Did he have any room to talk? He had not given Addie any choice in joining him. GenCon had agreed on her behalf but she had not volunteered. Suppressing the feeling of guilt, he glared at the other cyborg and waited.

“There’s a female at our camp,” B-669 burst out.

“Does she want to be there?”

“Y-yes. Yes,” the younger male repeated more firmly.

“But?”

“She thinks she’s married to J-817.”

“Cyborgs are not allowed to marry. You know that.” Even as he spoke, he imagined being able to declare Addie as his wife and a surge of longing shot through him. He knew it was foolish, there were still too many obstacles between them, but if they could find a way past them… He had thought Clint and Morgan foolish for wanting a wedding ceremony with no legal basis behind it but he suddenly understood.

Looking ridiculously young despite his size and strength, B-669 scowled at him.

“We should be allowed to. And we’re not on Earth anymore. Their rules don’t apply to us.”

“We are under their jurisdiction,” he reminded himself as much as the younger male.

“Well, maybe we shouldn’t be. A new planet deserves a new government.”

B-669’s words struck a spark inside him, but even if that was a possibility for the future, it didn’t change the reality of the present.

“Why does this female think she is married?”

Once again, B-669 avoided his gaze. “I may have hacked into the database and made it appear that way in order for her to make the trip.”

He sighed and rubbed his chin. A week ago, he would have demanded that the female be returned to New Arcadia immediately. Today, he wasn’t quite as sure.

“Is she happy with the arrangement? Does she want to be here?”

“She definitely wants to be with us. She says that we make her feel safe. As for her happiness…” He raised a shoulder. “We are still working on that part.”

“And you are not taking advantage of her?”

He hated to even suspect that of one of his cyborgs, but he had to ask. B-669’s obvious outrage reassured him.

“We would never hurt her. In any way.”

“I assume this was your idea. What does J-817 think?”

“He doesn’t know what to think. But he likes her. How could he help it?” he asked as if speaking to himself.

“It sounds like he’s not the only one,” he said dryly.

B-669’s young face turned hard. “I didn’t bring her for me. She’s J-817’s wife. I can’t think of her any other way.”

He rather suspected that the younger male was trying to convince himself, but he didn’t pursue the subject.

“Do you think she would like to meet another female?” he asked suddenly, surprising himself.

“It’s a full day trip to town. We would have to spend the night and she… she doesn’t like being around people.”

“Why not?”

“I’m not sure.” B-669 smiled fondly. “She has her secrets.”

“Don’t they all?” he muttered.

“What?”

“Nothing. But what I was going to tell you was that I have set up a camp in the canyon that leads out to the valley. A female scientist is there with me. If your female was comfortable with meeting one other person, she would be welcome.”

“A scientist?” B-669 shuddered. “I don’t trust any of them.”

“Neither do I, but Addie… Dr. Montgomery is different.”

“S-756, is she your female?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” he snapped, even as a feeling of guilt spread through him at his denial.

“You sound like J-817.” B’s eyes were uncomfortably penetrating. Before S-756 could respond, he continued. “But I’ll ask if Daisy wants to come and visit.”

“Good.”

B-669 stood up awkwardly, his cybernetic leg stiff, and brushed himself off. “I’d best be getting back. He’s had enough time.”

“Time for what?”

“Time to see what’s right in front of his face.” B-669 looked wistful.

After a brief farewell, S-756 turned back to the habitat, already anxious about the time he had been gone. Blackie seemed almost as enthusiastic, picking his way quickly through the rocks. What had Addie done to the horse? Cast the same spell over the animal that she had cast over him? He shook his head but didn’t try and rein in the horse. He was just as eager to return.

Addie heard the sound of hooves and looked up eagerly from where she had been entering data into her computer. She had made good progress this afternoon, but she still found herself listening for the sound of Sam’s return. Her heart skipped a beat when she looked out and saw him riding Blackie down out of the mountains. He looked like some mythic figure, tall and stern aboard the big horse, his hat pulled down low over his eyes. She abandoned her records and headed out to meet him, grabbing a mask and coat on the way.

“How was the patrol?”

“Fine. No problems. Everything quiet on this end?”

“Yes. You didn’t need to worry.” She smiled up at him uncertainly. “Everything is ready for tomorrow. If you’re sure.”

Blackie nudged her shoulder and she patted his nose absently.

“He likes you,” Sam said slowly.

“I like him too.”

“Robots are not supposed to have feelings.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Neither are cyborgs.”

“It’s not exactly the same thing. We started out as human, even if the government did their best to strip that away from us.”

Blackie nudged her again and she laughed. “He doesn’t seem to care. Do you think maybe we could go for a ride sometime? When you’re not rescuing me, I mean?”

He regarded her for a second, his face unusually soft, then reached down a hand. “How about now?”

She gave an embarrassingly girlish squeal as she reached for his hand. “Oh yes.”

He lifted her up in front of him with his usual effortless strength, then hesitated. “Will you be warm enough?”

“You’re good at keeping me warm.” Her voice came out unexpectedly low and husky as she snuggled back against him. She had forgotten how intimate it was to ride with him, his heat and scent surrounding her. His arm settled across her waist, holding her against a hard, warm chest.

“I’ll take care of you,” he growled, but it sounded like a promise rather than a threat.

Blackie turned and headed down the slope towards the valley floor.

“How does he know where to go?”

“I usually guide him with my knees and heels, the way they would have done back when people rode horses. I can also program him to proceed to a particular destination.”

“He has a keyboard?”

He laughed. “He does actually have a control chip, but he can also respond to voice commands. Halt, Blackie.”

The big animal came to an abrupt stop.

“Will he listen to me also?”

“I don’t—”

“Go, Blackie.” The horse immediately started moving again.

“Apparently so,” Sam said dryly. “They are not supposed to take commands from anyone other than their riders.”

“But I am riding him.”

“We are riding him,” he corrected, settling her a little closer to him, and she put her arm over his, holding it against her.

They rode out into the valley at a leisurely pace. Sam seemed more relaxed than he had been since they met. He occasionally pointed out some of the landmarks surrounding them but on the whole, they rode in peaceful silence. She was always conscious of his body at her back and the low thrum of arousal that surrounded her in his presence, but this felt comfortable rather than urgent and she relaxed into the moment.

The peace between them lasted even when they returned to the habitat. She helped him clean the dust from Blackie’s coat, then he prepared a meal while she finished entering her notes. After dinner, he surprised her by pulling out a worn pack of playing cards.

“I like to play solitaire,” he said almost defensively. “It relaxes me.”

Solitaire. It seemed so symbolic of the path forced upon him that her heart ached, but she gave him a bright smile.

“How about a game for two instead?”

“Just what I had in mind.” He smiled, looking so approachable that she decided this would be a good time to talk to him. But before she could speak, he started dealing the cards and the moment passed.

She turned out to have a natural aptitude for cards and when she won three out of the first five games, she started to worry. Derrick would not have been happy to have been bested. She should have known better.

When she emerged as the winner in the sixth game, Sam only laughed. “My little card shark. Are you sure you’ve never played this before?”

Relieved, she beamed at him. “Never. I must be a fast learner.”

“Hmm.” His eyes darkened and the air between them seemed to thicken.

Her tongue darted out to wet suddenly dry lips and his eyes focused on her mouth, an almost palpable heat in his gaze. She waited, nervously, expectantly, half-relieved and half-disappointed when he stood up abruptly. His face had hardened again.

“I’ll go make a quick check on everything while you get ready for bed.”

She nodded silently, fighting back a sudden urge to cry. As she watched him leave through the airlock, the night seemed to close in around her. Nights were always the worst, the loneliest. During the day, she could bury the constant ache beneath the demands of her job, but now that she was alone it clawed at her. Retrieving the small image from her pack, she stroked it with a gentle finger. Only six months to go.

After taking advantage of the new supply of water with a long hot shower, she climbed into bed and waited for Sam to return. When she heard him enter, some cowardly instinct made her close her eyes, even when he paused by the bunks. He stood there for a moment and she was on the verge of opening her eyes when she heard him sigh softly, then move off into the lab. The small sounds from the next room were oddly comforting. She no longer felt so alone and she drifted off to sleep before he returned.

The next morning, she woke up in his arms again.

Chapter Thirteen

When S-756 returned to the habitat after dinner, the living quarters were still slightly steamy from her shower. Addie’s delicate floral fragrance filled the air and sent a bolt of lust through him. She had curled up on the top bunk again, fortunately not shivering this time. In fact, one corner of the blanket had slipped down to show a pale bare shoulder. Her eyes were closed but he could tell she wasn’t sleeping. He paused for a second but she kept her eyes firmly shut so he sighed and moved on. He needed little rest at the best of times so he might as well make himself useful. Some of the lab equipment still needed to be assembled and he had noticed that not everything was at a convenient height for her.

Once he’d completed those chores, he contemplated taking his rest period in the lab but the lure of Addie in the next room was too great. Even if he couldn’t sleep with her again, he wanted to be closer.

This time when he checked, her breathing was slow and even, so he climbed into the bottom bunk. He liked knowing that she was near and safe. The gentle sounds of her breathing started to lull him to sleep when the sound changed. She whimpered in her sleep and began to thrash restlessly. He couldn’t stand it. When he stood up, her eyes were still closed but her face was drawn and unhappy.

He cupped her face gently. She immediately flinched, but then she nestled into his hand and her face relaxed. Telling himself that he just didn’t want to stand there all night, he lifted her into his arms and then settled back down in the bottom bunk in the same position as the night before. Her soft curves tormented him, especially when she sighed and wiggled closer, but despite the aching need in his body, contentment filled him.

Holding her in his arms, protecting her from whatever terrors filled her mind, this felt right. She was back where she belonged.

He slept very little, turning the situation over in his mind. The pain of her betrayal had faded, the lingering hurt replaced by the warmth of her presence. She seemed as genuine now as she had then, and he finally allowed himself to remember all those nights when she had been at his side, comforting him after another day of torment. He had shoved them aside after he returned to the military, refusing to remember her kindness. But he remembered now and with his bitterness fading, he was almost ready to find out what had driven her to do such a terrible thing to him.

He would give it a few more days, he decided, and let her start her experiments. If she remained the same sweet loving Addie she was now once she had what she wanted, he would hear her out.

In the meantime…

Light was beginning to brighten the small window and she would be waking soon. And he knew the best way to awaken her. Moving slowly so as not to disturb her, he rolled her onto her back, then slid down her body. She was wearing a thin, silky gown that clung to her curves and he paused for a moment to admire her. The deep purple echoed the color of her eyes and made a striking contrast to her pale skin. Even in the utilitarian coveralls, he wanted her, but dressed in her surprisingly seductive underthings, she drove him mad with desire.

He raised the hem of the gown, revealing a pair of tiny matching panties, and had to bite back a groan. He ran a finger across the thin strip of silk and her legs parted. He stroked her gently, watching in fascination as the silk dampened and she began to writhe against his hand. How could she be so responsive and yet so scared? He pulled the cloth tighter, revealing each delicate fold through the thin fabric. Lowering his head, he licked her, adding his own wetness to hers. The scent of her arousal filled his head and he could feel her clit swell and harden beneath his touch. Still stroking her with his tongue, he slid a finger under the fabric, probing gently at her entrance. The heat of her flesh teased him as he very slowly slid a finger into the tight little channel. Her body clung to him, enveloping him in liquid heat. He had never wanted anything more than to bury his cock in that silken fist, but he wouldn’t rush her.

He curled his finger, stroking her inside wall and she moaned. Without lifting his head, he looked up at her and saw her eyes open, wide and startled but already heavy with lust.

“Sam!”

“Good morning, angel.”

His voice against her clit made her shudder with ecstasy and she arched against his mouth.

“What—what are you doing?”

“It’s my turn.”

“You don’t have to,” she gasped, even as she clutched at his shoulders.

“What was it you said to me yesterday? I’m doing this because I want to.”

He saw the startled smile cross her face before he returned to the enticement of her sweet little folds. Her cunt was firmly clasped around his finger and he gently worked in a second digit. Her legs shifted restlessly but she didn’t attempt to pull away. He lathed her clit with his tongue, delicately teasing the swollen flesh still encased in purple silk. She gasped and her hand came to his head, her fingers tightening in the short dark strands.

“That’s right,” he murmured approvingly. “Hang on to me.”

“I didn’t mean to—oh!”

Ignoring the start of her apology, he fastened his mouth over her taut little pearl and sucked, relishing the faint sting as she tugged on his hair in response. Her sweet taste flooded his mouth, her narrow channel hot and slippery around his fingers. Very slowly, he added a third digit. He could feel her small entrance stretching to take him, but she didn’t protest, didn’t draw back. Instead, her fingers tightened in his hair again, and her hips lifted towards him. Teasing her through her panties was no longer enough. He yanked them aside impatiently then swept his tongue across her swollen nub as he gently but firmly pushed all three fingers deeper. With a startled cry, she arched and came, her sweet cunt clenching around him so tightly that his cock ached with longing. He ignored it, setting a steady rhythm with his hand as he continued to worship the tiny bud. A second round of wetness flooded his tongue and he finally reduced his pace, easing her back down.

When he looked up, she was smiling, her cheeks flushed and her eyes heavy, and satisfaction filled him. He had given her this happiness.

“Did you enjoy that, angel?”

“You know I did.” She tugged gently at a lock of his hair and smiled at him.

“I didn’t hurt you?”

“Of course not. I—” Her eyes went wide and she looked surprised. “You didn’t hurt me.”

“No.”

“And you were inside me.”

“I most certainly was.” He held up the three fingers he had used, then lazily sucked them into his mouth.

“But… I thought there was something wrong with me.”

Anger clouded his vision but he managed to keep his voice quiet. “No, angel. There was never anything wrong with you.”

She burst into tears and he swore, changing their positions so he could cradle her in his arms.

“Please don’t cry.”

“It’s just such a relief.”

He was definitely going to find a way to kill that bastard, but he kept his murderous thoughts to himself, rocking her gently until her tears stopped and she gave him a shaky smile.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to cry all over you.”

“I hope you never need to cry, but I’m here if you do.”

“Thank you, Sam.” She reached up and kissed him, a shy, gentle kiss and he ignored the heat raging through his body and returned it just as gently.

“Now,” he said. “Breakfast first and then we can begin work.”

“What about you? Aren’t you, um, unsatisfied?” Pink tinged her cheeks.

“I think you need time to think about what just happened,” he said honestly. “Your pleasure is enough for now.”

She started to protest but he lifted her to her feet and gave her a gentle swat on her butt. “Go get dressed while I make breakfast.”

She pouted over her shoulder at him, then headed for the bathroom with an undeniably provocative sway to her hips, and he had to restrain the impulse to follow her. Nonetheless, the morning’s events filled him with satisfaction. He had not only pleased her but hopefully shown her that she had no reason to be frightened. Despite his aching cock, he went to the kitchen area with a smile on his face.

Addie’s good mood lasted until they reached the lab.

Sam sat down on the exam table, looking perfectly calm, but even though he was sitting there of his own free will rather than being chained to the table, she couldn’t help remembering those awful days back on Earth. She had to talk to him.

“Sam, I—”

“What do you want me to do?” he asked simultaneously, smiling at her, and her courage deserted her.

“I want to start by taking a blood sample,” she said, forcing a smile of her own. “Our understanding is that the nanites in your system deteriorate as soon as they leave your body.”

“They do?”

“I’ve never personally witnessed it, but that’s what I’ve been told.”

“Does it matter?”

“It implies that there is a symbiotic relationship between the nanites and the… host. We are trying to replicate that relationship for someone without, um, cybernetic parts.”

“You mean if they want to survive on Mars without ending up like me?” he asked dryly.

“Well, yes.” She hurried on. “But really, it’s an artificial distinction. If we can create working nanites that are capable of altering the body’s chemistry and ability to withstand suboptimal conditions, they will fundamentally alter the host. They’re really no different than cyborgs.”

“Except in the eyes of Earth Government.”

“Under current law, yes.”

She busied herself assembling the test apparatus before cautiously approached him with the syringe. He held out one big, muscled arm readily enough, but she was the one who cringed.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“You don’t need to be sorry. I volunteered—and this time, I know what I’m getting into.”

She gave him a shaky smile, then fastened the tourniquet around his arm and carefully inserted the needle.

“Was that all right?”

“Addie, stop worrying. I barely felt it. And my body has experienced much worse. Fuck,” he swore when he saw the look on her face. “I didn’t mean it like that. We have to stop pussyfooting around this.”

“I know. It’s just still so… hard to think about that time.”

“Then don’t think about it.”

“I don’t think I can unless I tell you—”

“Addie, I don’t want to know. Just let it drop. For now.”

She nodded reluctantly and returned to her work. Having filled two vials with his blood, she removed the syringe and carefully placed a bandage over the small pinprick, even though he wasn’t bleeding.

“What are you going to do with those?”

“This one is going into the mediums that were already injected with nanites. Then I’m going to test this one.”

“That’s it?”

“For right now. Based on the results, I can determine the next steps.” She smiled at him. “You can put your shirt back on. If you have to.”

He shrugged. “Not much point. I assume you’re going to stick me again?”

“Probably.”

He sat there on the table watching her process his blood. She looked over at him several times and noticed that he was frowning. Her heart sank. Was he having second thoughts?

Forcing her attention back to her tests, she tried to concentrate on the experiment. As expected, the nanites in his blood sample were completely inert; however, the ones injected into the medium did not die off immediately. Would they be enough to prevent the out-of-control replication?

“How much do you know about the colonization effort?” he asked out of the blue.

“Not a lot really. It’s still being advertised very heavily on Earth, but I don’t think they are getting as many applicants as they expected. People tend to prefer the devil they know, no matter how bad the conditions. It tends to be desperate people who are willing to take the chance.”

“Were you desperate?”

Yes.

“Very much so.”

“Why?”

“Derrick was determined to make sure I ended up with nothing. He wanted to take everything from me.” It was the truth, although not the entire truth.

“Bastard,” Sam swore and she felt oddly comforted by the rage on his face.

“But why are you asking?”

“Something someone said to me—that Mars would be better off governed by Martians, in other words, by anyone living here. Then no one would have to worry about whether or not they had enough humanity to claim their rights.”

“We’re still very dependent on Earth,” she pointed out.

“But becoming less so each year. Eventually, the terraforming process will reach the tipping point and we will have both a breathable atmosphere and the ability to produce our own food without artificial assistance. If—when—your experiments succeed, they would also reduce our dependency.” He drummed his fingers against the table. “Of course, that still leaves the problem of GenCon.”

“Why are they a problem?”

“They have a very heavy investment in Mars. I suspect they have their own ideas about controlling that investment.”

“It’s just a company,” she protested, then thought of Derrick and his cruelty, of his unwillingness to let anything prevent him from getting what he wanted in business as well as his personal life. “I know some of the executives can be quite ruthless, but you can find bad apples in any group of people.”

“And sometimes the whole tree is rotten.”

Was it? She thought of the pressure that had been placed on them to perform.

“They have always been demanding,” she said slowly. “But I assumed it was like that everywhere. And we always went along with it because it was important work.”

“It may be like that everywhere,” he agreed. “The top corporations are always jockeying for power. But GenCon has a stranglehold on Mars and I’m not sure they’re willing to let it go.”

Before she could respond, the monitor beeped.

“Damn. The first one has failed already. And faster than I expected.”

Chapter Fourteen

Addie looked so despondent that S-756 got up and put his arm around her.

“It’s all right, angel. You said that you expected this to happen.”

“I know, but it doesn’t make it any easier.”

“What is the next step?”

“I was thinking…” She hesitated and he could see the doubt on her face.

He already suspected he wasn’t going to like the answer, but he asked the question anyway. “What were you thinking?”

“That maybe there’s a way to trick your nanites into thinking that they are still part of your body.”

“How?”

“If I used an IV to both draw blood and return it to your body, it would set up a continuous loop. Unlike when I draw blood samples, it would never be completely isolated. It might work.”

He tried to suppress his shudder, but he knew she saw it anyway. One of Mingol’s favorite tests was to hook him to an IV and inject him with a paralytic drug. The compound caused his nanites to go into a type of hibernation and sapped the strength from his body, leaving him weaker than a human.

“We don’t have to do it,” she said quickly. “There are more things I can try.”

“But you think this has the best chance?”

“I think so, but there are eleven more samples still processing.” She gestured at the lab table.

“All right, then let’s wait until those are complete before we decide.”

A moment later, the monitor pinged again.

She looked at him and he could see the knowledge in her eyes before she looked away. While she went over her notes, he went to set up the hydroponic garden, noting each time the monitor sounded. By the time he finished his work and they ate lunch, all of the tests had failed.

“All right, Addie. Let’s try your idea.”

“Are you sure?”

No. What if she was just fooling him again? But he looked at those big worried eyes and couldn’t convince himself that she was lying.

“It’s why we’re here.”

She bit her lip, then nodded. “Let’s give it a try.”

He almost balked when she asked him to lie down on the metal lab table but there were no chains to bind him this time. He could leave whenever he wanted.

“Could you, um, remove your shirt please?”

He obeyed silently, but he saw her watching him from under her lashes and his body inevitably responded. At least it gave him something to think about other than the waiting IVs. Just as that morning, her hands were deft and gentle as she carefully inserted a needle in each arm.

“Now what?”

“I want to test the flow first. Are you comfortable? Does anything feel off?”

He examined his systems, but everything was processing normally, and he didn’t feel any weakness or other side effects.

“I’m fine. What’s next?”

“I’m going to insert a sample of the medium in the blood flow and see if it will pick up the live nanites without devolving.” She put a soft hand on his chest. “I’ll need you to lie still for an hour. Can you do that?”

He hated the idea, but once again, he was doing it of his own free will. He nodded.

“Thank you, Sam.”

She bustled around the lab while he forced himself to hold still for an interminable hour, frequently returning to check on him.

“Everything looks good,” she announced at last. “No degradation so far. I’m going to separate it from your blood flow and see what happens. As soon as I remove it, I’ll take out the IVs.”

Ten minutes later, he was free, and he sat up with a relieved sigh. Addie finished with her sample and turned to him.

“Thank you, Sam. I know that was hard for you.” She chewed on her lip. “Why did you let me do it?”

“I would do anything for you.” The words came out before he had a chance to reconsider.

She stared up at him, her eyes wide, and threw herself into his arms. “I would do anything for you too.”

Something about her words caught his attention but before he could focus on it, Addie was tugging him down so she could kiss him. At the feel of her mouth against his, all desire for speech left him. She kissed him with a mixture of tenderness and passion that had his cock and his heart both aching.

“I… I’m ready,” she whispered when he finally lifted his head.

“Ready for what?”

“I want you to make love to me, Sam. Completely. I want to feel you inside me.”

“I told you there’s no hurry.”

“I know, but I don’t want to wait any longer. I’ve been waiting for you for twelve years.”

“You’re sure?”

“Oh, yes.”

Color infused her cheeks, but her hands were steady as she started to unfasten her coveralls. His cock was so hard he was afraid it would burst through his pants. He reached for her, then remembered where they were.

“Hold that thought, angel.”

Ignoring her shock, he left her long enough to retrieve both bunk mattresses, placing them on the floor in front of the window.

“I think you’ll find this a little more comfortable.” He held out a hand and she didn’t hesitate to place hers in it. “Now let’s get back to what you were doing.”

Her hands went back to her coveralls and this time he let her proceed, watching with hungry eyes as she slowly undressed. He knew that it was shyness rather than a desire to tease him, but he couldn’t help a frustrated growl when she hesitated before slipping out of the garment. Startled eyes flew to his but whatever she saw on his face must have reassured her because she smiled and let it drop.

Pale pink lace today, barely darker than the color of her skin, and so sheer that he could see the shadow of her areolas and the small patch of blonde curls between her legs. Lush, curvy, perfect.

“You’re beautiful, angel.”

He watched in fascination as the pink on her cheeks extended down over her chest to the lacy edge of her bra and he was suddenly reluctant to have any barrier between them.

“This is very pretty.” He ran a finger over the sheer lace, brushing lightly across her nipple. “But I want to see all of you.”

Reaching back, she undid the clasp and the bra slid away, leaving his hands filled with the soft, heavy weight of her breasts. He circled the taut peaks, relishing the silky feel of her skin, and she gasped.

“Much better,” he growled.

She looked up at him from under her lashes, unexpectedly provocative, and then she bent over to remove the tiny panties, deliberately brushing the lush curves of her ass against him as she straightened, and he could barely restrain himself from demanding more.

“I want to see you too,” she whispered.

The words had barely left her mouth before he had stripped out of his clothes. Her eyes widened and she bit her lip. He could see the mixture of desire and trepidation on her face.

“Don’t worry, Addie. I won’t do anything unless you want me to.”

“I want you,” she whispered and stepped closer, running her small, soft fingers along his shaft. Despite his attempt at control, his cock jerked impatiently at her touch, but rather than flinch away, she hummed approvingly and tightened her grip.

Before she could test his patience any further, he swept her up in his arms and then lowered them both to the mattresses. Her eyes had gone wide again so he forced himself to slow down, kissing her until she was squirming eagerly beneath him.

“Please, Sam.”

He stroked a hand between her legs, delighted to find her slick and hot, ready for him. He continued to kiss her as he carefully notched the head of his cock at her entrance but as he slowly pressed against the tight ring of flesh, her body suddenly tensed. He stopped immediately and raised his head to look at her. Her eyes were screwed shut, her mouth in a tight line.

“What’s the matter, Addie? Did I hurt you?”

Tears shimmered on her lashes. “No. It’s nothing. I’m just being silly. Just go ahead.”

Anger raged inside him, but he kept his voice low and calm.

“You’re not being silly and I’m certainly not going to do anything until you’re ready.”

He remembered that they had been in this same position the first time she had been scared and he sat up, bringing her with him so she was cradled in his lap instead. Some of the tension immediately left her body.

“Is this better?”

“Much better.”

She nestled against him and he stroked her back. His cock throbbed between them, but he ignored it. If she needed more time, he would wait. But just as he was about to suggest that they try another time, he realized that she was rubbing against him, tiny little movements that were slowly covering his shaft with her juices. He looked down and his mouth went dry. His cock was pressed between her folds and she was rocking her clit against the hard shaft. Pink covered her breasts and her nipples were tight little buds.

His hands slipped from her back to her ass, taking a firm grip as he helped her move faster, harder, until he felt her shudder and a fresh rush of heat covered his cock. For a moment, she collapsed against him, but then he felt her rise to her knees. As he reluctantly started to help her get up, she lowered herself instead, her hot, wet entrance kissing the head of his cock.

“Angel?”

“I want this, Sam.”

She pushed down as she spoke and he couldn’t resist a groan of ecstasy. God, she felt amazing, so tight she was practically strangling him with her sweet little cunt, but he forced himself to check her face. Her teeth were fastened on her bottom lip again, her brow furrowed, but she smiled when she met his eyes.

“You feel so big,” she whispered and pushed down another inch. They both shuddered.

“Is it too much?”

“No. I’m just so full.”

He could feel her walls pulsing, trying to adjust, and he reached between them, gently stroking her swollen clit. A startled cry escaped her lips and he felt the fresh rush of liquid bathing his shaft, easing her down further over him.

“Do that again,” she said urgently, and he obeyed.

She pushed harder, trying to take more of him but he held her back.

“Slowly, angel.”

By the time he was fully embedded, they were both shaking. His hips twitched, wanting to thrust, but he forced himself to be still. His thumb was still circling the sensitive pearl of her clit and he could feel her tightening, poised on the edge of climax. He gave her one last stroke, then pressed firmly against the swollen flesh and she exploded, her back arching as her channel convulsed around him, and he was lost. His hands gripped her hips, holding her as he thrust upwards, once, twice, three times before fire raced down his spine and his own climax roared over him, pulsing inside her in endless jets until they collapsed against each other.

When his nanites finally managed to get his breathing under control, he hugged her, then lifted her carefully off his cock and lowered them both down to the mattresses. She nestled against him and he could feel her smiling.

“I never knew it could be like that.”

A confused mixture of pride and anger filled him. The knowledge that he had pleased her filled him with satisfaction but he hated knowing that she had been hurt. Why had she done it? The words escaped before he could call them back.

“Why did you do it, Addie? Why did you betray me and marry Mingol?”

Chapter Fifteen

Addie’s body went stiff and for a moment he thought she wasn’t going to answer him.

“I had no choice,” she said finally, her voice soft, almost impossible to hear. “He found out what we were planning and he threatened to take you to an underground lab. He was going to tell the government that you had died. You would have been in his power forever.”

A growl escaped before he could control it and she patted his chest almost absently.

“He said the only option he would permit would be to give you back to the military. And only if I agreed to marry him.” Her tone was still absolutely flat. “I was a challenge, you see. But the kind he liked—the kind who couldn’t fight back.”

He had to force himself to keep his grip light. It wasn’t the first time he wanted to kill the sick bastard, but he’d never hated him as intensely as he did at this moment.

She gave a little shrug. “He told me he needed a wife and I was suitable. Pretty enough, smart enough. Of course, he didn’t think that for long.”

The stupid fucking bastard.

“Why did you let me think you were a maid, not a scientist?”

“I was always ahead of my age.”

Remembering how young she had looked, how young she still looked, he suspected that the words were somewhat of an understatement.

“People tended to act like I was some kind of freak. I was afraid maybe you would look at me differently if you knew.”

Would he have? Perhaps.

She shrugged again. “And it was my first job after I got my doctorate. I didn’t really feel like a true scientist.”

“But once I was back with the military? Why did you go through with it?”

“I gave him my word.” Her eyes finally rose to meet his and tears trembled on her lashes. “And I didn’t think I deserved anyone better. I traded your freedom for your safety but it wasn’t my decision to make.”

“You should have told me,” he agreed. “But I think I understand why you didn’t.”

“Can you forgive me?”

“I already have,” he said, surprised to realize that it was true. Even though he refused to admit it until now, he suspected he had forgiven her the first time he had lifted her into his arms. “I think you need to forgive yourself.”

An odd expression flickered across her face. “Sam, I—”

“Enough talking,” he said. “We’re together now and that’s all that matters.”

He bent his head and kissed her neck, loving the way she shivered with pleasure at his touch. He was determined to replace all of her unhappy memories, beginning now.

Two days later, Addie stretched in sleepy contentment before nestling into the mattress. Sam had left a short while ago with the rover. He intended to drive to the nearest power station to see if he could purchase some additional building supplies. Even with his big body cradling her, sleeping on mattresses on the floor had not been particularly comfortable and after two nights, he had decided that they needed an additional dome to use as their bedroom. Their bedroom. She hugged herself.

Even in her most hopeful dreams, she hadn’t expected that he would forgive her so quickly. Far more readily than she could forgive herself. But now they were together and with him at her side, she knew that she could make the project succeed before the deadline. The work she had accomplished during the past two days had been very promising. She needed to check the last set of tests but perhaps she could nap for just a little longer first. I didn’t get much sleep last night, she thought with a satisfied smile. But as she snuggled into the pillow, the communicator went off.

Sam must be calling. Did he miss her already? She wrapped the blanket around herself and went to answer with a smile still on her face.

“You look like you had a rough night. Or is your age catching up with you?”

“Derrick?” Her mouth went dry. The all too familiar face on the screen filled her with loathing, immediately followed by panic. “Where is she?”

“With me, of course.”

Her mind still didn’t want to believe that he was real. “But you aren’t supposed to be here yet.”

“You act like you’re disappointed.” He raised an eyebrow. “I thought you’d be happy.”

His words finally penetrated her shock. “No, no, of course I am. Where are you?”

“At the GenCon lab complex.” His lip curled. “Although calling it that seems like rather an overstatement. And I must say I don’t think much of that assistant of yours. He can’t follow a single order.”

She ignored his complaints, too focused on getting back to the lab to pay attention.

“I’ll leave right—” Her words ground to a halt. Sam had taken the rover. “I mean, I’ll be there as soon as Sam gets back.”

“Sam?” he sneered. “You mean S-756. You just keep pretending he isn’t a fucking machine, don’t you?”

“He isn’t a machine,” she said automatically. “We’ll leave as soon as he gets back.”

“I’m not waiting around for you. If you really want to see her, you’ll find a way to get here. Now.”

The screen went blank as she tried frantically to think. How long would Sam be gone? He had said several hours and she didn’t trust Derrick not to play some sadistic game if she didn’t at least try to get there. Could she start walking? If she left a note for Sam, she was sure he would come after her as soon as he returned and Blackie would be much faster than the rover. Blackie! If she rode him, she could be there in no time. But would he take her?

As she threw on some clothes, she considered the idea. She knew that the horses were only supposed to obey their masters, but Blackie liked her; she knew he did. He had listened to her before. Would he understand her urgency this time?

After leaving a quick note for Sam, she threw a few emergency supplies into her pack, pulled on her mask, and went to find Blackie. The horse was standing slack-legged by the boulder she had sat on the first day, absorbing the sun’s rays.

Hoping that was a good sign, she climbed up on the rock, then leaned closer and placed a tentative hand on his back.

“I’m going to get on now, okay?”

He shifted his head back to look at her, but he didn’t move away, and she cautiously climbed on his back. Her perch seemed a lot more precarious when she didn’t have Sam’s comforting arm around her. She took a firm grip on the ridge of the built-in saddle. What had Sam said—that he guided him with his hands and knees. She tried digging her knees in, but the horse didn’t move. Then she remembered that Sam had also mentioned voice commands.

“Can you go forward now, please?” she asked, and to her delight, Blackie began to move.

“I want to go back to the GenCon lab. Do you understand that?”

Once more the horse looked over his shoulder at her and she could have sworn he looked disapproving.

“It’s really important, Blackie. Please. Can you take me to the lab?”

After another moment, he turned his head back to the front and began trotting down the slope into the valley. To her relief, once they were on the flat land, he headed in the direction Sam had pointed out. After some cautious urging, he increased his pace as she clung even harder to the saddle.

“Wait for me, Derrick,” she whispered to herself as they flew through the rocky landscape.

Sam found himself on the way back to the habitat sooner than he had expected. The supply manager at the power station had been more than happy to take his credits in exchange for an additional dome. The man even had the parts already loaded on a trailer. Sam suspected that it might have been intended for someone else but he didn’t press the matter. His angel deserved a comfortable bed, one big enough for the two of them.

As the rover plodded slowly back down the valley, a warm feeling of satisfaction filled him. He liked knowing that his woman was waiting for him and he liked knowing that he was providing for her. But she was more than just his woman and he understood why Morgan and Clint had wanted marriage ceremonies. Ceremonies that should be legal, dammit.

He couldn’t perform the ceremony himself, but the replacement he sent for also had the credentials. Perhaps after he arrived…

He was still contemplating the idea when he pulled up onto the plateau. He half-expected her to come rushing out but there was no sign of her. She must be lost in her experiments. He could picture her bent over the microscope, that cute little frown on her face. Too impatient to wait until after he unloaded to see her, he entered the airlock.

“Addie. I’m back.”

Only silence met his call. More than that, there was a stillness in the air that indicated the habitat was empty. All of his senses went on alert and his heart began to race. Where was she? He rushed into the lab and found it just as it had been when he left. As he turned back to search the living quarters for some clue to her whereabouts, he saw the scrap of paper on the table.

Derrick is at the lab. I have to go.

Love, Addie

That bastard Mingol was here? On Mars? And why the hell had she raced off to meet him? Why hadn’t she waited for him? Horror filled him when he realized that since he’d had the rover, she must have set out on foot. He shuddered at the thought, rage and fear vying for dominance. As soon as he caught up with her, he was going to spank that perfect ass of hers for putting herself in danger. At least she couldn’t have gotten very far.

He strode back outside, calling for Blackie. When the horse didn’t appear, he headed for the transport shed, only to find it empty as well. That was when he realized that somehow, she had managed to get the horse to take her. Fuck.

The rover was far too slow; it would never catch Blackie. That left only one alternative. His mouth set in a grim line, he took off down the slope at a swift jog. He had no idea how much of a head start she had but his cyborg strength meant that he should be able to keep pace with the horse, even if he couldn’t overtake him.

Why? Why? As he ran along the valley floor, the question beat at him. Why had she left? He couldn’t believe it was because she cared for the bastard. Her disgust and her fear had been all too clear. Or had they? By the time he reached the halfway point, a shadow of doubt had started to creep in. Even after she told him the full story of what had happened back on Earth, he had still felt as if she was holding something back. And if she hadn’t told him the whole truth, how much of what she told him was actually true?

By the time he reached the GenCon lab complex, he was in a towering rage. He wanted answers and he wanted them now. He almost snatched the outer door of the airlock away from the building before he remembered to temper his strength. As he turned to close the door behind him, a sharp spike of pain pierced his neck. He instinctively clapped his hand to the spot and found a dart embedded in his skin. He yanked it out but as quickly as he had removed it, it was already too late. He could feel the paralysis drug spreading through his body, deadening his nanites.

“S-756.” The hated voice was rich with satisfaction. “It seems that once again my dear Dr. Montgomery has played her part admirably. You will once again be the subject of my experiments.”

The icy pain spreading through his veins was nothing compared to the agony in his heart and he was almost relieved when darkness took him.

Chapter Sixteen

Sam kept his eyes closed as he regained consciousness and tried to extend his other senses to identify his surroundings. He could feel chains around his wrists and ankles and even without testing them, he was sure they were titanium. The drug had almost completely left his system but he wasn’t surprised. Mingol preferred him to be at full strength, reveling in his power over him.

A rustle came from behind him and he tensed, trying not to reveal the fact that he was awake.

“Are you asleep, mister?”

The soft little voice was so unexpected that his eyes flew open to find himself face to face with a child—a little girl perhaps five years old. A pair of enormous purple eyes stared back at him. Addie’s eyes.

She had a child? Why hadn’t she told him?

Then he took in the rest of the little girl’s features. Straight black hair, high cheekbones, a small straight nose. Even softened by her youth, the resemblance was unmistakable. Mingol. Addie had given birth to Mingol’s daughter. He closed his eyes as agony seared through him. No wonder she hadn’t told him.

“Mister.”

This time a tiny hand patted his cheek but he ignored the child. Why couldn’t she go away and leave him to his misery?

“Mister, please. Mama’s crying.”

“What?” His eyes flew open and this time he saw the tear-stained cheeks.

“Mama’s crying. ‘Cause of that man.”

“What man?” He was afraid he already knew.

“That man,” she repeated, her small brows pulling together. “He told me she wasn’t coming back. But she did!”

“Of course she did,” he said automatically. He couldn’t imagine Addie ever voluntarily deserting her own child. Although, how had she ended up on Mars without her daughter? “I’m sure she wouldn’t have left unless she didn’t have a choice.”

“She says we can live with you now. So can we go? I don’t like it here.”

Addie planned to bring her child—her child by that bastard—to live with him? For a moment, doubt struck him, but then he looked at the innocent face and those big eyes, so much like Addie’s, and an unexpected surge of satisfaction hit him.

“Why don’t you like it here?”

“I don’t have my bed or my toys. That man wouldn’t let me bring them.”

“I am not ‘that man.’” Mingol’s cold voice interrupted. “I am your father and you will address me as such.”

“Yes, Father.” All of the light died out of the piquant little face.

“I see you’ve met my daughter.” Mingol stepped into his field of view, dropping a hand on the child’s shoulder not in the affectionate manner of a parent, but like a man claiming ownership of a possession.

“Yes.”

“What a shame. I was looking forward to telling you about her myself.” He frowned down at the child. “Why are you here, Kamuela? You know better than to enter my lab.”

“Yes, Father.” She sounded like a mechanical child, not a human being.

“Then leave. And don’t return.”

Mingol’s fingers tightened briefly and Sam saw her wince. Rage roared through him.

“Leave her alone.”

“I hardly think you’re in a position to be telling me how to handle my daughter.” Mingol raised an eyebrow, then released his hand. “Go on, Kamuela.”

She cast a quick glance at Sam, then walked slowly out of the room.

“What the fuck are you playing at, Mingol?” Sam demanded as soon as the door closed behind the child. “You have no authority over me on Mars.”

“But I understand you volunteered. Again. You must enjoy being the subject of my experiments.”

“I volunteered with specific conditions. General Biggs made that quite clear to GenCon.”

“Perhaps. But he isn’t here, is he? And communications get so… scrambled between Earth and Mars.” The cold smile disappeared. “And you had the nerve to demand my wife be the one to do the work.”

“Your ex-wife,” he snarled.

Mingol waved a hand. “It’s true that I decided she wasn’t helping my rise through the company. I need a more… sophisticated wife at my side.” He leaned closer. “But she belongs to me. I’ll never give her to a fucking machine.”

“It’s not your decision.”

“Oh, but it is. And don’t forget I have an ace in the hole. Adelaide will do anything for her daughter. Even set you up to fall into my hands.”

For a moment, pain threatened to overtake him, but then he realized that despite Mingol’s supercilious smile, he was watching him carefully. Waiting for his reaction.

“I don’t believe you.”

“Didn’t she run off with that robot animal of yours? Lead you here?”

Twelve years ago, he would have believed Mingol, but despite the doubt that beleaguered him in his race to the lab, he knew better. He knew Addie and he believed down to the depths of his soul that she hadn’t betrayed him.

“You’re lying. She didn’t know what you were doing. You were the one who planned it, weren’t you?”

Rage flashed over Mingol’s face almost too fast to read, distorting the superior mask he usually wore into a rictus of anger.

“Your speculation doesn’t change the fact that I do have her daughter and henceforth, the winning hand. I’ll leave you to contemplate that.”

With that parting shot, Mingol walked out of the room, pausing on the way to switch off the light and plunge the room into total darkness.

Fucking idiot. Didn’t the man realize how many nights he had spent in the dark on Mars? But mind games aside, he was still chained to a table and at Mingol’s mercy. More importantly, Addie and the child were also at his mercy. He needed to find a way out. Now.

Chapter Seventeen

Addie slowed Blackie’s pace as soon as the GenCon lab complex came into sight. Despite her eagerness to see Kami, she hated the thought of dealing with Derrick again. She brought Blackie to a halt at the entrance to the ill-fated canyon she had explored the day she was reunited with Sam. She had intended to send the horse back, but what if she and Kami needed a way to escape? While she was quite sure that Sam would come after her, she had no idea how much time it would take.

“I hate to do this to you, Blackie, but I want you to wait here for me. Can you do that?”

Silly to expect him to answer but when she slipped awkwardly off his back, he remained in place.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” she assured him, giving his neck a last pat. “Thank you for the ride.”

Her steps sped up as she approached the habitat, her need to see her daughter overwhelming her sense of caution. When she entered through the main airlock, there was no one in sight. Of course, there wouldn’t be at this time of day. Everyone would be in their labs working. Where would Derrick be? And more importantly, where would Kami be?

Although she had never been there, she knew there were a few suites set aside for visiting GenCon executives. It seemed a more obvious choice than expecting him to occupy one of the cramped rooms given to scientists. She passed through an impressive set of doors leading to a corridor branching off to the left, a much wider corridor than the one in the general area, passing several conference rooms and a private dining room before reaching the suites. Four of them were clustered around an open space. Pale Martian sunlight filled the room from an overhead skylight and lush green plants were tastefully arranged around a central fountain. So much luxury for a space that had been occupied perhaps one time since her arrival on Mars.

The four doors looked identical so she took a deep breath and knocked on the first one. A moment later, the door panel slid back and her daughter stood there, staring up at her. Tears streamed down her face as she collapsed to her knees, reaching for Kami. But Kami didn’t leap into her arms the way she had envisioned. Instead, she stood there staring at her, a scowl drawing tiny black brows together.

“Kami, don’t you recognize me? It’s Mama.”

Instead of responding, her daughter turned and flounced off. Her dress was too short, Addie noticed as she followed her, and there were several stains marring the fabric.

“What is it, baby? Won’t you come and give me a hug?”

Kami grabbed her battered teddy bear and hugged it instead, still scowling at Addie over his head. “You left me. With that man!”

“I know, Kami, and I’m so, so sorry, but I didn’t have any choice. It was the only way we could be together for always. Remember how I explained it to you?”

“That man said you weren’t coming back.” For the first time, Kami’s defiance faltered and her lip trembled.

That bastard didn’t deserve to live. Couldn’t he see how much he had hurt her daughter?

“But I am back, just like I said. He was wrong, Kami. And now we never have to be apart again.”

“Honest?”

“I promise.”

“Cross your heart and hope to die?”

“Cross my heart.” She drew an X over her heart.

“And hope to die,” Kami insisted.

“And hope to die.” Being separated from her daughter a second time would probably kill her anyway.

“Okay.” For the first time, a smile crossed her daughter’s face. A second later, two skinny arms were choking her as Kami sobbed into her neck. “I missed you so much, Mama.”

“I missed you too, baby.”

The relief of having her daughter back in her arms brought her own tears. She held onto the small body and vowed fiercely that she would never let them be parted again. And surely this time, she wouldn’t be fighting alone. Sam might be shocked at Kami’s existence, possibly even furious about her secrecy, but the man she knew would never let anyone harm an innocent child as part of some kind of sick power play.

When Kami finally pulled back, Addie studied her daughter’s face. Definitely too pale and too thin, not to mention none too clean.

“You’re a mess, baby girl. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

Kami made a face but followed her obediently into the attached bathroom. Even that utilitarian space was larger than Addie’s room. She shook her head and found a cleansing cloth. Her daughter really needed a bath but it would have to wait until after she found Derrick.

“Let’s get you changed too. Where are your clothes?”

She realized now that the dress her daughter was wearing was one she had given Kami before she left. It had fit her perfectly then. Her heart ached as she realized how much her daughter had grown and she had missed it.

Kami played with the hem of the dress. “Don’t have any.”

“What do you mean you don’t have any?”

“That man said I couldn’t bring Rupert. So I put him in my bag.”

“Instead of your clothes?”

“I had to have Rupert, Mama. You know I did.”

“Yes, baby, I know.” The teddy bear had been Kami’s constant companion since she was a baby.

Trying to hide her fury, she gathered her daughter into a reassuring hug. What kind of idiot left a five-year-old to pack her own bag and didn’t check it? One who apparently didn’t even care enough to find Kami any additional clothes. Admittedly, Mars was short on many things, including readymade clothes, but couldn’t he have found something else for her to wear?

“I have some clothes packed away. Maybe there’s something in there that can work,” she said, forcing a smile. Her sewing skills were nothing to brag about, but she would find a way.

“Are we going home now, Mama?”

Addie’s heart ached. Apparently, Derrick hadn’t bothered to tell Kami that it was a one-way trip to Mars. Between the cost of transportation and the physical changes wrought on the settlers by living in an environment with less gravity, none of the new residents would be returning to Earth. She would never have thought to bring Kami to Mars, or to go herself for that matter. But after Derrick used his money and influence to gain custody, he had announced to her that he and Kami would be going. When she begged him not to go, he sprung his trap. If she took the project on Mars—and made it succeed—he would give her permanent custody.

“We’re going with or without you, Adelaide. So, unless you can afford the trip or qualify as a settler, this is the only way you will ever get her back.”

“But why, Derrick? She’s too young. They have no idea what life on Mars will be like for children.”

He had shrugged. “GenCon wants to prove that it’s safe. I told them that Kamuela would be the perfect example. They were very… grateful.”

“My God, she’s your daughter. She isn’t a bargaining chip.”

“Don’t be tiresome, Adelaide. It’s already arranged. If you want to see her again, you’ll take this assignment. The project ship leaves in two weeks.”

She had wanted to slap the superior smirk off his face but he had her over a barrel and she knew it. “I want a legal contract assuring me that I will get custody as soon as you arrive on Mars.”

He had agreed and now here they were, her daughter back with her.

“This is going to be our new home, baby.”

“Here?”

Kami looked around the suite and Addie followed her gaze. It resembled a luxurious hotel suite on Earth. Wide doors opened into an adjoining bedroom while this room had a desk and a comfortable seating area. From the blankets piled on the small couch, it was currently serving as Kami’s bedroom. Everything was tastefully decorated and spoke of quiet luxury, but it was absolutely sterile and completely unsuited for a child.

She would have to ask Sam if they could find or make some child-sized furniture. Sam. Her thoughts wound to an abrupt halt. No matter how happy they had been, would he be willing to take on her child as well? A child who was only too clearly Derrick’s daughter.

I should have told him, she thought. I thought I had more time. But surely he would understand.

“No, I don’t think we’re going to stay here. I hope we can stay with a… friend of mine.”

“A friend? What an interesting way to put it.”

Derrick’s cold voice sounded from behind her and she whirled, instinctively tucking Kami against her side. As usual, he was impeccably dressed in a tailored suit. It didn’t surprise her that he hadn’t skimped on his own outfits even though he was willing to let his child do without.

“It’s no longer your concern, Derrick.”

“Isn’t it? You forget that we have an agreement—and you haven’t completed your side of the bargain yet.”

“I still have time.”

He gave her an icy smile. “And until then Kamuela remains with me.”

“I wanna stay with Mama.”

“It’s not your choice,” he said impatiently.

“Please, Derrick. I’ll keep working on the project.”

“I’m sure you will, especially since you seem to have discovered the secret.”

“What are you talking about?”

“A live cyborg blood transfusion? Quite ingenious. But given your… sympathies for the subject, I think it best that I take over now.”

“You can’t do that. He’ll never let you near him.”

He raised an eyebrow. “I heard he volunteered. Again.”

“Under very specific conditions.”

“I was not informed of those conditions.” He shrugged. “And if he chooses to put himself in my hands again…”

“He would never do that!”

“No?”

He walked over to the desk and brought up a screen. The display showed Sam running towards the lab. Her heart skipped a beat. He looked so strong and powerful but he had no idea that he was running into a trap. She had to warn him. Her instinctive move for the door was brought up short by Kami clutching her hand. Derrick’s eyes sparkled with malicious glee.

“You’re not going anywhere, Adelaide. But if you’re a good girl and don’t make a fuss, I will let Kamuela stay with you.”

“I have no intention of living with you again, Derrick,” she said through clenched teeth.

“Don’t be absurd. I have no desire for you to live with me.” He ran a disparaging eye over her body. “I have my sights on a far superior prize. But you may take Kamuela back to your quarters. And nowhere else.”

“Fine.” As soon as she was out of his sight, she would take Kami to her room, then sneak out of the habitat to warn Sam. Her heart ached at the thought of leaving her baby, even for a short time, but she had to warn him. He was only coming here because of her.

Derrick laughed again, the sound mocking. “Don’t think I’m so easy to fool. You will stay here until your machine is safely in my grasp once more. I’ll leave the monitor up so you can watch.”

Before she could respond, he walked out of the room, closing the doors with an ominous click. She raced over to them, Kami at her side, but they were locked. Damn him.

“What is it, Mama? What’s wrong?”

“I think my friend is in trouble,” she said, moving over to the desk.

Sam was almost at the lab complex now, his face set in harsh lines. She couldn’t let him walk into this trap, but how could she stop him? Her breath caught in her throat as she watched him approach the airlock, rage apparent in every line of his body as he yanked the door open. The camera followed him, moving to an inside view in time for her to see him slam the door and to see a dart appear in his neck. She watched in horror as he collapsed, that big body going still as Derrick leaned over him triumphantly. Sam’s eyes were full of pain and they seemed to look directly into hers before they finally closed and the horrible transmission ceased.

Chapter Eighteen

A short time later, Derrick reappeared. Addie was sitting on the couch, cradling Kami on her lap as she tried desperately to think of a plan, any plan, to help Sam escape.

“My volunteer is all chained up and ready for my experiments,” he said, his cold voice more cheerful than she had ever heard it. “You can leave now. But don’t even think of going to see him, Adelaide, or I will make sure that you never see Kamuela again.”

“Yes, Derrick.” Her voice sounded dead in her own ears.

“I’m going with Mama,” Kami announced, glaring at Derrick.

“Yes, yes. Go on.” He waved an impatient hand.

“Does she have any belongings?” she forced herself to ask. As much as she hated to be dependent on him for anything, she had no access to supplies for children.

“Whatever she has is in that bag.” He pointed to a small, bedraggled suitcase with a worn cartoon character on the front. “Take it with you.”

She picked it up, her heart aching at how light it was. “You couldn’t even make sure she packed and the court thought you were a better parent?” she hissed at him as she prepared to leave the room.

He laughed. “It was never about who was a better parent. It was about power. It always is. I have it and you don’t. You would do well to remember that, Adelaide.”

Sweeping Kami ahead of her, she left the luxurious executive area, relieved to step through the doors and see the smaller corridors and practical surroundings that she was accustomed to once more.

“Let’s go see our room, baby.”

“What about your friend? Was that him in the picture?”

“Yes, it was.”

“I like him. He looks like the giant in your stories.”

Since Sam often played the role of the hero in the bedtime stories she told Kami, perhaps it wasn’t surprising that she recognized him. “I suspect he does.”

They passed the turnoff for the labs and she gave it a wistful glance. There had to be a way for her to get to him, but right now, she couldn’t take the chance.

“This is my room,” she said, as she opened the door for Kami.

Her daughter didn’t look impressed. “It doesn’t look very fun.”

“It wasn’t fun before because you weren’t here. Now we’ll have to make it fun.”

“Okay, Mama.”

“Why don’t you play with Rupert for a little bit while I take a shower?” She was suddenly desperate to wash away her encounter with Derrick.

Leaving Kami with her bear, she stepped into the shower. As soon as the water flowed, she burst into tears. This was all her fault. She hadn’t intended to, but she had betrayed Sam. Again. And this time, she didn’t even have the excuse that it was for his own good. However unintentionally, she had led him right into Derrick’s hands. One way or another, she had to get him out of here. But in the meantime, she gave in to the intensity of her emotions and let herself cry.

When she finally brought herself under control and dried her face, she felt exhausted. Kami gave her a suspicious frown when she emerged, but she didn’t say anything. She could only hope her daughter hadn’t heard her crying. The events of the morning crashed down on her and she was suddenly exhausted.

“Why don’t we take a little nap?” she suggested.

“I’m too big for naps.”

“I’m bigger than you are and I want one. Just lie down with me for a little while and I’ll tell you a story.”

“I guess.”

In spite of everything, having Kami’s warm little body cradled against hers filled her heart with joy. By the time she finished her story, Kami’s eyes were closed and her breathing was slow and even. As she held her daughter, still trying to come up with a plan to free Sam, exhaustion overtook her, and she followed her into sleep.

When she woke up, Kami was gone.

For a horrible moment, Addie was afraid that she had dreamed of her daughter’s presence the way she had so many times before, but then she saw Kami’s little suitcase. Her daughter really was here with her on Mars at last. But where could she have gone? She wondered for a second if Derrick had come and taken her away but considering that he seemed only too glad to hand her off, that didn’t seem likely. About to begin a frantic search, she had just reached the door panel when it slid aside to reveal her daughter, scowling.

“Where have you been?” she demanded.

“That man sent me away.”

“You went to find your father?” Her heart sank. Did Kami already want to return to Derrick?

“No. I went to find your friend so maybe you wouldn’t cry anymore.”

Guilt filled her. Apparently, she had not been successful in hiding her distress from her daughter.

“You went to find Sam?”

“Is that his name?”

“Yes, baby. Did you find him?”

“Yes.” The scowl returned. “But that man sent me away.”

The words burst out before she could stop them. “Is he all right?”

“He was sleeping on a big table. But he woke up and talked to me a little.”

A wave of relief washed over her. If he was awake and talking, Derrick hadn’t done any serious damage. Yet. Kami didn’t seem upset by the encounter so if he had been bothered by her resemblance to Derrick, he hadn’t betrayed his feelings to her.

“How did you know where to find him?”

Kami played with the hem of her dress. “I followed that man there one time ‘cause he left me alone and I was scared but he told me to go away.”

Addie picked up her daughter, hugging her close. Why, oh why, had Derrick fought so hard for custody when all he intended to do was neglect their child?

“And you could find your way back there again?”

Her daughter nodded eagerly, then scowled. “That man told me to stay away.”

“Don’t worry, baby. I won’t let you get into trouble.”

As much as she wanted to find Sam immediately, it was too risky with Derrick loose in the building. Her chances would be much better if she waited until after everyone had gone to sleep. Hopefully, the three of them could steal away in the middle of the night.

After hugging Kami again, she forced another smile as she put her down. “Now let’s see what we can do about finding you some new clothes.”

By late afternoon, she had managed, with considerable help, to make Kami two little skirts with matching tops from a pair of lounge pants. Keeping a wary eye out for Derrick, the two of them had gone on a quest to find thread and scissors. Dr. Newton, who was working on low-gravity surgery techniques, had provided those and sent her to Dr. Jenkins. Dr. Jenkins was a hearty, good-natured man who looked more like an aging athlete than a scientist, but he turned out to be surprisingly skilled at sewing. After watching her pathetic attempts to follow his instructions, he took over. When she protested, he smiled and shook his head.

“I don’t mind at all. I’m happy to help in any way I can.” He looked over at Kami who was wrapping one of the extra pieces of cloth around Rupert, his face wistful. “I miss having children around.”

“Did you have to leave your family, Dr. Jenkins?”

“Please, call me Carlos. No, I never had time for one. But I volunteered at one of the government orphanages.” A shadow crossed his face. “I only hope that our work here will help provide a brighter future for them.”

“I hope so too.”

Kami was delighted at the prospect of new clothes and peppered Carlos with a thousand questions, all of which he answered patiently. When he had finished and Kami was dancing around merrily in one of her new outfits, he turned to Addie.

“You should bring her to the dining hall for dinner.”

“Are you sure?”

Most of the time, she ate at her desk, but the few times she had ventured into the common dining area, the other scientists were either lost in thought or huddled in quiet conversation. As her daughter regained her more natural exuberance, Addie suspected that it would not be a silent meal.

“I’m sure I’m not the only one who would enjoy a child’s company. She will remind us of what we are trying to accomplish.”

Somewhat to her surprise, Carlos proved to be correct. The majority of the normally staid scientists smiled indulgently at Kami’s antics. One of the scientists working on modified grains sniffed and left quickly but no one else seemed bothered. In fact, several of them moved over and joined their table.

Just as they were finishing their meal, Derrick walked into the room. Tall and elegant in his expensive suit, he surveyed the room with his usual mocking smile as an uneasy silence fell.

“I am delighted to know that all of you have made so much progress you can afford to linger over your meals. I’m sure that when I come around to inspect, I will be satisfied with the results. After all, there are many other scientists back on Earth who would jump at this opportunity.”

Addie caught a few muttered protests, but no one spoke out. Derrick looked satisfied that his attempt to cow them had been successful and directed his attention to her daughter.

“Come here, Kamuela,” he ordered.

Addie bit back her instinctive protest. Defying Derrick in front of other people never ended well and she didn’t want Kami to suffer. Every eye in the room watched as her daughter slowly made her way to his side, reluctance in every line of her small body. The contrast between the laughing, happy child she had been only moments before and this silent little automaton was only too obvious. She heard more muttered comments in the background.

“I see that you have all had a chance to meet my daughter. Unfortunately, it appears she is a distraction you cannot afford. She will not be dining with you again.”

He clamped his fingers down on Kami’s thin shoulder and the whole room saw her wince. Addie started up with a cry, but Carlos caught her arm. When she looked at him, he shook his head slightly, obviously warning her.

“Very well, Derrick,” she said as evenly as possible. “May I take her to bed now?”

A cruel smile twisted his lips as he paused dramatically, letting her wait on his decision, before finally nodding.

“You may. But remember what I said.” He gave Kami a little push in her direction, then turned and stalked out of the room, arrogance in every line of his body.

“That son of a bitch,” Carlos muttered but Addie was already flying to meet Kami, drawing her into a tight hug.

“I don’t like that man,” she said defiantly but her lip was trembling.

“I know, baby, I know.”

“Is she all right?” Dr. Aquinas asked and Addie looked up to see that she was surrounded by concerned faces.

“She’ll be fine, but I can’t defy him and bring her here again. He has too much power.”

“Does he?” Carlos looked thoughtful. “GenCon is counting on him to produce results. Bullying his scientists won’t accomplish that.”

“I’m not sure they see it that way,” she said ruefully. “They supported him every step of the way so far.”

“But that was on Earth. I suspect things may be different up here.” But then he shrugged and admitted, “Eventually.”

“I’m going to go put Kami to bed.” She rose with her still silent daughter tucked in her arms and smiled at the scientists surrounding her. “Thank you all. You don’t know how much your support means to me.”

Even though there was nothing that they could do, after two years fighting a solitary battle against Derrick, their obvious concern warmed her heart.

“I will walk you back to your room,” Carlos said.

He accompanied her silently along the corridor, then paused outside her door.

“I suspect the rooms are bugged,” he whispered. “Keep that in mind if you make any… plans.”

“Thank you, Carlos,” she said sincerely.

“Take care of this little one.” He ran a gentle finger down Kami’s cheek and departed.

The whole time Addie got Kami ready for bed her mind raced, trying to decide on the best plan. While they were wandering around that afternoon, her daughter had pointed down one of the corridors and whispered that her friend was down there. Not surprisingly, Derrick appeared to have claimed the largest lab suite. Unfortunately, all of the labs were equipped with coded locks. If he had chosen to lock the doors, she would have to try and hack the code, a feat that wasn’t really in her skillset.

She settled Kami down in her bunk and snuggled in with her while she told her a story. By the time her daughter drifted off to sleep curled around Rupert, she was happy and smiling once more.

Leaving her to sleep, Addie went to her computer to work on a code-breaking algorithm. By the time a soft knock sounded on her door, she had something that might work, although she wasn’t as confident as she would have liked.

When she checked the time, she saw that it was after midnight. Surely Derrick hadn’t come to torment her now? But the knock had been tentative rather than demanding, so she peeped cautiously at the view panel. Reggie stood outside, looking pale and worn. She hadn’t seen him since she returned and she had no real desire to see him now, but he knocked again and she was afraid that he would wake Kami. Remembering the warning Carlos had given her, she opened the door and slipped outside.

“What do you want, Reggie?” she said impatiently.

“I wanted you to know that I’m sorry.”

“You said that before.”

“I know and I meant it then but now…” He shuddered. “I didn’t understand what Dr. Mingol was like. He sent me the test protocol.” He shuddered again. “I can’t—I won’t—do that to another living being.”

Her stomach churned and she grabbed Reggie’s arm. “Has he started?”

“No, not yet. He gave me the protocol so we would be ready in the morning.”

“Oh, thank God.” She tightened her grip on his arm. “You have to help me get Sam out of there. Do you know the code?”

“I do.” He adjusted his glasses. “I promise I’ll help you, but I think we should wait until morning.”

“We can’t wait. We can’t let him start torturing Sam.”

“That’s the thing,” he said eagerly. “He’s leaving at daybreak to go to New Arcadia and meet with the GenCon director. If we wait until then, he won’t know the cyborg is missing until he returns.”

She chewed her lip anxiously, her instincts screaming for them to leave now.

“You know how cold it is at night,” he continued. “Can you handle that? Can your daughter?”

As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. Even in an enclosed and very slow-moving rover, the temperature would be barely above freezing.

“I suppose you’re right,” she said reluctantly. “But you’ll help me as soon as he leaves?”

“I promise. I really am sorry, Addie.”

She studied the young face leaning over her and saw only sincerity and genuine regret.

“I believe you, Reggie. Thank you for helping us.”

He hesitated, fiddling with his glasses again, then said softly. “I have a little sister. She’s about your daughter’s age.”

A sister? On an overcrowded Earth, two children would never be licensed to a single family. He must have seen the look on her face because he shook his head.

“No, she’s not licensed. But because I agreed to come here, GenCon arranged for her to take my place as the licensed child.” Sorrow filled his eyes. “I will never see her again.”

“I’m sorry, Reggie.”

He smiled awkwardly. “It was best for her.”

“Maybe one day, she can join you here on Mars,” she said softly.

“She’s the main reason I want this project to succeed so desperately. I just shouldn’t have let my eagerness outweigh my sense of compassion.”

She nodded and patted his arm and he left without another word.

When she returned to the room, Kami was still curled peacefully around Rupert. Addie turned off the small light over the desk and climbed in next to her.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow, she and Kami and Sam would finally be free.

Chapter Nineteen

As soon as Mingol left and darkness filled the room, Sam started testing his chains. Although made out of titanium, one of the few metals resistant to cyborg strength, they weren’t as heavy as the chains had been the last time Mingol had him trapped. As he pulled steadily, he thought he felt a slight give.

Before he could test it further, someone entered and the light blinked on. Two someones. Mingol and a much younger man with shaggy hair and glasses. Sam observed them through slitted eyes. He had no doubt that Mingol knew he was awake but there was no reason to reveal his curiosity.

“I told you that I would provide you with the test protocols, Reginald,” Mingol said impatiently. “I expect everything to be set up and ready to begin first thing tomorrow morning. Is that clear or do I need to find another assistant?”

“Yes, Dr. Mingol. I mean, no, Dr. Mingol.” The tablet shook in the young man’s hands. “It’s just…”

“Just what?”

“We’ve never used human subjects before.”

“He’s not human.” Mingol walked over to Sam and flicked his shirt open. “You see this? It’s not even a real heart; it is an artificial energy source. He is a machine, not a man.”

Sam wondered if Mingol actually believed that, or if he used it as an excuse to justify his cruelty. Then again, considering the way he had treated Addie and the child, his behavior seemed just as malevolent when dealing with full humans.

“I assume you have no more questions?”

“No, Doctor.” Reginald kept his head bowed.

“Good. I will return in the morning.” Mingol started to leave, then bent over Sam and murmured, “If you think I hurt you before, you have no idea what you are in for now. There’s no one here to stop me from doing whatever I need to do to get results. Prepare yourself.”

“He’s such a bastard,” Reginald burst out as soon as the door closed.

“No shit,” Sam said. The young man shot him a surprised look. “Did you think I couldn’t talk?”

“No, of course not. It’s just that you didn’t say anything while he was in here.”

Sam shrugged a shoulder as far as the chain would let him. “I had nothing to say to him.”

“Um, do you have anything to say to me? Because I’m just an assistant.”

“Do you mean am I going to beg you to release me?” Sam said dryly. “No, that was not my intention.”

“Oh. Well, just as well. Um, I have to get you ready now.”

The young scientist studied the tablet, his face paling. Sam suspected that he hadn’t realized the extent of Mingol’s depravity before.

“I can’t,” he muttered, more to himself than to Sam.

“You don’t have to.”

“Yes, I do. It’s my job. And more than that, I owe a debt to the company.”

“Then do what you have to do.”

Reginald didn’t reply but he began preparing samples. They looked very similar to the materials that Addie had used and he realized that Mingol was trying to mimic her experiments.

“Is that a common process?” he asked.

The young assistant jumped. He had apparently managed to put Sam out of his mind.

“Well, yes. I suppose so. These are the mediums that we use for testing.”

“The same ones that Addie—Dr. Montgomery—uses?”

Reginald looked startled, then looked back at the tablet. “Yes, they’re the same. But it’s a pretty common process.” He paused, but when Sam didn’t ask any additional questions he went back to work. However, Sam noticed that the frown on his face had deepened. Sam watched in silence for the next hour while he worked. Eventually, Reginald looked over at him and forced a smile.

“Um, I need to take some blood samples.”

“I see.”

“Do you, um, mind?”

“If I say yes are you not going to take them?”

Reginald adjusted his glasses. “It’s part of the protocol.”

“If you are planning to do something anyway, then I suggest not asking your patient if they mind.”

“I suppose not. It’s just… This would be a lot easier if you agreed,” he said in a rush.

“I’m sure it would, but I didn’t agree.”

“You volunteered.”

“Under very specific circumstances. And only for Dr. Montgomery.”

“You took her off into the wilderness.”

“All of Mars is wilderness. Does this seem like civilization to you?”

Reginald didn’t answer. Instead, he very cautiously fastened a tourniquet around Sam’s arm, then began drawing blood samples. He took so many samples that Sam could actually feel his nanites struggling to replace the lost blood. But although he could feel the effects of the blood loss, Reginald was the one who was visibly pale and shaking by the time he finished.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“I don’t want empty apologies,” he growled. “You chose this path.”

“But you don’t understand.”

How many times had he heard a new recruit make that same statement? He had no more sympathy for it now than he’d had then.

“I understand more than you think. You had a choice; you made a decision. Now you have to live with it.”

Reginald opened his mouth but a look at Sam’s face dissuaded him from replying. Instead, he turned back to his work, carefully labeling and storing the blood samples, then entering all of the records.

“I’m finished for tonight.” According to Sam’s internal clock, it was close to midnight. “I’m afraid I have to turn out the lights again.”

He didn’t let a flicker of expression cross his face. The youngster sighed and left the room, turning off the lights as he went. Sam immediately resumed his work on the chains. He had been able to make some slight progress while Reginald was occupied but he had to keep his movements subtle and restrained. Alone in the dark once more, he could apply greater force.

As the night wore on, he could feel the restraints weakening but he could also feel the dawn approaching. He had to be free before Mingol returned. The doctor was arrogant enough not to drug him while he was chained to the table but if he realized that Sam was about to free himself, he wouldn’t hesitate to pump more of the paralytic drug into his system. The knowledge that time was passing beat at him as he strained his muscles, searching for every last reserve of energy. He knew that the sky must be beginning to lighten and with one last burst of strength, he finally managed to get an arm free.

Once that arm was free and he could add its strength to his bound limbs, he broke through the other restraints more quickly, but it still took longer than he would have liked before he was free. He had just climbed off the table when his extended senses caught the sound of someone approaching. Gathering the chains in his hands, he moved silently to one side of the door panel. As it slid open and a figure stepped inside, he dropped the chain around his neck. Reginald. Not the prey he had hoped for but perhaps he could use him to find Addie.

“Where is she?” he growled as he tightened the chain around the youngster’s neck.

“Sam, I’m here. Let him go.”

A wave of relief washed over him, followed by what he knew was an unreasonable anger at her concern for the lab assistant.

“Why are you so worried about him? He’s Mingol’s creature.”

“Sam, please. He’s trying to help us.” When he still didn’t drop the man, a soft hand tugged urgently on his arm. “Please don’t do this in front of Kami.”

He looked over to see the child watching with wide eyes. With a muttered curse, he let the chain drop. Reginald bent over, clutching his neck and coughing.

“How is he helping us?”

“He came to me last night.”

He couldn’t suppress the growl and she frowned at him.

“To tell me that Derrick would be gone this morning.”

“Are you sure it’s not some kind of trick?”

“He was called back to New Arcadia to meet the Managing Director,” Reginald said, his voice hoarse. “I heard him making the arrangements when I went to report that the, um, preparations were complete.”

“Did he know you heard him?”

“I don’t think so.” For the first time, a shy smile crossed the assistant’s face. “I crept away and then made a lot of noise when I came back. He told me I was clumsy as well as useless.”

“Reggie unlocked the lab for us this morning too,” Addie said. “He’s really trying to help.”

A small hand tugged on his pants leg and he looked down to see Kami staring up at him. “Can we go now? To your house?”

The look of entreaty in the big purple eyes made something in his chest ache.

“All right, little one.”

“You should go before anyone sees you,” Reggie urged.

“What about you?” Addie asked anxiously. “The system will have recorded the fact that you opened the door.”

The assistant rubbed the red marks on his neck. “And S-756, I mean Sam, overpowered me. It’s not my fault if Dr. Mingol didn’t restrain him properly.”

“Somehow I doubt he’ll see it that way.”

“No, but I thought about something he said last night. Things are different on Mars. I might not be as easy to replace as he thinks.”

“All right, but please be careful. He’s a bad enemy to have.”

To Sam’s annoyance, she reached up and gave the youngster a kiss on the cheek. He glared at Reggie as he tucked her back under his arm.

“Let’s go,” he growled.

“Carry me,” Kami demanded.

Addie shot him an uncertain glance. “You don’t need to be carried, baby.”

“It’s too early. I’m tired.”

As she sighed and started to bend over, he reached past her, scooping the little girl up in his arms. She squealed with delight and wrapped a skinny arm around his neck. “You’re so tall. Just like the giant in Mama’s story. His name is Sam too.”

Addie’s cheeks turned pink as she hastily looked away. She had been telling her child about him? And why did he like the idea so much? He pushed the thought aside to consider later. Right now, the important thing was getting the hell out of this place.

“Thank you, Reggie.” He gave the young man a nod and, before Addie felt compelled to thank him again as well, herded her out of the room and down the corridor.

He moved as quickly as possible, but he had to temper his pace to Addie’s slower steps. Even so, she was half-running at his side. She could rest once they were free, he thought grimly. They were almost at the airlock when a man appeared in front of them. As he started to hand Kami to Addie so that he would be free to fight, Addie slipped around him.

“Carlos, we’re leaving.”

“Good.” The man’s eyes flicked over Sam, surprisingly sharp in a round, good-natured face. “I disabled the outside monitors.”

“Oh, thank you, Carlos.” She started to step towards the older man and Sam tugged her firmly back against his side before she decided to kiss this one as well.

Amusement flitted across the man’s face before he asked, “How are you traveling? I believe that all of our rovers have trackers.”

Sam looked down at Addie. “Did you tell Blackie to wait?”

“Yes.”

“Good, that means I don’t have to carry both of you. Let’s go.”

He swept her down the corridor as she called another thank you over her shoulder. They reached the airlock without encountering anyone else. Addie pulled on a breathing mask, then carefully fitted one on Kami’s small face.

“At least he made sure she had a mask,” she muttered.

“Auntie Seena gave it to me,” Kami piped up.

“Auntie Seena?”

Addie gave him a puzzled look but there was no time to worry about it now. He ushered his girls through the outer door and onto the planet’s surface. As the thin air filled his lungs and he felt the familiar dusty ground beneath his feet, he gave a sigh of relief. “Let’s go home.”

Chapter Twenty

“Where did you leave Blackie?” Sam asked. He was still carrying Kami and she couldn’t help but think how right her daughter looked in his arms.

“Over there, at the entrance to the canyon. Do you think he’s all right?”

Sam nodded at her. “He was designed specifically for the Martian environment. I’m sure he’s fine.”

“But he must’ve been lonely.”

Sam gave her an odd look. “We are both accustomed to being alone.”

“You don’t have to be anymore.”

She stepped closer and put her hand on his arm. To her dismay, he didn’t immediately react and she saw his eyes flick from her to Kami. Uneasiness crawled through her stomach. She knew she should’ve told him. The remainder of the walk was completed in silence. Even Kami was unnaturally quiet, looking all around with her eyes wide.

“Have you been outside before, baby?”

Kami shook her head, her thumb automatically heading for her mouth, only to be blocked by the breathing mask. Instead, she took a firmer grip on Sam’s shirt.

As they approached the entrance to the canyon, Sam gave a low whistle and a moment later Blackie trotted up to them. If Kami’s eyes had been wide before, they were enormous now and she squealed with delight.

“Horsey!”

Blackie tilted his head, almost as if he were studying the little girl, then nudged her very gently with his nose. She squealed again and almost threw herself out of Sam’s arms in an attempt to hug him.

“He appears to have another fan,” Sam said dryly over her head and the two of them shared a smile before his face suddenly shuttered.

Her heart aching, she turned her attention to Blackie, running her hands through the small flexible tubes that made up his mane.

“I’m sorry I left you for so long. Were you worried I was never coming back?”

“I’m sure he understands,” Sam said, then looked startled at his own words. “But we should get going. Even without the external monitors, we can’t be sure that no one is watching.”

He gently put Kami down before turning to Addie and lifting her onto the horse’s back. His hands didn’t linger but she could still feel their warmth against her sides. He lifted Kami up in front of her and as soon as her arms were securely fastened around her daughter, he sprang into the saddle behind her. He pulled her closer, his big body strong and hard behind her, and even though she could feel the distance between them, being in his arms once more felt so right.

“Make him go fast,” Kami demanded, apparently unfazed by the experience.

Sam laughed. “Not until we reach flatter ground. Home, Blackie.”

Did he even realize what he just said? Or the fact that the horse immediately took off in the correct direction?

Within a few minutes, they were emerging from the rocky foothills onto the vast valley floor. Blackie’s hooves kicked up a little trail of red dust behind them, but they were no more than a small speck in the landscape. The pale orange sky arched over their heads, reaching down to the tops of the craggy mountain ranges, and she realized that she no longer felt like an alien on this planet. It had become home.

The further away they moved from the lab complex, the more she relaxed. Once again, a restless night caught up with her, and she found her eyes closing. She forced them open and tightened her arms around Kami. Strong, muscular forearms reached past her to encircle her daughter’s waist.

“Go to sleep. I won’t let her fall.”

No, she knew he would never let anything happen to Kami no matter her parentage. Her body relaxed a little more, soothed by the rocking motion of the horse. Kami started telling Sam about her adventures, her chirping little voice occasionally interrupted by the low rumble of Sam’s responses. This felt so right, as if this was the way it should have always been. For right now, she would allow herself to relax into the fantasy that she was with her husband and her daughter and everything was right with the world.

Sam knew the moment Addie fell asleep. He carefully adjusted his grip to make sure that she wouldn’t tip to either side.

“Don’t you think, Mama?” Kami asked.

“Your mama is asleep, little one, but I’m sure she would agree.”

The little girl twisted around, looking first at her mother’s face, then up at him.

“She doesn’t sleep much.”

“Then it’s good that she’s sleeping now.”

Kami nodded emphatically, her silky black hair flying around her face.

“I missed her.”

“I’m sure she missed you too.” But why hadn’t she told him? Looking at Kami’s features and noting once again her resemblance to her father, he suspected he knew why but once again she had made a decision without including him. That stung even more than the knowledge that she had a child with Mingol.

“Are you the giant in Mama’s story?”

Kami’s question interrupted his troubled thoughts.

“I don’t know. What did the giant do?”

“He broke out of his chains and saved the princess of course. And they all lived happily ever after.”

He certainly hadn’t done anything to save the princess, but he didn’t want to say that to the little girl watching him with so much hope in her eyes.

“I don’t know, little one. I don’t think the story is over yet. But I hope so.”

She nodded again. “I think you are. Did you know I flew on a real spaceship?”

“You did?” he asked with an encouraging smile.

“I did.”

Once again, she started chattering about her adventures, and he listened patiently. She focused mainly on the excitement of the trip, but she let enough slip about her father to paint a picture of a man who, if not outright cruel, was at best neglectful and disinterested. Anger filled him and had it not been necessary to make sure that Addie and Kami were well away from the lab, he would have been tempted to return and wait for Mingol. The man’s day of reckoning was long overdue.

By the time they turned up the slope leading to their habitat, Kami too was half-asleep, but her eyes sprang open when he brought Blackie to a halt.

“Is this it? Is this our new home?”

The question struck him with the unexpected force. He hadn’t hesitated to bring them here, to remove them from GenCon’s clutches, but what was going to happen now?

“Yes, little one. This is your new home.”

Addie’s body stiffened against him and he realized that not only was she awake, she had caught his hesitation and the way he had altered his answer. They needed to talk and the sooner the better. But first, they had a child to attend to.

“Hold onto her while I get down,” he said.

As soon as they were both off the horse, Kami darted around, exploring her surroundings. To his amusement, Blackie trotted along behind her.

“Is she always this energetic?” he asked.

“Yes, at least when Derrick isn’t around. He wasn’t very… tolerant of normal childish behavior.”

The strain in her voice tugged at him and he found himself putting his arm around her and drawing her close. She stood stock-still for a moment then relaxed against his side as they continued to watch Kami.

“There are only two bunks,” he said finally. “I should build out the other dome that I brought back.”

The knowledge of why he had brought it back hung between them. Could they get back to that state of happiness?

“I can sleep with Kami,” Addie volunteered, her voice stiff.

“No. I still want you in my bed.”

“Do you?”

The combination of hope and doubt in those big purple eyes made him long to reassure her. He was tempted to ignore her secrets, sweep her into his arms, and forget the past, but they couldn’t move forward until they dealt with it.

“We’ll talk tonight,” he promised, and despite his own doubts, he leaned over and kissed her gently.

“You kissed Mama.” Kami stood looking up at them, her eyes wide.

“Yes, I did.”

She studied them thoughtfully for a minute, then beamed and ran off once more.

“I wonder what’s going on in that little head,” he said.

Addie laughed a little shakily. “There’s no telling. Let me get Kami some lunch and then we can help you.”

“Help me?” He raised his eyebrows.

This time her laugh was more certain. “I suspect my help will consist of keeping Kami out of the way. Do you want something to eat too?”

“No, I had some protein packs on the trip. I needed to replenish my energy because of all the blood that Reggie took from me.”

Her face fell and he could’ve kicked himself.

“I didn’t know that’s what he had planned,” she whispered. “I never meant to lead you into a trap.”

“I know, Addie. He tried to make me think otherwise but I never believed him.”

“Really?”

“Yes, but we still need to talk. Tonight.”

She nodded and lifted her chin. “I know.”

Addie took a protesting Kami inside as he began to unload the trailer he’d brought home the previous day. As he started to assemble the new dome, he thought about the original living module. The bunk beds were fine, but the rest of the area was not suited for a little girl’s bedroom. Perhaps he needed to get another dome just for her. She had informed him on the ride that her favorite color was purple, and he tried to remember if he had seen anything in that color since arriving on Mars. He was considering the possibility of getting someone to create a dye before he realized what he was doing.

He forced his attention back to his current task and refused to think about the future.

After lunch, Addie and Kami rejoined him. As Addie had predicted, Kami had a thousand questions about the building process but he found he didn’t mind. He was also impressed by how quickly she seemed to understand the assembly process. He gave her one small panel and with only a little bit of help from Addie, she managed to put it together.

“Look what I did!”

“That’s wonderful. You’re a big help.”

Her little chest puffed up. “I’m very helpful.”

“You certainly are, baby,” Addie agreed. “But the sun is starting to go down. Time to go inside.”

“I want to stay outside and help Sam.”

They exchanged a look over her head.

“It will be too cold for you,” he said gently. “Maybe you can help Mama with supper instead.”

“I guess.” She scuffed at the dirt with the toe of her boot before reluctantly following Addie inside.

Night had fallen before he finished with the new dome and attached it on the far side of the greenhouse. He adjusted the flow of oxygen to fill the new space, then entered the lab dome. The room was in darkness but the living quarters beyond were full of light. A delicious smell wafted out and he could hear Addie and Kami laughing. I want this, he realized with a sudden desperate intensity, the woman, the child, the feeling of home. They would get past this; they must.

As soon as he walked through the door, Kami jumped up and threw herself at his legs.

“Look! I’m gonna be a giant too.”

He looked down and started laughing. She had appropriated one of his shirts. The shirt swamped her small body, the hem dragging on the ground and the sleeves rolled up so many times they were thick wads of material, but her smile was so bright he couldn’t object. Addie gave him an apologetic smile.

“She found it after her bath. I hope you don’t mind.”

“How can I object to a new deputy?”

He picked Kami up and she curled an arm around his neck.

“What’s a deputy?”

“That’s a person who helps the giant,” he said solemnly.

“I can do that.” She grinned at him and another little piece of his heart melted.

“I know you can, little one.”

After supper, Kami insisted that he stay while Addie told her a bedtime story. After she fell asleep, he led the way into the lab dome, leaving the door partially open behind them.

“Now, Addie, why? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Chapter Twenty-One

The color drained out of Addie’s face and she moved away from him, pacing over to the window. “I wanted to tell you. I even started to a few times, but I was afraid.”

“Afraid of me?”

“Afraid that you would hate me.” Her voice was muffled. “I know how much you despise him.”

“I thought you despised him too. And yet you had a child with him?”

“I didn’t have a choice.”

He laughed, the bitter sound ringing through the room.

“Of course you had a choice.”

“Did I?” she asked bitterly. “Did you have a choice when he chained you to the table and drowned you?”

“I don’t believe he chained you down.” Surely not even Mingol would go that far.

“Not physically. He just replaced my birth control with a placebo and insisted on his ‘rights as a husband.’”

The dead tone in her voice cut through his anger. He had seen for himself the results of that bastard’s refusal to accept the word no.

“When I found out I was pregnant, I was furious, but he had me watched so closely there was nothing I could do.” Her face changed and a hint of emotion returned to her voice. “And then I felt her move for the first time and I was… overwhelmed with the need to take care of her. I vowed I wouldn’t let him hurt her.”

The rest of his anger dissipated, replaced by a vast weariness. “What happened after she was born?”

“He crowed a little about his ‘licensed child’ but it didn’t take long for him to realize he didn’t like being around a baby.” Running a hand over her hips with a wry smile, she added. “And he didn’t like the changes that motherhood made to my body.”

“Then he was a fool,” he growled.

“Thank you, but really it was for the best. I think he found someone else although he never said that. He simply moved into one of the executive suites at GenCon headquarters. He pretty much left us alone for two wonderful years.”

“What changed?”

“I really don’t know.” She frowned thoughtfully. “All of a sudden, he was back in the picture, always wanting to dress Kami up and take her to company events. Thankfully, he still left me alone. Then one day he announced that he would finally give me the divorce I wanted since the day we were married.” A smile twisted her lips, her eyes distant. “I was so happy—right up until the time he told me that he intended to keep Kami.”

“Addie…”

“I spent the next two years fighting him in court, but he had money, he had power, and I didn’t stand a chance. He got custody of her. I was still trying to fight it when he turned up one day and told me that he was going to Mars. With Kami.”

“They weren’t supposed to allow children until the atmosphere was breathable.”

“I know.” She shrugged, the casual gesture at complete odds with the pain on her face. “I suspected that someone wanted to test it out. To see how a child would do on Mars. Apparently, I was correct.”

It was his turn to pace as he fought to contain his anger. “His own child?”

“Of course. He was going to be appointed head of development for all GenCon Martian projects. I tried to stop it of course, but it was useless. Then he came to me and said that he would give me full custody if I completed this project for the company. But I had to come with the team on the initial flight. They would follow the next year. Eighteen months without her, but in the end, she would be with me forever.”

“And you believed him?”

“Of course not, but we have a contract. My lawyer assured me it was legally binding. It seemed like my only hope.” Her lips trembled. “But I still felt like a failure. Like I abandoned her. I think that’s another reason I didn’t want to talk about it.”

He sighed and sat down in the desk chair. “Addie, come here.”

She didn’t look afraid, but it took her what felt like an eternity to approach. As soon as she was within reach, he caught her hand and tugged her gently onto his lap. Her rigid body slowly relaxed and she nestled into his arms.

“I have… issues with trust,” he said slowly.

“I know and I don’t blame you. I know that it’s my fault.”

“Not entirely. They started long before I ever became a cyborg.” He hated discussing his past but how could he lecture her about keeping secrets if he wasn’t honest with her. “My family is military, always has been, even back when each nation had its own armed forces. My father devoted his whole life to it. He cared much more for it than for my mother, or for me. He would promise to be there for special occasions, but he rarely ever showed up. When my mother became ill, he didn’t even make it home until after she died.”

“Oh, Sam, I’m so sorry.”

“The point is that I learned very early not to believe in other people’s words.” He cupped her chin, raising her face to his. “I want to believe in you, Addie, but I need you to be honest with me. Not telling me something because you’re afraid or because you don’t want to hurt me only makes it harder.”

Purple eyes glimmered with tears. “I should have told you.”

Her head lowered and she became very intent on one of the buttons on his shirt. “Can you… Do you think you can learn to accept her even though she’s Derrick’s child?”

“I don’t care about that,” he said, realizing as he spoke that it was true. He didn’t see Mingol when he looked at the little girl, just her own sweet face.

“And maybe, one day, we could be a… family?”

Her voice was so low that if it hadn’t been for his enhanced hearing, he wouldn’t have heard her. He thought back to the ride over the desert, to Kami helping him assemble the dome, to walking in tonight and knowing they were waiting for him.

“We already are, angel.”

She finally raised her head, her face glowing.

“Do you really mean that?”

“I do. You have my heart, Addie. You’ve always had it. Do you remember what you told me the day we were escaping GenCon?”

“That I… I loved you?”

“Yes. I never got a chance to respond, but I love you too, Addie, and I never stopped.”

“Even after what happened?”

“I told myself that I didn’t. I tried to push the feeling away, bury it beneath my pain and anger, but it was always there. I’m just sorry that we missed being together for so long.”

“I never stopped thinking about you. When I was pregnant, I used to imagine that she was your baby. Do you know why I named her Kamuela?”

He shook his head.

“It means Samuel in one of the old Earth languages. I knew Derrick would never let me call her Samantha, so I had to find another way to link her to you.”

An odd lump formed in his throat. “Kamuela. Thank you for telling me.”

“I love you, Sam. Even more now than I did then.”

Too overcome with emotion to respond, he resorted to physical action, lowering his head and kissing her, devouring her until they were both breathless. He ripped open the top of her coveralls impatiently, groaning as he cupped the soft weight of her breasts and brushed his thumbs over the taut peaks of her nipples. She arched into his touch, then pulled away.

“Kami,” she gasped.

He swore under his breath as he followed her gaze to the partially open door into the living module. The little girl was too close but he didn’t want to shut the door in case she needed them.

“Come with me.” He rose with her in his arms, striding quickly to the new dome. He left the doors ajar but the additional distance would give them time to cover up if Kami came looking for them.

Also designed as a living area, the new space had a large bed built into an alcove along one wall and he carried her there, pausing only long enough to strip off her clothes. “Now, Addie, you’re mine.”

“Yes, Sam,” Addie said, watching impatiently as he stripped off his own clothes. Her mouth went dry at the sight of his massive cock straining towards her. He gave it a long, slow stroke, watching her face, and she reached for him, her body on fire with longing. “I want you inside me.”

“Not until you’re ready.”

“I’m ready. Please. I need you.”

He came down over her but despite her urgency, he didn’t immediately enter her. Instead, he kissed her. First her mouth, then her neck, working his way down to her breasts. His mouth closed over a nipple, shockingly hot and wet as he tugged at the taut peak before scraping it with his teeth. She cried out, the sensation like a live wire straight to her swollen clit, and he raised his head.

“Too much?”

“No, no.” She tried to pull him back down and he gave a low chuckle as he obeyed. More long hard pulls followed by sharp spikes of excitement before she felt his hand between her legs, parting her folds, and sliding easily through the slick heat as he stroked her from pussy to clit. His teeth clamped down just a little harder as he stroked a finger across her swollen nub and she exploded in a short, hard climax. She was still shuddering when he filled her in one long stroke, sending her into a second shuddering climax.

His muscles felt like iron bands and she realized how much he was restraining himself.

“You don’t need to hold back.”

“I don’t want to frighten you.”

“I’m not frightened. I know who you are. I love you, Sam.”

His restraint vanished and he drove into her so hard and deep that she gasped, her fingers clutching frantically at his shoulders. As ready as she was, his size overwhelmed her, on the edge of being too much but sending a jolt of excitement through her body with each penetrating thrust. Her fingers tightened, her nails digging into his shoulders and a new wave of sensation hit her, as if he was vibrating deep inside, each stroke dragging across a place in her body that made her quiver, rubbing her clit from the inside, the sensation so intense that all she could do was cling to him as her climax roared towards her, slamming into her as he buried himself completely, calling out her name as he filled her with pulse after pulse of heat, each one making her convulse around him until they collapsed together in an exhausted heap.

“Are you all right, angel?”

“Mm.” Too tired to speak, she sighed happily and snuggled closer.

“As much as I hate to say it, we should go back to the living module. I don’t want Kami to be scared if she wakes up alone.”

She opened her eyes, studying his concerned face, and cupped his cheek. “You’re right.”

“Wait here. I’ll get a cleansing cloth.”

Despite her disappointed murmur, he pulled out, returning a moment later with a warm cloth.

“You’re very pink and swollen. Are you sure I didn’t hurt you?”

She shuddered as he stroked the cloth across her still sensitive clit. “Not at all. You’ve been very careful with me before, haven’t you?”

“Of course.”

“I think maybe you could be less careful.” She could feel the heat rising to her cheeks. “I liked what you did tonight.”

His eyes turned hungry and he made a slow circle around her clit. “As you wish, angel.”

Before she could respond, they both heard a soft whimper from the living module. She grabbed her coveralls. Even though the noise wasn’t repeated, she wanted to check on her daughter. Sam was already dressing.

“To be continued,” he said, smiling down at her.

“As soon as possible. Tomorrow I’ll show Kami where to find us if she needs us.”

He put his arm around her as they walked back through the lab and together, they checked on Kami, now sleeping peacefully, one arm around Rupert and the other flung over her head.

“Come back to the lab for a minute,” she whispered. “I want to talk to you.”

He nodded and followed her, tugging her down on his lap once more. “What is it?”

“I want to keep going with the experiments—if you’re willing, that is.”

“You don’t owe anything to that company.”

“I know, but I meant what I told you originally. I believe in this project. I think it’s important.”

He sighed. “I suppose you’re right. I’m willing to help.”

“Thank you, Sam.”

She kissed him, then the two of them sat in silence, looking out the window into the clear night. Thousands of stars filled the sky over the rocky outcroppings protecting their plateau. It was all so peaceful, and yet… she shivered.

“Are you cold?”

“No, I was just thinking. What’s going to happen when Derrick gets back?”

“If we’re lucky, he’ll be so enraged that his head will explode.”

“What if he comes after us?”

“He’ll have to find us first.”

“Carlos said the rovers have trackers.”

“They do, but I removed the one from our rover before I came to get you originally.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t want anyone coming after you, of course. I was still angry and confused but I knew you were mine, Addie.”

Her heart soared. “I knew you were mine too,” she whispered, then kissed him. The kiss rapidly turned hot and heavy. He had her coveralls open and she was about to suggest a return to the bedroom when he brushed his hand across her clit and she winced. He immediately pulled away.

“I think you need a little time to recover, angel.”

Even though she knew he was right, her bottom lip poked out. He laughed, running his thumb across the soft flesh. “We’ll just have to make sure you get plenty of practice.”

“Mm. I like the sound of that,” she mumbled, breaking into a big yawn.

“Bedtime,” he said firmly, rising with her in his arms. “Do you want to sleep with Kami or in the other bunk?”

“Where are you going to sleep?”

He shrugged. “I told you I can rest in any position. Besides, I have some additional work I want to do tonight.”

Another thought struck her. “Sam, if you can rest in any position, why did you think we needed the bedroom dome tonight?”

His eyes glinted. “Because I hoped that the night would end up exactly the way it did.”

“Even though you were mad at me?”

“I was never mad. But I needed to know.”

“I should have told you. I’m sorry.”

“That’s behind us now,” he said firmly. “No more secrets from now on.”

“No more secrets,” she agreed.

Addie decided to sleep with Kami, and he settled her down with her daughter, brushing a quick kiss across both foreheads before returning to the lab, this time closing the door behind him. Despite his earlier reassurances, he suspected that Mingol would not be so easily dissuaded. It might take him a while but given his resources, it was almost inevitable that he would eventually find them.

His face hardened. He would not be taken unawares again. Time to prepare.

Chapter Twenty-Two

The sun was just creeping above the horizon when the door to the living module opened slowly. He looked up, expecting to see Addie, but instead Kami’s small figure appeared.

“Good morning, little one. Are you always awake this early?”

“Mmhmm.” She yawned and wandered over to him, climbing up on his lap with a sleepy smile. “That man didn’t like it.”

“Is that why you went exploring?”

“Sometimes. Sometimes I wanted to see if Mama was back.”

The sadness in her voice made his heart ache and he hugged her closer.

“She won’t have to leave you again.”

“I know. She crossed her heart.” Kami played with a button on his shirt. “Are you gonna leave?”

“No, little one. You and me and your mama are going to be a family.”

“And Rupert?”

“And Rupert.”

“Good,” she said firmly, then yawned and snuggled closer.

Filled with contentment, he held his daughter as they watched the sun rise over their new planet.

The three of them were just finishing their lunch when he heard the sound of a rover approaching.

“Stay here,” he ordered.

“What is it?”

“Someone’s coming.”

“Who?” Addie’s lips trembled.

“I suspect it’s Mingol.”

“But you said he couldn’t find us!”

“Must have had some way of tracking us other than the rover. Don’t worry, angel. I can handle him.”

“But what if he uses the drug again?”

“He only caught me the first time because I wasn’t expecting it. Not going to happen again,” he said grimly.

Kami’s eyes were wide and frightened, her thumb creeping towards her mouth. “Is that man coming to take me away?”

“No, baby.” Addie put a comforting arm around her shoulders. “I won’t let him.”

“Neither will I,” he added and saw her little body relax.

“Now stay here,” he repeated as he headed for the door.

He hesitated in the airlock, then retrieved his gun from the weapons locker and buckled it around his waist. He had no doubt about his ability to defeat Mingol, but a physical confrontation would only upset Addie and Kami. Perhaps the fact that he was armed would deter the man from making a foolish attempt to capture him once more.

He was standing outside waiting, one hand on the butt of his gun, when the rover pulled up. One of the shiny white vehicles owned by GenCon, it looked sleek and expensive. Mingol climbed down out of the rover, rage etched across his features despite his attempt to appear in control.

“Where is my wife?”

No other words could have infuriated him more. “She’s not your wife.”

“She’ll always be my wife,” Mingol sneered. “But fine, let her hide. I only want my daughter anyway.”

“You can’t have her.”

“No? I have a legal contract that says otherwise.”

He almost laughed. “Mingol, do you even know what jobs the government assigned us here?”

“I don’t know, and I don’t care. Send out my daughter.”

“You should care. They put us in charge of enforcing the law on Mars. And I am the Territorial Judge. That means your legal contract has to come through me.”

For the first time, Mingol looked shaken, but he quickly recovered his composure.

“You’re just a fucking machine.”

“And you’re just a fucking human. Doesn’t mean much up here.”

Before Mingol could respond, another rover rumbled on to the plateau, also a shiny new GenCon vehicle. Fuck. Now what?

Mingol smiled triumphantly. “You’ll find out who’s important now.”

A huge man descended from the vehicle, surveying the surroundings suspiciously. His eyes flicked to Sam’s gun, but he didn’t comment, turning to assist a second person stepping down from the vehicle. Sam had to fight to keep his face impassive as his suspicions were confirmed. Serena Gatling, Managing Director of Martian operations for GenCon. The last time they met, he had considerably more backup. He could only hope his messages had gotten through.

“Ms. Gatling.”

“Judge.” She looked around the clearing, her nose wrinkling slightly. “I wish to speak to Dr. Montgomery.”

“I’m glad you’re here, Serena. I was worried my message wouldn’t reach you in time.” Mingol shot Sam a triumphant look as he approached the woman, but her bodyguard stepped between them and his smile faltered. “Serena?”

“I have business to attend to.” Dismissing Mingol, she turned back to Sam. “Dr. Montgomery?”

“I’m here.” Addie stepped up next to him, her face pale but composed.

Addie watched from inside as Derrick sneered at Sam, trying not to worry. She had to admit that the contrast between the two men reassured her. Sam stood tall and confident, at home in the harsh Martian environment, while Derrick looked completely out of place with his pasty complexion and his fancy suit.

When the second rover arrived, she started to panic. She was reaching for the gun Sam had given her when Kami squeaked.

“That’s Auntie Seena.”

A woman had descended from the second rover. Like all GenCon executives she looked cool and polished and, unlike Derrick, she didn’t look the least bit ridiculous in the Martian environment. She looked as if she was in complete control and a shiver raced up Addie’s spine as she recognized Serena Gatling.

“How do you know her, Kami?”

“She was on the ship. That man told me not to bother her, but she said she didn’t mind.” Kami smiled up at her. “She’s a nice lady.”

Those were not the words she would have used to describe the woman, but if she had been kind to Kami, maybe she wasn’t all bad.

“I’m going to go outside and see what she wants. You stay here, understand?”

“But I wanna see Auntie Seena,” Kami pouted.

“Not now. Stay here.”

Deciding the gun was pointless, she pulled on her breathing mask and coat and went to join the small gathering.

“Ah, Dr. Montgomery.” The woman’s voice was still low and pleasant, but her eyes were even colder in person. “I thought we should meet.”

“May I ask why?” She shot a quick glance at Derrick who was frowning impatiently.

“The progress you have made on solving the issue with the nanites is very promising,” Serena said.

“Thank you. I believe that it will be successful but it’s very early in the process.” Then the full impact of Serena’s statement hit her. “Wait a minute. I haven’t submitted my report yet. How do you know what I’ve achieved?”

“The same way I knew where to find you,” Derrick said impatiently. “We have been monitoring the lab equipment, including your computer.” Ignoring her outraged gasp, he turned to Serena. “I’m sure I can achieve results much sooner.”

Serena raised an eyebrow, looking faintly contemptuous. “And how do you propose to do that, Derrick?”

“By using this machine as a real test subject.” He threw a triumphant smile in Addie’s direction as he pointed at Sam.

“You are aware that there were very specific conditions attached to the Judge’s assistance?” Serena’s voice could have frozen boiling water and Derrick’s smile faltered.

“I don’t know the specifics.”

“Did you ask?” Without waiting for a response, she continued. “I have had several messages this morning from high-ranking members of the government. In case you have forgotten, they control this planet.”

“But…”

“We are bound by their rules.”

An unspoken for now seemed to follow her words and Addie shivered. Sam put a comforting hand on her back. Serena’s eyes followed the gesture, but she continued to address Derrick.

“In addition, I have an entire group of scientists threatening to quit because of your behavior.”

Derrick shrugged. “So we’ll replace them. You know there are hundreds of others who could take their place.”

“Perhaps on Earth,” Serena said dryly. “Aside from the fact that we have already picked the best candidates, it would take months to replace them, especially with the orbital distance between the planets increasing.”

“Fine,” he muttered. “I’ll get them straightened out.”

She regarded him thoughtfully. “I’m no longer convinced that you are the right man for the job.”

“What are you saying?”

“I am saying that the time has come for a change. Your services are no longer required.”

“You can’t do that! What’s going to happen to me?”

“That is not my concern.” She raised an eyebrow, her face as composed as ever. “I told you that you were playing a dangerous game, but you wouldn’t listen. Did you think I would be blinded by some type of… affection for you because we had a few brief encounters?” One corner of her mouth quirked up. “How foolish men are.”

“But you can’t abandon me!”

“I most certainly can. You were a useful addition to the program but you allowed your personal feelings to run away with you and that I cannot permit.”

“You need me to run this program.”

“Actually, I suspect Dr. Montgomery would run it just as well.”

“Her?” Derrick looked outraged. “She doesn’t have the stomach to get the results you want.”

Serena turned to her. “Do you want to take over the job of running the lab?”

She thought about her first miserable six months on Mars. Now she had Sam and Kami. It wasn’t a difficult decision.

“No, thank you. But I think Dr. Jenkins would be a good candidate for the position.”

“I will talk to him.” Serena’s eyes sharpened. “But you will continue your research?”

“I don’t know. I believe in this project but—”

“You believe in this project,” Derrick snarled. “Do you even know what it’s really about?”

“Derrick.” The icy warning in Serena’s voice would have stopped Addie in her tracks but Derrick was too angry to care.

“They plan to charge rich people millions of credits to live on Mars without any of these inconvenient restrictions.” He waved a hand at his breathing mask. “All the benefits of the fucking machines and none of the penalties.”

“That’s enough.” Serena’s words cracked like a whip across the clearing and finally penetrated Derrick’s bitterness. He looked as cowed as Addie had ever seen him.

“Is this true?” she asked in a quiet voice, even though she felt certain that Derrick was speaking the truth.

A faint line appeared on Serena’s brow before she lifted a shoulder. “It is true that there is a profit motive.”

Addie looked down at the ground, debating. Sam’s hand was a comforting warmth on her back as he waited for her to make a decision. She took a deep breath. “I’m willing to keep working on the project. I’m even willing to let you sell the results to people who can afford it. But if I succeed, anyone on Mars can get it for free.”

“Hm.” Serena studied her, her eyes leaving an icy trail behind. “And if you don’t succeed?”

“Then people will die. Believe me, I know the price.”

“Very well. I wish to be perfectly clear: I don’t intend to spend my time breathing down your neck, but I do expect results.”

“I understand.” She met the woman’s eyes squarely. “But I will be removing the monitoring from my computer.”

A flash of amusement crossed Serena’s face before she inclined her head.

“Understood. Is there anything else you need to continue your work?”

“No, thank you.”

“Very well. I will still expect weekly reports.”

Serena started to turn away but hesitated.

“I would also like you to bring Kamuela in once a month to have her health assessed.”

“I have no intention of letting you use my daughter as some kind of test subject,” she snapped.

To her shock, the faintest touch of pink tinted Serena’s high cheekbones.

“I simply wanted to ensure that she was prospering,” the woman said before her voice turned icy once more and all trace of emotion left her face. “But if you prefer to take the chance…” She shrugged.

Addie felt her own face color.

“Thank you. I promise we’ll be watching her closely.” An unexpected impulse compelled her to add, “Do you want to see her?”

A hint of something that could have been longing crossed the woman’s face before she shook her head. “Not under these circumstances. Perhaps another time.”

Serena started to return to the rover but paused to give Derrick a mocking smile.

“Dr. Mingol, I trust you understand that since you are no longer employed by GenCon, the Judge is quite free to administer whatever justice he sees fit.”

Rage twisted his features. “You think you’re just going to cast me aside?”

“I have no further use for you,” she said coolly.

Her bodyguard assisted her into the rover and the vehicle rumbled away just as Kami came flying out of the habitat. She started to dart after it, but Sam caught her and lifted her into his arms.

“I wanted to see Auntie Seena!” Kami protested.

“I’m sorry, baby. She was in a hurry. Maybe another time.”

“I don’t think so,” Derrick snarled.

She looked in his direction and froze. He was pointing a gun at the three of them.

Chapter Twenty-Three

“Derrick, what are you doing?” Addie cried.

She tried to step in front of Sam, and he pulled her back against his side, angling his body to try and protect them both.

“Stop moving or I’ll shoot.”

The man’s voice had gone high-pitched and hysterical and Sam recognized the signs of a man who had lost all reason. If he hadn’t had Kami in his arms, he would have charged him, but he couldn’t take the risk. He started to lower her to the ground and Derrick fired. The bullet landed in the dust in front of them. He froze. Kami trembled in his arms, but she didn’t make a sound.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Blackie approaching. The shot had apparently attracted the horse’s attention. If they could just distract Mingol long enough…

“Derrick, please,” Addie begged. “At least let me send Kami inside.”

“Why should I?” Mingol giggled, the sound crawling down Sam’s back. “You’ve taken everything from me, you bitch. Now it’s my turn.”

“Then punish me. But she’s just an innocent child.” Addie started to step forward again and he hauled her back against his body.

“Innocent? Didn’t she go to Serena behind my back? Filling her head with all sorts of lies. Serena was supposed to be mine. We were going to rule this planet together. And you ruined it—all of you ruined it!”

Mingol’s hand shook but he didn’t hesitate to raise the gun. Sam watched in slow-motion horror as his finger tightened on the trigger. Blackie reared up behind him, one heavy metal hoof crashing down on his head. Sam saw the blood spray, saw the man crumple in a broken heap from the fatal blow, but it was too late. The gun went off.

A white-hot streak of pain seared his side as he whirled, trying to cover both Kami and Addie with his body as he took them to the ground.

“Addie! Kami!” he cried frantically. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.” Addie’s voice shook. “Kami, are you okay, baby?”

The little girl didn’t respond, and he suddenly realized that the wetness soaking his side was far too much for the short gash along his ribs. He lifted up far enough to see the small, still figure, blood pooling at her side.

“Oh God, no!” Addie wailed, frantically checking Kami’s pulse. “She’s alive, Sam, but she’s losing so much blood. What are we going to do?”

He tried to force himself to think. Even at an all-out run, it would take more than an hour to reach the lab complex. J-817 was closer and he had paramedic training. If he could just stop the bleeding until he arrived… He tore off his shirt.

“Press that against the wound, hard. I’ll find something to tie it in place.”

As he headed for the habitat, J-817 galloped into the clearing and dismounted.

“I heard shots. What happened?”

“My daughter. She’s been shot. Can you help her?”

J-817 was already on his knees next to Kami, his face grim. “Get her inside.”

Sam picked her up as carefully as he could but even that slight movement renewed the bleeding. Addie kept her hand pressed against the wound, her face so pale he thought she’d pass out. They raced into the habitat and he led J-817 through to the lab, placing Kami’s fragile little body on the lab table. J-817 took a quick glance at the equipment.

“She needs blood. A lot of it. Can you provide it?”

“Of course, whatever she needs. Addie, can you set it up?”

“I should be the one to donate,” she protested, even as she moved over to the table.

“Begging your pardon, ma’am, but she’ll need more than you can give,” J-817 said quietly. “Just get S-756 ready, please.”

“Come on, angel. You know how to do this,” he urged.

“While she’s getting ready, go get my bag, S-756. You said there might be trouble, so I came prepared.”

The words had hardly left J-817’s mouth before Sam was racing outside. When he returned, Addie had the transfusion equipment ready for him. Her face was still pale, but she seemed more composed as J-817 talked quietly to her, his deep voice calm. Sam took his place in the big chair next to the table, trying to remain composed for Addie’s sake even though terror chewed at his guts. Please God, let Kami be okay.

“Are you sure Sam’s a better candidate?” Addie asked again.

“Yes, ma’am. He can afford to lose a little blood. You’ll need your strength to take care of this little one.” J-817 kept up a low, soothing rumble as he set up an IV to administer a sedative to Kami, then started the transfusion from Sam.

When he probed the wound for the bullet, Addie swayed, and he reached out his free hand to clasp hers. “Don’t look, angel.”

“I want to help her and I can’t,” she whispered.

“I know. I would do anything to save her.”

Tears leaked from under her lashes and he tugged her down on his lap, seeking comfort from her presence as much as he wanted to comfort her. The two of them sat in silence, holding each other, as J-817 worked. He could feel the strain on his system as he continued to lose blood, but he ignored it, too focused on what the other cyborg was doing.

J-817 finally stepped back and looked at them, a smile wreathing his craggy features. “She’ll make it.”

“Oh, thank God.” Addie burst into tears and Sam felt his own eyes water.

“You’re sure?”

“Yes. Even though she lost a lot of blood, the bullet didn’t penetrate any vital organs.” J-817 studied his face. “I’d like to keep giving her blood. Can you handle it?”

“Of course.”

“Hm. Where are your protein packs?”

“In the kitchen area. Above the cooker.”

“I’ll wash up and get you some. You look like you need the nourishment.”

“I’m fine,” he protested as the other male left the room.

“No, he’s right, Sam. You’re very pale.”

“I’ll be fine. You just concentrate on Kami.”

“I can worry about both of you,” she muttered, and for the first time in hours, a smile crossed his face.

“I’m sure you can, angel.”

When J-817 returned, they were laughing, still holding each other.

“I wanna get up,” Kami demanded a week later.

“Not until Uncle Jonah says you can,” Addie said firmly. Over the past week of daily visits, J-817 had become Uncle Jonah to both of them. Despite his forbidding appearance, he had been both kind and patient with her fears and Kami’s increasing restlessness. Her daughter had recovered with amazing speed.

“The resilience of youth,” Jonah had said, shaking his head. “I wish there was some way to bottle that as a medicine.”

“Youth and a very talented doctor,” Sam added. “We are forever in your debt.”

Jonah shrugged, clearly uncomfortable with the praise. “I’m just glad that my medical background paid off. This time.”

Addie had wondered about the bitterness in his words but didn’t press him.

“I’m just grateful that you came when I asked,” Sam said. In addition to sending a message to General Biggs, he had contacted the cyborgs at the mining claim to request assistance. At the time, he had assumed that Derrick would be the only one coming after them and he had simply asked one of the men to join him. Thank God Jonah had been on his way when Derrick found them.

Now, as if in response to Addie’s thoughts, Jonah appeared in the doorway.

“How’s my patient today?”

Addie sighed. “She wants to get up.”

“Well, let’s take a look, shall we?” He bent over Kami. “Is my assistant ready?”

She giggled and handed him Rupert. Jonah and the bear gravely inspected the wound, then had a muffled conversation.

“Dr. Rupert says that you can get up and I concur.”

“Really? Yay!” Kami started to throw up her arms, then winced.

“Careful, baby,” Addie said anxiously, giving Jonah a worried glance.

“Listen to your mother, young lady. And Dr. Rupert.”

“Okay.”

Sam appeared in the doorway just as Addie helped Kami swing her legs over the edge of the bed.

“What are you doing? Are you sure she should be getting up?”

“She’s fine, Sam,” Jonah assured him. “It will be good for her to have a change of scenery.”

Since the surgery, Kami had been ensconced on a cot in their room, but she had been getting harder and harder to keep in bed. Sam still looked worried and her heart melted. He had been her rock for the past week, soothing her anxiety and dealing patiently with Kami’s complaints. He had done more for her daughter in one week than Derrick had done in a whole lifetime of being a father.

The thought of her ex made her shudder and Sam dropped a big hand on her shoulder as if he knew what she was thinking. He probably did; he had held her through more than one nightmare. At least she would never have to worry about Derrick again. Blackie’s blow had been fatal. Sam and Jonah had taken care of the remains and she hadn’t bothered to ask how.

Kami stood up cautiously. Her legs trembled and both she and Sam reached for her. She clutched their hands, then smiled.

“I’m standing.”

“Yes, you are. Do you want to try walking, or do you want Sam to carry you?”

“Walk,” Kami said firmly.

She managed to totter into the other room and Addie could see Sam struggling to resist the urge to swoop in and carry her. Fortunately for his self-control, the effort exhausted Kami enough that she let him pick her up and put her in the chair by the window.

“I wish I could see Blackie,” she said wistfully.

“I’ll bring him over to the window,” Sam said immediately and disappeared.

Jonah laughed quietly. “She has him wrapped around her finger, doesn’t she?”

“I think it goes both ways. She adores him.”

“I’ll be back tomorrow to check on her. But if she wants to move around some more, I’d let her. The exercise will be good for her.”

“Are you sure?”

“Don’t worry, Addie. She’s just fine.”

“Thank you, Jonah.”

Kami squealed and they both looked up as Sam and Blackie appeared outside the window. The horse brushed his head against the glass right in front of Kami.

“Absolutely remarkable what he did,” Jonah murmured. “They were designed to protect themselves, of course, but to come to the rescue like that…”

“I think there’s a lot more to the horses than you all have been willing to see.”

“Perhaps you’re right. Or perhaps it’s the civilizing influence of a woman. Your sex has the most amazing ability to change things.”

“For the better, I hope.”

“Definitely.” He smiled and he didn’t look the least bit forbidding. “I’ll be back tomorrow.”

They let Kami stay up for the rest of the afternoon and she collapsed into bed after supper, obviously exhausted but smiling more than she had in days. Sam tucked her in, then led Addie into the lab room. There on the floor were the two bunk mattresses.

Her pulse sped up and she felt the expectant ache low in her belly. They had been so preoccupied with Kami for the past week that they hadn’t had time for more than a quick kiss in passing and she suddenly realized how much she had missed being with him. She looked up to find him watching her hungrily.

“Why, Sam, did you have something in mind?” she asked, fluttering her lashes at him.

“I have a mind to bury myself in that sweet little cunt,” he said bluntly, and her clit throbbed. “I need you, Addie.”

“I need you too,” she whispered, her playfulness disappearing at the hunger in his eyes.

She moved towards him, her hands eager as she unbuttoned his shirt, trailing kisses down the firm muscles of his chest and across the ridges of his abdomen. His hand cupped her head, his fingers tangling in the short strands of her hair, and she realized that she could let it grow again. She had cut it in defiance of Derrick’s wishes, but now she could please herself—and Sam. Her hands tugged impatiently at his pants and she heard his breath catch as she freed his erection. Her mouth watered as she studied him—long, thick, perfect—and she bent her head to swipe her tongue across the pearl of liquid at the tip.

“Angel,” he groaned, his hand clenching in her hair and sending a spike of excitement straight to her clit.

Still holding his cock, she dropped to her knees in front of him, then licked him again, circling the broad head. His whole body shuddered and she looked up to find him watching her, his face strained. He loomed over her, his massive body all she could see, but she felt no fear, only a mounting excitement. Teasing him with small kisses, and quick touches, she let the tension build until his muscles were like iron bands, until she could feel the slick heat between her own legs.

With one last tantalizing stroke, she pulled away, then got down on her hands and knees in front of him, giving him a provocative look over her shoulder. A giddy pleasure at her own ability to tease, to seduce, warred with the throbbing demand from her aching clit. She needed him.

“Do you want me, Sam?” she purred.

He growled and fell to his knees behind her, testing her readiness with the head of his cock before thrusting into her in one long, demanding stroke, stretching her, filling her, taking her. She buried her face in the mattress to muffle her cries as a fast, hard climax washed over her, her channel convulsing around him. He didn’t pause, his hands firmly gripping her hips, holding her in place as he plunged into her over and over again, their bodies slamming together as she thrust back to meet him, her excitement building again. His pace increased and she felt his cock vibrating, setting every nerve ending on fire with pleasure as he buried himself completely, hot pulses filling her as a second climax roared over her and her vision sheeted white.

Afterwards, they lay curled in each other’s arms. Addie felt completely limp, boneless with contentment.

“Sometimes this all seems like a dream,” she murmured. “I can’t believe we finally found our way back to each other.”

Sam sat up suddenly, pulling her with him.

“What is it? Is something wrong?”

“Absolutely nothing.” He took a deep breath. “Addie, will you marry me? I know it’s not really legal, but I love you and I want everyone to know that you are my wife and Kami is my daughter and-”

She finally recovered from her shock and threw herself at him, peppering his face with kisses. “Yes, yes. A thousand times, yes.”

“Really?”

“How could you doubt it? I’ve loved you since the moment I met you and I’m going to go on loving you for the rest of my life.”

He grinned, his face alive with happiness. “Then all we need is a new judge to perform the ceremony.”

“You’ll always be the only judge for me,” she whispered and drew him back down into her arms.

Epilogue

Two months later

“Daddy, Daddy!”

Sam turned his head as Kami came flying out of the newly expanded habitat towards him, dressed in the little black pants and shirt that Jonah’s wife Daisy had made for her. She was still determined to be his little deputy. It had taken her less than a month before she was calling him Daddy and he often wondered if she even remembered her biological father. Except in the dreams that sometimes woke her in the middle of the night, when she would crawl into bed with them and tuck her cold little feet against him. She never said what drove her to seek them out and in the morning she was her usual happy self, but he had his suspicions. He wished he could kill the man all over again.

“What’s up, buttercup?”

“Silly Daddy. I’m not a flower!”

She leaned against him to inspect the frame was assembling for an additional greenhouse. Although they had discussed moving, the habitat had proven to be an ideal home. It had the lab equipment necessary for Addie to continue her work and the advantage of isolation, but at the same time, they could be in New Arcadia for his monthly trials in less than a day. A new ranger had arrived to take over his patrol, although Sam hadn’t met him in person yet. T-539 had been one of the last to arrive from Earth even though he was easily Sam’s age.

“Whatcha doing?” Kami asked.

“Building a greenhouse. So I can grow more flowers like my little buttercup.”

She giggled. “I didn’t come from a greenhouse. I came from Mama’s tummy.”

“Yes, you did.”

Her nose wrinkled thoughtfully. “Do you think she has any more babies in there?”

“I don’t know. Would you like that?”

He and Addie had discussed the possibility of having a baby together, but their family was still so new that neither one of them wanted to add to it just yet.

“Uh-huh.” Her little head nodded emphatically. “I wanna baby sister.”

“You might get a baby brother instead.”

Her face screwed up. “You can’t make it a girl?”

“Afraid not, buttercup. It would be a surprise for all of us.”

“I guess a brother would be okay. But try and get a girl.”

“We’re going to have to wait a little while before we look for either one.”

“My birthday’s in a little while,” she said hopefully.

He laughed. “It doesn’t happen quite that quickly.” Although given his insatiable desire for Addie, he suspected that once they started trying, it wouldn’t take long. “But we’ll see what happens.”

Apparently satisfied with his answer, she turned back to inspect the frame. “Does that piece go on next?”

He followed her finger and realized that she was correct. Her intelligence often surprised him but then again, she was Addie’s daughter. “Yes, it does. Do you want to watch me put it up?”

“Nah. I’m going to go visit Blackie and tell him that I’m getting a baby sister. Or brother.”

“Kami, that’s not what I said.”

“It’s what you meant. You said, ‘we’ll see,’ and everyone knows that means yes.”

She skipped off without waiting for an answer and he shook his head. Perhaps he and Addie needed to revisit the conversation about children. The thought made his cock start to stiffen but he sternly brought it under control. With Kami around, they had to find their moments when they could and it was a long time until her bedtime.

He returned to the frame, listening to Kami whisper to the horse where he was standing at the end of the plateau in his favorite position, looking out over the valley floor. Sam didn’t know if it was due to protectiveness or curiosity, but the horse spent much of his free time standing there, seeming to keep watch over their surroundings.

He heard Kami cry out and he was across the clearing almost before she finished her exclamation.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

“I hurt my leg,” she sobbed, pointing to a small scrape on one knee.

“Poor little buttercup. Why don’t we go in the house and let Mama put a bandage on it?”

“A purple bandage?” Her tears dried up as if by magic and he laughed as he lifted her into his arms.

“If she has one.”

She smiled up at him, despite the tears still sparkling on the ends of her long dark lashes. Those big purple eyes, so like her mother’s. He gently wiped the tears away and suddenly realized her face was bare.

“Kami! Where’s your breathing mask?”

“Over there.”

She waved a vague hand but he didn’t bother to look, taking off for the habitat at a run.

“Addie!” he yelled as soon as he was inside. “I need you.”

She came racing out of the lab dome. “What is it? Has something happened to Kami?”

“I hurt my knee, Mama,” his daughter said, pouting.

“Her mask. She didn’t have her mask on,” he said frantically.

Addie went pale.

“Can you tell if there’s any damage?”

“Bring her into the lab. Hurry.”

A frantic few minutes later, she looked up at him and sighed with relief. “Everything looks fine. She’s perfectly healthy. She must not have had it off for long.”

They both turned to look down at their daughter who was staring up at them with wide eyes.

“What happened to the mask, baby?” Addie asked gently.

Kami screwed up her face. “I don’t like it. It itches.”

“But you need it to breathe. You can’t take it off. And unless you promise me you won’t do it again, you won’t be able to go outside and play by yourself.”

Kami’s lip trembled. “But I don’t need it, Mama.”

“Yes, you do, young lady.”

“I don’t either. I ‘sperimented. Just like you do.”

“What?”

“I ‘sperimented. I took it off for a little while and I felt fine. So I tried it again. I don’t need it.”

He suspected his face mirrored the look of horror on Addie’s face.

“How long, Kami? How long did you take it off for?”

“When I went to play with Blackie.” She beamed up at them. “He likes it when I take it off.”

“She was over there for a good fifteen minutes, maybe even longer,” he said slowly. “How can she be fine?”

“I don’t know.” Addie collapsed down on the lab table next to Kami. “An adult couldn’t last more than ten.”

“Can I go play now?” Kami demanded.

“Yes, but inside the habitat. Don’t you dare go outside,” Addie said sternly.

“Okay. I want to go tell Rupert about my baby sister.”

“What?” Addie turned to stare at him as Kami danced off, no longer concerned about her knee.

“She misunderstood what I said.”

“Really? We’re going to have to talk about exactly what you said. Later.” Her brow furrowed. “I don’t understand. Has the atmosphere changed without us noticing?”

“I don’t see how.” Nonetheless, he went to check the monitor that tracked outside conditions. “There’s been a marginal increase but only along the expected parameters. You couldn’t survive without a mask for very long.”

“But our daughter can.”

She was still sitting on the lab table looking worried, so he picked her up and carried her to the long bench in front of the window, sitting down with her in his arms.

“Could children somehow be able to adapt?” he asked. “To learn to do naturally what the government did to us artificially?”

“What the government did to you,” she repeated. “By putting nanites in your bloodstream.”

His mind raced to the obvious conclusion.

“You think the transfusion is responsible?”

“What else could it be?”

“But your experiments with my blood don’t work that way.”

“But they were never with another living being. One who you were trying to save.”

They stared at each other.

“There’s one way to know for sure,” Addie said slowly. “I could take a blood sample from her.”

“She hates getting stuck.”

“I know and… I’m not sure I want to do it, Sam. If what we suspect is true, I would need to follow up. And I’m not prepared to start experimenting on people.” She took a deep breath. “I’m making progress with the latest tests. It’s slow but it’s working. I think I should continue with those.”

“But what about you? I want you to be safe out there as well.”

“As if you’d ever let me come to any harm.” She smiled up at him, the smile she reserved just for him. “Let it go, Sam. My work will get us there eventually.”

“But—”

“Let it go.” She put a finger across his mouth and leaned into him, her soft breasts pushing against his chest. “Now what was that about a baby sister…”

Much later that night, Addie stood in her daughter’s room watching her sleep. Her beautiful, perfect daughter. Now a little more perfect. They were going to have to be very careful to protect her secret. She shuddered to think what would happen if GenCon found out.

A pair of warm arms slipped around her waist.

“What are you doing?” Sam’s warm breath in her ear sent a shiver of pleasure down her spine.

“Just looking,” she whispered. “Sometimes it’s still hard to believe I have her back.”

“No one’s going to take her away again.”

“I know.”

“Come back to bed.”

He urged her out of the room, closing the door behind them.

“Why do you want to go back to bed?” she asked innocently. “I didn’t think cyborgs needed much sleep.”

He growled and swept her up in his arms. “That’s because cyborgs have more important things to do than sleep.”

“Like what?” She pressed a small sucking kiss to his neck.

“Like make sure that their very beautiful and very tempting wives are so worn out that they go to sleep.”

“And how do they do that?”

He let her slip down his body, deliberately keeping her pressed against his erection, before pulling the purple silk gown over her head. “By worshipping them from their head to their toes.”

He tossed her gently on the bed and she had to muffle her laugh before he stripped off his pants and followed her down. She expected him to follow through on his promise immediately but instead he stopped, running a hand through her growing hair and studying her face.

“I love you, angel.”

“I love you too, Sam.”

“You have always been the light in my darkness. Even when I told myself that I would never forgive you, the thought of you gave me a little warmth. Right here.” He put his hand over the panel that had replaced his heart. “Sometimes that was the only warmth I had. And now that I have you, I have our daughter, I have more warmth than any man would wish for. Any man, Addie. Because you made me human again. Thank you.”

Her eyes were so full of tears that it was hard to see his beloved face, but she put her hand on his cheek.

“You were the spark inside me when I wanted to give up. When I was so tired of fighting. You gave me back my life, my daughter. I’m the one who’s grateful.”

“Perhaps we should be grateful together,” he suggested as he ran a gentle thumb beneath her eyes, wiping away the tears. “I believe some worshipping is in order.”

“Yes, please,” she whispered as his head descended and she gave herself up to the joy of loving and being loved.

Author’s Note

Thank you so much for reading A Fistful of Cyborg! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it – Sam and Addie had so many challenges to overcome and I loved giving them their happy ending! (Although, of course, there are more shenanigans to come with GenCon!)

Whether you enjoyed the story or not, it would mean the world to me if you left an honest review on Amazon - reviews are one of the best ways to help other readers find my books!

As always, I have to thank you, my readers! You are amazingly supportive and encouraging and I appreciate every one of you. A special thanks to my beta readers – Janet S, Tammy S, Nienna W, and Nancy V. Your thoughts and comments are always so helpful!

What’s up next? Bill (B-669) and Jonah (J-817) face their own challenges when a mail order bride appears – but is she married to the right groom? Will she bring them closer, or tear them apart?

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Other Titles

Cyborgs on Mars

High Plains Cyborg

The Good, the Bad, and the Cyborg

A Fistful of Cyborg

A Few Cyborgs More

The Alien Invasion Series

Alien Selection

Alien Conquest

Alien Prisoner

Alien Breeder

Alien Alliance

Alien Hope

Cosmic Fairy Tales

Jackie and the Giant

The Treasured by the Alien Series

with Bex McLynn

Mama and the Alien Warrior

A Son for the Alien Warrior

The Alien Abduction Series

Anna and the Alien

Beth and the Barbarian

Cam and the Conqueror

Deb and the Demon

Ella and the Emperor

Faith and the Fighter

Greta and the Gargoyle