The strong arm around her waist tightened, jerking her ass back down on his lap, surprising. A frown marred his handsome features.

“I wanted to come after you and it was a damn good excuse.”

Some of her hurt eased at his words. “You don’t lie.”

“I don’t lie.”

“What are you going to do with her? Keep her?” The cyborg who had blown up the pod spoke.

Rena wondered about that too. And would he keep her? That thought of staying with him didn’t upset her or make her want to wiggle off his lap to put distance between them.

She’d wanted to leave Earth to start a new life when she earned her big bonus but she’d always thought she’d end up living on Moon City, far from Chuck and out of his reach.

So many questions filled her head.

“What happens next?”

“I don’t know.” Steel showed his emotions to her, not masking his uncertain expression. “If you return to Earth, they will arrest you and interrogate you to discover what really happened on the Star and to the crew of the Bridden. You going back there would be suicide.”

“I’ll buy your human from you,” the pilot said suddenly. “I’d enjoy owning her.”

Steel shot him a cold glare. “No. Return us to the Vontage. I take it we are not being pursued?”

“No,” the man turned in his seat to stare at his controls. “We are clear and they weren’t alerted to our presence. They stopped near the wreckage, probably scratching their human heads over how it malfunctioned and exploded.”

“Steel?”

He met her questioning look. “I don’t have answers, Rena. Somehow we’ll have to work the issues out later when we are alone.”

Issues? She wanted to groan. That was such an understatement. He wanted to marry someone else, a cyborg, but he’d said a cyborg woman wouldn’t let him keep her. Not to mention there was that whole monogamy issue that was going to be a big damn problem between them. She wouldn’t agree to be his mistress, refused to be with a man who slept with her and with other women, even if it was because of his cyborg patriotism. If she was with another man it wouldn’t be anything like her marriage to Chuck had been.

“We’ll work it out somehow,” he said softly, holding her tighter. “I haven’t run the scenarios for this situation yet but I’m working on a solution.” He paused. “I won’t give you up again.”

She pressed tighter into him, curling into his chest. She had to fight a smile at the way his mind worked. Maybe he could find some loophole in his laws and contracts. He was the smartest man she’d ever met. Plus, he had all those enhancements so if there was a way, he’d figure it out.

“Are you all right, Rena? You are very quiet and your heart rate is normal which I find disconcerting since you should be stressed. Are you depressed?”

“No.” She shook her head against his shoulder. “I’m relaxed actually, relieved that I’m with you, and I am refusing to stress, as you put it. I’m just damn happy to be alive and in your arms.”

His arms tightened around her. “Good.”

She dozed a few times, jerking awake to find Steel still holding her. The cyborgs didn’t talk at all, silently sharing the room but obviously not feeling the need to carry on a conversation. The sound of the engines lulled her back to sleep.

“We are docking with the Vontage,” Steel informed her softly, helping her stand.

“I didn’t sleep last night.” She grinned up at him. “Someone kept me awake. Sorry I fell asleep on you.”

“I’ll take you to bed and turn my work shift over to another so I may sleep with you.

I want to hold you and appreciate that you are back.”

There was a soft bump as the Bridden docked to the Vontage, nothing more than a tiny sway of her body but Steel gripped her instantly to steady her just in case. Rena grinned up at him, appreciating how quick his reflexes were. He released her to hold out his hand, offering it to her.

She was gripping Steel’s hand as they exited the shuttle but what awaited them shocked her. Judging by the way Steel came to an abrupt halt, a frown on his face, she wasn’t alone. He tightened his hold on her.

Wire, Fusion, Blackie, Gene, and a half dozen other cyborgs waited in the cargo area. That didn’t alarm Rena but the weapons pointed at Steel sure did as she stared at the unfamiliar black weapons the cyborgs held.

“You’re arresting me?” Steel’s tone was calm, almost curious.

“This wasn’t my order,” Blackie replied, jerking his head toward Fusion. “She contacted her biological donor to report that you’d taken the newly acquired shuttle.”

Steel’s attention turned to Fusion. She glowered at him, crossing her arms over her chest. “He’s council member Zorus. He was quite interested in hearing that you risked such an important asset when it was not for the gain of Garden or our people but instead to save a human.”

A muscle in his jaw jumped but his face remained emotionless as he continued to regard her. “I see.”

“I don’t,” Rena said softly. “What is going on, Steel?”

”I went after you and obviously the council didn’t agree with my decision. I’m being arrested and will be taken before them to defend my actions.”

“But Earth Government would have tortured information out of me about your people. Don’t they know that?”

“They will.” Steel tore his focus away from her to scowl at Fusion. “Is this because I refused your offer to join your family unit?”

Fury darkened Fusion’s skin, her hands fisting at her sides as she dropped her arms.

“Yes it is. If you won’t be with me, I refuse to allow a human to have you. If you reconsider I’ll contact Zorus and tell him I was misinformed of the situation so he will have the charges dropped.”

“Blackmail?” Steel’s eyebrow arched. “That’s very irrational and unstable behavior.

I refuse to join into a contract with you.”

Rage gripped the female cyborg’s features. “Take him to holding and his human as well. They can enjoy each other’s company in separate cells.”

“That’s uncalled for.” Gene frowned at Fusion. “She’s not a prisoner.”

“They want to be together so let them.” Fusion spun on her heel and stomped away.

“Under council order, I am now in charge of the Vontage until we reach Garden. Follow my orders.”

“I’m sorry,” Blackie said softly. “I didn’t file that report but when she did, they stripped me of command. Fusion made it sound as if we blindly follow you so our logic is flawed as a whole. I can have your guards treat you both with the utmost respect. It’s all I can do until your trial. I will speak on your behalf. In the meantime, Wire has started to remove the implanted chips. They are located at the base of the back of the neck so it will be an easy procedure for our men. I’ll make sure Wire gets access to you while you are here so she can remove yours.” Blackie glanced at Rena. “She will not pose a threat to our men any longer.”

Steel nodded at Blackie then squared his shoulders and turned away. “Let’s go, Rena. I’ll clear this up on Garden but until then we need to go with them to the holding cells.”

She was too stunned to say anything, just let Steel and the armed cyborgs lead her out of the cargo area, down a hallway, to a lift. They traveled to what must have been the bowels of the ship, judging by how many levels they dropped before the lift stopped and opened to reveal a large room.

It was an open space with three large cages, beds and cleansing units set up in each one. Steel kept his head up, his shoulders straight as he led her into the closest cage, allowing one of the men to close the door between them before he moved to the cell next to hers. The sounds of the cages closing were loud and scary to Rena as she stared at the bars surrounding them and above their heads. The cage was about fifteen by ten feet with two-inch thick metal bars on all sides.

“Will you bring us blankets? She can’t regulate her body to adjust to the colder air down here.” Steel addressed one of the guards.

The man gave a jerk of his head, turned, and walked away. Steel turned to face Rena and reached through the bars to take her hand again.

“It will be fine. We’ll arrive at Garden in a matter of days.”

She closed the distance to latch onto him with both hands around his. “You got into trouble over me. I’m so sorry.”

“I have no regrets. You are here with me instead of captured and being hurt, so I achieved my goal.”

“What is going to happen to you if they don’t think what you did was the best thing?”

He hesitated. “I won’t be killed if that is your fear. This isn’t Earth Government and we don’t terminate other cyborgs except in extreme cases. Most likely I would be stripped of my position and I could be sentenced to do hard labor in one of the jobs that are very undesirable if I am found guilty of a crime.” He paused. “You didn’t ask what would happen to you.”

“I’m more concerned with your fate.”

A small smile played at his lips. “Thank you.” That smile died. “You belong to me and they can’t strip me of ownership of you so they’ll take you to my home where I’ll set up deliveries to care for you until I’m released, if I am found guilty.”

She was speechless.

“You will be a prisoner there but my home is comfortable and I have friends who will protect you.” He paused. “I will have you branded as mine so do not fight if someone arrives to do that. It will be on my orders.”

“But they won’t touch me, will they? Protect isn’t a nice word for saying they will try to have sex with me, right?”

He chuckled. “They wouldn’t dare attempt it. You are mine, Rena. I want you marked so all know it. Do you agree to carry my brand on your body?”

Her relief was instant. In cyborg language, she figured that was almost as good as a marriage proposal. “Yes! I’m so damn sorry about all of this. I feel responsible.”

“You are not. Fusion is irritated with my decision to refuse her and she is being vindictive.” He shrugged his broad shoulders. “We are sometimes emotional and clearly let it show at times like these.”

One of the guards returned carrying a few folded blankets. He unlocked the cage door and stepped inside. Rena reluctantly released Steel’s hand to accept them. The guard surveyed her body, smiling.

“If you are cold I will be more than happy to warm you up.”

Rena backed away, gripping the blankets as Steel spoke, his voice harsh, deep, and icy cold. “Touch her and I’ll kill you the first chance I get. I haven’t been found guilty yet, Bortno, so keep that in mind.”

Bortno gave a sharp nod, backing up. “I understand. She is yours.”

“She is mine,” Steel confirmed.

The guard left the cage and walked away, leaving them alone in the large room.

“Thank you.”

“You’re mine to protect.”

“I guess we’re going to get to know each other really well if we’re going to be here for a while.”

He smiled. “Yes.”

She moved to her cot and gripped it, throwing her weight into it as she started to drag it toward the wall of his cell. The cot wasn’t more than seventy or eighty pounds so she managed to maneuver it without too much trouble, pushing it up tight to the bars. She sat down cross-legged, facing the bars. Steel was watching her, amusement etching his features. He moved his own cot, mirroring its position to hers so the bars separated their mattresses. He removed his boots and sat down, mimicking her position.

“If we can’t sleep together at least we’re close. She reached through the bars to rub his knee. “And we can touch.”