Coal nodded. “He really hates humans.”

“I know. Him buying one will give me nightmares but we have no right to interfere.”

Coal’s gaze cut to the exterior cargo door when it opened. Jill walked off the Jenny without glancing back. His fingers curled into fists at his side.

“Take deep breaths and remain calm. I find that pacing helps.” Flint shrugged. “I’ll go see how the human female is.” He looked at Onyx and Sky. “Guard the cargo door to make certain Coal doesn’t get impatient. The last thing we need is a battle.” He glanced around the cargo hold. “This thing wouldn’t survive.”

Coal shot Flint a glare. “I don’t need babysitters.”

“Yes, you do. I see that look, my friend. You want to storm after her to make sure she’s fine. The captain won’t harm her.” Flint moved away.

Coal glared at the two cyborgs who moved to stand in front of the doors Jill had just walked through. He crossed his arms over his chest and began to pace. She will return soon. He kept repeating that in his mind.

* * * * *

Jill tried not to feel nervous as Captain Varel took total stock of her from head to toe, his green eyes slowly traveling the length of her body until he met her gaze again. He smiled.

“You can call me Barney,” he offered softly. “I’m so glad to meet you finally, Jillian.”

“Nobody calls me that. I’m just Jill.” She shifted her stance. “Look, if my father said I’d marry you, well, he didn’t have a right to do that.” Her arms crossed over her chest. “It’s not happening.”

The calm expression on the captain’s face quickly changed. “You don’t know me. I believe, if given time, you will change your mind. I’d never treat you the way Darren did. You have nothing to fear from me.”

“Let me cut the crap,” Jill frowned back at him. “Did you see that tall, bald cyborg? I’m in love with him and he’s the one I’m marrying. Nothing you could say or do will change that.”

“You can’t be serious.”

The doors opened from the inner ship and a woman wearing barely anything walked into the cargo hold. She carried a tray with two glasses. Jill’s eyebrows arched high at the tall, beautiful blonde woman with more leg bared than could be considered decent. The very short dress stretched over her thin, willowy frame, tight enough to reveal her small br**sts to the point that nothing had been left to the imagination.

“Here are the drinks you ordered, Captain.” The woman flashed a smile at Jill. “Welcome aboard.”

“Thank you,” the captain took the two glasses off the tray and dismissed the woman with a jerk of his head. He offered one of the drinks to Jill. “I bet you miss certain things from Earth. I thought you’d enjoy a glass of wine while we talked.”

Jill watched the other woman stroll out of the room. “She’s gorgeous.” Her gaze returned to the captain. “You obviously don’t need a woman in your life.”

“She’s a sex android for the crew.”

“Oh.” Shocked, she reached for the offered glass, in need of something to wet her dry throat. “Well, that’s handy to have aboard. She looks so real I never would have guessed but then I’ve never seen one.”

Barney grinned. “I don’t use her for sex. We got a good deal on her that I couldn’t resist. She was a decommissioned model heading to be scrapped.”

“That’s hard to believe. She’s lovely.”

“They tried some sort of new thinking chip that made them too smart for whorehouses. We don’t mind her adapting abilities since she’s capable of learning everything from shuttle repairs to doing laundry.”

“Handy.” Jill sipped the wine again, enjoying the taste, and then lowered her glass. “Back to our discussion. I don’t want to hurt your feelings but my life isn’t going to be with you. It would never work out between us. I really do love Coal. That’s the name of the cyborg who wanted to shoot you.” She paused. “My mind is made up.”

“I see.” He took a deep breath. “Do you mind telling me why you stayed away from Earth for so long? Have you been with those cyborgs since your father died?”

“Actually, I just met him and everything fell into place. I didn’t come back to Earth because the Jenny didn’t have enough fuel to make the trip. One of my first trades went wrong and a few people died accidentally when I tried to get away from a shuttle chasing me. I thought Earth Government wanted to arrest me for their deaths.”

“You aren’t wanted. I would have seen if an alert had been issued on a Jillian Maris.”

“It’s a relief to know I’m not considered a murderer.” She took another sip of the wine. “I’d like to go now.”

He nodded. “At least finish your wine. I’m glad you’re happy, Jillian. That’s all your father wanted for you.”

“I’m glad we’re cool. You seem nice and all but as I said, I love Coal and I just want to get back to him.” She lifted her glass, gulping down the rest of the wine just to be done, and held out the glass. “Thank you for being so understanding. I wish you a happy life.”

He took the glass, smiled, and then tossed both glasses to the deck. His lunged before the sound of shattering glass registered to Jill. She gasped when he grabbed her, yanking her roughly against his larger frame.

“You didn’t really think I’d allow you to get away, did you?”

Jill started to struggle but suddenly she didn’t feel well. Her head started to pound, the room spun, and a dizzy spell hit her so hard her knees gave way. “What―”

“I drugged your drink, you naïve little fool.” The captain shifted his hold and swept her up into the cradle of his arms. “Did you record all that?” His voice rose.

“Yes, Captain,” a male answered from somewhere.

Jill fought to remain conscious. The pain in her head grew worse and when she tried to focus, she couldn’t see anything but blurry shapes. Her arms and legs didn’t want to respond.

“Loop it up and send the message. Tell them you’ll only give it to that one called Flint. He seemed to command those robotic things. After you send it, undock, and get us the hell out of here before they realized they’ve been duped.”

“No,” Jill whispered. “Coal!” Everything turned black.

Chapter Twelve

Alarm gripped Coal when the engines to the Jenny fired up. He turned to the docking doors but they hadn’t opened again to admit Jill back onto her ship. Onyx and Sky still blocked the doors but now both men gave him worried looks. Another door opened, drawing his attention, and he spun to face Flint.

“Why have you started the engines? Jill hasn’t returned yet.”

Flint walked straight to him, a frown fixed firmly on his face. “I have bad news, Coal.” He stopped within feet between him. “Your human female decided to stay with her own people.”

“I don’t believe it. They are making her say that.” He lunged, trying to get around the other cyborg toward the docking doors but Flint grabbed his arms, halting him.

“I’ve been given a message for you.”

“Let me go. I’m going to retrieve Jill.” Coal struggled but the other cyborg refused to release him.

“I’m going to play Jill’s message for you.” Flint cocked his head. “Listen.”

The speakers in the docking back clicked on. Coal tensed, ceasing his struggles in the other male’s arms. It had to be some kind of trick. The humans had stolen Jill. She loved him and would never leave him. They were going to form a family unit.

“Let me just be blunt, Coal.” Jill’s voice filled his ears. “I don’t want to hurt your feelings but my life isn’t going to be with you. My mind is made up. I just met him and everything fell into place. You seem nice and all but it would never work out between us. Thank you for being so understanding. I wish you a happy life.”

The transmission cut out. Pain gripped Coal so hard he couldn’t breathe. No, his mind screamed. She wouldn’t do this to me. She loves me and I love her.

“I’m sorry,” Flint whispered.

Coal shook his head, pushing past the pain in his chest. He glared at Flint. “It’s a lie. Jill wouldn’t wish to remain with them. She wants to join a family unit with me. It’s some kind of trick. They used a voice modifier.”

Sky had moved closer. “We all studied the message before we played it for you, man. That’s her real voice. Modifiers take words and repeat them. There were many variations in her speech with common words to make it conclusive she actually said that.”

Onyx gave him a sad look. “I am sorry, Coal. I agree with Sky. The message wasn’t automated. She spoke the words.”

Fury and disbelief boiled in Coal. “No.” He suddenly pushed hard at Flint. “I do not believe it. Jill loves me and I love her. She wants me, not some human male. I am all she wants. They forced her to say those things. I’m getting my woman.”

Flint managed to keep hold of him until Coal threw a punch. His fist slammed into the other cyborg hard, making direct contact with Flint’s chin. The large cyborg grunted, his hold loosening, and then he stumbled.

Coal tore out of his grasp, running at the two stunned cyborgs still in his way. Onyx tensed, lifting and spreading his arms in an attempt to block him but Sky jumped out of the way. Coal hit Onyx in a tackle, taking them both down hard to the deck floor. Curses came from the pinned cyborg, his struggles weak from the trauma of having his body crash into the unforgiving metal and Coal’s impressive weight crushing down on top of him. With one punch, Coal knocked the male under him unconscious. He rolled to get to his feet but pain exploded in the back of his head.

He collapsed on his side, nausea and strong waves of darkness nearly blinding him. Sky leaned down, holding something gripped in his hands.

“Sorry, my man. We’ve already undocked. You tear open that door and we’re going to die. I thought you were a hell of a cute couple but you can’t force her to stay with you.”

Coal shook his head, pain making him groan. He blinked rapidly but his vision seemed to get worse instead of better. His hands pushed on the deck. He needed to find Jill.

“Stay down. I don’t want to hit you again.”

The strength in his arms gave way and he slumped to the deck. Jill needed him. She wouldn’t leave him. They loved each other. I love her.

Flint bent over him. He sighed. “Lock him down before he wakes. I knew he’d take this hard.”

I’m awake, Coal thought but his mouth didn’t work.

“Who the f**k wouldn’t? If I ever get a woman I wouldn’t want to let her go either.” Sky sighed. “This bites ass.”

Coal lost consciousness.

* * * * *

A warm, wet cloth gently brushed Jill’s brow and she smiled. “Aunt Mary.” Childhood memories flooded her and how her aunt had always done that when she had a fever. Her head did hurt a little.

“I am called Rune.”

The soft, unfamiliar female voice had Jill struggling to open her eyes. She blinked, flinching from the light that momentarily blinded her, and then stared up at a lovely face of a blonde woman. She looked familiar but Jill couldn’t place where she knew her from.

“How do you feel? I accessed the information for the drug you were given and it states that side effects are headache, dry mouth, and dehydration.”

Jill blinked, adjusting to the light, and fought to remember who the woman could be. She came up with a blank but then something tugged at her memory. It all came back so suddenly that she gasped. She tried to jerk upright but then groaned loudly when the pain in her head exploded into a throbbing mass of agony.