“While life means everything to me.” The remaining ships were getting closer and he surged his ship upward. “He’s willing to kill innocents?” His vision clouded with rage. He fucking hated Nightheart but he never thought his former boss was a murderer.
Gunner didn’t respond which told him enough.Dead or alive.His hide on the line was one thing, but Janet’s and Lily’s? Nightheart was willing to kill innocents to keep his agenda. The revelation made him explode with a bitter string of curses.
Zeph turned theOppressionaround and headed straight for the EPED ships, sending everything he had in his arsenal at them. More explosions of metal and colors filled the area outside his viewing dock but all he saw was the blood-red mist clouding his vision. His gaze trailed the last EPED ship remaining as he swiveled to follow it, locking on.
Its own blasters locked right back on him.
The ship exploded out of the sky. Gunner’s ship sailed through the sizzling wreckage and into his line of sight.
Zeph leaned onto his hands and stared down at the controls before him as Gunner neared, waiting as a single bead of sweat fell from his forehead to land on buttons below.So close. Fighting Gunner would only further endanger Janet and Lily’s lives. His only option was to flee, but that warred with every sliver of his identity.
I can outrun Gunner and the EPED. But he needed a head start. He looked up.
“I won’t give them to you,” he sneered.
“What’s wrong?” Janet’s frenzied voice came from behind him. Zeph twisted to find her clutching her jacket closed over her chest. He moved to shield her.
“Go back to your room. It’s not safe,” he said, reaching for her.
“You must be the infamous Janet,” Gunner said through the comms. “Nice to meet you. Lily is being raised well.”
“What?” Her brow furrowed as her wild eyes shot to the screen opening up behind him.
“Janet, don’t.” Zeph stopped her from stepping past him, clutching her to his chest and breathing in her scent. His dick hardened as the remaining adrenaline of the fight rushed through his wires and veins.
“What did you say about my sister?” she asked, staring past him and looking at the other Cyborg.
He clasped her chin and turned her face back to him. “Don’t look at him. Look at me,” he warned, pinning Janet with his eyes.
She swallowed but glanced back at Gunner.
Zeph reached for the gun on his belt as he forced himself to acknowledge the jackal. He needed to stake his claim.
“She’s my fucking trophy,” Zeph said, his eyes blazing green light. “Mine. If Nightheart wants her, tell him to come get her himself.” He pushed Janet behind his back. “But he’ll have to go through me, and I’ll be waiting.” His jaws elongated and he snapped at the air.
Gunner rubbed his nails on his uniform. “Tell Lily that I’m going to beat her at Terraform next time, even if I have to wait until turn three to land. It’s a promise.”
“What is he saying?” Janet’s voice had risen several octaves, and she tugged on his sleeve. Zeph caught her hand.
His eyes narrowed to slits and glazed over with murder. “Go check on Lily. Janet, look at me.” He cupped her face again and stopped her from once more looking at Gunner’s sinister glee. “I’ll take care of this. Go take care of Lily.”
“Do you want to go home?” The jackal asked. “Or do you just want to get rid of your sister so you can disappear with this class act? I’ll take Lily off your hands if you want. I’ll even take her back home, right now, and you two can continue on your merry way towards oblivion.”
Zeph held her tighter, keeping Janet’s eyes on his. “Fuck off, Jackal,” he whispered.
“Who is he?” Janet asked.
Gunner snickered. “Only trying to help.”
“An asshole. I’ll take care of him,” Zeph reassured her. Only one Cyborg was coming out of this alive. And it wasn’t going to be Gunner.
Just imagining what the other Cyborg would do to Janet and Lily had him genocidal against his own kind.We’re honorable…until we’re not.
“He’s not taking us, is he?” There was fear in her voice. “What about the ships outside?”
“All gone. No one is taking you or Lily from me. Ever,” Zeph vowed.
Janet reached up and grasped his wrists. “How does he know her, though?”
