Space. Big, black, beautiful space with a billion stars filled his view. Seen for the first time in decades from the seat of his captain’s chair, one that still managed to carry his massive weight.
But as Cypher surged his thrusters forward, leaving Ghost in his dust, space wasn’t what he gazed at. Vee’s smile invaded his head again, her cherub features practically shorting out the wires of his mind. His mind’s eye trailed down over her body in its skin-tight clothes in his now-favourite image of her, over her outrageous curves and back up to her innocently happy dark eyes.
His jaw ticked. Anger and something else he couldn’t quite place surged through him.
No one crosses me and lives.
5
Vee wrung her hands. The calls from Cypher had gone off the deep end. What she hoped would be a stern warning on her end had only made things worse. Now he was leaving her messages, voicemails.
‘Answer the comm, Vee.’
‘This will go easier for you if you submitted.’
‘I’m coming.’
I’m coming.Cypher’s voice ran through her head again and again.
Yet no one showed up at her door. No one had snuck up on her when she went out. None of her neighbors had seen or heard anything out of the ordinary. Several days had gone by with nothing but her nerves keeping her on edge.
She paced the floor, glancing around at the enormous glass windows and white walls—the high-definition pictures of different planets and expensive paintings—while she waited anxiously. The giant foyer to the EPED building offered some comfort. People in suits and androids passed through constantly.
Shouts filled her ears, and she tried to ignore them. Right outside, there were dozens of protestors and even some reporters trying their best to get their voices heard among those coming and going.
Several had yelled out her name when she’d scurried in this morning. She wiped her palms on the side of her pants.
It was only a matter of time…
When she signed the contract a week and a half ago, she knew what it meant. But this…this harassment wasn’t something she expected. Not so personally, not at this level.
My site only has twenty thousand fans, not twenty million.
Her wristcon buzzed and she glanced down. Another comm was coming in fromCypher.
“Vee Miles, Mia is ready to see you,” a well-dressed android said, striding up to her.
“I’m here to see Nightheart, not Mia.”
“Nightheart is unavailable right now. Mia is waiting. Would you like to wait for Nightheart? I really can’t give an estimate on when he will be available.”
“No, no. I want to speak to someone now, please.” After numerous comm calls, she had yet to get a hold of him. Why would it be any different now? He was a powerful Cyborg, after all.
Vee wasn’t a fan of the woman who worked for him.
The android smiled, took her hand, and scanned her fingerprints. “Head for the elevator, Vee Miles. It will take you to the appropriate floor.”
She strode toward where the android indicated, and the doors slid open for her. Moments later, she was on a different floor, and a gorgeous blonde woman waited for her.
“Miss Miles?” the woman asked, checking a tablet in her hand.
Vee stepped off the elevator. “Yes.”
“I’m Mia. Come this way.”
Mia led her down a short hall and into a conference room, which had the same decor as the foyer. When they were seated across from each other, the woman set down her tablet.
“You’re being attacked?” Mia asked.
