“C-Cypher?” Vee’s voice cut through his rage. Cypher unclenched his fists and let the pieces of metal and leather of his armrests fall to the floor.
Why her?
Why bring Vee into all this? How the hell did she get into Nightheart’s path?
“Nightheart,” he said.
Her breath shuddered. It was all the answer he needed. She’d met the fucker.
His body tensed with animosity. And something else, something that made him want to punch the wall of his bridge again.
“You’re scaring me,” she whispered. “Is there something wrong with Nightheart?”
Cypher growled, hating the Cyborg’s name coming from her. “Don’t leave your home, Vee. I’ll be there soon. I’m warping.”
He cut off the comm between them and put his ship back into action.
Milky Way, here I come.
7
Two days passed without a message from Cypher.
She wanted to tell him she couldn’t adhere to his request to stay put. At least not much longer. For a day and a half, she’d stayed indoors. And not just because Cypher commanded she do so, Vee argued, but because she’d already planned to stay inside anyway.
He had beef with Nightheart; that was evident. Not her.Once he’s here and realizes that I can’t help him in his quest for revenge, he’ll leave.
So why can’t I get him out of my head?
It’s because he’s a Cyborg. A freaking hero. A one-in-a-hundred-million man.
Alpha men weren’t her thing. At least she thought they weren’t. But the way her throat tightened whenever her wristcon buzzed made her wonder. She never paid attention to boys growing up. None had caught her attention or held it long enough for her to care. She’d always been preoccupied.
Vee grumped, threading her fingers together. She pictured Cypher’s super alpha-self barging in, pushing her up against the wall, and throwing all his military dominance her way.
Her bracelet buzzed, and she jumped. Checking it, disappointment filled her when Mia’s name showed up on the screen.
“Hello,” Vee answered.
“You ready?”
No ‘hello’ back. Mia was business and nothing else. Vee pitied her. She couldn’t imagine a life like Mia’s.
She straightened her shirt out. She kept it simple, wearing a tight faded black tee and torn jeans. “Yeah.”
“Good. We’re waiting outside your building. Look for the black hovercraft with tinted windows.”
“I’ll be right there.”
She was scheduled for an interview on Intergalactic Entertainment. Vee chewed on her lip. She and Cypher both were. But somehow, she didn’t think Cypher had any intention of playing the role of her partner.
Nor did she want him too.
I work alone. Always have, always will.The sponsorship contract was nothing but a means to an end. She didn’t need anyone else to win.
And I can’t forget he threatened me.Still, she believed him and everything he told her—how could she not? She was more afraid of disappointment than anything else.
He’s most likely going to make me back out of the championship.
