Nightmare barely dared to move. A part of him wanted to wrap his arms around her, but what if it triggered the bond after all?
It was way too active for his liking. He should push her away.
They were taking a huge risk, they both knew it, and yet, none of them moved.
Nightmare couldn’t for the world understand why she did this. She should hate him, she should yell at him, as she usually did.
This was the last thing he’d ever expected.
She didn’t even like him, then why the hell was she holding him?
Why wasn’t she upset over what he’d done?
He’d wanted her to feel the fear she and MedAct had put him and the other Fighters through over the years, to understand what he’d been through, but he hadn’t expected Blue to snap.
Usually, he was in good control of his bond. That’s why it’d come as a surprise when he did snap, but Nightmare hadn’t in a million years seen the hug coming.
Why on earth did it feel like he’d failed when he had succeeded? Why was he regretting his actions?
She was crying, wasn’t she? She’d felt fear. She’d even run. That was the result he’d been after. The idea of making her trust him had quickly gone out the window when his anger had surfaced, and yet, he’d kept to it. For a little while, he’d wanted her to get a small insight.
Then why on earth did it feel like he’d just committed the worst type of crimes?
Nightmare inhaled. He had no answers, but he had to end the hug before the bond initiated. He had to take her back to her room.
He bent down and lifted her up in his arms.
Jade’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped, but she didn’t protest when he started walking.
Nightmare didn’t look at her. He focused his gaze on the hallway in front of them. Looking at her would only make him want to try to kiss her again, and that was the last thing he needed right now.
“Why are you carrying me?” Her voice was low, filled with exhaustion.
“Because you need it.”
“Why do you even care?” She pressed her head against his chest.
Nightmare tightened his mouth. “Because you’re doing something to me.”
Her gaze shot up. “Maybe you should put me down.”
“I don’t want to.” He flinched on the inside.
Why was he doing everything but the right thing?
He was supposed to end the hug!
Jade pushed on his chest. “If I’m doing something to you, then you shouldn’t hold me. We don’t want the bond to trigger.”
He gave her a frown. “Then why did you hold me?”
She cleared her throat. “Because … you saved me.”
His steps slowed. Had he saved her to save her?
Or had he done it because of selfish reasons?
Seeing her in Blue’s arms had triggered a jealousy he’d never felt before. “As I said earlier, don’t look too much into it.” Nightmare made it a cool snap.
She snorted. “Back to hating me, are we?”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he turned around a corner.
She felt good in his arms. He could carry her like this for hours and never grow tired. He didn’t mind having her this close; not at all.
Instead, he welcomed it … and that was a dangerous thing to do.
Strange.
Just hours ago, everything had been so different. Jade had always been strong and powerful in his eyes. She’d always been a worthy foe, but now, when he’d seen her fragile side, he wanted nothing more but shield her from everything.
There it was again. The need to protect.
Stupid bond.
Jade remained silent for a long moment. “Is it true?” Her voice was low.
“What?”
“That the bond is a poison?”
He met her gaze.
Why was she asking this again?
Did she need another confirmation?
There was a huge mix of emotions in her eyes. Everything from sadness, to shame, and disbelief. Telling her she’d already asked would do her no good.
“Yes.”
She let out a sob. “I can’t believe it. How could I have missed a thing like that?”
Suspicion awakened within him. “I’m not completely convinced you’re telling the truth. It’s beyond me, how you or any of the MedAct doctors aren’t aware of this. After all these years, I was sure you knew.”
“I swear to you. I never knew.”
There was sincerity in her eyes, but his distrust didn’t ease. For all he knew, she was acting.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ll give you a chance to prove it, and if you’re telling the truth, I’ll show you what I, and every Fighter with me, have known for years.” Nightmare stopped in front of the door to Jade’s room. Without putting her down, he opened the door by pressing his thump against a metallic plate next to it. It wasn’t difficult. She wasn’t heavy, but a heavy feeling filled his heart as he entered the room.
He had to let her go now.
“You can put me down,” she said when he didn’t move.
He didn’t say anything. Everything inside him grew to a massive protest. His arms would feel so empty if he put her down.
She snapped with her fingers in front of his face. “Hey! Are you still there?”
Nightmare blinked and met her gaze. “What?”
“You drifted away there for a moment, just staring at the wall.”
He cleared his throat. “I’m good.”
“Then why aren’t you putting me down?”
He opened his mouth, but no words came. No answer would be good enough, because he couldn’t even explain it to himself.
All he knew; having her in his arms was the sweetest healing for his scarred soul. “Are you angry I’m not letting you go?”
Her lips twitched. “Not really.” Jade leaned her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. “I don’t want to act anymore.”
Nightmare frowned.
What the heck did that mean?
His gaze trailed to her lips. He froze and held his breath, but was unable to stop himself from drowning. He stared, his gaze fixed, couldn’t pull himself away.
There was no bigger temptation.
A loud gasp left his mouth.
The bond.
It went off like an explosion.
A wild and intense desire for the woman in his arms erupted within him.
Dizziness hit and he wobbled on his feet.
The bond wanted him to try to kiss her again, to bond himself to her.
His body started to shake and moisture dotted his forehead. With a speed he didn’t know he had in him, Nightmare put her down and backed away, panting. He still couldn’t tear his eyes off her. “Fuck.”
“What is it?” she asked, worry in her expression.
He didn’t answer, couldn’t.
Instead, he fled the room.
CHAPTER 15
Nightmare had to walk away, and fast!
If he stayed another minute, he’d do something he’d regret for the rest of his life. This was the second time his bond had reacted like this, in the matter of an hour, and it was all his fault.
He just couldn’t stay away from her.
Nightmare clenched his fists, anger boiling up, filling him from the inside out.
What the heck was wrong with him?
What the heck happened to him whenever he looked at her? Why did she pull him to her like this?
It was strange because this wasn’t the bond’s making, that much he knew, but this feeling activated it.
The first time he’d noticed it was about fifteen years ago, on the news when Jade had presented herself as MedAct’s new CEO.
His heart had fluttered, and the feeling returned every time he saw her.
When she continued implanting the bond into every newborn cyborg, the fluffy feeling had turned into anger and disappointment.
He’d started to hate her instead, and their
chaotic relationship had been the only fact, but deep down, those butterflies in his heart had never really gone away.
Now, when she was in his hands, under his roof … under his protection … they fluttered more than ever before.
“Fuck!” He hurried down the hallway before he punched a hole in the wall.
Nightmare had had enough for the day, and he’d barely started interrogating her. His so-called “interrogation” had turned into something else, but at least now, he had a hunch of what was going on.
Blaze’s words came back to him. Much really did point to Jade not being aware of the bond’s true nature, but that still didn’t sit right with him.
As MedAct’s CEO, she should know.
Maybe she was being played. Maybe Alexander Fleming had been played, too. As MedAct’s previous CEO, he should’ve known as well, and yet, just a few months before his disappearance, he’d started to act unusual and stressed.
Nightmare and Alexander were never friends, but for some reason, the man had given him the complete codes to the female cyborg program. He’d even given him an algorithm that was supposed to remove the bond for good.
He’d used it to create a signal— a signal he’d later used on the newborn cyborg Shade to remove his bond from his bound one Phoebe. To his surprise, it hadn’t worked. It’d almost killed Shade, and no matter what anyone thought, that had never been Nightmare’s intention.
All their hopes lay in the female cyborg program now. The missing piece had to be there.
Nothing would stop him.
He’d start with proving to himself Jade didn’t know what the bond really was. If she didn’t know, and if she was being played, then maybe, just maybe, he’d be able to turn her into a valuable asset, like he’d done with Celise.
With determination, Nightmare flung up the doors to the infirmary.
Wind, Celise, and Blaze were gathered there. They looked up abruptly, as if he’d interrupted a secret conversation.
The medic rose from his chair, anger boiling in his red shining gaze. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
He approached but remained unaffected by the Fighter’s sudden outburst. “I said I would make her talk, didn’t I?” He crossed his arms over his wide chest.
“By freaking her out?”
“MedAct uses love to control cyborgs. I use fear to control humans.”
Blaze snorted. “And has she told you anything?”
“Not yet, but I’m starting to believe what you all told me. To be absolutely sure, I’m going to test her.”
Celise stood. “Blaze told us what happened. Is Jade all right?”
“She’s fine, just a little bit shaken. Stop worrying so much about her. She’s not your concern.”
Her eyes narrowed. “What were you thinking? Taking her into a room filled with unbound Fighters is like asking for trouble.”
“I knew what I was doing,” Nightmare snapped.
“It didn’t look like that to me, when Blue went after her,” Blaze growled.
He clenched his fists. “He’s usually in good control.”
Blaze threw out with his arms, his frustration intensifying. “Well, he wasn’t this time!”
“Stop questioning my motives!” Nightmare roared, fury burning in his veins. “She will suffer, if I say so! She will do what I tell her to, or she’ll face the consequences! Jade belongs to me, and no one will touch her without my permission. She is mine to touch. She is mine!”
Silence filled the infirmary.
Six pair of eyes stared, as if he’d just grown another head.
He stilled, peering back. His words dawned on him.
Worry filled Celise’s eyes. “Did something happen between you and Jade, Nightmare? You’re acting unusually possessive.”
He inhaled. The last thing he wanted to admit was he’d almost become bound to Jade—twice.
They’d forbid him to visit her again, even if he was the Fighters’ leader, and even if he was the one who made the final decisions.
“Stop imagining things,” he told Celise. “She’s nothing more but a tool. I finally have her where I’ve always wanted her to be, and you’ve no idea how good that feels. I’m going to squeeze everything out of her.”
The doctor’s lips turned white. “You promised you wouldn’t hurt her. She saved your life.”
“And that’s the only reason she’s still breathing. That, and because I need answers.”
She paled. “You’d kill her?”
“Yeah, he would,” Wind said. His expression was cold. “I remember him saying that in the abandoned house when he kidnapped Shade.”
Celise paled even more, tears building behind her eyes.
Nightmare sighed. “That was then. Now, I see a potential ally in her, if she’s telling the truth.”
The tightness in her face eased, and a calm feeling settled in his chest. He had to admit, he was fond of the little doctor. She was cute.
He was also forever grateful to her. She’d done so much for him and the Fighters already, even if it’d been just a few weeks since she’d come into the picture. He couldn’t allow her to turn her back on him. He needed her, more than she imagined.
“I’m going to test her,” he told them. “I’ve studied the bond’s code for years. I got my hands on it a long time ago, before escaping MedAct. I might not know how to use it or how it works, but I’m going to show it to Jade and make her tell me where the poison is located.”
“And what if she just pretends not to find it?”
Nightmare straightened his back. “I’ll be pointing a gun at her head and threatening to push the trigger if she dares to lie.” He raised his arms when Celise gasped. “Relax. I won’t hurt her. I already promised you that. Besides, she’s more precious alive than dead.”
The doctor sat with a deep groan. “You’re too much for me to handle.”
His lips twitched. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. Wind will fill up your energy levels before you fall asleep tonight.”
Celise jerked and gaped. A peachy color broke out on her cheeks before she turned away.
“Enough.” Wind stood. “You better stick to what you promised, or I’ll take Celise away from here, and you’ll never see her again.”
Nightmare could open his mouth and threaten Wind back, forbid him to take his bound one away, show the cyborg hell if he tried, but he didn’t move.
Threatening Wind meant losing Celise for sure, and that was a future he didn’t want to find himself in.
He stretched out his hand toward the cyborg. “You have my word.”
Wind studied him. Without a doubt, judging him. The disbelief was obvious, and it remained even when he took Nightmare’s hand. “You better.”
He nodded and glanced at Blaze. “I left the sandwiches I made for Jade in the kitchen. She’s hungry. Bring them to her along with a bottle of water.”
The medic winced. “Why me? Why don’t you do it yourself?”
“Because I’m tired, and I’m going to sleep. Just do it.” Nightmare left the infirmary before Blaze had the chance to answer. He went to his room.
He really was tired, but telling Blaze the real reason wasn’t on his list. He needed a good night’s sleep to shake the feelings Jade’s presence had awakened within him. A few hours of deep sleep would do him good, and prepare him for what was to come.
He’d be able to be near Jade again without problems.
He’d be strong, determined, prepared. It’d be a piece of cake.
Nightmare hoped.
CHAPTER 16
Jade paced the small room, her gaze barely leaving the floor. She hadn’t slept much, and it was hard to keep her eyes open. The fatigue made her groggy, and what the day had to offer, was still to come.
Celise had paid her a visit early in the morning. She’d brought breakfast, and later, Jade had been allowed to take a shower further down the hall.
Now, all she could do was wait for Nightmare. After the number he’d pulled
yesterday, who knew what awaited her.
She shivered.
Yesterday had been a disaster. Would today be better?
Or would it be another disaster?
Yesterday hadn’t been that bad at first. She’d expected a lot worse, until he’d taken her to the kitchen. If he hadn’t stopped Blue, she would’ve been his bound one by now.
More tremors went down her spine, and into her limbs. The thought made her nauseous.
She would’ve never forgiven Nightmare if it would’ve ended that way.
Jade stilled.
Why had he saved her?
Had she really seen a pinch of possessiveness in his shining eyes? Or had that been her imagination?
She clenched her fists.
Why was all this so confusing? She was intimately familiar with how cyborgs functioned. She understood their programming and reactions, so logically, his possessive behavior was no brainer.
He was a cyborg, she was an unbound woman.
That equaled the bond going amok. Easy. Problem solved. Period. Dot, and so on.
And yet …
Deep down, she hoped it meant something else. Deep down, she hoped he’d saved her because some part of him cared about her.
At the same time, he’d caused the situation.
Jade let out a frustrated puff. “Crap,” she said. “I’m looking way too much into this. I’m only causing myself unnecessary pain.”
The door flung open, making her wince.
Nightmare entered the room. He gave her a dark glare as he closed the door behind him.
She inhaled.
His shining eyes sparked with anger and frustration, but also with determination. He was a man on a mission, and he’d do anything to reach his goal. “Sit,” he said with a strict voice and pointed on the bed.
Jade obeyed, almost a little too fast, her gaze never leaving him.
His lips twitched, but the dark expression took over again fast. Nightmare grabbed the only chair in the room and set it in front of her before sitting. He had a laptop in his hands. “We’re going to play a little game today. No more joking around. I have tons of questions.” He pulled out a gun from his back pocket and pointed it straight at her head, “and you’re going to answer all of them. Am I making myself clear?”
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