He pulled her against him, glaring at everyone. “Don’t come any closer. I’m hanging on a thin thread.”
Learning to trust Silver had been a challenge. She still didn’t trust him wholly, but when it came to defending her, she believed him. He would attack anyone who came too close.
“We’ll just say hello from here,” Hunter’s bound one said, and waved. “Hello, Faye. I’m Avril.” She smiled.
Faye grinned. “Nice to meet you, I guess.”
“Don’t worry. We’ve been informed about everything and we’ll help.”
She nodded, but could they trust them?
Faye glanced at Celise and Wind. “So, what’s the plan?”
Hunter answered instead. “I’m going to hack Jade’s computer while she writes the contract with Silver.”
Faye’s eyes narrowed. She didn’t like that one bit. “Why you?”
“Because I’m the most capable cyborg. I was Nightmare’s hacker. Jade’s aware of our capabilities; therefore, her software is well-protected, but she’s not aware of the extent of my knowledge.” He grinned.
She rolled her eyes, but when Silver pressed her harder against him, he made her gasp.
“Don’t talk to her!” Silver’s voice boomed through the hallway.
Hunter raised his hands and took a step back. “All right, I won’t. I guess no cyborg should speak to her today.”
“That would be wise,” her cyborg growled.
Faye frowned. He was taking this too far. “How on earth do you expect that to work? Do you expect me to ignore their existence for the rest of my life?”
Phoebe moved closer. “His possessiveness will calm down, just play along for now. We all want to remain in one piece.”
She let out a frustrated puff. “Unbelievable.”
“Am I interrupting something?”
A new voice filled the hallway.
Jade Silva stood in the doorway wearing a serious expression. Her strong gaze lingered on everyone for a short second, and it sent shivers down Faye’s back.
Despite her attractive appearance and short figure, the CEO of MedAct was not a woman to take lightly. She radiated confidence, and a “don’t-you-dare-question-me” attitude.
Her dark brown hair was put in a ponytail. She wore tight jeans, and a regular T-shirt. No doctor’s coat, like Faye was used to seeing her in.
Jade was not alone.
Behind her stood a massive cyborg, and a gasp went through the room when everyone noticed him.
He literally was a giant. There was no better way to describe him. He was handsome, with masculine features and blond hair, but even though his eyes radiated kindness, and a pinch of sternness, everyone in the hallway took a step back.
A cyborg soldier.
Crap.
Faye hadn’t expected the doctor to bring a cyborg soldier with her, and apparently, neither had anyone else.
“What’s Soul doing here?” A frown was written on Celise’s face.
Faye didn’t miss the pinch of worry in her friend’s expression. Did she worry their plan would fail?
This cyborg could ruin everything.
Jade entered the house, and the cyborg soldier followed. “He’s here for my safety. You didn’t expect me to come alone, did you?” Her gaze locked with Silver’s and Hunter’s.
How Jade had known Hunter would be here too, Faye didn’t know. Maybe Celise had told her the day before.
Phoebe made a move toward them, wearing a stiff smile. “Well, you’re both welcome to our home. We thought it would be more fun if we all gathered here now that Silver is finally with us.” Faye’s best friend looked at the cyborg soldier and put her hand out. Her fingers trembled. “I’m Phoebe.”
The cyborg soldier shook her hand and flashed a gentle smile. “I’m Soul.”
The last thing Faye had expected to see in the eyes of a cyborg soldier was gentleness. She’d heard how fierce and deadly they were, and despite his size, he reminded more of a big teddy bear right now.
“You’re bound to Jade?” Phoebe asked.
He shook his head, and his lips turned slim as his gaze hardened.
Where did the pinch of dislike come from all of a sudden?
“My bound one’s at MedAct right now. She’s one of the doctors who work there,” Soul said.
No one seemed to have missed his sudden change, but no one seemed eager to ask him more either, even if the questions obviously lingered in their minds.
Faye crossed her arms over her chest. Well, she’d change that fast. “What’s her name?”
“Janice Walker.”
“And she just lets you walls out with another woman?”
Soul’s lips twitched. “We’re not like regular cyborgs.”
“What exactly does that mean?”
Silver pulled her closer, if that was even possible, but he didn’t say anything.
Strange.
He’d been ready to attack Hunter for just talking to her, but when it came to this cyborg, he didn’t say a word.
She gave him a quick look and froze.
Fear.
Fear was written in his shining eyes. He was trying to hide it, but it shone through.
That didn’t make sense. Why did he, all of a sudden, fear a cyborg soldier?
Faye didn’t remember seeing any fear in him when he’d been captured by MedAct not so long ago.
“It means, I do what my bound one orders me to,” Soul answered with a straight face.
There it was again. The dislike. It appeared just as fast as it disappeared.
“Really? You’ll do anything she says?” Faye asked.
He lips turned white and a long silence filled the hallway.
This awkward conversation awakened her curiosity.
There was more to this cyborg soldier than she’d imagined. He honestly didn’t seem too fond of his bound one, and that was unheard of.
Cyborgs always fancied and adored their bound one, so why didn’t Soul? What had he been through?
Faye glanced at Celise and could tell she was thinking the same thing.
They had to find out more about this. Maybe there was something they could use against MedAct.
Jade headed for the guest room. “Let’s do what we came here for, shall we?”
“Of course,” Celise said, and followed.
Wind was right behind her.
Faye entered the living room slowly, keeping a watchful eye on the cyborg soldier, just like everybody else seemed to be doing. She chose to stand instead of sitting, just in case. Sitting could be a disadvantage if something happened.
Jade placed her bag on the couch and looked at Silver. She studied him under a long and unpleasant silence.
Faye didn’t like the way the doctor looked at her cyborg. The suspicion, she didn’t blame, but did she have to look so angry?
What ever had Silver done to her?
Faye clenched her knuckles, ready to defend Silver if needed.
She winced.
Wait, where had that come from?
“So, tell me,” the head doctor began. “How did the two of you find each other? According to what I know, Fighters dragged Silver away from the abandoned house before I and other doctors arrived to save Shade from Nightmare.”
That wasn’t difficult to answer. Before leaving the Fighters headquarters, they’d all agreed to a story that Jade would easily buy.
“He sought me out,” Faye said.
Silver nodded, still clinging to her side. “The Fighters kept me imprisoned for a while. They worried I’d hurt Faye, but the need to bond with her took over, and I escaped.”
“And how did you find her?” Jade’s voice was filled with that same suspicion.
“I assumed she lived in Glaswell, so I started looking here. I also scanned a few computers once I came close enough to someone’s home and found her address.”
The doctor turned to Faye. “And what did you do when he showed up?”
“I freaked out,
of course. I never expected him to appear on my doorstep. The following days were turbulent, but to make a long story short, I bound him to me, and here we are.”
Silver placed his arms on Faye’s shoulders and grinned. “One small happy family.”
Jade kept studying them. “I assume you both agree to the contract?”
“Yes,” she said. “I’m taking my responsibility. At first, I thought he deserved to suffer for what he and the other Fighters did to Shade, but when I saw how much pain he actually was in, I decided to bind him to me.” Faye looked at Silver, giving him a loving smile.
Strangely enough, acting the smile was easier than she’d expected. It felt almost natural. She caressed his cheek without giving it a second thought.
Silver’s gaze shot to her and a spark of love awakened in his eyes. He looked at her lips, and she understood where his thoughts were heading. He wanted all this to be over so that they could go home, but when she remembered what he’d said yesterday, her heart skipped.
He was going to make her fall in love with him.
Silver wouldn’t touch her before she was in love with him.
Jade’s lips twitched. “How cute.” Her smile faded and she grabbed a laptop from her bag.
Faye tensed. That was the laptop Hunter was going to try to hack. If the codes weren’t there, he’d connect with MedAct through the laptop and hack the doctor’s main computer at her office. As long as she used the same password, it shouldn’t be an issue.
If not, they were screwed.
Hunter sat on the couch opposite the one Jade sat on, with Avril by his side. There was a seriousness in his eyes, and his gaze was focused on Jade’s laptop. He tilted his head slightly when the doctor started it, and his focus intensified.
Faye gazed at everyone in the room.
Wind sat on an armchair with Celise on his lap.
Phoebe sat on a chair and Shade stood behind her with his hands on her shoulders. Everyone looked just as tense as she felt.
Not good.
If they didn’t relax soon, Jade would suspect that something was going on. Or worse.
Soul would suspect.
She burst into a fake smile and approached the set table. Everything from tea and coffee to delicious desserts and cookies stood there. “How about something sweet, everyone? It will break up all this tension. Let’s remember, we’re all friends.” Faye took a plate and put a cookie on it, handing it to Jade.
The doctor took the plate. “Thank you.” She ate the cookie as she pushed some buttons on the keyboard.
Faye relaxed. Good. She wasn’t suspecting anything, and everyone else seemed to take a collective breath as well.
“Good idea,” Phoebe said and approached the table. “Let’s eat and talk.”
Soon, everyone had something yummy to feast on, and a warm drink to wash it down with.
The mood instantly improved.
Jade looked at Faye and Silver. “Are you two ready to sign the contract?”
“Yes,” he answered for both of them.
“Good. I see that Celise has already registered you in our system as Faye’s cyborg, meaning, Celise’s now your doctor, and you’re no longer considered a Fighter. Do you understand that?”
Silver’s gaze darkened. “Don’t tell me what I am. You don’t decide that.”
The head doctor of MedAct frowned. “No, I don’t, but you can’t contact them again.”
“And what will you do if I do? Threaten me? Or worse! Remove me from your cyborg system?”
Jade didn’t look impressed by Silver’s attitude. “You won’t be given a second chance. You’ll be directly sent to XenthAid.”
Everyone’s interest suddenly pitched, and a loud gasp went through the room.
“XenthAid?” Phoebe wondered aloud.
Jade’s eyes widened as she stared at everyone for a long second, then sighed. Resignation filled her. “That’s classified information. You were not supposed to know that.”
Silver grinned. “Well, now that you’ve said A, you must say B.”
She clenched her fists. “XenthAid is where we send cyborgs who aren’t able to function in society. They can never leave, but they get good lives.”
“We’ve all heard of a place like that,” Wind said, “but there’s never been any evidence of it ever existing.”
“Like I said. It’s classified information. Not even I know where it is.”
Silver snorted. “You expect me to believe that? You’re the CEO of MedAct! You should know!”
“I’m just one person, and MedAct is my responsibility, not XenthAid. I, and the CEO of XenthAid, communicate regularly. She writes me monthly reports, shows me pictures of what’s going on, and more.” Her voice turned hard. “XenthAid is a safe place. Stop being such a bastard.”
Silver looked like he wanted to explode.
Faye grabbed him by the arms. “Relax. I’m your bound one, and you’ll do as I say. Let’s get this contract-thing over with.”
He shot her a surprised look. “Do as you say?”
“Yes, now shut up.”
Jade chuckled. “Yes, shut up, and let’s sign the contract. I have other things to do.” She pushed a button on the laptop, then she pushed it again, harder. “What’s wrong with this laptop today? It’s been messing with me ever since I opened it.”
Faye swallowed a breath. She wanted to look at Hunter, but one simple glimpse could awaken suspicion. Instead, she pretended to be bored and rolled her eyes.
“Let me take a look,” Soul said.
The doctor handed it over.
The tension instantly shot up in the room.
She didn’t need to look at her friends to see it, to know what everyone was thinking. What if Soul discovered Hunter’s interference?
Who knew what he’d do then. Would Shade, Silver, and Wind even stand a chance against him?
The silence was defining as Soul examined the laptop.
Faye dared to glance at Hunter. She needed to know what was going on, if they were safe or not. She should be able to see it on his face. Her heart pounded as their gazes met, but thankfully, the hacker cyborg seemed calm.
He wasn’t even paying any attention to what Soul was doing. Instead, he pulled Avril to him and kissed her forehead. He asked her something, but Faye didn’t hear what.
Avril gave him a sweet smile and said something back.
Hunter nodded, and they chuckled together.
Faye’s chest tightened. They looked happy. She knew nothing about them, nothing more than that Avril had bound a Fighter to her, and they’d known each other in the past. Avril’s love seemed deep. She’d wanted more than just to save a Fighter from certain death.
Her love was true and pure.
Envy filled Faye. She could have that with Silver … if she wanted.
All she had to do was stop fighting.
“Done,” Soul said and handed Jade the laptop. “A virus tried to make a mess. I stopped it. Everything should be fine now.”
Jade’s gaze darkened. “A virus? Why didn’t the anti-virus program stop it?”
“It did, but the virus avoided it somehow.”
Shit.
Not good.
Was the soldier cyborg onto them?
The way he looked around at everyone wasn’t promising.
The CEO sighed. “Let’s get this done.” She pushed a few keys on the laptop, then gave it to Faye. “Everything we say now will be recorded. It will be your contract with MedAct. Please place your hand on the screen.”
Faye obeyed with a pounding heart, staring at the blue screen as it blinked a few times under her palm.
Silver was officially becoming hers.
It was a weird feeling.
Jade stood and stared her straight in the eyes. “I, Doctor Jade Silva, hereby open the contract with Faye Summers regarding the cyborg, Silver, who was created and awakened by MedAct. He’s been a Fighter for almost a year, but was kissed by Faye some time ago, and they hav
e now agreed to sign a contract.” She took a short pause. “There’s no way out of this contract. Only death can release you from it. Mistreating Silver in any way is punishable, and you’ll be supervised the first two years by doctor Celise Campbell. Do you understand?”
Yikes. That sounded way too serious, but she could only nod. “Yes, I, Faye Summers agree.”
“Good. Give the laptop to Silver.”
Her cyborg took it and placed his hand on the screen. The light showed up and scanned his hand.
“Do you, Silver, a former Fighter, agree to be bound to Faye Summers and to abide by MedAct’s laws?” Jade asked.
His gaze darkened, and he opened his mouth to speak.
Faye grabbed his arm. “Don’t say anything stupid.”
He sighed. “Fine.” He looked at MedAct’s CEO. “I’ll follow your stupid laws.”
She snorted and took the laptop from him. “I figured you wouldn’t be pleased, but the contract is now set. You’re officially bound to Faye.”
“That’s the only good thing that has come from all this.” He grabbed Faye and leaned in for a kiss, his gaze sparkled with amusement.
She squeaked and pushed against his chest. “What the heck do you think you’re doing?”
“Kissing you, of course. We need to celebrate.” He leaned in for a second attempt.
Faye smacked his cheek. “Give me a break!”
Laughter came from all the corners of the room, even Jade seemed amused. “Well, good luck with your bound one, Silver. You’re going to need it.”
Faye’s cheeks overheated. He was making her blush like a teenage girl, and the way he grinned at Jaye, with promise written all over his face, didn’t make it any better, but she couldn’t get away from the feeling that one part of her liked this.
“She’ll love me in a matter of days,” Silver told Jade. “You just wait and see.”
The doctor packed her bag and threw it over her shoulder. “Like I said, good luck. The rest is up to the both of you.” She turned to Phoebe and Shade. “Thank you for the hospitality.” She headed toward the front door, and Soul followed.
Silence filled the living room once the door closed behind them.
No one moved.
No one dared to speak, as the sounds of Jade’s car disappeared in the distance.
Kissed Cyborg (Bound by Her Book 3) Page 12