Kissed Cyborg (Bound by Her Book 3)

by Nellie C. Lind

  A grin broke out on Faye’s lips. “Oh, really?”

  Silver squeezed her hand and smiled back.

  Maybe this hadn’t been such a bad idea after all.

  Soul blinked, his gaze landed on them, and slowly, very slowly, as his face became filled with despair and pain, he lowered his gun to his side. “I’m living a lie.”

  “Every cyborg is,” Silver said. “Let us go, and we’ll set you free when the time comes.”

  The soldier stepped aside. “Go.”

  Faye frowned.

  Just like that?

  She’d expected some kind of argument, some kind of denial, but instead, he was letting them go.

  They moved toward the door.

  She expected Soul to change his mind, grab her, and push her back into the room. Silver would go crazy, and chaos would break out, but nothing happened. Soul didn’t even look at them as they passed him.

  “Wait,” the big cyborg barked.

  Faye threw a wary look at him, but he wasn’t looking at them. Instead, he kept his head turned away … to hide the tears running down his cheeks?

  “Four hundred twelve, one hundred two, seventy-five,” he said.

  “What?” She frowned.

  “My phone number. Memorize it.”

  “I have it,” Silver said. “We’ll be in touch.”

  Soul bit his lip. His agony evident and clear. “I didn’t come alone. There are three others. Be careful.”

  Faye tensed. Damn it, but what had she expected? That MedAct would only send one cyborg soldier to this place?

  Ice slid down her spine. Celise, Wind, and the others were out there. What if something happened to them?

  The urge to run took over.

  Silver was just behind her, with the bag in his hand as they dashed down the long hallways between the high pallet racks.

  It was dark, not easy to see, and the scent of metal was all around them. Boxes loaded with God knew what, and machines that meant nothing to Faye.

  At least they had what they’d come for. Hopefully, so did the others, but with the cyborg soldiers sneaking around, there was a risk of failure.

  Of great failure.

  Soul wouldn’t get in their way, but she doubted he’d help them. His mind was, without a doubt, in chaos right now.

  Boom!

  Faye froze. Her heart stuttered. It’d been the most frightening sound she’d ever heard, echoing in her ears.

  Silver almost ran her over when she stopped. His fear just as evident as hers.

  A cyborg screamed, and the voice sounded way too familiar.

  Nightmare.

  “No,” she gasped, and they took off again.

  CHAPTER 24

  The closer they got to where Celise, Nightmare, and the others were, the more sounds she endured. One cyborg shouted something, another screamed, as if in pain. There was running and grunting, and another gun went off.

  Despair filled Faye, and all she could do was imagining her friends going down each time a shot was heard. Hopefully, she was wrong.

  They were heading in the direction of danger, but there was no other way for them to go. She wouldn’t abandon them, and neither would Silver.

  “Stay close to me,” he said, his gaze serious. “I’ll protect you.”

  “Don’t play a hero. I won’t forgive you if you sacrifice yourself for me.”

  He grinned. “See. You do care about me.”

  Usually, she’d snort something back, but this time, the denial and protests didn’t come. “Yeah, I do.”

  Their gazes met, and Silver’s grin faded.

  Maybe he saw what she felt on the inside. He meant more to her than she’d ever imagined he would. The realization slowly swept over her. Lately, she’d enjoyed every minute she’d spent with him, but it wasn’t until now that she understood what was happening to her, now when both of them risked death.

  The thought of losing him was unbearable.

  Funny how things could change in a matter of days.

  They turned a corner and Faye spotted the warehouse exit. Even if it was dark outside, the exit was lit up from all kinds of flashlights. Something told her those beams of light came from the guns that belonged to the cyborg soldiers.

  A cyborg lay on the ground just outside the exit, and two people leaned over him. It took only a few more steps for Faye to recognize the cyborg as Nightmare. Wind and Celise were next to him.

  Blood.

  So much blood.

  The ground beneath the leader was dark red, and his hair was a thick and wet mess. He wasn’t moving, and his eyes were closed. Was he breathing?

  Was he alive?

  Her heart clenched. It was like running straight into a fight scene from some gruesome movie. “Oh, my God.” It was almost impossible to hold back the tears, and just as shocking to cry over Nightmare. Perhaps she cared about him, too.

  He was the leader of the Fighters, after all. He was important.

  Without him, the Fighters would fall apart.

  He was the one holding them together.

  Celise raised her head when she heard them. Her eyes were filled with fear and tears. Her hands trembled as she pressed them against Nightmare’s forehead. They were covered in blood, too. Dark red stains were all over her clothes, and even her cheeks and hair.

  Wind’s grim expression was one Faye had never seen before. This usually calm and gentle cyborg was boiling with anger, but when he spotted them, the fury eased. “Did you get the stuff?”

  “Yes,” Faye slid to her knees. “We got everything. What happened?”

  They were surrounded by chaos. Heaven roared as he punched a cyborg soldier in the face, but the soldier barely budged. Instead, he hit Heaven back, punching the Fighter to the ground.

  Other Fighters joined in, jumping the three cyborg soldiers encircling him, delivering punches and kicks, but the soldiers were stronger.

  A lot stronger.

  At least Soul wasn’t in the picture. She had no idea if he’d join the fight or not, but she hoped he’d stay away.

  Cyborg soldiers had been created to be superior to the regular cyborgs. They were the perfect killing machines, and they were the only ones who could take out a cyborg, and they seemed to be doing a good job.

  One Fighter was already on the ground. If Heaven was alive, Faye couldn’t tell, but her heart broke even more, and the desperation exploded in her chest.

  This was not supposed to happen!

  “One of the bastards shot him. He didn’t stand a chance,” Celise gritted her teeth and sniffed as she looked at the rogue leader. “He’s alive, but I don’t know for how long. The bullet is still in his head.”

  Faye barely dared to imagine the damage the bullet had done. Even if Nightmare was alive, would he still be the same? Would he ever wake up?

  A human’s chances of surviving a bullet to the head were limited. What if it was the same for a cyborg?

  Faye noticed the second van was gone. “Where’s the big van?”

  “The cyborg soldiers showed up just after we loaded the tank into the van. Sense and Phoenix managed to get away with it. No one followed them.”

  A small part of her relaxed. At least her two friends were safe.

  Heaven groaned and moved where he was lying.

  Thank God he was alive! But for how much longer?

  He jumped to his feet and joined the fight again. “Go!” he roared. “We can’t hold them much longer!”

  The soldiers’ legs trembled and with each punch the Fighters delivered, they became slower. Getting hit back didn’t improve the situation. Somehow, they’d managed to take down one cyborg soldier, but that was far from enough. It was just a matter of time before the Fighters would be taken care of, and once that happened, the cyborg soldiers would come for them.

  For her, Celise, Wind, Silver, and Nightmare.

  Her adrenaline spiked.

  They needed to act.

  Now.

  “We have to move
him,” she said. “We have no other choice.”

  Even if she’d been mentally prepared for this situation, it still felt surreal, but even if her mind had a hard time processing everything, Faye’s body didn’t.

  Without a second thought, she stepped aside so Silver could approach Nightmare.

  At least no one was shooting at them anymore. Instead, the cyborg soldiers seemed focused on muscle-strength.

  The sounds of pain and the loud groans echoed in her head, increasing her stress and tension.

  Faye took the bag with medicine from Silver.

  He and Wind lifted the unconscious Nightmare. The big dark cyborg hung between them, but they were strong enough to carry him.

  The wound on Nightmare’s forehead looked nasty. It didn’t stop bleeding, and his skin was pale. Too pale for Faye’s liking.

  “Stay behind us,” Wind instructed her and Celise. “I’ll drive.”

  “What about Heaven and the others?” the doctor asked as they hurried toward the van. Her voice trembled.

  “Save him!” Heaven roared as if he’d heard her.

  Faye shot him a glance, and the other four Fighters who were doing everything in their power to keep the cyborg soldiers away from her and the others.

  They were beaten badly, only seemed to be standing thanks to their rage and pure stubbornness.

  Guilt filled her. She should’ve at least asked the four Fighters their names. Now, they were doomed. Heaven, too.

  She didn’t want to leave them behind. Neither did Celise, Wind, or Silver. She saw it written all over their faces, but there was no other choice.

  Their sacrifice wouldn’t be in vain. They’d figure out how to remove the bond and release all cyborgs. Hopefully, Heaven and the four Fighters would still be alive when that day came.

  They reached the van, and Celise threw the doors open. She and Faye jumped in and reached for Nightmare as Silver and Wind laid him on the van’s floor.

  Wind ran for the front as she and the doctor pulled Nightmare in.

  The leader didn’t make a sound; didn’t even stir.

  He was terribly quiet. Too quiet.

  Celise was instantly on him, taking out a medkit and started putting pressure against the wound.

  As Wind jumped behind the wheel, Silver jumped in in the back and reached for the doors.

  “No!” someone yelled.

  Faye raised her head to see where the shout had come from. Her gaze found Heaven.

  His eyes and face showed no emotions, but his body did.

  A cyborg soldier wrapped his arms around Heaven’s waist as the Fighter reached for another soldier.

  It was like watching a robot, because of Heaven’s motionless face, but when she looked at the cyborg soldier, everything in Faye stopped.

  It was as if time itself halted when the cyborg soldier lifted his big gun and point it in their direction.

  A gasp left her mouth and—

  Boom!

  She flinched, almost jumped out of her own skin when Silver closed the doors and the van took off.

  Thank God.

  The shot missed.

  The sound had been deafening, but they were safe now.

  The cyborg soldiers wouldn’t come after them.

  Heaven and the others would make sure of that. They’d give them enough time to get away, and by then, it would be pointless for the soldiers to even try to catch them.

  “How’s he doing?” she asked Celise.

  Nightmare looked worse by the minute, but the doctor had managed to stop the bleeding.

  “I don’t know, but it doesn’t look promising.”

  Faye had only seen her friend this worried one time before—when Wind had been dying.

  “We must save him,” Celise said with tear-filled eyes.

  She reached for her phone. “I’m calling Blaze.” She pushed his number, and a few rings later, Blaze picked up.

  “Yes?”

  “Get ready. Nightmare’s wounded.”

  A gasp came from the other side of the line. “Where?”

  “He’s been shot in the head.”

  A long chant of curse words left Blaze’s mouth. “We’ll be ready.” He hung up.

  Faye put away the phone. “Can I help?”

  “Have an eye on his pulse. We have a long ride back.”

  She nodded and placed two fingers to his throat. “Step on it, Wind!” She didn’t get an answer back, but the van accelerated, almost making her lose her balance.

  Silver groaned.

  Her cyborg had been quiet since the doors had been shut, just sitting in the same position.

  Guilt filled her. He needed her too, but Nightmare was hurt.

  Silver groaned again.

  Worry filled her. “Silver?”

  Slowly, he turned and met her gaze. His face was twisted in agony and fear, his hands trembled—and they were red from blood.

  Blood that also stained his chest.

  The bullet hadn’t missed.

  It’d hit him in the chest.

  Silver collapsed on the floor.

  “Silver!”

  CHAPTER 25

  The hour it took to get back to the Fighters’ headquarters was the longest in Faye’s life. Her body trembled, stress overwhelmed her, and her heart ached, as she sat on the van floor with a bleeding Silver in her arms.

  Tears pushed behind her eyes, but she managed to stay strong and hold them back. The last thing he needed right now was to see her cry.

  She and Celise had done everything in their power to keep Nightmare and Silver alive. Both cyborgs had lost too much blood. Both were pale, but thankfully, they’d managed to stop the bleeding. Now, only time could tell how this would end.

  Silver gave Faye a lazy look, sleep slowly taking him.

  She shook him. “Don’t you dare die on me. Keep your eyes open.”

  He smiled but didn’t say anything. Instead, he squeezed her hand, and leaned his head against her palm.

  The only hope she had was that cyborgs were stronger than humans, and they healed faster. Even if Silver had been hit in the chest, he was still alive. A human would’ve been dead by now.

  The bullet seemed to have missed his lungs, since he was breathing normally, but who knew what other damage had been done. Judging by the way he looked, she was minutes away from losing him.

  “Damn it, Wind! How much further?”

  “Almost there.”

  The van turned and the sound of gravel under tires hit her ears. They were close.

  Blaze and a few other Fighters were waiting for them, ready to help Silver and Nightmare. She’d made a second call to Blaze, telling him about her cyborg.

  He’d cursed even louder than the first time when she’d told him the bad news about their leader.

  Not only were Nightmare and Silver hurt, they’d lost five Fighters, and no one knew if they’d ever see them again.

  Faye doubted MedAct would give Heaven and the others the chance to bind themselves. MedAct would do something else to them. What, she barely dared to imagine.

  The van came to a halt, and seconds later, the doors flung open.

  A worried Blaze stood there with two other Fighters. They took a fast assessment of the situation, then got to work.

  Nightmare and Silver were lifted from the van and carried toward the elevator that would take them underground and to the Fighters’ headquarters.

  Faye ached every time Silver groaned or made a face from pain. His body trembled, but at least, he was alive … for now.

  Nightmare, on the other hand, was silent. Not even a twitch of an eye.

  A Fighter took the van, while she and the others went down.

  “Everything’s ready for them,” Blaze said, studying his patients. His fear was unmistakable.

  She didn’t even want to think about what would happen if Nightmare died. She didn’t want to think about what would happen to her if Silver died. She’d never ached this badly for anyone. Despite his annoyi
ng personality, she’d grown fond of him to a level she’d never seen coming.

  He was in her heart now.

  He’d taken over her soul.

  And he was dying.

  “I want to help,” Faye told Blaze.

  He nodded. “We’re going to need every hand we can get.”

  “I’ll take care of Nightmare,” Celise said and looked at Blaze, “while you help Silver.”

  “Agreed.”

  Faye went forward, as if in a trance. The world around her blurred. She barely noticed all the Fighters that watched them with an agonizing silence as they passed by the gathering room.

  Blood dripped onto the floor from both Silver and Nightmare, but no one moved to clean it up.

  A Fighter ran ahead and threw open the doors to the infirmary. Seconds later, the room was filled with activity. Fighters were there, dressed, cleaned, and ready to take care of their leader and Silver.

  “Go and clean up while we begin,” Blaze told her.

  Faye instantly ran to the cleaning room that was located next to the infirmary. Celise, and Wind were just behind her.

  Being ordered around was one of the things she hated most, but right now, she’d do whatever he asked of her. She sterilized her hands the way Celise had shown her, scrubbing them hard and as fast as she could possibly manage. Barely a minute later, Faye threw on the hair net, the surgical scrubs, and the mask before returning to the infirmary with the others.

  She watched Blaze sedate Silver, and when he closed his eyes frigid tremor traveled down her spine. What if that had been the last time she’d ever seen his beautiful shining eyes?

  “We need to get the bullet out,” Blaze said as other Fighters gathered around the gurney Silver lay on.

  The same thing was happening around the gurney Nightmare was on. Celise was already working, a deep frown on her forehead, and Wind was by her side.

  Faye’s focus returned to Silver. A cringe went through her as Blaze cut him open, nausea hitting her hard, but she remained on her legs.

  She couldn’t let him die.

  CHAPTER 26

  “Don’t you dare die on me, you hear me?”