by Susan Hayes
“I could have handled him,” Zura muttered, but she was grinning as she said it.
“I know you could have, but it’s my bar, and you’re my guest,” Kit said before deliberately grinding his fingers deeper into Ganzer’s shoulder joint.
“Okay, okay! I’m going. I’ll take your message to Vin, Zura, but he’s not going to like it.”
Zura’s eyes narrowed. “He doesn’t have to like it, but he’s going to have to accept it. I’m not going back. I’ve moved on.”
Ganzer bolted the second Kit released his grip and didn’t look back once on his way out.
“Moved on from what, or who?” Kit asked.
Zura shrugged. “I’ve made some mistakes in my life. The thorn-covered creep who just left works for one of the biggest errors in judgment.”
“You want to tell me about it?” he asked, surprising himself with the offer. Talking wasn’t really one of his strong points, but if Zura was in some kind of danger, he wanted to know what it was. He also wanted to hear more about the son of a starbeast who had put her in medical.
“No, I don’t. It’s really not a big deal.”
“If someone’s coming into my bar and warning you to do as you’re told or else, I’d say it’s a bigger deal than you’re letting on. I heard you say something about being hurt so badly you wound up in medical. That sounds like a big deal to me. You’re our friend. We don’t leave friends to fight their battles alone…Zee.”
She glared at him. “Don’t even think about it. The nickname was my dad’s idea. My mother’s parents named me, and he hated the name they chose, so he shortened it to Zee. I prefer Zura, though.” Zura didn’t answer Kit about what Ganzer had wanted. If she started explaining, it would take the rest of the night, and she wasn’t ready to share. She was still dealing with the revelation that her ex-boyfriend, Vin Collins had tracked her down. She had fled to the edge of civilized space to get away from the asshole. How much further did she have to go?
Kit nodded. “Okay, Zura. That jackass is banned from the Nova, though.”
She laughed at the dark expression on his handsome face. “By all means, ban Ganzer. That’ll make it impossible for him to interrupt another of my meals before he heads back to give Vin the bad news. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, you want to sit down and finish your drink?”
“That was my intention when I came over here. I also wanted to apologize for walking away earlier. Your friend isn’t the only one lacking in manners tonight.” Kit settled his big frame into the chair across from her and retrieved his glass.
“No need to apologize. This is your place, and you need to keep it running smoothly.” She finally realized she was still holding the fork in her hand and set it down on the table, only to pick it up again a second later so she could idly flip it around her fingers.
“Still, it wasn’t my finest moment. I could have let someone else deal with it, but I’m not good at delegating.” He paused and then scrubbed a hand through his dark hair. “I’m not as smooth as some people, but even I know that complimenting a beautiful woman shouldn’t be followed up by walking away before she can even say anything.”
“It was a nice compliment, though,” she said, smiling a little.
“I meant it. You’re beautiful, Zura, and I’m not just saying that to be flattering. When I say something, it’s because I mean it.”
“I know. It’s one of the things I like about you. You just caught me off guard is all. You have to admit, you’re not one for compliments.”
He grinned a little. “You noticed that, did you? As I may have mentioned, I’m not much for small talk or social niceties. That’s really Cyn’s skill set. “
“I meant to ask you all about that one day. You’re all from the same, uh…batch, right? So why are you and Luke so similar and Cyn’s well…Cyn?”
Kit didn’t speak for a moment, and she wondered if she had somehow stuck her foot in her mouth.
“You haven’t read up on what we are, have you?” he asked softly.
“Not really, no. Somehow that seemed, well, rude. Then again, so is asking such a personal question, so maybe I should have looked it up instead.”
“You might not have found the answers anyway. There isn’t a lot of information on my kind. The corporations may have been forced to free us, but they still consider our development and designs to be highly classified. Maybe you should tell me what you do know, and I’ll try to fill in a few of the blanks,” he said.
“I really don’t know much. You are human, but with cybernetic parts. Your bones are infused with metals to make them denser and harder to break, and they did something to your muscles, so you’re stronger than a normal person. I know there’s software involved too, because the corporations thought you were all blindly obedient until you refused to let yourselves be destroyed. That’s, it really.”
“That covers the basics. We’re bigger, stronger, with generally faster reflexes and greater endurance. Everything a soldier needs to be, only without that annoying free-will issue getting in the way. There’s more, but that depends on when we were created, and for what purpose. We’re all a little different, even if we were made by the same corporation.”
“Is that why Cynder doesn’t look or act like you and Luke?” she asked.
He nodded. “Luke and I are twinned clones. We’re genetically identical. We even shared the same maturation tank. Cyn’s a twinned clone, too, but her sister, Dana, died in the wars. Not every cyborg has a twin, but many do. It all depends on what role we were designed to fill and which corporation created us. I’ve heard about triplets, too. Never met any, though.”
“I didn’t know about her twin. How long ago?”
“Somedays it feels like we lost her only a few days ago. Other times? It feels like a lifetime.”
“I know how that goes,” she said, thinking of her dad.
“Your dad, right? I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. I don’t think about it much, but sometimes it sneaks up on me.”
He nodded. “Yeah, it does. Losing family is never easy.”
They lapsed into silence, but before she could think of something to say, he started to talk again.
“Technically, Cyn’s not really our sister, but she is family. We share some DNA, but that’s not why we think of her as a sibling. She was part of the batch Luke and I were well, born with, for want of a better word. There were twenty-four of us in the beginning. We all matured at the same time and were designed to work as a team. Everyone had a role, and we were created to be the best we could be at whatever that role was. Cyn, Luke, and I are all that’s left, now.”
“You lost everyone else?” Zura’s heart ached at the thought of losing so many. One death had nearly destroyed her, she didn’t know how Kit and his siblings kept going.
“I didn’t know about the batch thing, or that you’d lost all your brothers and sisters. I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine.”
He shrugged. “It was war. I’m just grateful the three of us made it out and found our way here. The club is more than our business; it’s our home. The first one we’ve ever had.”
“I’m glad you made it out, too. The Nova is my favorite place in all the Drift.” She paused and then added. “And thanks for allowing me to dodge your earlier question about Ganzer. I’m not ready to talk about it.”
Kit nodded, his eyes full of understanding. “I figured. I hope one day, you’ll tell me all about it. I want to know the name of the man who hurt you. That way if I ever meet him, I can return the favor.”
She was surprised at the dark undertone of his words. It was clear that he meant what he said, every word of it. When the surprise faded, she belatedly realized she hadn’t answered him yet. “One day, yes. We can trade stories about our old lives. You and me and Luke.”
“I’d like that. The three of us, talking. Maybe over dinner?” he asked.
She blinked. “Dinner?”
“Yeah. You know, that meal that comes at the
end of the day? You, me, Luke, food, conversation, maybe even some of the good booze we keep stashed away for personal use.”
“Are you asking me out on a date, Kit?” She felt foolish for asking, but she needed to be sure. It would be so much worse if she misunderstood and got her hopes up.
“Yes, I—“ Kit stopped midsentence and swung his head around to glower at one of his security guards who appeared out of the darkness that blanketed the bar. “What do you want, Owen?”
“I know what you said before, but uh, the kitchen is actually on fire. Well, it was. It’s out now, but I thought you’d want to know.”
“Fraxx! You have got to be kidding me. How the—no, forget it. I’m going to want to hear this for myself.” Kit slammed his glass down on the table with another muttered curse before standing up.
“I’m sorry, Zura. It’s been one of those nights. You sticking around to watch the fights?”
She pushed the bottle of liquor toward him and shook her head. “I’m headed back to the Sun Sprite to catch up on my sleep soon. It’s been a long week for me.”
She swore he looked disappointed for a moment, but the expression was gone before she could be sure.
“Dinner tomorrow. Please? I swear we won’t get interrupted next time,” he said.
“Tomorrow,” she said with a nod, barely able to contain herself.
“I’m looking forward to it.” He let his hand cover hers for a second, then picked up the bottle and headed toward the kitchen.
Holy hell, I have a date with Kit and Luke.
She flagged down a passing waitress and ordered a double-thick chocolate milkshake. She was going to need the sugar rush to deal with the weird twists tonight had brought. In the plus column, she had a date with two amazing men. On the negative side, she had a date, which was not on the Zura-ratified plan for her new life out in the Drift. As an added bonus, there was a second negative. Vin knew where she was, which meant trouble was coming. Why couldn’t he just leave her the fraxx alone?
* * * *
Luke kept an eye on Zura as he worked. He wished like hell he could have spent more time with her than the brief moment it took to deliver her dessert. She had greeted him with a smile, but there were shadows in her eyes that hadn’t been there before. She had something on her mind, and he didn’t doubt it had something to do with the unwanted visitor who had been at her table earlier. Kit hadn’t been able to spare more than a few minutes, but he had updated Luke on what he had overheard as well as letting him know they had a date with Zura tomorrow night. That last bit of news had made Luke’s night.
Zura didn’t stay long after she finished her milkshake. She wove her way through the crowd of patrons, coming close enough to the bar to wave at Luke on her way out. He gave her a smile and a wave back, and the moment she was out of sight, he dropped the bar cloth and signaled for one of the other servers to take his place. The conversation with Kit might have been brief, but they both agreed that she wasn’t walking back to her ship alone. Since his brother was nowhere to be found, Luke was more than happy to go. It had been a long shift, and a few minutes away from the noise and hectic pace of the bar would be a nice break.
He activated the personal comm channel they shared and let Kit know that Zura was leaving; he would be back once she was safely onboard the Sun Sprite. Once that was done, he followed her out the front doors, making sure to leave enough distance between them that she wasn’t likely to spot him. Somehow, he didn’t think she would be grateful for the escort. She was used to taking care of herself.
The hardest part of following her turned out to be walking slowly enough to stay out of sight. His long-legged stride was nearly equal to two of hers. Not a surprise considering that at six-foot-six, he stood almost a foot taller than her. At five-foot-seven or so, she wasn’t exactly short, but compared to himself and Kit, she was tiny.
Once they reached the docking area, he had to fall back even farther. There were only a few corporation personnel around, along with a handful of crewmen belonging to the various ships currently in port.
They were nearly to her docking bay door when Luke spotted two men loitering not far from the Sun Sprite’s berth. One look was all it took for him to know they were trouble. They were both unkempt and rough around the edges even by Drift standards, not to mention that neither of them were wearing ID’s or uniforms that would indicate what vessel they belonged to. He lengthened his stride, determined to close the distance between himself and Zura. He was no longer worried about her spotting him. He was more concerned about the two men who were watching Zura approach with far too much interest for his liking.
* * * *
Zura was thinking about the events of the night as she walked back to her ship. Her thoughts kept her distracted enough that she didn’t notice the two men in the otherwise empty corridor until she was too close to turn back without being spotted. A lifetime spent in the company of rough men, smugglers, and criminals had honed her instincts sufficiently, so that she knew without a doubt the two men were here for her. Apparently, Ganzer’s warning hadn’t been an idle threat after all. Whatever Vin wanted from her, he wasn’t wasting any time.
She briefly contemplated turning back despite being seen; they were close enough that they would most likely come after her anyway. She didn’t like having them at her back. Her father had taught her it was always best to face danger straight on. That way, she knew what was coming.
She kept walking and made it most of the way to her ship when the bigger of the two men stepped in to block her path. He jerked a thumb toward the door to the Sun Sprite. “That your ship?”
She came to a stop a few feet outside the big man’s reach and looked up at him, meeting his gaze straight on. “You already know it is. Same as I know Vin Collins sent the two of you to deliver a message to me. Ganzer was the carrot. You two must be the stick. Which means your job is to make it clear that if I don’t do what Vin wants, I’m going to regret it. Right?”
The bald one standing to one side of her narrowed his eyes. “How’d you know that?”
“Because Vin isn’t one for subtlety or finesse. I can save us all a lot of time and effort here. I’m not scared of Vin or the two of you, so tell your boss that I’m not going to agree to meet with him. That ship left orbit a long time ago, and it’s not coming back.”
“He said you’d say something like that,” the one in front of her said.
“Then he’s already prepared to be disappointed. Perfect. That makes this so much easier, doesn’t it? You two can fly back and tell him he was right for once.”
The one in front of her flicked a glance to his partner, who had moved out of her line of sight and was now somewhere behind her. “I don’t think so. Vin would be pissed. His orders were pretty clear. He wants you to meet with him, and he wants it to happen soon.”
The one behind her spoke next. “We’re here to make sure you make the meeting, so this is how things are going to go. You’re going to invite me on board, and we’re going to take a little trip together.”
Zura didn’t bother turning around. If she did, she had a hunch the one she was currently facing would grab her and the fight would be on that much sooner. “Like hell we are. I’m not going anywhere with either of you. If Vin thinks that sending a couple of goons is going to make me change my mind about meeting with him, then he’s even more of a fraxxing idiot than he used to be,” she said, stalling for time as she ran through her options.
Not that she had many options to choose from. Screaming for help and hoping for a random white knight to rush in and rescue her wasn’t really in her nature, which left her with two choices. Run for it, or fight.
The big guy took a step toward her, and she reached for the neural disruptor she kept hidden in a wrist sheath. Running would only postpone this confrontation. She had to stand her ground here and now.
That was when a new voice joined the conversation. “If either of you assholes lay a hand on her, I’ll break every bone
in your body—in alphabetical order.”
Zura knew that voice. Apparently her white knight had arrived, and she hadn’t even needed to scream.
She risked a quick glance backward and spotted Luke standing a few feet behind her. His expression was murderous as he glared at the bald man he had by the throat while he held him suspended half a foot off the deck.
“Gentlemen, meet my friend, Luke. Did Vin’s orders mention what to do if you pissed off a cyborg during our little conversation?” she asked.
“A fraxxing cyborg?” the one in front of her asked, his face rapidly turning a remarkable shade of puce as he stared over her head to where Luke was standing. “We weren’t going to hurt her. We were talking. That’s all.”
“I’m pretty sure Zura’s done with this conversation. You done, gorgeous?”
“I’ve got nothing else to say to these two. They can go back to their boss and tell him my answer is no,” she said, drawing the disruptor and setting it to its highest power level.
Luke tossed the one he held against the far wall of the corridor, and Zura felt a surge of satisfaction as the man hit it with a meaty thud, still gasping for air.
“Five minutes. Be gone in five minutes, or the only message your boss is going to get from you will be spelled out with your body parts.”
Luke was hanging onto his control by a thread. He wanted to kill these two for even coming close to Zura. The only thing that stopped him was the fact that they hadn’t actually done anything illegal, yet. This far from civilization, the only laws were the ones corporation security forces chose to enforce, but outright assault was still frowned on. They really couldn’t afford the fines that would come if Corp-Sec decided to enforce the rules this time.
The two men bolted like a pair of frightened rabbits. The second they were out of sight, Luke activated his comm device and made a call to Kit. He could have contacted him via their internal link, but he wanted Zura to hear what was said. “Zura had more visitors. She’s okay, but if you can swing it, I’d like to take a look at the footage from the docking bay by Zura’s ship. Maybe our friends can help us identify the two idiots I just sent packing.”