Every time she’d heard his voice, her heart had flipped.
For years, Jade had denied the feelings, ignored them, but they stayed put. It had taken a lot for her to finally accept them, to accept that she’d fallen in love with a monster.
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to hurt you,” Nightmare said. “Celise will hate me forever if I do, but I am going to make you talk.”
Even if the threat hung in his words, a part of her relaxed.
At least, now she knew for sure there weren’t going to be any torture. Thanks to Celise, but did that mean …?
“Would you have hurt me if Celise hadn’t forbidden you?”
The Fighters’ leader remained silent for a long time.
Deep down, she hoped he’d say no.
That part of her hoped he cared about her, at least a little bit. That part of her also wanted him to see her for what she really was—a woman in love with him.
Instead, Jade was a woman who desperately tried to hide the truth from everyone, especially him.
Celise had figured it out, and Blaze had heard it, but she doubted any of them had told Nightmare.
Nothing in his behavior pointed to it.
“I don’t like hurting people,” he finally said, “so no.”
She flinched. Even if she’d hoped for that answer, she hadn’t expected it. “I’ve seen you hurt people in the past. You’ve even killed.”
“Never without reason.”
She blinked. “Really?”
He clenched his jaw. “Who do you take me for? I’m not a murderer. I’m a survivor.”
His files at MedAct flashed by in her mind, the files Carolyn Williams had left behind. He’d been her first successful creation, and Carolyn had written down every step she’d taken. The files were filled with her failures and successes.
Carolyn had died in a car accident about four decades ago, some even said she was murdered, and Nightmare had disappeared around that time.
No one knew what’d happened to him until he’d suddenly reappeared and started taking in cyborgs who’d lost their bound ones.
They became the Fighters and didn’t allow anyone to stand in their way.
There were tons of videos of them robbing places, shooting at police officers, and leaving nothing but destruction behind.
Carolyn’s young nephew Alexander Fleming, who’d been just a young boy back then, had taken over MedAct after her death.
The company was run by the Council until he was old enough, but one day, he’d gone missing as well.
His disappearance was never solved, and until this day, no one knew what’d happened to him.
Nightmare flew up from the chair.
Jade winced and pressed herself against the wall.
Was he going to hurt her now?
“Enough of nonsense. It’s time for us to get serious.”
CHAPTER 10
Nightmare stilled when she flinched. He wasn’t used to seeing her like this. He was used to seeing a strong and determined woman, who’d argue with him for days, but her trembling hands and fetal position made him slow down.
Jade really believed he was going to hurt her, even if he’d just told her he wouldn’t.
He could use that.
It could make her talk. He could do whatever he wanted to her now.
She was finally in his grasp, his prisoner, and she believed him to be this dangerous, unpredictable, and deadly cyborg that also most of the world thought he was.
In a way, he was, but deep down, he wasn’t.
It was just a defense, a defense he badly needed to survive.
Until lately, Nightmare had never had anyone but the Fighters. Now, there was a woman—Celise, a previous MedAct doctor who’d joined him on his quest. She’d changed things around and made him hope again.
No human had ever trusted him, and yet, Celise did.
She’d even decided to help him, to stand by his side. He would’ve cried if he’d been able to, but his tears dried a long time ago.
The woman he had in front of him, on the other hand, was a completely different story.
He didn’t trust Jade one bit, and Nightmare doubted he ever would.
Fifteen years was enough for him to know the answer to that question.
“I’ve spoken to Celise.” He tried to ignore Jade’s fear. “She told me you don’t know what the bond really is. I have a hard time believing that, but I’m ready to listen, to hear your side of the story, but I’m warning you. I will know if you’re lying.”
She licked her lips and let out a shaky breath.
His gaze locked on her mouth. He inhaled sharply, clenching his fists.
For some reason, he could barely tear himself away. He’d seen her do that tiny maneuver plenty of times.
She did it whenever she was stressed, but watching her do it now, was like the sweetest aphrodisiac.
His blood pressure rose. His heartbeat increased, and a mad longing awakened in his chest.
“Crap.” Nightmare turned away.
That damn bond!
He closed his eyes. Took another deep breath, then a second one, and a third. Or was it the fiftieth? He breathed in through his nose and breathed out through his mouth.
It helped, but barely.
“Are you all right?”
He slowly turned toward her again with shaky knees.
Some of her fear was replaced with a pinch of obvious worry.
Nightmare frowned. Was she really concerned about him? That was a first. “I’m fine. It’s only my bond acting up.”
Her lips drained of color. “Maybe you should leave.”
He snorted. “Do you think you have any say? I’m here to interrogate you.”
“And if you lose control? What then?”
“I’ve been unbound for four decades. I won’t lose control just because I’m close to a woman. The bond’s acting up because it sees you as a potential bound one. It behaves like this around every woman who isn’t a cyborg’s bound one. You’re not special in any way.”
Jade’s gaze darkened. “I never said I was.”
He winced. Why the heck had he said that?
“Whatever.” Without a second thought, Nightmare sat on the bed, facing her, his knee bumping her leg.
She flew off the bed like a burned cat. “Are you crazy!” She gave him an angry glare.
He remained calm, but on the inside, a huge piece of surprise filled him. Why the hell had he sat next to her? “It takes a little bit more to bind me to you. It has to be an intimate touch.”
“I know, but I’m not taking any chances.”
Nightmare held in a frustrated sigh and pointed at the bed. “Come back here. I’m not going to talk to you when you’re on the other side of the room.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s a small room. You can hear me loud and clear from here.”
He could, but he wanted her near, right next to him. “Do as I say, or I’ll make you.”
The fear in Jade’s eyes was almost gone. It seemed to be replaced with an adrenaline kick and anger. She was ready for a fight.
He shifted on the bed. The bond was starting to get annoying. It wanted him to go to her, to wrap her in his arms, and kiss her to initiate the bonding process.
It made him picture her naked and warm body against his, it made him imagine her reaching for him and inviting him in.
Nightmare inhaled a shaky breath.
Cursed bond. It would never stop tormenting him.
He stilled. There was something else there as well, something that went deeper, something he had a hard time placing.
It was that emotion again.
It’d been there for a long time, for years, and for just as long, he’d ignored it, but as he watched her, it started to awaken, and this time, he couldn’t ignore it.
The emotion was like a silent whisper within his heart, something that ignited a small part of him.
Her golden skin, thick brown hair, and br
own eyes made it difficult to look away. Jade’s cuteness, smallness, but also her fierceness pulled him in like a flower to the sun.
Everything about her lured him in, and strangely enough, nothing of it came from the bond.
The emotions the bond threw at him were raw and primitive, only after one thing.
This emotion, on the other hand, caressed his wounded insides, gently healing him.
It was all him.
Nightmare blinked.
What was this?
He shook his head to shake it off, like he always did, and stood. His feet moved of their own accord.
Jade backed against the wall and raised her hand, her eyes wide. “Stop! Don’t be a fool.”
His lips twitched, but he didn’t take another step, and continued watching her instead. Deep down, it was difficult to remain still.
He was so hungry.
He’d been alone for such a long time.
There’d been plenty of times where he’d feared the loneliness would get to his head.
At those times, he spent hours in the corner of his room with his arms wrapped around him, as emotions havocked inside him. He’d desperately searched for some comfort, for some nearness, but only found nothing.
Always that nothing.
Because there’d never been anyone out there for him.
The whole world saw him as a monster, a killer, so he became one.
That he was alone in a room with a physical woman was enough to trigger so many emotions, emotions he’d hidden for so long.
It didn’t help that the woman was Jade.
It only made things worse.
He’d held Phoebe, Shade’s bound one, in his arms once, to calm the bond. He’d been safe with her, but if he attempted the same thing with Jade, his bond would instantly initiate.
Nightmare pushed his feelings back the best he could, and crossed his arms over his chest, hiding his inner chaos. “If you refuse to sit, we’ll just stand here.”
Jade didn’t move.
“Very well,” he said. “Question one. What is the bond?”
She blinked. “What?”
“You heard me.” He held onto his seriousness.
“Is this a joke?”
“Does it look like I’m joking? I asked you a question. What is the bond?”
She looked stunned and her jaw slightly dropped. Then, Jade straightened her back. “You know what the bond is.” Her voice was dark.
“Do I? According to what I just heard, you and I believe the bond to be two different things. I want to know what you know about it.”
Her jaw dropped even more. “You can’t be serious.” She threw her hands up. “Fine then. The bond is a necessary program for you to function, to even live. Without it, there would be no cyborgs. You should know that; since you’re the first one.”
Nightmare frowned.
She was either being an idiot, or she really didn’t know, just like Celise had said.
Her shoulders sank. “Is it true?” Her voice was so low, and a pinch of sadness filled it.
“Is what true?”
“The bond. Is it really a program designed to kill you?”
“So, you do know?” His voice went icy, even to his own ears.
“I didn’t.” Jade shook her head. “Phoenix told me.”
He started pacing, frustration awakened. “How can you not know? It’s been like this from the start.” He glanced at her, only to discover her expression was even sadder than before. “When I heard you were going to take over MedAct after Alexander Fleming, I was excited. You seemed to be a wise woman, but when I learned you continued implanting the bond within every newborn cyborg, you turned me into your enemy. I was so disappointed, because I took for granted that you knew. You had to know! You have access to Carolyn’s files. She left everything behind.” He looked at her again, only to see tears in her eyes.
It made him flinch.
Jade dried the tears away.
“Why’re you crying?”
“Pressure,” she said and avoided his gaze.
Nightmare frowned.
She was lying.
Something else made her cry, but what?
It was hard to say. So many things could be the cause, but in the end, it didn’t matter. What mattered was that she was crying, and he had to take that pain away.
With a cautious step, he moved toward her.
This time, Jade didn’t move away. She didn’t try to stop him, but her sob didn’t go unnoticed.
“Alexander Fleming gave me access to Carolyn Williams’ files a few weeks before he disappeared. She left a lot of information behind about how to create cyborgs, but there was also plenty of information about why the bond was necessary,” Jade said and met his gaze. “Apart from that, there was nothing unusual, nothing about a poison.”
This couldn’t be real.
“What exactly did she leave behind?”
“Two portable hard drives, a private server, and a box with handwritten notes.”
He clenched his fists. “Are you sure?”
“Of course. I studied everything for days. There really wasn’t anything there we didn’t already know, but I read it all. I was to become the new CEO, after all.”
Nightmare had to turn away, or he’d punch the wall behind her, risking touching her at the same time. “Fuck.”
“I guess you didn’t like that answer.”
“Alexander Fleming never mentioned anything about the poison?”
“No.”
“I see.”
It didn’t make sense.
Alexander chose her as the next CEO of MedAct. He must’ve had faith in her, but maybe Alexander simply hadn’t trusted her enough to tell her the truth. He probably hadn’t trusted anyone after learning what the bond really was.
Or had Alexander given Jade information, signs, but she hadn’t understood them because her mind had been set on a lie?
He stilled.
What if Alexander’s disappearance had been planned?
It was starting to seem like it. He wouldn’t have given Carolyn’s files to Jade and made her his successor just weeks before he disappeared, if it hadn’t been, right?
“If what you say is true, then you’ve been lied to. When I still was in her possession, she had a room filled with information. Everything was well archived, and it was without a doubt more than just two hard drives, a private server, and a box with handwritten notes. The room was filled with computers, notebooks, portable hard drives, and more.”
Jade gasped. “I don’t believe you.”
“Of course, you don’t.” He went silent for a while. “No matter what I say, and no matter what you say. None of us will believe the other. We’re stuck in limbo.”
“I have no reason to trust you.”
“And I don’t have a reason to trust you.”
Silence filled the room again.
Nightmare sat on the bed.
Blaze’s words had started to sound more and more true.
Maybe Jade was nothing more but a pawn in a bigger scheme. Just like Alexander Fleming.
He recalled Carolyn’s working room. It’d been filled with stuff, but it was possible that most of it’d been hidden away or destroyed after her death.
He’d been inside the room plenty of times, either chained to a chair, or chained to the floor—naked.
Carolyn had worked by her desk, ignoring him for hours. She hadn’t even spared him a glance, never bothered if he was cold, if he needed something to drink or eat.
As a cyborg, he could withstand more than a human, but even a cyborg would eventually go crazy after several days of that treatment.
It’d been one of her mind-games, and Nightmare had hated and feared every minute of it, because he never knew how they would end.
Most of the time, she allowed him to return to his cell when she was tired of having him there. Other times, she beat him with anything laying around, or used his body for her own pleasure.
He shook his head to get rid of the memories.
Thankfully, Carolyn had no influence over him anymore.
He didn’t care about her anymore.
Nightmare was free now from the bond, from the love she’d forced upon him. Not even the feelings that the bond had awakened within him remained.
Once his bond had been sealed away, thanks to the signal he’d created, the signal he’d implanted within every Fighter to protect them from their broken bonds, the feelings had been easy to get rid of.
Now, there was nothing but hate and the desire for a new bound one left.
Too bad Carolyn had gotten such an easy way out by getting killed in an accident. He would’ve loved to make her suffer, to give her some of her own medicine before ending her awful existence.
Nightmare raised his gaze and studied Jade. She was nothing like Carolyn, but he still didn’t trust her, even if it was more and more obvious something fishy was going on behind the scenes.
Something not even Jade knew about.
He’d never trust her, but what if he could make her trust him? What if he showed her just enough to prove that he was right?
“You’re awfully quiet,” Jade said. “Don’t you have any more questions?”
“Not right now.” He had to think this through.
Worst case scenario, showing her a small part of his life and knowledge could change the Fighters’ fates for the worse.
“Good,” she said. “Then you can bring me some food. I’m hungry.”
CHAPTER 11
The dark look Nightmare flashed made Jade almost flinch, but she stood her ground.
She’d shown enough of fear in front of him.
No more.
He considered her weak already, and would use it against her if—when—he got the chance. That was the last thing she wanted, especially now when she was in his world.
Alone.
In other words, she had to play her cards right.
“You want me to get you food?” His voice was dark, with a pinch of surprise.
Her heart skittered before it rushed, but she looked him straight in the eyes and raised her chin. “I’m locked up, aren’t I? If you won’t get it, I’ll starve.”
Nightmare grinned. “Now that would be terrible.”
This time, Jade couldn’t hold back her flinch. “You’ll be in more trouble than you already are for kidnapping me, if I die.”
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