I met Reaper’s gaze before turning to face to Dash. His features drawn tight, my sorrow etched across his features. Maybe it was that weird brain meshing thing or maybe it was simply because when you love someone you couldn’t help but feel their pain. I didn’t know. I didn’t care.
“We will get her back, Iris. I promise,” Dash’s voice cracked slightly. Beneath the pain, he must feel guilt, too. If I hadn’t found him, none of this wouldn’t have happened.
“It’s all my faul...”
I put my fingers over his lips. “Don’t you dare!” I hissed.
Would I really be willing to have never met him to spare me this?
I truly was selfish because I knew the answer—no.
Guilt was only going to pull us both under. I could let it drown us or stop the tide in its wake.
“I wouldn’t change a thing, Blueberry. Blaming ourselves won’t save Aria. Let’s blame the ones responsible. The Global Allegiance bastards did this. Let’s make them think twice before fucking with us ever again.”
Fingers lightly patted my knee. My eyes went wide at the sight of gray fingers tapping my leg. I met Reaper’s familiar bright-blue eyes. “Now you’re starting to speak my language.”
“Mine too,” a voice behind me echoed.
Craning my head around, I saw Hester. And Viper. And Dax. And Dr. Shaw.
More cyborgs took up the spaces behind them, the whole hallway filling with cyborgs of every different shade.
Viper grinned, offering his hand to help me to my feet. “Family, remember?”
“That and we fucking hate The Global Allegiance,” a quiet, but firm voice said from the far back. Suddenly, the crowd parted and whoever had spoken walked toward the front. The closer he got, I noticed his hands were completely metal, no manufactured flesh in sight. The hands connected to a set of yellow arms that disappeared halfway up into a black hoodie. The hoodie hid his face from view. Peering at the hood’s opening, I found only darkness and a set of bright gold eyes.
I put out my hand on a whim. I didn’t think he would take it, but I felt like it was rude to not at least offer.
The gold tilted downward and flickered as it focused on my outstretched hand.
“You don’t have to take it if you don’t want to. I’ll understand.” I left it there for a minute. I was just about to drop my hand when a jolt of cold met my fingers; the cool metal of Acer’s hand met mine and wrapped around it. He gave it a short and awkward shake before dropping my hand like it was the plague. It was a start.
I got Reaper to pat my knee. Anything was possible.
A devilish grin spread across Dash’s face. “What do you say we give The Global Allegiance a little taste of the fucking hell they put us through?”
My Blueberry was a FUCKING BADASS!
Chapter Thirty
*Dash*
“So, what’s the plan Great White?” Iris asked.
All of us had gathered in a large common room. Cyborgs sat at long tables scattered throughout. There had to be at least ten tables sitting five cyborgs each. I couldn’t hide my shock and joy at seeing so many of my brothers and sisters gathered in one place. Among the sea of colors, I didn’t see any other blue or lilac. Had they not saved any other service units? Were Hester and I the only ones left? I pushed down the uncomfortable thought. Now wasn’t the time. Iris needed me as did her friend.
“We use Iris as bait and then we kick their asses.” Reaper stood assured and confident.
Leaping to my feet, I rushed Reaper and yanked the gray borg by his shirt pulling him to me.
“WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?” My chest rapidly rising and falling and my heart pounding out a fast and furious rhythm. That gray son of a bitch. Reaper wanted to use my Iris as bait. No way in hell I was letting that happen.
“I figured you wouldn’t like it.” That damn cyborg had the nerve to smile. Why did he care? It wasn’t his female offered like a sacrifice to the monsters that tormented us.
I reared back, my fist clenching as I decided to rearrange Reaper’s mug. Maybe if I put enough fucking dents in it he would rethink this awful plan of his.
Reaper eyed my fist. “Seriously? I am trying to fucking help you here! I get it. I don’t want to send Iris off to those bastards either, but we need a way in.”
“Excuse me, but I’m right here. I think I can decide for myself if I want to be bait or not,” Iris piped up behind me. Her hand landed on my shoulder. “Let him go, Blueberry.”
Every instinct inside me rebelled, but I released Reaper’s shirt letting my fist fall.
I looked at Iris, her chocolate brown eyes flickered in the dim overhead lighting. Her fingers slipped up my chest to rest over my manufactured heart. “I have to do this Dash. I can’t leave Aria with those monsters for a second longer than necessary. I can’t promise you something won’t go wrong. Life happens. There is no guarantee of a tomorrow for anyone. I love you, but Aria is my best friend. Those monsters took her because I chose love. I don’t regret it and I would never change it. We knew this wasn’t going to be easy. The world believes cyborgs were a mistake. It thinks we should fall in line and conform to their box. No more, Dash. We may be the underdogs, but we can be badasses too. Let’s be badasses, Blueberry.”
My body stiffened ramrod-straight as I fought the urge to toss Iris over my shoulder and lock her in our room until this was over. The circuits fired off every way I could keep her here while it battled with every way this mission could go wrong, and I could lose her. My fingers twitched against her hips, tightness gathering in my chest.
Crushing her body to mine, I devoured her lips. The kiss edged on brutal as I poured every bit of desperation and fear into her mouth. I inhaled her fierceness and found my own. I hated the thought of her in danger, but Iris was right—no more. I was tired of hiding and existing in the dark, terrified, and alone, wondering when I would next see the sun.
Releasing her lips, I held Iris as tight as her fragile human frame would allow.
“Would it help if I said Dash is going, too?” Reaper offered.
“Yes,” I said.
“No,” Iris said at the the same time.
Chapter Thirty-One
*Iris*
We spent the next hour going over plans. That basically meant Reaper spoke and we listened. I had to give the man credit; he knew his shit. I could totally imagine him commanding his batch as they headed into some dangerous mission. I am sure he had known loses, but I knew that he would do everything he could to make sure we all came home.
Tempted if I didn’t think Dash might kill him, I’d throw my arms around his neck and squeeze him with everything I had. Then again, Reaper might kill me too. A hug and a patted knee were two very different things.
After two hours, the plans were as good as they were going to get. Dash and I walked in silence. Our door opened to the small room that had been so full of happy memories only hours before. Now, it felt heavy. The weight of what was coming rolled into the space like thunder. I fought the thickness, pushing through it to find a lighthouse waiting for me. Dash’s eyes anchored me to the moment. We had tonight, and I planned to use it.
Dragging my shirt over my head I tossed it to the floor. I kicked off my shoes, my pants going next. I pushed them down and off to land in a pool of fabric at my feet. I stood in my bra and panties; my skin flushed with color. That color rose when the first patch of wetness dampened pale-blue cotton.
“Do you require my service?” The question should have sounded wrong to my ears, instead, it sent more slickness gathering between my thighs. Dash’s voice whispered across my skin, the words trailing over my heated flesh causing goosebumps.
“Yes.” one word spurred my cyborg into action as he dropped down to his knees before me. My pussy clenched, sucking the cotton in slightly trying to get something, anything into its emptiness.
Dash’s fingers gripped the elastic sides of my panties and yanked, ripping them away to leave me bare. When his tongue darted out t
o lick his lips, I stifled a moan.
He was looking at my pussy like it was an ice cream cone and he was dying for a taste.
I gripped my thighs and parted them wide. I showed Dash the cream dripping and making my inner thighs glisten. Dash put his nose to my skin and inhaled my scent before tracking its way up my thigh, his tongue offering little licks to my skin.
With every brush of his tongue, I burned; my fingers curled around his massive shoulders to bring him closer. He growled, and the vibrations shot straight to my clit. I threw my head back letting out the moan I had tried caging. My hands flew from his shoulders, grabbed the back of his head, and pulled him forward to where I needed him the most.
Dash didn’t waste another second, his mouth fastened to my clit, he sucked sharply. He was relentless, sucking and teasing my clit until my thighs trembled. He would feast and then pull back, denying my release, keeping me poised right at the edge.
“Please. Please.” I tried trapping his head between my thighs so he couldn’t deny me what I was frantically begging for.
His fingers dug into my ass, enabling him to pull more of my swollen pussy into his mouth as he ate me like I was his last meal. He didn’t let up this time, taking me to the edge and pushing me over with a hard flick of his tongue against my clit.
“DASH!” His name came out guttural; my voice raw from the sheer force of coming so hard my vision went black before stars burst behind my eyes.
I could only feel that he stood and gathered me to him, his arms cradled my knees and lifted me to his chest. My eyelids fluttered open, and I saw him carry me to the bed. I smiled, the sweet glow of my orgasm tingled through my body as the slow rush of anticipation started to rise once again.
Dash’s clothes fell away before he climbed on the bed settling between my thighs. His cock nudged my wet and wanting entrance. Lifting my hips allowed my pussy to swallow just the tip. One thrust and he would be home.
*Dash*
Iris’s taste lingered on my tongue. Her hips rose off the bed; her pussy took the head of my cock into her welcoming warmth. My arms shook slightly from the force of holding myself back and not thrusting inside her and fucking her until only broken words dripped from her lips.
I leaned forward and brushed a kiss across her temple before taking her beautiful pink cheeks in my grasp. The tightness in my chest had returned, but this time it wasn’t fear. It was the reality of knowing that every one of my dreams had come true. Even the dreams I had never dared to wish for.
“No matter what tomorrow brings, we will face it together. First, I plan to take you so hard and deep you will feel my cock in your cunt for days. Let it be a reminder that you are mine, Iris. No one, not even The Global Allegiance will take you from me.” I thrust home, burying my cock deep into her tight, wet cunt. I fucked her with wild thrusts, my hands grabbing the headboard to get more leverage to drive even deeper.
I got another one of my wishes, Iris’s words had stopped and the only thing escaping her lips were broken bits of sound. The only word she managed to say coherently was my name.
I picked up my thrusts, faster and faster, until her pussy clenched around my cock and drenched it with her release. I drove home, cumming hard as pussy continued to flutter against cock, keeping me cumming until wrung completely dry.
I let my head fall and nuzzled her ear, tracing her delicate skin with my lips. She trembled slightly letting out a satisfied sigh.
“I love you, heart of my heart.” The words felt so right I choked on the emotion. I cradled her to my chest.
“Only pleasant dreams tonight, okay?” Iris mumbled, sleep lacing her voice.
“For you, Iris, anything.” Kissing the back of her neck I closed my eyes willing only good things to flood my processors.
Chapter Thirty-Two
*Iris*
We were back in the common room. Dash sat beside me, his hand making comforting circles on my lower back.
Reaper sat across from us. The air hung heavy with tension as his lips settled into a severe line.
A shiny device rested in my hand. It was the same device Reaper had given Aria and Caia to contact us if they needed to.
It was also the device The Global Allegiance had used to make contact and give their ultimatum. I was glad it had been Reaper who had answered their call. I didn’t know if I could have remained calm had I been the one to pick it up. I couldn’t imagine a hysterical pissed off woman on the phone would have done me any favors.
I held my friend’s lifeline in my hands and was bracing myself to make the most important and terrifying call of my life. The Global Allegiance had demanded I be the one to make the arrangements.
“You can do this, Iris,” Dash whispered, and Reaper nodded.
I shook my head trying to clear it, the contents of my stomach curdling as my mouth went dry. I pressed a button and the device trilled, automatically connecting to a vid screen that popped up to reveal a sight I never expected.
Staring at me from the screen was a woman. I don’t know why that shocked me, but my mouth crudely fell open before I slammed it shut. I guess maybe my mind had conjured up the image of some old menacing man, a Jack the Ripper type who personified the evil of The Global Allegiance Corporation.
The woman watching me through the screen didn’t seem menacing in the least. She had twisted her chestnut brown hair on top of her head in a perfect bun. Moss-green eyes met mine while a pleasant, but not too pleasant, smile rested on her plump, pink lips. A tight black sweater swept down to meet a set of perfectly pressed charcoal gray slacks.
“Ms. Milone, I’m so glad you decided to do the right thing and turn yourself in,” her voice came through the screen sticky-sweet and pumped full of fake kindness. Her eyes drifted away from mine to lock onto Dash. A quick flash of cold calculation darkened her features before she forced her herself to look away, the sticky sweetness once again blanketing her face.
Suddenly, she seemed far more menacing than any man The Global Allegiance would have sent in her place. Something felt off and a pit of dread settled in my stomach, but there was no turning back now.
“Let me remind you that you are expected to bring the service unit with you for deactivation in accordance with the law requiring all cyborgs be terminated due to defective and dangerous programming.”
The words I was planning stuck in my throat, the simple thought of losing Dash made it hard to breath. I choked down the emotion. I did not want this bitch to see just how much her words had affected me. “Don’t worry I know the rules of the exchange. I will deliver the service unit when I turn myself in. I know what’s at stake if I don’t comply.”
The woman’s fake smile went wide as she snapped a folder shut like a piranha nipping a bone. “I can’t tell you how happy I am that you understand the seriousness of your situation. The blame for your friend’s situation rests directly on your shoulders, Ms. Milone. It is upsetting when someone chooses a machine over a flesh-and-blood human. I am so glad you finally came to your senses. I expect you and the service unit to return to your residence by dusk. We will be retrieve you and it from there. I highly suggest you don’t do anything foolish. See you soon,” she cheerfully sang her concluding phrase before the screen went black. The urge to vomit clawed its way up my throat. I sucked air in through my nose, trying to push the feeling down. This was only the beginning. I couldn’t fall apart now. I couldn’t fall apart at all. Aria, Dash, Reaper, and every other cyborg still alive were counting on me.
“You did well,” Reaper said with a hint of admiration in his voice.
I snorted. “I barely said anything. I was just happy I didn’t throw up or threaten to choke the life out of that bitch with my bare hands. Tell me your spider senses were tingling and noticed there was something off about that woman.”
“I agree. She sounded almost excited to take Dash from you. The Global Allegiance is playing with us. I don’t like it, but we have no choice but to follow her directions. I promised I would get
you, Dash, and Aria back safely. I always keep my promises.”
I nodded unable to say anything in return. Dash grasped my hand. “We will get through this Iris. I don’t care how that woman looked at me. It doesn’t matter. She can’t touch us.”
My blueberry was so sure of himself. I thought back to when I first opened the box and how desperate he seemed. He was willing to do whatever was necessary to keep from going back in the box. Now, I felt determination and confidence flowing from his giant blue form.
I had the man I loved by my side plus a small army of pissed-off cyborgs led by one who ate failure for breakfast.
What could go wrong?
Chapter Thirty-Three
*Dash*
My side rested against the cool metal examining table. I fought the urge to panic. Flashbacks of The Global Allegiance tests filled my mind.
I was transferring the flashbacks in brutal snippets, sending them into Iris’s head, tears flooded her eyes as she fought down sobs. Frantically, she grabbed my hand, her pale skin turned even whiter as she gripped my fingers tightly.
“Do you remember when I first found you? You saved me from falling on my ass.” Iris included wildly.
Dax cut into my back, the knife slipped past my synthetic flesh as pain receptors lit up like bolts of lightning.
“You caught me Dash remember? When I said I had already landed on my ass once that night, you fell to your knees and grabbed my ass.”
The sound of hissing met my ears as a drill tip began to bore into my metal spine. I gritted my teeth and tried hard to push past the pain and focus all my circuits on what Iris was saying.
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