of them. It’s my job to be in command of my men, Mira. Do you understand?”

She did understand. She nodded. “I get it.”

He lifted her slowly up his body, walking them around the bed. He gently laid her down. “You’re worn out still from healing. You’ll stay here with me.”

“Thank you, Flint,” she said softly. Gratitude and relief filled her. He was keeping her. She had faith that he’d break the sale. He had to. “Just…thank you.”

Flint ordered the lights off as he climbed into bed with her. Mira curled up flush against his large warm body. Flint held her tightly. It felt right, being in the cyborg’s arms and Mira loved the feel of him holding her. She felt safe with Flint. She yawned, physically and emotionally exhausted.

Flint caressed her back, rubbing her spine. “Sleep, Mira. I’m here. No one will take you from me.”

She nodded into his chest. “I swear you won’t regret it.”

His hand slid up her back higher so he could fist her long hair, gently rubbing the strands in his fingers. “It will be all right. When we reach Garden we’ll be a family unit. I want to have children.”

She nodded. “Will they be cyborgs ?”

He hesitated. “Probably. I’m mostly made up of human clone material but all cyborgs have children who are physically flawed. We were purposely engineered flawed and it has carried on to our children.

Cybernetics will make our children whole and healthy.”

“Okay.”

“Will this bother you?”

“Having little cyborgs ?” She shook her head. “I hadn’t planned on having a family for some years but I never planned on meeting you either.”

Flint chuckled. “I never planned on you, Mira.”

“You saved my life yet again. I really would want to die if you let someone else have me. I want to stay with you.”

His hand stilled and then he continued to brush his fingers through her hair. “Sleep. You need it.”

Chapter Eleven

Mira woke alone to find a tray of food at the end of the bed. Flint was gone but she was still in his room.

That had to be a good sign. She used the cleaning unit and put on one of Flint’s shirts. The entire time she ate she wondered if Flint was talking to Iron. What if Iron wouldn’t sell her back? Fear hit her. It still hurt slightly that Flint had sold her in the first place. She finished breakfast.

She paced. Being locked in Flint’s quarters was boring. He didn’t have any entertainment units. Most living quarters carried vid players or music players. Flint’s didn’t. Hours passed before the doors finally opened. Flint walked in, wearing his uniform. His grim expression made her heart slow in dread.

“Is everything all right?” Mira asked, afraid.

Flint hesitated while the doors shut behind him. “Iron wasn’t happy when I asked him to sell you back to me or when I reminded him of our longstanding friendship. I had to tell him how much I wanted to keep you to try to get him to revoke the sale.”

“But did he sell me back?” She heard the desperation in her voice.

Flint hesitated again. “With conditions.”

She moved to the bed and sat. “That doesn’t sound good. What kind of conditions?”

Flint crossed his arms over his chest, his features were set in a grim mask. “He wanted to use your body for a few hours.”

Dread hit her hard. She shook her head. “No. Please, Flint?”

His eyes narrowed. “I refused.”

Relief washed through Mira as she nodded. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet. He’s never had sex with a human but he was given one of the new females we took from the shuttle we boarded. He’s nervous about touching her. Cyborg women and pleasure ship females far out in space are not fully human. I won’t let him have you but he’d like to see a demonstration.”

Startled, she let his words sink in. “I don’t understand. What kind of demonstration?”

“He’s going to watch us. He wants me to show him how to have sex with a human.”

Panic hit her. “No way.”

“Would you prefer he not sell you back to me? The only reason he wanted you in the first place it seems was because you’ve had sex with me. He didn’t want to keep you long term because I’d branded you but he wants his new slave to enjoy his touch. He thought renting you out afterward would make the money back that he paid for you. I won’t force you, Mira—it’s your choice. I’m not particularly thrilled with the idea of