fear gone. His female was smart. She’d quickly figured out she held value and was using it for leverage.

“Is she similar enough to a cyborg?” Hellion shifted his stance. “That’s what I want to know. Do you believe the council will consider placing her in that status?”

Maze shook his head. “She was born to parents and her DNA wasn’t enhanced. She’s just had a lot of work done, but that won’t qualify her as one of us.”

“I want a report immediately from the both of you,” Stag demanded. “How you found her.” He glared at Deviant, then turned his attention to Venice. “And what happened to you, who you are, where you came from, and how you ended up on my ship. You go first, Deviant. Speak—and don’t lie to me.”

Deviant licked his lips. It was going to take hours to go over those details, and the cyborgs in the room looked as if they had no intention of leaving until they got answers. He guided Venice to the bed and both of them took a seat.

He began first. “My father demanded I visit the automated brothel.” It was embarrassing to admit the reason to the crew, but necessary. He would do it for Venice.

Chapter Eight

Venice watched the cyborgs leave and blew out a relieved breath. “Stag is kind of paranoid, isn’t he?”

Deviant nodded. “I apologize for the way he kept asking you to repeat parts of what happened to you.”

“It’s okay. I am a stowaway on his ship. I can see why he’d be so upset. I’m just grateful he’s allowing me to stay with you and not locking me up inside the cargo hold.”

“I would have gone there with you if that was the case. I’m not leaving your side, Venice.”

He was so sweet, and she definitely appreciated it. “Thank you.”

Deviant smiled, stroking her fingers resting in his hand. “It will be fine. I’m glad you picked up on what Maze said about your unique skin and upgraded prosthetics. The council may actually be relieved I found you. Do you mind allowing him to scan them and taking a skin sample from you? We’re always trying to advance our medical knowledge. It’s been more difficult since we left Earth. They have at least a hundred thousand scientists working on those things but we only have a few dozen cyborgs who took up that work. We’re smart but our resources are limited.”

“I don’t mind. I hope anything Maze learns can help others. Do cyborgs get hurt often?”

“Occasionally. Sometimes they are born with birth defects. We’re uncertain why. It makes no sense. The first generations were engineered to be perfect, yet it doesn’t always get passed down to their children.” He glanced at his hand, seeming to study it.

She guessed what he was thinking. “Your skin and eyes aren’t a defect.” He was beautiful to her, and she wasn’t about to let him forget it. “Promise me you’ll never allow some doctor to mess with either.”

He inclined his head. “You’re the only one who sees me as unflawed, but I’ll agree. I’ve spent thirty-five years this way. I am unsure I’d know how to be something else.”

“Good. Cyborgs are morons if they want everyone to look the same. There’s a name for that.”

He met her gaze and arched one eyebrow.

“Androids.”

A smile touched his lips. “Ah.”

“They pretty much all look the same. I used to go to the market and see them shopping for their owners. I never could afford one, but they’re eerie. I won’t lie. There would be at least fifty or sixty of them walking around and a lot of them wore the same clothing, factory-direct. Imagine seeing that. All the same height and size, dressed alike, same faces and wigs. They even moved alike.” She grimaced. “I never wanted to own one. They creeped me out.”

“They made cyborgs gray so we couldn’t be mistaken for Earthers.”

“Your size and physique would have done that. I’ve never seen guys who are as handsome or as in shape as any of you are.”

“That actor in the vid, the bad one, was attractive and muscular.”

“And had more work done on him in a surgery center, most likely. They also edit the vids to make some of those men look way better than they do in real life. I saw a celebrity once. He had a pot belly but they removed that from his vids. It’s all special effects.”

“I see.”

“I heard people used to go to these places called gyms to get