Burning Up Flint Read online

  “Let’s flip her,” Doc said.

  Mira didn’t fight as the men gripped her to flip her naked body. Then Doc cursed. “They scratched her. Those are fingernail marks. Damn mutants.”

  “What’s wrong with me?” Mira’s teeth chattered. “I’m so cold.”

  A firm hand landed on her back. “Hold still. Were you raped, Mira?”

  “No.”

  She heard two men sigh in relief. “One of the mutants clawed your lower back. Did they touch you at all? Try to remove your pants?”

  She nodded. “I offered them ransom money to stop. They did.”

  “One of them scratched you. The thing about mutants is they are dirty bastards who carry all kinds of nasty infections and they broke your skin.” Doc sounded pissed. “Hand me the red injector,” he ordered Iron.

  “Is she going to survive?” Iron sounded worried.

  “If she responds to the hyperantibiotic then she will recover. If she is septic then she might not make it. I don’t think the infection has gone that far but we have to get it under control. If her fever spikes too high, she’ll be in danger of convulsions and brain damage. We’ll know in a few hours. If we caught it early enough and the meds kick in, she’ll be a little weak but she’ll recover quickly.

  “I guess the bastards hadn’t had a woman in a long time. She’s too pretty and would fetch a good price as a sex slave. They had to know they were carrying infection and that raping her would kill her in a matter of days just from them touching her.”

  Iron cursed. “What are her chances?”

  “It’s up to how strong she is,” Doc sighed. “She’s a little thing.” Mira flinched in pain when Doc injected the hyperantibiotic. He covered her with a blanket and reached up to pat her shoulder. “Hang in there, honey,” Doc said softly. “You’re tough.”

  “I’ll go report to Flint and tell him how serious this is.” Iron sighed. “I’m sure he’ll be down immediately.”

  “I’m going to put her out. She needs to rest to fight the infection.”

  Doc leaned down so Mira could see his face and smiled. “Flint will come down and hold your hand, okay? I’m going to put you to sleep now.”

  “I’m so co-cold.”

  “I know, honey. You just sleep so you get better.” He lifted the sheet at her hip and gave her another injection.

  Mira drifted to sleep.

  * * * * *

  Over the next few days, every time she opened her eyes, Doc was sitting on the med bed next to her. He’d walk over to her to tell her she was doing great. She moved her arm once and realized he had hooked her up to liquid nourishment.

  “Flint?”

  Doc looked pissed. “He’s not here, Mira. He came once. He’s worried about you.”

  He looked away when he said it. Pain hit Mira. She was deathly sick and Flint didn’t care. He was too angry at her for fleeing the Star and him. She blinked back tears.

  “He’ll never forgive me, will he?”

  Doc hesitated. “Cyborgs are…well, they are human in a lot of ways but they take certain things badly. I think he feels that you betrayed his trust. That’s the worst thing you can do to one of them. He’s pretty damn angry.”

  “Is there a way to get rid of his marks? Has he asked you to do that so he can sell me to someone else?”

  Doc looked away. It was enough of an answer for Mira. Flint had asked. Doc cleared his throat. “Markings like that are permanent. I’d have to remove inches of tissue and you’d have to re-grow it. It would be weeks of pain. You’d be locked in a med bed to prevent bleeding and scarring during skin and tissue rejuvenation if it would even work. Those marks are meant to be forever. Flint understands that. I told him when he asked.”

  She shut her eyes, fighting tears. “So he’ll have to sell me to someone besides a cyborg, right?”

  Doc hesitated. “Yeah. No cyborg would want you with his markings. At least not long term. It would bother them. They— Oh, hell. This is upsetting you. Don’t worry about this now, Mira. Just get well.”

  She went back to sleep.

  It was the sleeping cycle when she woke next. She was finally starting to feel better. The lights in the med bay were dim and Doc wasn’t on the med bed next to her, reading. She lifted her head and almost gasped. Fear hit her instantly at the sight of a large man standing at the head of her bed. Her gaze flew up.

  Flint was watching her with his arms crossed over his chest. She stared at him in stunned silence, taking in that he’d cut his hair. It was shocking to see his longer locks gone. It was cut short—only about an inch long. It made him look ruthless with his mouth in a tight line while fury burned in his dark blue eyes.

  “Flint…” She whispered his name.

  “I came to evaluate my property.” His voice was deep and cold.

  She flinched. “I’m sorry.”

  He growled low in his throat. “You’re sorry? What are you sorry about, Mira? Sorry that you almost cost us the raid on the Piera because we were docking to her when I got word that you’d stolen a pod? Are you sorry for the fuel and resources we wasted going after you? Are you sorry that you didn’t get away? Maybe you’re sorry that pirates caught you before I could. Maybe you’re sorry that you’re back here. What are you sorry for exactly?”

  Mira gripped the blanket. She felt weak but carefully sat up on the bed, wrapping the blanket tighter around her naked body. “I’m just sorry for everything. I didn’t think past escaping. I thought if I got away that I wouldn’t be just property anymore.”

  He swayed a little on his feet as his hands fisted until his knuckles whitened at his sides. Flint’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “You are property, Mira. You are mine to do with as I wish. You almost got yourself killed and you could have gotten me, along with the crew of the Rally, killed with you if those pirates had gotten the drop on us instead.”

  “I’m sorry. I never meant to put your life in danger.”

  “You did.” He took a step toward her and then halted. “You are going to have to be punished for what you’ve done, Mira. You’ve cost me a lot of money. I’m the one who had to pay for the fuel that both ships wasted going after you.”

  Movement in the dim room caught Mira’s attention. She saw Iron standing about fifteen feet back, behind Flint. Flint turned his head, motioning Iron forward. Iron strode closer. Mira eyed the man with dread. She knew he didn’t like her and she remembered his suggestions of what he’d do to her if she were his when he’d shoved her into the cage. Was he going to suggest her death or have Flint take a belt to her ass to remove some layers of skin?

  He stopped next to Flint to glare down at Mira. Terror flooded her at the anger she saw in the other cyborg’s eyes. She turned to Flint, silently pleading with him. His eyes were cold.

  “I’ve sold you to Iron.”

  The words shocked and horrified Mira. She literally jerked back on the bed. “Please, Flint. I’m sorry. I’ll pay you every cent I cost you. I have money. Please don’t do this.”

  Flint’s mouth tensed. “I don’t want your money. Iron owns you now.” Flint turned on his heel, presenting her with his back, as he marched away.

  “Flint, please…”

  She shoved off the med bed and got to her feet. She gripped the blanket around her to keep her body covered and tried to run after the retreating Flint. She felt a tug on her arm where the nutrition IV was attached. She tore it away. Dizziness hit her but she stumbled after him, dragging the blanket that was around her body.

  “Flint!” she yelled.

  He froze, turning around slowly. Mira reached him and grabbed his shirt with her free hand. She clutched at him desperately as she stared up into his surprised features. She’d forgotten how big and tall he was.

  “I’ll do anything, Flint. Please don’t do this. I want to be with you.”

  He reached down to curl his hand around hers where it gripped his shirt. She almost expected him to crush her hand in his. She knew with his strength he could have.