Falling for Sky (Cyborg Seduction Book 11) Read online

  “I’m out of range, Mick. I’m sorry. I’d try to make it if I could, but I wouldn’t reach you at my current speed for two days. I’ve experienced damage to three thrusters that we’re unable to repair until we reach a space dock. Can you hold them off for that long? When is Drais Three sending help to you?”

  “They aren’t. The computer believes the long-range satellites were taken out by the pirates and they never received my distress signal. The military won’t be here in time, even if you were to contact them for me.”

  She sagged in her chair, defeated, knowing now for certain she was going to die.

  “It’s okay. I know you’d help me if you could.”

  “I’m sorry.” Regret filled in his voice. “What’s your military training? I could tell you how to fight them more effectively when they come at you. I know the odds aren’t in your favor, but you might win, between firing your weapon and engaging in hand-to-hand combat with a sharp implement. You need to find a place with limited space so only a few of them can attack you at once. You sound sturdy, young, and strong. You might be able to kick their asses.”

  Mick want to laugh and cry at the same time. It was sweet that Sky thought he could talk her into putting up a last-stand battle, as if she had a chance in hell of winning, but he had no idea who he was really dealing with.

  She hesitated before reaching for the console. Her fingers hovered over the control.

  “I’m going to die, Sky. I wanted to tell you that the hours we’ve talked have meant a lot to me. It’s company policy to modify our voices, but… It doesn’t matter anymore if I break the rules, since I’ll be dead soon. What are my supervisors going to do? Write me up?” She turned off the voice modifier. “This is my true voice. My real name is Mickayla. I go by Mick because it sounds like a guy’s name…but I’m not one.”

  Shock tore through Sky at hearing the lovely feminine voice. Mick was a female.

  He instantly remembered some of the jokes he’d shared with her and wanted to groan. They’d been sexually crude. He’d—she’d never said a word, had just laughed at every one. She’d even told him some raunchy punch lines of her own.

  “Sky? Are you still there? I hope you’re not mad. I wanted to tell you the truth before but I’m a woman alone out here. It’s company policy to conceal that fact.” She softly sighed. “There’s no way I’m going to be able to fight my way out of this. I have zero combat training. I’m screwed five ways to Sunday and probably more than figuratively, once they get to me. You and I have both heard the horror stories about what they do to women.”

  Sky turned to gawk at Onyx. He couldn’t form words. Onyx peered back at him, stunned as well. His friend shrugged, clueless as to how to handle the situation.

  “We can’t help the female,” he softly whispered.

  Sky’s shoulders sagged, knowing Onyx was right. They were forbidden to have any physical contact with Earthers, especially ones who worked for Earth Government.

  He could fly to the surface and kill pirates, though.

  Mick stated they were trying to break into the building, which would mean they were on the surface.

  He muted his side of the coms.

  “We could swoop in and take out the pirates. It would buy her time.”

  “No.” Onyx shook his head. “I’m certain there are planetary cameras, and they’d know we were there. This shuttle is stolen and easily identifiable. We can’t do it unless we also destroy the building she’s inside of, to erase all evidence we were there. It would defeat the purpose. This is not a part of space we want Earth to send bounty hunters to. I’m sure there’s a recovery fee for this shuttle.”

  “Damn.” Sky waved a finger over his tips to silence the other man and opened coms on his side. “Mick?”

  “I figured you just shut coms off to avoid hearing anymore. I swear I wanted to tell you the truth about being a woman, Sky. I know you probably feel as though I tricked you, but I really did plan to let you know as soon as I left this post. I’d hoped to track you down to meet you.”

  “You did?” He couldn’t fathom why she’d wish to seek him out.

  “I can’t believe I’m telling you this…but it doesn’t matter anymore. We’re never going to meet, but I wish we could have. You make me laugh and you sound really nice. You also have a sexy voice. I guess it was kind of insane, but I hoped we’d hit it off. You’re probably too old for me, since you’ve been around long enough to earn the right to be a captain of a freighter, though I used to imagine you’d be in your forties and hot.” She chuckled lightly. “You have that kind of voice.”

  Sky had no words again.

  “I shocked you, didn’t I? Sorry. It’s been one of those days. I never thought it’d be my last when I woke to take my shift this morning. And I bet you never guessed you’d have a woman confessing she fantasizes about you based on nothing but some conversations and your husky voice.” She paused. “I’m going to open up a viewing channel. I want to see you at least once. Is that okay? I don’t want to die without knowing what you look like.”

  Sky saw the incoming signal and opened it.

  His breath caught.

  The image on the screen was of a woman probably in her early thirties. She had a pale complexion and haunting dark brown eyes. Her chestnut-colored hair was cut to her shoulders and tousled as if she’d been running her fingers through it. He leaned in to peer at her attractive heart-shaped face.

  “Sky? I can’t see you. Please open a channel. It’s okay if you’re older or don’t have any hair. I kind of assumed that might be the case, since you’re a captain, but I was still going to look you up when I left here. Your looks don’t matter to me.”

  “Why?” He could only get that single word out.

  She appeared to blush. Color rose to her cheeks, and she glanced down before peering back at the camera trained on her face. She smiled, and he felt as if someone had punched him in the gut.

  “I’ve been on this rock for four years without seeing anyone but androids. Why do you think? The supply shuttles they send don’t carry real people. You and I talk, we laugh…and I thought maybe we could eventually hook up. You said you were single and hadn’t found a woman to settle down with. You told me you just wanted someone you could laugh with, who would treat you good.” She shrugged. “I wanted the same thing. I don’t know. It was just a fantasy of mine.”

  Onyx muted the outgoing coms. “No.”

  Sky turned his head to look at him. “What?”

  “You have that expression on your face that I’ve seen right before you do something foolish that gets you into trouble.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Sky? Will you show me your face? Please?”

  He turned to stare at Mick. It was tempting to turn on his side of the cameras to reveal his image to her.

  “No!” Onyx snarled, seeming to read his mind. “The building will record the transmission and keep a record of it unless we level it to the ground. They will come to investigate her death eventually, when they realize they’ve lost contact with the planet.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said, drawing his attention once more. Mick’s entire face fell, and she looked disappointed. “It’s okay, Sky. I understand. I’m sure you’re mad at me for deceiving you.” Her big brown eyes filled with tears as they appeared to stare right at him through screen. “You probably think I’m insane anyway for wanting to meet you just because we had some conversations. They meant a lot to me, though. Know that, okay? You’re a hell of a nice guy, and one day I hope you meet a wonderful woman who keeps you laughing and appreciates you. Most people don’t know how lonely it is out here…but you and I both do.”

  Sky clenched his teeth—and swiftly threw out his arm.

  Onyx’s head snapped back when Sky’s fist made contact.

  He regained control of coms when the male blacked out from the sucker punch and opened voice communication.

  “Mick, we need to have a serious