Falling for Sky (Cyborg Seduction Book 11) Read online

  The fleeing pirates left her monitor range—the ones who didn’t die during the attack.

  The coms came to life and a deep, sexy voice said, “Do you have an auto-destruct protocol to destroy the structure?”

  “No.”

  “Open the shutters and come outside. Hurry.” He paused. “I can’t leave the controls but I’m going to open the belly of my shuttle. Run onboard. I’m hovering on the east side.”

  Her gaze flickered to a monitor on the left and she saw the shuttle lower dangerously close to the surface. “I welded them shut on the first floor from the inside.”

  He paused. “Come out the top hatch but open what shutters you’re able to.”

  She had no idea why he wanted her to open the shutters but didn’t take time to think about it. She commanded the shutters to open and heard the lower ones protest when they couldn’t. The shutters on the upper floor responded. She glanced at her weapon, but left it behind as she launched out of her seat to run to the lift.

  Her heart raced erratically as the doors closed and she pushed the button. She was about to meet a cyborg. It was crazy insane to be running toward one of them, but that didn’t stop her from rushing out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened. Two corridor twists later, she hit the stairs that led up to the emergency roof hatch.

  The code worked when she punched in the digits and it popped open. The smell of fresh air combined with smoke filled her nose as she climbed out onto the flat roof. She ignored the stench of burning flesh. The shuttle looked huge up close as it rose in front of her and angled to hover about ten feet from the side of the roof.

  The belly of the ship cracked open as the supply ramp descended and bright lights welcomed her as she caught her first glimpse inside. It was a cargo area with big covered box shapes strapped along one wall. The ramp bumped the roof and she ran.

  The wind blew her hair into her face but she just shoved it back as she entered the cargo hold. A loud motor sounded, and she glanced back, watching until the doors were safely sealed.

  “Stay there,” Sky’s voice demanded through speakers. “Look left, Mick. See the camera?”

  She peered that way and spotted the thing on the wall. He could see her, but she couldn’t see him.

  “I have to destroy the building before we leave this planet. Strap in but don’t leave the cargo hold.”

  “I could come to you.”

  There was a moment of hesitation on his part. “You need to stay there.”

  “This shuttle isn’t that big. I could find you if you just tell me where the pilot section is. I won’t get lost.”

  “It’s not that.” Sky sighed loudly. “There are cyborgs aboard who aren’t aware of what I’ve done. They’d see you and possibly assume you’re hostile.”

  Her mouth dropped open in stunned surprise. She wasn’t sure what that meant exactly, but it didn’t sound good.

  “It will be fine. I’ll explain why I rescued you.”

  Mick suddenly had a bad feeling, and wished she were back inside the building.

  Why hadn’t Sky told the other cyborgs he planned to rescue her before he’d done it? The implications didn’t bode well at all.

  “Strap in, Mick. It’s a rough ride breaking atmosphere. I’m about to fire upon the structure first to destroy all evidence that I was here.”

  Her gaze left the camera, and she spotted two crew chairs. She rushed to them right as the shuttle floor vibrated and the very faint sound of an explosion could be heard. Sky was firing on the control building. Her ass dropped into one of the seats and she belted in tight.

  The shaking assured her that they were leaving the planet. She tensed, hating that part. The shuttle she’d traveled on to Velion One hadn’t offered a smooth transition. The gravity stabilizers always grew a little wonky on the smaller shuttles during the transition from one atmosphere to another.

  The shaking passed quickly and everything grew still.

  Fear inched down her spine as she sat there staring at the camera across the room, wondering if Sky was watching her. What kind of mess had she gotten herself into? The reality of her situation slammed home hard.

  She’d never return to Earth, and she currently sat on a shuttle filled with cyborgs.

  Earth had assured the public that all cyborgs had been destroyed on Earth after they’d attempted an uprising to kill their creators. The factories where they’d been manufactured had been leveled to make certain no more could be produced.

  Cyborgs weren’t supposed to exist anymore…but they did. Mick had assumed deep-space tales told about them were created just to keep travelers from venturing too far from government-sanctioned stations. They were horror stories about cyborgs kidnapping and killing humans for spare parts. Of stealing shuttles that had gone missing in deep space. But those reports were quickly dubbed false. The government usually made official statements declaring it had been pirates.

  Earth Government had lied again.

  “Mickayla?”

  Sky’s husky voice made her start. Her gaze lifted to the camera.

  “Just remain there. I’m coming to you. It will be a few minutes.”

  “Okay,” she called out, unsure now if that was a bad or good thing. At least I’m alive. For now.

  * * * * *

  Sky set the autopilot and climbed out of his seat. Onyx remained unconscious from the punch he’d suffered. He bent in front of his friend to study the damage. His nose and jaw weren’t broken but he’d be in some pain when he woke.

  “Onyx?” He gripped his shoulders and shook him.

  The male groaned and peeked open one blue eye. “What happened?”

  Sky waited, knew it would only take seconds for him to recover.

  Both of Onyx’s eyes widened and a snarl came from his friend. Sky jumped back when the cyborg swung a fist his way.

  “What did you do?” Onyx struggled upright in his chair to stare at the monitor. “We’re still in space.” He shot another glare at his friend. “I thought you were about to do something dense. Why did you hit me?”

  “She’s waiting for me inside the cargo hold. There will be no record of this shuttle taking her. No buildings remain standing on Velion One. Pirates will be blamed for the utter destruction of the mining camp.”

  “You didn’t.”

  “You have the helm. Mickayla is probably frightened and in need of assurances that she’s safe with us.”

  Onyx tried to stand but sank back into his seat quickly, grabbing the side of his head. He stabbed his fingers into his black hair and groaned. “What have you done?”

  “I saved her.”

  “The council is going to have you detained. This is in direct violation of their orders. You know we’re under orders to never come into personal contact with Earthers unless we’re sanctioned to go to Earth stations. Even then, we aren’t permitted to have any contact that isn’t absolutely necessary to conduct our business. We’re never to reveal our identities as cyborgs.”

  “I know…but what was I supposed to do? She has agreed to never return to Earth.”

  “The council… They will be furious, Sky!”

  “I couldn’t allow her die.” Sky forced a smile, the severity of his actions not lost on him. “She can live on Garden.”

  Onyx gaped at him.

  “I know what you’re thinking. Hopefully the council will calm down once they realize that I covered our tracks and she’s just one person. It’s not as if I saved a ship full of humans that now have to be integrated into our society. Earth will investigate and rightfully conclude pirates attacked.”

  “They won’t find her body when they send a team to the site.” Onyx shook his head.

  “She’s a woman. Earth Government will further assume she’s been abducted by any remaining pirates.”

  “Have you gone insane?”

  Sky shrugged. “She’s my friend, and I like her. What was I supposed to do?”

  “Not interfere! The council isn’t going to