“Take Jillian then and just get off my shuttle.” Varel couldn’t hide his fear when he responded.

“Agree to fight me as men do or you can die without honor.” Coal really sounded furious over that last prospect. “I know you want my woman and may come after her again. I won’t allow that to happen. One way or another, this ends here and now.”

Varel took his time in deciding. “No weapons, just you and me.” He paused. “How do I know you won’t shoot me if I walk in there?”

“I want to kill you with my bare hands.” The rage audible in Coal’s voice left no doubt that he meant every word he said.

“Fine. I’m coming and I’m unarmed.”

“Don’t trust him,” Jill called out softly.

Coal’s shot her a glare over his shoulder. “I told you to leave.”

“I love you. Pay attention to them instead of me.” She jerked her head toward the open door. “Here he comes.” Please win, she silently added.

Varel stepped into the cargo hold with his arms up, palms showing, and looked furious. Coal stepped out from behind the crates gripping his weapon. Varel’s eyes widened before he paled.

“I shouldn’t have trusted a metal head.”

Coal calmly threw his weapon aside to land somewhere near the bulkhead, far from the captain. “I have honor. You kidnapped my woman and you attempted to force her to have sex with you.” He moved back to the center of the room slowly, never taking his eyes off his adversary. “I’m going to make you hurt for that.” Coal’s fingers waved him forward as he took a defensive stance. “Fight as if you know what it truly is to be a male.”

“Shit,” Sky muttered. “My friend Coal there is going to take you apart, slimeball.” He paused. “I have your back, Coal. If any of his crew moves I’ll take them out. You just worry about him. I have their locations locked, though they are staying out of visual range. I’ll know if they try to sneak up on us. It’s probably their plan to do that with the distraction of the fight.”

“I’m aware. It would be mine.” Coal waved the captain closer. “Let this begin. I’m eager to see you bleed.”

Varel had to step over the dead man on the deck, his boots leaving a trail of blood. He advanced slowly, taking in every inch of Coal’s six-and-a-half-foot frame.

“I could make you rich, cyborg. She’s just a woman. I could show you a hundred of them for you to choose from if you allow me to have her. Jillian’s not even beautiful and her legs are too short. Wouldn’t you enjoy a thinner woman who stands at least six feet tall? She’s even a bit pudgy.”

Another growl emanated from Coal. “You insult my woman and my loyalty to her as well?”

“Stupid,” Sky snorted.

Varel frowned. “Name what you want.”

“For you to die,” Coal stated. He took an aggressive step forward. “Fight or don’t but I’m about to hit you.”

Varel threw a punch first, as soon as they were close enough to attack each other. Coal allowed it to land on his chest. A cold grin flashed.

“Is that the best you have?”

He threw one himself, sending Varel stumbling back but the man remained on his feet. Varel backed up and his hand suddenly went behind him, whipping out a knife with a long, wicked blade.

“I’m going to slice you up, you oversized lab reject.”

Coal snarled, advancing again on the captain. Jill wanted to yell for Coal to be careful but she feared he’d look away from that nasty-looking blade that slashed out at his gut a second later.

Coal’s body bowed to avoid the deadly weapon and his fist slammed hard into Varel’s face. Blood bloomed where his nose took the hit but the captain slashed again, seeming not to feel the pain. Jill watched the ghastly dance as Varel lunged again to cut Coal but the bigger cyborg had great reflexes, dodging it again.

Movement by the door drew Jill’s gaze as three of the crew rushed forward. Sky stepped from behind the crate, firing at them. He hit two of the crew but a third one hit the deck in a roll, crashing into crates. A fourth crew member rushed out next. Sky fired but the man behind the crate fired at him. Sky crouched, fired, and then fired again. He hit the new man who went down but the one hiding behind the crate exchanged more fire with him.

Coal and Varel seemed oblivious to the battle. Sky kept exchanging fire with the surviving crew member of the Cutter to keep him pinned down. Jill turned her head, wondering if she would be able to crawl the length of the pod to sneak up on the man behind the crates. He happened to be on her side of the shuttle. She went to her hands and knees and started to move forward but a hand gripped her ankle.

Jill turned her head to peer at Rune. The android shook her head and then dropped to her hands and knees, crawling forward until they were shoulder to shoulder.

“It is too dangerous.”

Jill knew that. “He could shoot Coal if Sky doesn’t keep him pinned down.”

“I will go.”

“You’re programmed not to harm humans. You said so yourself.”

“My programming doesn’t prevent me from disarming them or pushing them from behind where they hide to avoid being killed.”

Jill smiled. “You’re really smart.”

“I have advanced programming and can adapt.”

“You’re awesome. Go ahead but don’t get shot.”

“Logically, I pose no threat to the man.” She started to inch forward.

Jill lifted her head to peer around the nose of the pod. Coal and Varel still fought. She’d never suspected the captain could hold his own with a much stronger cyborg but he remained on his feet, bleeding, and it suddenly dawned on her that Coal toyed with the man. He hit him but not hard enough to drop him or shatter bones.

“Coal,” she whispered, not willing to risk saying it loud enough for Coal to hear in case it distracted him. “Just kill the son of a bitch.”

The next punch Coal landed snapped Varel’s head back hard and Jill swore she heard a sickening, crunching sound. As she stared she saw the man’s jaw hung open, blood poured out, and then Coal hit him again. The captain dropped to his knees, shock widening his eyes, and the knife dropped when both of his hands fell to his sides. Coal snarled.

“Never take someone I love from me.”

Large gray hands gripped Varel’s face and for an instant pure terror transformed the captain’s features, knowing what would come. Coal twisted hard, snapping his neck, and then threw the limp body to the deck. He snarled again.

“Die!” A male voice yelled.

Jill gasped as the crew member suddenly stood up with his weapon aimed directly at Coal. Sky fired but the man moved, the shot missing him by inches, and Jill inwardly screamed, terrified she was about to watch the man she loved with all her heart die in front of her.

Rune suddenly stood up, grabbed the weapon, and just tore it from the shocked man’s fingers. She smiled at him.

“Weapons are dangerous. I’m confiscating this to prevent you from doing harm.” She backed up, holding it in her hands. Her head turned to look directly at Sky. “I am out of the line of fire at this distance.”

No one moved. The crew member stood frozen, his fingers still poised as if he held the weapon, and then his angry gaze turned to Sky. “I’m unarmed. You can’t shoot me.”

“That is a lie,” Rune cheerfully stated. “He’s got two weapons tucked behind his back in the waist of his pants.”

“Drop them,” Sky ordered coldly.

The man hesitated. “Are you going to allow me to go if I do?”

Sky hesitated. “Drop your weapons. I won’t negotiate with you.”

The man clenched his jaw. “Then f**k you.” He lunged for his weapon.

The sound of Sky’s weapon firing made Jill flinch. The blast the crew member took to the chest slammed his body hard into the bulkhead behind him. He fell down where Jill couldn’t see him.

“His life functions have ceased.” Rune turned, strolling out from behind the back of the second pod. “Where do you want me to put the weapon?”

Sky walked over to her and held out his hand. “I’ll take it.”

Rune gave it to him instantly. Her smile remained in place. “Would you like me to clean up this mess?” Her hands lowered to the hem of her dress.

“No!” Jill struggled to her feet. “No, Rune.”

Sky frowned, looking at Jill. “What is going on?”

“Don’t ask. Just tell her no.” Jill turned then, her gaze meeting Coal’s.

He didn’t come toward her but remained instead next to Varel’s body. Her gaze scanned Coal to make certain he wasn’t injured. He had blood on both hands, his knuckles were a little torn, but she was pretty sure most of the blood wasn’t his. She met his gaze again.

“I wish you’d returned to the Jenny as I ordered you to do.” Sadness touched his expression, dulling his eyes. “I never wanted you to see the brutality I am capable of. Please don’t be afraid of me, Jill.”

Jill didn’t hesitate to rush at him, running. She saw surprise widen his eyes as she threw her body against his, her arms wrapping tightly around his waist, her face buried in his chest, inhaling his wonderful masculine scent mixed with the irony smell of blood.

“I love you.”

His arms hesitantly wrapped around her but he avoided touching her with his bloodied hands. His chin lowered to the top of her head, resting there as he hugged her back.

“I love you too, Jill. You know I’d never harm you.”

Hot tears burned behind her closed eyelids. “I know that. You came for me. Thank you, Coal. I was terrified I’d never see you again.”

“I will always come for you. You are everything to me.”

She sniffed and pulled her face back. Coal’s gaze met hers as she stared up at him, blinking back tears. “You’re everything to me too. Let’s get out of here. I want to go home.”

Coal’s body tensed in her arms and she saw a pained look in his eyes. “You wish to return to Earth?”

She shook her head. “Home is anywhere you are, Coal. I meant home to your planet. Didn’t you say something about wanting to start a farm? I’ve learned that I’m rich. My father left me a lot of money and that’s why that jerk kidnapped me. I know what bank he put all of it into and how to access it. We’ll have plenty of it to start our new life together.”

Coal stared down at her. “You won’t need money on Garden.”

“Then, it will always be there if we do need it in the future. You’re all I need, Coal.”

Jill didn’t look at him with fear or disgust. Coal had worried that she would see him differently after he killed Varel in front of her. He’d actually hesitated for a while in ending the man’s life not, wishing her to see his brutal side—his cyborg side. His rage had taken over eventually. The man had taken Jill away and for that he had to die.

She still loves me, he thought, smiling down at her upturned face. It was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen when she looked at him that way.

“We’re going home.”

He didn’t mention that he might end up locked in a cell for the crimes he’d committed to reach her. It didn’t matter. They wouldn’t kill him and would consider his special circumstances when they decided his punishment. Jill would be considered his property on Garden since law stated humans belonged to cyborgs. They couldn’t take her from him. That’s all that mattered.

“What about her?” Sky drew his attention, his head tipping toward Rune.

The android female smiled at him when Coal studied her. She’d saved Jill from being raped and she’d also saved his life by disarming a human holding a weapon on him. He hesitated, uncertain of what to do.