“I thought the scariest part was knowing I was the only woman with seven men on the ship. Now I’m more afraid of the guy with a grudge.”
He smiled. “You’re mine, Venice. I will protect you. We’ll reach Garden and everything will be fine.”
She wanted to trust him. It sure beat still being on the station with Darbis hunting her down, trying to force her to work in a brothel.
She really liked Deviant, and was starting to care about him more than she should. Her heart might get broken in the end if she didn’t rein in her feelings. It was just tough not to be attracted to him on every level. She reminded herself that one day he wanted to join in some family unit thing with a female cyborg.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.” He led her to the bed and sat.
She took the seat next to him. “What’s wrong with cyborg women?”
He arched his eyebrows in question.
“I still can’t understand why you’d have a problem dating them.”
Deviant hesitated and then blew out a deep breath. “My mother had a difficult time conceiving me. I wasn’t her first child, but I was her last. She already had four sons but it was decided I’d be her fifth.”
“That’s a lot of kids.”
“She had one son from each of her other three husbands and two with my father. He was her fourth.”
“She was married four times?”
He reached out and took her hand. “She has four current husbands.”
Venice was stunned. She’d heard of some weird family relationships on Earth. Sometimes the rich would keep a spouse and a known lover, but it was rare for it to become public knowledge.
“The cyborg males vastly outnumbered the females when we fled Earth. It was logical to have them take as many males as possible into a family unit to avoid fighting.”
She was confused, and it must have shown because he shrugged.
“I know it’s not the way it is on Earth. We had to adapt. The males might have started to fight amongst themselves, killing off the competition to win a female’s attention, and we needed to make certain our race survived. Some females have more than four husbands, but four is the standard number.”
“More?”
“Some keep six or seven. I have even met one male who was the eighth. It depends on how fertile the female is and how many males she’s willing to accept. Each of us must produce a child to ensure the future of our race.”
He was a virgin, or had been before they’d met. She refrained from asking him if he had any kids since that seemed highly improbable. “Okay. I guess I can see how that could happen if there are so few women and a lot of men. Don’t the husbands get jealous and still fight?”
“They don’t live together. The females split their time between the males in their family units. The women move between the homes the males keep, taking their children with them. Jealousy isn’t a factor that arises much.”
“That’s hard to believe.” Venice tried to relate by imagining having to share Deviant with another woman or a group of them. She didn’t like the thought one bit.
“It’s difficult to explain.”
That was an understatement. “So in other words, there are so many men that it’s tough to find a woman who doesn’t already have a ton of husbands?”
“We located more cyborg females recently, so the numbers aren’t as uneven as they used to be. My mother had to take experimental drugs to produce me. I told you that she had two children with my father. Dalk was born first, and showed exceptional intelligence at a young age. My mother stripped my father of the right to raise him by giving him to another male as his son.”
“That sounds really messed up! She was allowed to do that?”
He inclined his head. “It was. She has a strong bond to her first husband. Their child was born with flaws. Perfection is desired with cyborg parents, a source of pride, so she allowed him to claim Dalk as his own so he’d have a healthy son. My father was stripped of the right to raise and be a part of Dalk’s life. He protested, but she ignored his wishes. So my father took my mother before the council, and they ordered her to have another child that he could retain established rights to. He had also promised to have a child for his friend Krell, who wasn’t able to meet his requirement to produce a child for our society.”
Venice opened her mouth, found no words since she was so confused, and ended up just sealing her lips. His world sounded pretty complicated.
“Krell is heavily scarred and no female wanted to join in a family unit with him. He and my father are close friends, and have been since they fled Earth together. I’m legally registered to Krell, to fulfill his obligation to our race. But as I stated, my mother had a difficult time getting pregnant. Or perhaps she was angry enough over the council’s ruling that she attempted not to have another child. The experimental drug the council ordered her to take to conceive had unexpected results.” He released her and fisted his hand. “My skin tone is much darker than that of any other cyborg.”
“So?” Venice glanced at his hand, then back to his face. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”
His gaze and expression softened. “I am glad you believe so, but flaws in our society are an embarrassment to parents and to our race. Most children born with defects are able to overcome them with surgeries. That’s not possible with me. They attempted to treat my skin when I was younger with pigmentation therapy but it only darkened it more.”
Anger stirred fast inside her. “That’s bullshit. There’s nothing wrong with your skin!”
“My eyes are another flaw.”
She peered into them, shocked. “They’re gorgeous.”
“They hold a luminosity factor that wasn’t expected.”
“They’re very bright but they’re breathtaking.”
“Thank you.” He took her hand again, lacing his fingers through hers. “Some cyborg females are uncomfortable looking at me. They don’t want my flaws passed down to their children, and it’s probable those traits are hereditary. They banned the drug to make certain no others were born like me.”
She let that sink in. “So that’s why you’re not married? Women on your planet are dumb and superficial?”
He chuckled. “Yes.”
“Their loss in my gain.” She leaned in closer and reached up with her free hand to press her palm against his chest. “You’re the best-looking man I’ve ever seen.”
The pained look that flashed across his face, and the way he studied her as if he wasn’t sure she was being honest, about broke her heart. She released his hand and stood, straddling his lap.
“I mean it, Deviant. I get turned-on just looking at you. You’re perfect. Don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise. Believe me.” She trailed her hand up his chest to his shoulder and leaned in. “Do you think I’m flawed because three of my limbs are add-ons?”
He shook his head. “No.”
“Would they think that on your world?”
“Possibly.”
“Then fuck them. All that matters is what we think—and guess what? I want you…and I hope you want me.”
He wrapped his arms around her waist. “You’re perfect to me too, Venice. I want you as well.”
She smiled. “We’re on a bed. Isn’t that convenient?”
He smiled back. “I like the way you think.”
“I like the way you do everything.”
Chapter Five
Venice woke and stretched, the firm, warm body behind her causing her to smile. She rolled over, facing Deviant, who slept on his side. Memories of the evening before almost had her chuckling.
The handsome cyborg had let her ride him once they’d shed their clothing, but then he’d tried to get dressed again to go to sleep. She’d refused to let him.
It had stunned him a bit to consider sleeping nude with her, but she’d shown him the advantages by roaming her hands all over his chest and lower. That had turned into another bout of sex. He was a fast
learner. Deviant might kill her if he got any better at making her have multiple orgasms.
“Hey,” she whispered. The lighting was dim in the room but she knew the moment his eyes opened. They literally glowed a bit. They were beautiful.
“Hi.” He blinked a few times. “How did you sleep?”
“Really well.” She loved his eyes, couldn’t stop staring into them.
His smile faded. “Computer, increase lights by ten percent.”
The blue of his eyes were still bright but the glowing ceased as the room grew brighter. “Why did you do that?”
“I forgot what happens in dim lighting.”
“Your eyes are beautiful, Deviant. Computer? Dim the lights by ten percent.”
Nothing happened.
Deviant sighed. “Computer, dim lights by ten percent.” It complied. “Sorry. I had to lock voice commands as a precaution. I trust you but it alleviated my father’s worry that you’d attempt to contact Earth.”
She understood, peering at his eyes again. “They really are beautiful. You don’t have to hide anything from me.”
He grinned. “In that case…” He shifted his body closer, his stiff cock brushing against her belly. “I want you again.”
“Making up for lost time? I have no objections.” She reached under the covers, wrapping her fingers gently around his shaft and stroking his erect flesh. “That’s the best way to start a morning.”
A bell chimed.
“That would be my father.” He rolled away from her with a sigh, shoved off the covers and stood. “Go into the cleansing unit and take these to put on.” He crossed the room, opening up a drawer. He tossed her a shirt and shorts, removing a pair of pants for himself.
Venice hurried out of bed and took the clothing with her. She placed them high on a shelf and turned on the unit, first activated the toilet to come out for use, then cleaning her body and brushing her teeth at the same time.
She wondered if Deviant’s father had contacted his council friends and if things were about to turn bad. What if Deviant was ordered to return her to Darbis’s station? It was a grim, terrifying thought. She hurried to finish the cycle and dry off, putting on the borrowed clothing.
Deviant and his father both turned when she stepped out. She forced a smile she didn’t feel and nodded to Mavo. A tray of food rested on top of the bed. She was hungry but resisted investigating what he’d brought.
“Father has contacted his friend Krell to explain the situation. A few of the council members owe him favors. They are going to smooth things over for you to live on Garden with me.”
That sounded like good news to Venice. “So everything is going to be fine?”
“Yes.” Mavo glanced up and down her body. “They will want to medically scan you. It won’t be painful. I apologize, but my race isn’t trusting of Earthers. I hope you can understand.”
“I do. I’d be leery of telling anyone associated with Earth Government my secrets, too. They’d put a price on my head and I’d have bounty hunters looking for me to take me back.”
“That will never happen.” Deviant inched closer to her. “You’re safe now.”
She liked how protective he was. “I believe that. Thank you.”
“Krell agrees with your assessment, Deviant, and believes Stag will become a problem. We have decided to keep him unaware of her presence on the Varnish. You have a shift in less than an hour. We must resume normal duties to prevent suspicion.” Mavo glanced at Venice, then his son. “I take third shift. I thought I could keep her company so she’s not left alone. I’ll have just enough time to wait for you to return before I go on duty.”
“She won’t betray my trust.” Deviant scowled.
“It’s possible they could detect her presence. I’d rather one of us be with her at all times in case of that event. She’d be alone otherwise, and have no way to defend herself if security investigated.”
“The odds of that happening are slim. We don’t perform life scans ship-wide as part of standard operations.”
“We’ve had some issues with the oxygen scrubbers in section four. They could have to reset life support or test carbon monoxide levels. What is the procedure?”
Deviant grunted. “They would scan to see who’s in the surrounding areas and make them aware of the issue.”
Mavo inclined his head. “They would detect her. I’ll stay.”
Venice got an uneasy feeling but Deviant turned to her. “You’ll be safe with my father. I must go on shift or someone will come see why I am not on duty. A medic would arrive first, security next.”
“Okay.” She glanced at the other cyborg. The last thing she wanted was to be left alone with him but she understood why Deviant needed to leave.
“My father won’t harm you. He’s contracted with my mother in a family unit.”
Venice gave him a questioning look.
Deviant opened his mouth but it was Mavo who spoke first.
“I’m not interested in having sex with you. My son shared the terms of your agreement. I just plan to keep you company while he’s not here, for your safety.”
That was certainly clear enough. “Okay.”
Deviant sighed. “I need to get ready. Eat.”
He grabbed a uniform out of one of the storage bins in the wall and entered the cleansing unit. Venice regarded Mavo. “Well, at least we’ll get to know each other.”
He nodded. “I’d like that. Do eat. Don’t allow my presence to hinder you from what you would normally do.”
She turned and moved the tray to the floor, quickly making the bed. She replaced the tray and sat on one corner. “Would you like to sit? There are no chairs in here.”
He crossed the room to the other side of the long sleeping bunk and sat. She hesitated briefly but started to eat. The cleansing unit made soft noises as Deviant showered. Venice was hungry but she picked at her food.
“What do you think of cyborgs?”
She swallowed and turned her head, meeting his curious gaze. “I’m not sure how to answer that.”
“Do we frighten you?”
“I don’t know much about your kind but I’m not afraid of Deviant,” she admitted.
“Have you heard that we kill Earthers to steal their flesh?”
“I have but I don’t buy it, now that I’ve seen so much of your son.”
She instantly regretted admitting that but taking the words back weren’t an option.
She blushed a little and went on. “Deviant explained why you guys really left Earth. I believe his version of the story. Earth Government lies all the time and tries to use fear to control the population. That’s probably why they spread word that cyborgs were deadly threats, to make certain no one sympathized with your plight.”
“Tell me about this station owner you are married to.”
She grimaced. “It was a scam. The man I spoke to on communications was just an employee, not the real man. I mean, he wasn’t Darbis Martin. They did a bait and switch.”
“What is that? I’m not familiar with that term.”
“They advertise one thing, but then you get something totally different. It’s never a good thing. I came out into deep space believing he wanted a wife, but instead, when I got there, they were going to force me to work in a brothel. He bragged about marrying a lot of previous women to get them to his station. The marriage isn’t legal.” She shuddered at the thought. “I managed to escape before they could take me to the brothel. That’s not what I signed on for.”
“I understand.”
“Your son rescued me. I’m trying to put myself in your shoes, and I just want to assure you that I’d never do anything to hurt Deviant. I heard you say he would be punished if I were a spy. I’m not. I die if I’m recaptured.”
“You don’t mind being my son’s property? Earthers hate that term.”
“I hate to break it to you, but nobody is free.”
“Explain.”
“Earth Government tells us where we
can live, what kind of jobs we can have, and they decide who can live or die. That was a government-run facility where I was kept prisoner. It wouldn’t even shock me if I were to learn they’d rigged my vehicle to crash.” It was something she’d contemplated. “They keep track of everything we do, and of every detailed medical scan. For all I know, they did this to me on purpose because of my rare blood type. They thought nothing of stealing my life away from me. With Deviant, I made a choice. I offered to belong to him. See the difference? I do. And no, I don’t mind. He’s a good man.”
“You’re wise.”
“I wouldn’t go that far. I agreed to be a deep-space bride out of desperation and it landed me on that station. Deviant saved me from a fate worse than death.”
“You believe death is better than being a sex worker? You made an agreement to have sex with my son. What is the difference?”
“The difference is I’m attracted to Deviant.”
He frowned.
“What? You find that hard to believe?”
“Our women only see his flaws.”
That pissed her off all over again. “He’s not flawed. What in the hell is wrong with your people? So his skin is darker than yours? So what? Mine is very pale. It’s just skin. People should be judged by what’s inside instead, and he’s an amazing person. As for his eyes, they glow. So what? I think they’re the prettiest eyes I’ve ever seen.”
A smile curved Mavo’s lips. “You don’t see him as defective.”
“No. I don’t.”
“Good. I don’t see him that way either. He is a good man. He has honor and heart.”
“I know. He saved me from hell. I’m never going to forget that or stop being grateful.”
“I’m certain the station owner would have kept you alive.”
“For a while, until I grew sick. A lot of his clients are pirates. We all know what that means.”
“I don’t.”
“Pirates suffer from long-term exposure to radiation. I’m sure you’ve seen them. The sores. The disfigurements. About ten years ago, a group of women were rescued in deep space. They’d been captured by pirates months before.” Venice abandoned her food, hugging her chest. “They’d been turned into breeders.” She held his gaze. “It was all over the news. Earth Government wanted to use them as an example of why you don’t leave the safe zones in space, which the military patrols. The women had been repeatedly raped by pirates…they suffered grave injuries because of the secondary radiation exposure through sexual contact. Do I need to go on?”