“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.
His touch was gentle though as his fingers encircled her fist.
“You wouldn’t have run away if you wanted to belong to me. I’ve given you what you wanted, Mirasia Carver. You are no longer my property. Release me and go to your new owner.”
Hot tears slid down her face. “Please, Flint. I’ll beg. Don’t do this. I’m so damn sorry. I was hurt. You…I’m more than property. I…”
He cut her off. “You are property. You are Iron’s property now.” He tore her hand away from his shirt and turned away. He stormed for the door.
A sob tore from Mira before she collapsed on the floor. “Flint! Please! Please don’t do this!”
He didn’t pause or turn around again. He just left the large cargo bay, the doors slamming shut behind him. She ignored the cold floor against her bare legs and the uncomfortable blanket twisted around her. Mira lowered her head as sobs hit her. She didn’t fight when Iron lifted her off the floor to carry her back to the med bed.
As he gently dropped her on it she looked up at him. She saw something in Iron’s eyes that almost resembled pity. He sighed.
“What did you expect? You rejected him when you ran. You embarrassed him in front of all the men. They are teasing him about how you ran from him and how he went after you. He was irrational to order two ships to follow you. We’re days off course.”
“I only ran because—”
Iron cut her words off. “It doesn’t matter why you did it. It was done. Rest and heal. I’ll collect you when Doc clears you from Med.” His eyes narrowed as he leaned in so his face was inches from hers. “I will not be anything like Flint. I won’t trust you or give you an opportunity to embarrass me. You will learn your place, slave. That’s your title now. You will learn to answer it and you will do anything I say. If you resist I will take great pleasure in punishing you. Flint was soft where you were concerned but I’m won’t be. If you think about running tonight let me assure you that you have nowhere to go. I’ll be watching every move you make. There are cameras focused on you and Doc embedded a stun implant. With one push of the button a high-voltage shock will shoot up your spine to temporarily paralyze you so you’ll drop where you stand. You will suffer greatly if you try anything, slave.”
Mira just stared at him. Inside she went numb with shock.
Iron smiled coldly. “Unlike Flint, I don’t mind sharing my property if you piss me off. I want you to think about that. Have you ever been tied down and shared by men? You won’t even be able to fight. Whatever they want to do to you, they will do. You’d better please me when I get you into bed—enough to make me rethink wanting to punish you like that.”
Horror hit her. She was in hell. Maybe dying on the pirate ship would have been best. She watched as Iron turned on his heel and marched away. The cargo doors slammed shut behind him.
She lay down, curling into a ball as hot tears slid down her cheeks. When she had no tears left she used the blanket to blow her nose and wipe her eyes. Flint had sold her to Iron and Iron hated her. She didn’t want Iron to touch her. If she had to be property, she wanted to belong to Flint. She climbed off the med bed and walked to the cleansing room. Inside she surveyed her reflection in the mirror.
She looked like hell with her long blonde hair in messy clumps, red, swollen eyes and a nose to match. She dropped the blanket, went into the cleansing room and stepped into the cleaning unit. She scrubbed every inch of her skin. Doc had given her a toothbrush, which she used, and then removed a med outfit from the cabinet. They were all in large sizes to fit the cyborgs. The shirt was huge and the pants wouldn’t stay up. She discarded the pants.
The cargo area was empty when she stepped out of the cleaning unit. She was pretty sure no cameras were in the cleansing room. She’d half suspected that Iron would be waiting outside the door to check on her. The med shirt fell to mid-thigh. She walked to the med bed on shaky legs, feeling weak from days of running a fever. She surveyed the large cargo area.
She’d rather die than belong to Iron. The idea of begging Flint again came to her. She’d do anything if he’d just buy her back. She knew they would have safeguarded the other pods. Escaping the ship wasn’t a possibility but she just had to reach him.
She remembered the way to his quarters from the med bay. Her wet hair dripped down her back and dampened the med shirt. She took deep breaths. How long would she have before Iron became aware that she’d left the area? Was he watching her now? If he was she wouldn’t make it out of the cargo area. She took a few more breaths and then pushed away from the med bed and sprinted for the doors.
They opened automatically at her approach. She’d half expected them to be locked. She ran straight into the lift. She hated the damn things but it was the fastest mode of travel on the ship and she didn’t have time to hunt for hatches.
Mira waited for pain to hit her from the shock implant but it didn’t. She hit the button for the level of Flint’s quarters. The lift moved and she gritted her teeth. They really need to fix this thing, she thought. It moved too fast, was too jarring, but when it stopped relief hit her when she saw that no security waited to grab her in the corridor.
She moved quickly. She was terrified that the implant would shock her at any second or that a cyborg would show up to stop her. Flint’s quarters were easy to find. Staring at the door, she didn’t know how to get the damn thing open since he’d never given her access to it. She put her hand over the replaced scanner pad but it didn’t admit her. She used her palms to beat on the door.
Nothing. Tears blinded her for a moment. Flint was either in there and didn’t hear her because the walls were too thick or he was out. She heard heavy boots hitting metal, telling her that someone was coming. She had nowhere to go and nowhere to hide so she just stood there waiting as the sound grew louder.
“Understood,” Flint sounded pissed. “Make sure the pods are locked down. Do a search of the ship. Scan for every life sign on the ship and confirm—”
He turned the corner and saw Mira. He was gripping a device over his ear. He froze—just his eyes widened. A frown marred his features. “Cancel that. I found her. She’s on level six. I have her.” He paused. “Yes, inform Iron where she is. He can collect her.”
She noticed the other two cyborgs behind Flint who had stopped walking when he did. Flint looked furious as he dropped his hand from his headset. “The life pods aren’t on this floor. Did you get lost in your second attempt to flee the ship?”
She ignored the other cyborgs. “I wasn’t trying to escape. I was looking for you. That’s why I was pounding on your door.”
Cold eyes narrowed. “Iron is on his way to return you to Med. You’ll be locked to the bed this time until Doc releases you after his sleep cycle.”
Mira stared up at Flint. “Please don’t do this. I won’t try to escape from you again. Don’t sell me to Iron. Please. I’ll pay you back what I cost you when I ran. I have the money. I’ll give you everything I have, Flint. Hell, you’ll make a profit. Whatever Iron paid for me, I’ll pay that too. I can get it, whatever it is. Just don’t let him take me.”
Mira heard booted feet approaching behind her from the lift area. She turned her head to see Iron storming toward her. She was shocked when she saw the intense rage on his face. The fact that his hair was unbraided and the flaming-red, wavy hair flowed down his body was another shocking sight. She turned her head back to stare up at Flint, instinctively knowing Iron was going to drag her away from him when he reached her.
Chapter Ten
Without thinking, Mira moved. She threw herself at Flint. He backed up a step and she stumbled. She hit the floor on her knees instead of being able to grab his waist. She lunged forward, wrapping her arms around his thigh. She clung to him tightly, pressing her body against his leg, firmly wrapping both arms tighter, clinging to him.
“Please, Flint. I will plead if that’s what it takes. Don’t do this. I’ll do anything you want. Just don’t let him take me. Don’t sell me to him. I swear to God, I’ll never r
un again. You tell me what you want and I’ll do it. I swear on my life.”
She was aware that Flint tensed since she was wrapped around his thigh and her face was against his inner leg. She hugged him tighter, using every bit of her strength. She heard him take a deep breath. He wasn’t tossing her away from him.
“Please! I’m begging you, Flint. Anything. You told me you wouldn’t hurt me. He will.”
Rough hands grabbed her shoulders as she was forcibly torn away from Flint. Flint stumbled a little from how tightly her hold on him had been. Iron forced her to her feet, his hands bit painfully into her arms, making her gasp in pain. She was spun around to face the angry cyborg. Iron lowered his face to glare at her.
“I told you not to run.” He released one arm and raised his hand. “I see you need a heavy hand to learn to obey your master.”
He was going to hit her. Mira whimpered and would have collapsed if he wasn’t holding her other arm so tightly. He kept her on her feet against his body, facing him. The hand swung. He didn’t aim for her face. He swung for her ass. She tensed, waiting for his large palm to make contact with her body. At the last second his hand stopped. She turned her head. Flint gripped Iron’s wrist.
Flint shook his head at Iron. “Do not.”
Iron’s eyes narrowed. “You sold her to me.”
Fury tightened Flint’s mouth. “I said I would sell her to you if you did not abuse her.”
“She needs a good spanking. Maybe if you’d put her over your knee she wouldn’t have run.”
Flint looked furious. “The sale isn’t final until Doc releases her from Med. He didn’t do that. Unhand her now.”
She saw surprise cross Iron’s features but he released Mira grudgingly. Flint wrapped his arm around Mira’s waist, jerking her back against his body. He held her. Flint sighed. “Leave us. I’ll return her to Med after I’ve talked to her.”
Iron didn’t move but glared at Flint instead. “Do you know what you’re doing?”
Flint gave a sharp nod of his head. “I’ll return her to Med after we’ve settled this. Our discussion is not forgotten.”