Page 20 of Her Lawless Prince

“This isn’t about me. It’s not about you. What we want doesn’t matter. What wedomatters. It’s about saving the people on Qurilixen.” She took a deep breath, staring at their intertwined hands. “It’s about ensuring no one goes looking for that virus. For all we know, it could still be there in the lab.”

When she glanced up, it was to find him watching her mouth. His lips parted, and he slowly leaned toward her. The moment felt inevitable as if it should have already happened between them, as if it had been building to this since the very beginning.

“If I find an opening, I’m going to take it,” she whispered.

“As will I.” His voice was just as soft. He leaned in for the kiss. Their lips brushed, and every part of her concentrated on the contact.

Another loud bang sounded on the door, reverberating over them. Payton instantly pulled away. Nyle took a deep breath.

“To be continued.” Payton patted his chest. She went to grab the food pouches and took a bite before nodding toward the door. “The future is waiting for our actions.”

7

Nyle tried notto furrow his brow as he looked at Yevgen’s leg. Payton stood across from him, paying more attention to their guards than the cyborg. He wished she’d stop glaring at their captors. They hadn’t wanted to release her from the holding cell, and if she continued with her silent threats, they might change their mind about letting her out.

“You’re supposed to be helping me,” Nyle whispered.

Payton turned her attention to him. She glanced at his mouth. A tremor worked through him. He couldn’t forget the brief press of her lips to his. Her nearness made it difficult to breathe.

“What do you need me to do?” She turned her attention to Yevgen’s face and then away.

Nyle eyed the guards. “Did someone mess with the unit while I was gone?”

The two mercenaries stared at him and didn’t answer. They sat across the room, observing. Sandon and Thane were slender compared to Fuse and appeared of higher intelligence. Sandon spoke very little, but when Nyle asked for complex scientific equipment, the man knew what he was talking about. Thane had been chatty before Payton’s arrival, speaking with an almost bored need to fill the work hours. His conversation didn’t have much in the way of purpose but seemed designed to showcase his trivial knowledge.

“Look at this,” he whispered, pointing at the leg. “Someone reconnected all of this wiring.”

“Who would do that?” Payton asked before seeming to answer her own question by turning her sharp attention toward Yevgen’s face.

“No,” Nyle said.

“Yevgen?” She leaned close to study the cyborg’s eyes. “Are you in there, my friend?”

“Speak up,” Thane ordered. “No secrets.”

“He’s not activated,” Nyle stated. He tapped the metal tip of a wrench to create noise as he whispered to Payton, “Maybe we have an ally aboard this ship?”

“Why would an ally reattach his leg? To what purpose?” Payton countered.

“I don’t know. All I know is he couldn’t have done it himself.” Nyle kept his tone soft.

Thane came closer. “Is he ready?”

“No,” Payton and Nyle answered in unison.

“Then get back to work,” Sandon ordered.

“You have one more day,” Thane added.

The timeline was news to Nyle.

“What happens in a day?” Payton asked.

Thane started to answer, but Sandon’s hard look cut him off.

“Less whispering, more work,” Sandon said.

Thane moved back to his chair and settled back. Nyle could tell the men didn’t perceive much of a threat with the distance between them. Close up, they kept a wary eye on Payton in case she tried to shift.

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