Page 48 of Her Lawless Prince

Nyle hid his reaction. The cyborg wanted Nyle to know that he did not consider the man worthy of his protection.

“And I must protect you, my love,” Yevgen stated.

“I’m going to find a medical booth. I landed on my knees.” Nyle said the first excuse he could think of. He had to step away from the cyborg before trying something stupid, like ripping Yevgen’s wires out through his nose.

“Let me help.” Payton reached for him.

He pushed to his feet. It hurt to stand and even more so to walk.

“Perhaps we should attempt to send a communication to the Var palace,” Yevgen said.

“Dev will take care of that,” Payton answered. “You heard Rick. He doesn’t want you messing with his ship.”

“Maybe you should stay here.” Nyle stopped her from coming with him. Someone needed to babysit the cyborg and keep him from causing trouble. “I’ll be fine. I know where the booth is located. I won’t be long.”

Nyle wasn’t sure how he managed to make it out of the communications room without limping, but he suspected it had something to do with pride. Payton didn’t follow him even though she’d looked like she wanted to.

“I believe this is cosmic justice for his trying to remove my legs.” Yevgen’s voice followed Nyle.

“Trying to save our lives does not rise to the level of needing cosmic justice,” Payton dismissed. “Because that’s what Nyle was doing in that lab. He wanted to make sure we could carry you off that ship.”

Nyle slid his shoulder against the wall in an unsuccessful attempt to support his weight as he limped down the metal corridor. The sound of their voices faded. He made his way to the medical booth.

All he wanted in the universes was to be worthy of Payton. And it was the one thing he could never be.

He pushed a button and slid onto his back inside the unit. An ache formed inside his chest, worse than the pain in his legs. There was nothing the medical booth could do for his heart.

18

“What doyou mean he isn’t waking up?” Payton demanded even as she pushed past her brother to run down the ship’s corridor. “Nyle!”

Her heart beat violently. This had to be a joke. It couldn’t be real.

“It was just his knees,” she reasoned. “I should have insisted I go with him. He said it was just his knees.”

“Payton,” Ryland called after her.

The tone of his voice made her stop and turn around.

“In here,” he gestured into a room.

She didn’t think as she turned to go where he indicated. “Nyle?”

Payton stepped into the sleeping quarters. She looked around, confused, not seeing him.

“I’m sorry.” Ryland’s apology was followed by the sound of a door sliding shut. “It’s for the best.”

Payton felt the animal surging to the surface as she leaped to stop the door. Her hand hit flat as it latched shut. She stood, half shifted, and clawed at the metal to force it open. She slammed her hand against the wall scanner, but it didn’t light up.

“Ryland,” she yelled angrily. “Sacred cats! Let me out of here!”

She continued to assault the door, scratching the metal’s finish.

“Ryland!”

Breathing heavily, she searched the small quarters. Was this some sort of brotherly prank? Did that mean Nyle was unharmed?

She paced around the room, pausing a few times to put her hand against the scanner. The door didn’t open.

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