Page 3 of Max
She hadn’t noticed the circled gold star patch on his shirt or hat. “Since when? The only law around here are the gang lords.”
“We know. That’s why the Federation Enclave sent me. Back east, they call them overlords. They don’t know it yet, but that will all change.” Max moved closer as he spoke, holding her gaze. He couldn’t help thinking she was even more beautiful than the avatar they fed his mind in stasis.
She was tall for a woman, but he stood over six and a half feet, so the top of her head barely reached his shoulder.
“I never heard of it.”
“I believe you. Do you know about the war when aliens bombed the cities?” Max took a step closer.
“I heard of it, but that all happened before I was born.”
“Yes, but it didn’t end until five years ago. All the human worlds paid a terrible price for the misdeeds of a few.” He stepped closer.
“Stay back!” she flicked off the safety, leveling the gun muzzle at the middle of his chest. She didn’t realize until later; the safety was on when she was trying to shoot Angus.
“Go ahead. Shoot. That won’t hurt me. I’m a cyborg warrior.”
Max took another step closer. By then, he was only about six feet from her. On the last step, she fired…
Chapter Two
Max flinched as the bullet struck him. It stung a little but didn’t stop him from moving closer and grabbing the gun from the woman.
She stared at him, stunned and horrified. She looked no more stunned than he felt. His genetic mate had just shot him in the chest, a killing shot for an ordinary man, which he was not.
“Omigod!” she cried as he gripped her upper arms. “I’m sorry,” she tried to pull away. “Don’t hurt me.”
“No. Never!” he vowed.
She looked up at him, new tears sliding down her cheeks. “What are you? You should be on the ground dying!” Tears brimmed over her lids as green and gold eyes searched his handsome face.
“A cybernetically and structurally enhanced human, commonly known as a cyborg.” Her cyborg, but he didn’t say it because he told himself it might upset her more. After all, she had just shot him.
“What happened to the horse? Those men chasing you said you stole it.”
“Only after he was stolen from me. …And now I have to put him down. He stepped into a hole, I think, and fell. …Threw me clear.”
Max stared at her, not realizing he was rubbing his hands up and down her arms. Her oval face was framed by long, disheveled brown hair. Her hazel green eyes dominated over a straight nose and soft-looking full lips. He was utterly taken by her pretty face and curvy figure.
But the intoxicating scent of her pheromones had made his cock harden as soon as he recognized it. He wanted to tell her she was his, but he couldn’t get the words out.
“Please, I have to take care of Angus. I can’t let him suffer….”
“You mean to shoot him? No, let me look at his injury. I might be able to save his leg.”
“Really? You can do that?” She looked up at him, hopefully.
“It works on humans. Let me get my med-kit.” Max jogged back to his bike and pulled a plastic case from his cargo compartment. He hurried back and knelt on the ground beside the horse’s front legs.
The horse struggled, apparently trying to get up. His female knelt by its head, petting and talking softly to him. Max took out a hand-held scanner and passed it over the injured leg, assessing the damage as it sent the results directly to the cyborg’s internal computer. The cannon bone was fractured and displaced.
He checked his databanks and found that he could use his bone repair regimen to stabilize the leg and heal it. Injecting the necessary med and a pain killer, Max straightened the leg and aligned the two parts together, holding them for a couple minutes for the nanite paste to secure them.
“He should be able to stand in 30 minutes, but he will need 24 hours before he can carry a rider.”
“How is that possible?” she asked.
“It’s the same technology field medics use to get soldiers on their feet and out of danger.”
