Page 50 of Repossess My Heart

One, whatever is picking off and terrorizing residences on our behalf comes from the down.

Two, being strangled to death isn’t fun.

Three, I think I might like him too.

And now I’m being murdered.

By him.

Technically, yes, what I asked for.

Only I’m certain he doesn’t know he’s doing it.

My mind fuzzes as his hand tightens on my throat. His fingers digging into bruises that had only barely begun to heal. It’s always choking with him. Despite my best efforts to keep myself neutral, my hands grip and scratch at him. My nails bending against his metal arm.

Nine… you need to hurry up and leave.

You need to wake up.

Strange sounds escape my throat as my legs kick uselessly underneath the bed, my back pushed into my mom’s dresser. I put her head back a while ago. After I ate and allowed his drone to power off, using what little energy stores it could find left in CeCe to recharge, strip and pull what supplies she had that were still usable only to find those parts of her still… on. All this time there’s been part of her listening, recording, and storing information here and there. She just couldn’t move. Trapped in a shell that did nothing for her.

The sense of karmic justice that gave me was fleeting. She’s a fucking robot. It’s a fucking robot, and I love it just as much as mom. My hands shake as my vision darkens at the edges. I still manage to find his face, holding, petting it in a way I’m sure he’d say something snarky to if he could. I want his confusing soft touches for just a minute more. When his eyes lose their haze, it’s not as slow as it was in his place. He snaps back like a rubber band. My hands grip his, begging, pleading with my eyes as if I’m capable of that sort of thing. I need him to keep going. He’s awake now. Everything is perfect. I’m so close to what I wanted; with the person I wanted, I can almost taste it. Those harsh blue eyes soften as he loosens his grip, my traitorous lungs sucking air through. My own body again betraying my wants and needs.

“Kill me.” I croak out before his hand snaps over my mouth. A moment of excitement pools between my legs as his drone zips into view the lights that occasionally show on its white outer shell blaring to life brighter than they’d been before. When his eyes glaze again, I can feel arousal seep between my thighs. Suddenly regretting changing out of the small skirt he’d had his drone steal for me.

“Fuck.” He curses underneath his breath before abruptly jerking us both to our feet. My body feels weak, limp even as I shake out my limbs. Ignoring the intense throbbing in my neck.

“What’s out there?” My eyes slip to his drone as if I’ll be able to see whatever it just showed him.

“It seems your death wish might come after all.” Like nothing happened, he’s jerking his gear back into place, his eyes scanning every nook and cranny of the long untouched room as if it’ll show him what to do next.

“It only counts if it’s you.” I murmur, not hesitating when he offers his hand to me. I cough, my body still adjusting to being allowed oxygen again.

I hold his hand.

“Beggars really shouldn’t be choosy sweetling.” That arrogant asshole-ish air slips back in to place like a glove. Like I didn’t just rip his entire world apart.

When he pulls us into the living room, we’re halted by a forceful thud against the pod door. The sound of metal on metal is loud enough to rattle the walls.

“Nine… what is that?” My voice is scratchy and breathless, made even more so by the violent way I’m being pulled through the house.

“Fucking hounds.”

“Like dogs?”

He laughs, it's warmer than I’m used to from him but even still somehow more crazed than before, “Cybernetically altered killing machines that once upon a time liked to cuddle, sure. More importantly I’m about to be late to a very important team meeting with Ten.”

“You’re still going through with this.”

He pauses before jerking a stool from the kitchen table towards the middle of the room. The metal door screeches and dents in protest to the war being waged on it. Every slam, every blood curdling snarl makes me jump. I watch with wide eyes as he punches through the ceiling, his arm hammering into it faster and faster until what started as a fist-sized hole becomes a crater large enough for me to get through. He jumps down, casually almost, despite the fucking killing machines halfway to busting through the door.

“Up you go.” His arms band around my waist, shoving me up towards the new opening into a pitch-black space.

“No! Wait a second!” I twist in his arms, digging my nails into his neck to stop him from shoving me in. “You don’t fit! Nine make it bigger!”

“Oh for fuck's sake, get in the hole.” He curses, “Everything in here is about to be minced meat. Your only way out is up and to the left. My only way out is through that door. I can’t very well stay alive if I’m worried about your useless ass.”

My mouth opens soundlessly, my eyes leaving his long enough to gaze at the open door to my mom’s room. He heaves, shoving me into the darkened hole before my eyes can land on what’s left of my care bot. My only family, only companion for so many years.

---