Page 37 of True As Steel

“Do you know who they are?” I insisted, fighting the urge to hold my breath while awaiting his response.

Once again, I felt him hesitate for a split second before he shrugged.

“I know some of them, but not all,” Loreus replied.

I couldn’t decide how I felt about the fact that he hadn’t outed Jarog yet. I hated not knowing if it was because he worried it might backfire on him, out of gratitude for Jarog getting him out of that lab, or due to some kind of loyalty or code of honor between Cyborgs.

“Well, Tamryn and our Narengi hosts know that I was one of those loyalists,” Jarog said nonchalantly. “The question is: how didyouknow?”

Although subtle, Loreus’ eyes ever so slightly widened in surprise.

“I would not have outed you,” Loreus said, looking pensively at my man.

“I figured as much. Your comment aimed to make me aware thatyouknew,” Jarog replied with a dismissive wave of the hand. “But how?”

“My pod and I headed logistics for the Cyborg Military Elite,” Loreus replied calmly. “It was our business to know everything, and plan for every contingency.”

“Dakran Setti?” Jarog asked.

Loreus nodded. “One of my pod brothers—one of the two survivors. He oversaw the sectors your pod served in.”

Jarog snorted then slowly nodded. “I am glad he made it out of this mess. My pod and I, as well as the other units we served with, have often only managed to survive thanks to his efficiency. We all hold… held him in high regard.”

A strange expression flitted over Loreus’s face as he studied Jarog’s features. “Dakran wanted to try to sway you, to turn you against the Emperor. He believed that if he convinced you, the rest of your pod would follow.”

“Why didn’t he?” I asked.

Loreus smiled at me before looking back at Jarog, his face slightly hardening. “Because I discouraged him,” he said, coolly. “You are too hardcore in upholding your word and duty. While I do not doubt you abhorred some of the things you had to do, you still did them. I wasn’t going to risk you ratting him out and getting my pod executed.”

I swallowed hard while staring at Jarog. I wanted him to tell Loreus that he wouldn’t have exposed Dakran had he revealed his rebel activities. My man was true as steel when it came to upholding his word and honoring his duty. But where did that leave his moral convictions?

Jarog pursed his lips and slowly nodded. As if sensing the weight of my gaze on him, he turned to look at me, an unreadable expression on his face.

“I don’t know, Tamryn,” Jarog said, answering my unspoken question. “I honestly don’t know what I would have done. I only know that I would have hated myself either way.” I shifted uneasily in my seat as he turned back to Loreus. “So, you were wise in holding him back. I should thank you for sparing me from making that decision. And yet, a part of me wishes you hadn’t, because now I’ll never know if I would have made the right choice, or the one I felt compelled to.”

My heart ached for Jarog. In that instant, I realized that his inner turmoil ran even deeper than I ever believed. However, that conversation had to be postponed as we began our descent into Satos. Every single defense system of the city was active, every tower and the defensive wall were manned, ready for a potential retaliation.

And retaliation would definitely come.

Although there had been no casualties, Grellik had taken two major blows, both of which had severely tarnished his image and undermined his power, but the spaceport sabotage would do a number on his wallet. That, he would never forgive.

We touched down on the landing pad behind Perdition. The relief on Haelin’s face when she saw me walk out of the shuttle unscathed touched me more than I could ever express. She glanced at Jarog and the rest of the crew with pride before her gaze landed on Loreus. I couldn’t tell if the slow once over she gave him screamed more of triumph or lust. The rescued Cyborg was undeniably a fine piece of man.

“Excellent job, my friends,” Haelin told us as we closed the distance with her. “You can give me your full report a little later. Hello, Loreus, I am Haelin Zorani. Welcome to my city.”

“Hello, Haelin Zorani,” he replied in an enigmatic way that had my brows shooting up.

“Do you require further medical assistance?” she asked.

“No, thank you,” Loreus said. “My latest diagnostics state I am fully operational.”

“Excellent!” Haelin said with a pleased look on her face. “In that case, I will have Yelena escort you and Jarog to the boardroom so that I can better acquaint myself with you.”

I recoiled and gave the Narengi leader a questioning look. Why the fuck was I excluded?

“You need to head back to your quarters,” Haelin said to me with a soft expression. “I finally heard back from your uncle. He’s in a safe place for now. You can establish a direct connection from the vidcom.”

“Uncle Cedric!” I exclaimed in a whisper.

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