Page 44 of Kiss of Steel

“She needs to know.”

About to reassure him she would take their secret to the grave, she held off. So much had happened recently. What if the revelation was far worse than she feared? “Why don’t we meet at the mess hall at noon tomorrow?” she asked. They could see the doc in the morning then have lunch with Fury.

“All right,” the other cyborg agreed.

“Let’s go home,” Jason said.

“Where’s your shirt and jacket?” she asked.

“The shirt is ruined. The doc cut it off me. I left my jacket in the barn. I can get it tomorrow.”

“Wear mine for now.” Fury shrugged out of his coat.

“I don’t need it. I can handle a little chill. It’s only a short walk.”

“Don’t be an idiot. Take it!” Exasperated, she grabbed the jacket and held it out for Jason to slip his arms into. “Thank you,” she said to Fury.

He smirked. “I’ll get yours from the barn, and we can swap tomorrow.”

The three of them left the infirmary. Outside, the two men paused. “I am glad seeing you in the barn wasn’t the last time. We’re tough and resilient, but you may have pushed the envelope this time,” Fury said, and she realized he’d been far more worried than he’d let on.

“Only a little.” Jason’s mouth twitched.

“Don’t let Twiggy scan you too much tomorrow. You got lucky he, Phibious, and Dusty are aliens. No human would ever believe you healed that fast.”

“That’s why we came to Refuge,” Jason said. They patted each other on the shoulder, and then Jason clasped her hand and tucked it into his pocket. “Let’s go home.”

Chapter Nineteen

No more secrets.His half-truths had almost led to disaster. But the closer they got to the cabin the more nervous Steel got. She’d seemed to have come to terms with him being a cyborg, but would she still love him when she learned he was an assassin?

He couldn’t continue to hide his past from her, but he didn’t know what he’d do if she left him. Furthermore, an annulment would jeopardize her asylum.

Love delivered equal parts pleasure and pain. He’d died a thousand deaths when she ran between the horniger and its calf. Honoria wouldn’t have survived what he’d gone through—he barely had. He’d downplayed the close call to avoid distressing her. He’d come within a hair of receiving a fatal injury. While his augmented physiology quickly had healed his pierced liver and staunched the bleeding, if his heart had been impaled, he would have died before his body could repair itself.

He squeezed her hand; she squeezed back.

How am I going to explain?His heart pounded with anxiety.

Inside the cabin, he tossed Fury’s coat over a chair. Honoria stared at his bare torso. The puncture wounds were more pink than red now. Gently, she examined the puckered, fading scars. “You are healing amazingly fast…”

“Yes.” Soon no trace of the injury would exist.

“Because you’re a cyborg.”

“Yes.” He let her touch him. When she learned the truth, she might never touch him again.

When her gaze met his, her pale cheeks were hollowed, her eyes wet with tears. “I overheard you and Mike Fury talking. I assumed you were speaking to Dusty. Then, I saw him. I recognized him. He met with Blane one time.”

“I didn’t know that,” he said.

“Blane planned to have me killed. When I saw Mike, I feared Blane had sent him to finish the job. And the fact that you knew him caused me to doubtyou. I am so sorry.” Her shoulders hunched. “I forgot about the hornigers. You could have been killed because of my stupidity and recklessness.”

“Better me than you,” he said.

She shook her head. “I couldn’t live with myself if you died saving me. You should be in bed. You’re healing, but you still should take it easy.”

“I will. We need to talk first.” He clasped her hands. “I need to tell you about my past. Let’s sit down.”

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