Page 7 of Kiss of Steel

However, instinct had failed her with Blane. She’d been snowed until she’d overheard that fateful conversation. So, she didn’t know what to think. Maybe she should do the opposite of what her intuition urged and accept the match?

RRRing! RRRing!

She jumped at the door chime, her MCD flying out of her hand. Her heart rate shot into overdrive as terror clawed at her throat. A thin sliver of rosy dawn light filtered through a gap in the drapes. Nobody should be ringing her bell at all, let alone this early.

RRRing! RRRing!

Releasing the safety on the blaster, she crept to the door, turned on the camera, and peered at the screen. The apartment manager stood outside. What did she want? Why would she show up when it was barely light? Honoria had paid the rent. This month, anyway. Next month would be iffy. Was someone with her, hiding out of range?

Hand shaking, she activated the audio. “Yes?”

“Sorry for disturbing you, but I need to leave because of a minor family emergency. A package came for you yesterday at the office. I forgot to give it to you.” She held up a shoebox-sized carton.

Plausible. She had stuff delivered all the time. Rarely venturing out, she bought everything she needed over the HyperSphere. Her neighbors probably had her pegged as agoraphobic. In reality, she suffered fromfoniasophobia—the fear of being murdered.

“Oh. Okay. Thank you. I’m not dressed yet. Please leave the box by the door. I hope your situation is nothing serious.”

“Nothing that can’t be worked out.”

The manager set the box on the floor and disappeared down the hall. Honoria eased open the locks. Before undoing the last one, she tightened her grip on the blaster. Then she released the bolt and yanked open the door.

Vacant. She peered left and right down the corridor. She nudged the box inside with her foot, slammed the door, and locked up.

Shaking, she reset the safety on the blaster and then picked up the small, rectangular brown carton. It had no return address. Too light, it obviously didn’t contain footwear. She shook it but didn’t hear anything rattle inside. No ticking either.I’ve been watching too many movie vids.Bombs didn’t tick.

She set the box on the coffee table, and, after retrieving her MCD from the floor, slit the seal on the box with a retractable knife, and opened the lid.

She went lightheaded as blood drained from her face.

Inside was a scarf, one she’d left at Blane’s apartment. Pinned to it was a handwritten note on a small sheet of buff paper.

I know where you are.

Honoria grabbed her MCD and checked the yes box on the Cosmic Mates match.

Chapter Four

Planet Refuge

“Jason Steel?” called out the Refuge official.

Steel exchanged a glance with Fury on the adjacent bunk. Single refugees slept in barracks; couples and families were housed in private domiciles. Some aliens grumbled about the dorm-style accommodations, but he found them more than adequate. Only a dozen men shared the spacious temperature-controlled barracks, and mattresses softened the bunks. The unheated, uncooled respite units at Solutions contained twelve rows of hard shelves stacked twelve high in a space half the size of the barracks. At full occupancy, 144 cyborgs shared the unit.

“I’m Steel.” He got to his feet.

“Your Cosmic Mates bride has arrived.”

Fury gave a whoop and leaped off his bunk to thump Steel on the back.

“Oh,” he said.

The official frowned. He could guess the man’s thoughts. Fury was more excited than he was. In truth, Steel dreaded this. He desired a spouse as much as he wanted a third nostril. Getting married had been a means to an end, a way to expedite approval of his Refuge application.

“What about my bride?” Fury asked.

“What’s your name?”

“Mike Fury.”

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