Burning Up Flint (20 page)

Shock tore through her. “They wanted you to sleep with their wives and you’re telling me you have two kids?”

He frowned. “I guess you would see it that way. The children are biological results of mine but they are not mine in any other way. I was a donor. They belong to Sole and
Varl
.”

She took a deep breath, having to force air into her lungs, which felt frozen. She was partly horrified, mostly stunned. “Can’t you just donate your sperm in a damn cup? Are you telling me you have to have sex with other women if one of your buddies gives you a call?”

“Medical intervention isn’t successful. We’ve found that our bodies tend to reject artificial methods in that regard. It has something to do with the stress levels in the females during conception. Natural breeding has a much higher success rate.”

“I can’t believe this. If you were a bad breeder would that mean you’d bring some guy home one day and tell me to fuck him if you didn’t knock me up?”

He frowned. “I wouldn’t do that because I know that I’m a good breeder. There is no need for me to ever call on one of the males in the breeding pact to help me in that regard.”

“You said a dozen of you are in a pact together?”

He nodded. “All
cyborgs
males are signed up in a dozen-member pact.”

“So if any of those eleven men call you to fuck their wife to knock her up, you have to go sleep with those women?”

His mouth pressed into a grim line. “Yes.”

She spun away from him. “Oh. My.
God.”

She stumbled out of the cleansing room and into the bedroom. Pain, shock, and horror were hitting her at once. Mostly it was pain she suffered. Flint would cheat on her. Her eyes frantically went around the room to finally land on his dresser. She dropped her towel, walking toward it, and just tore open drawers.

“Calm yourself, Mira.” Flint had followed her into the room. “I would not have sex with another woman otherwise. Isn’t that enough for you? I will only touch a female who I am obligated to impregnate.”

Mira jerked on one of Flint’s shirts with shaking hands. It fell to her thighs. Eleven men could call up Flint at any time to ask him to sleep with their wives and two of them already had. He had two biological kids somewhere on Garden. She wouldn’t be the mother of his only child if she let him get her pregnant. It hurt her, and worse, it really pissed her off. She shot him a glare as she put on her pants.

“No. It’s not enough. Damn you and your screwed-up
cyborg
world. What kind of sick people are you? Forget what I said. I don’t even want to hear it. If you can’t make a commitment to me then I won’t be making any to you.” She spun away to get her boots.

Flint moved fast, grabbing her arm to spin her around to face him, to glare down at her. “What does that mean?”

“It means the first damn time you walk out that door to go fuck someone else I won’t be here when you get back.”

Flint’s face darkened. It was no longer such a pretty shade of gray. “What?” He growled the word.

“I’ll let you own me, Flint. I won’t even flinch when someone calls me nothing but property. I can take all of that because I have feelings for you. I am willing to let you get me pregnant. I was ready to swear up and down on my damn life that I’d stay by your side forever. What I won’t do is give myself to a man who goes out and betrays me. I consider it a betrayal if you fuck someone else and I don’t give a damn about your breeding pact.”

Flint looked furious. “I wouldn’t touch other women out of a desire for more than you. It would be an obligation.”

“That wouldn’t hurt me any damn less.” She jerked out of his hold.

“I can’t believe we’re fighting over this. A
cyborg
woman would understand. This wouldn’t be an issue.”

“Then go marry
Arrion
!” She stormed out of the bedroom. “Then you can both screw other people and call it duty or obligation or the law. Take your pick of how you can screw other people and validate it.”

Flint caught her in the hallway, spinning her around to face him again. He grabbed her and pinned her body there, making her aware that he was totally naked. His towel had dropped when he’d come after her. They glared at each other.

“You are threatening to run away from me if I fulfill my obligations? Do you know how unreasonable that is?”

“What if it was an Earth obligation that I fuck other men? You kidnapped me so you could have a wife who you didn’t have to share, right? How would you feel if I nailed other guys and just expected you to deal with it? You want to talk unreasonable to me? I’m willingly giving up any chance of ever going home, promising to stay with you until I die, and all I ask for is that we’re loyal to each other by not sleeping with other people.”

Flint glared down at her. “What would you have me do?”

“Swear to me you won’t touch other women and mean it.”

“I’m obligated to do exactly that if I get the call.”

“Then we have nothing more to talk about. When that call comes, you won’t be surprised when you come back to an empty bed.”

He clenched his teeth. “And how do you suppose you’d get off Garden? Do you think you could just stroll out the gates and ask the next ship leaving the planet for a ride to Earth?” He snorted, releasing her as he stepped back. “I’m sorry it upsets you but this is the way it is and you will adjust to the idea. I would tell you that it is highly unlikely to happen but that would be a lie. I would be surprised if I didn’t get a call in the near future. I know two of them are trying to breed right now and so far they haven’t had success. While I’m on the planet they will contact me if they need my sperm activated. Lucky for them I’ll have already taken that step because I fully plan to do that tomorrow so that I can breed you.”

She shook her head. “No.”

Flint growled at her. He was that angry. “Yes. I own you, Mira. You are mine. If you say no I will tie you to the bed and we both know I can make you want me. You could run away but you will be found quickly and returned to me. You would still be in my bed by nightfall. This is the way it is and you need to come to terms with those facts. You have no choice, just as I have no choice. You will adjust to the way life is on Garden. That’s an order. I’m going to put on pants and I’ll meet you in the kitchen. I’m hungry. I won’t argue with you. This discussion is over.” He spun and marched for the bedroom.

Chapter Fourteen

Mira leaned against the wall and shut her eyes. Hot tears filled gathered and her shoulders slumped. He was right about her being trapped on Garden. The tall wall around the city would prevent her from escaping. Even if she could miraculously escape the city she’d been warned how dangerous the natural inhabitants of the planet were. They were amphibians, so could function just fine on dry land. They were probably worse than
cyborgs
.

Flint would sleep with other women and she’d have to suffer the knowledge. Every time he left she’d have to try to pretend it didn’t bother her when she knew it would. What else would he inform her of later? If he tired of her, would he find some damn obligation clause, some weird
cyborg
law, or some other bullshit excuse to let men sleep with her? Was that the kind of life she was facing?

She walked into the living area and automatically walked out onto the balcony to stare at the breathtaking view. She walked to the railing to gaze at the ocean in the distance.
Cyborgs
and humans were just too different and their ways were too foreign to each other. He seemed genuinely confused as to why she wouldn’t just accept and understand the fact that he’d have to knock up other women because it was some fucked up law. What kind of life would she live? She was trapped on Garden in this life with Flint, no matter what.

Shaking her head, she fought back a sob, knowing she couldn’t live that way. Why couldn’t he just commit to her so they could be happy? Why did he have to pull the property card on her and just demand she adjust to his messed-up
cyborg
ethics? Couldn’t he see how he was hurting her? Didn’t he understand that he was going to destroy her emotionally, one painful situation at a time? He had even dashed all hope of escape. She knew, unless Flint sent her home to Earth, that she’d never get there any other way.

She wiped her tears and then took a deep breath. She gripped the railing, inching up on tiptoe, and before she could rethink it, she threw her leg over the railing. She glanced down, only to wish she hadn’t. They were on the twentieth floor and far below were sidewalks that looked tiny, making her realize just how high she was. Mira knew she’d never survive the fall. Her ass dug into the top of the railing as she balanced. Swinging her other leg over the railing was tough but she managed to do it without falling. Her feet braced on the outside railing as she sat suspended on the edge, staring down.

“Mira,” Flint’s voice was soft, shaky. “Get down. What are you doing?”

“Stay back or I’ll release my hold to kick off.” She turned her head to meet Flint’s horrified gaze, where he stood at the opening of the door wearing only his pants. His beautiful skin had visibly paled. He did follow her demand though as he inched back.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“I want to go home.”

His mouth dropped open and then slammed closed. “You’re going to drop to your death if I don’t release you? Is that what you’re saying?
Fine.
Climb back over to safety and I’ll send you to Earth.”

“I’m not an idiot. You have no intention of sending me home. You just want me to get down so you can grab me.”

“I was hopeful that you’d believe me. Please come down on this side, Mira. You’re acting irrational.”

“Irrational is staying with a man who expects things from me that he won’t give in return. Irrational is setting myself up for a lifetime of watching you walk out the door to fuck other women while it tears my heart out and accepting your shitty attitude of expecting me to just deal with it. Go to hell, Flint. I’d rather die with my dignity intact than live like some pathetic moron who puts up with being treated like shit.”

“Dignity?
What the hell does that have to do with this? You’re threatening to go to your death over an obligation I have sworn to uphold.”

A chime sounded, letting them know someone was at the door but Flint didn’t move. Mira stared at Flint.

“I can’t live like that, Flint. You made me very aware that I won’t be able to get away from you if you sleep with other women. Whatever you decide to do, I will just have to put up with it no matter how bad it is. I’d rather die. I know you think of me as property but—”

The chime sounded again. They ignored it.

“But I can’t live like that and be happy. I’d be miserable, Flint. You say you want a family unit but that’s just messed up to be with someone you will hurt over and over again until I hate you for breaking my heart like that. What other screwed-up
cyborg
shit are you going to hit me with? One day are you going to pass me off to one of your friends? Maybe when I get old you can just toss me out on the street and be done with me? I have no say in anything, do I? Well, this is my say. I get the final word this way. No fucking way am I letting you destroy me a day at a time.”

Mira saw movement behind Flint as a tall, redheaded
cyborg
walked slowly toward them. Somehow he’d gotten through the front door into the living room. He was frowning as he stepped next to Flint. His shocked gaze was fixed on Mira.

“What is your human doing? That’s dangerous. Human, get down carefully. You won’t survive a fall from this height.”

Flint turned his head to glare at the other man. “She knows that. She’s threatening to jump on purpose.”

The
cyborg’s
red eyebrows lifted as he crossed his arms over his chest. “I got a call from
Arrion
, telling me you refused her for a human. I didn’t believe it until I reviewed your request to form a family unit with one. Imagine my shock when I realized there was another formal request for another family unit with a human when Iron filed as well. What the hell is going on?”

“Leave, Cal. This isn’t a good time.” Flint was pissed, glaring at Mira. “Get down from there now that you’ve made your point. We’ll work this out somehow.”

She glared back. “You think we have nothing to talk about. You said this discussion was closed. Those were your exact words, if I remember right. I don’t believe anything you say at this moment since you’d say or do anything to get me to climb down. I know you’ll just tie me to the damn bed to make sure I can’t get outside again or you’ll lock the windows so I can’t open them.”

“Damn it, Mira. Get down from there before you fall. We’ll work this out. I’m sorry you’re so upset. I didn’t know it would affect you this way.”

The redheaded
cyborg
was frowning. “What did you do that was so bad she’d rather die than suffer through it? Is she afraid to breed with you? She is small.”

“Leave, Cal,” Flint snapped.

“I can’t. I was ordered to come investigate. You’re creating waves with your request. It wouldn’t have caused any alarm but then Iron’s request came in right after yours so I was ordered to come here. I came to figure out how a human and a
cyborg
family unit can work.” The man frowned at Mira. “So far I would say it’s not working out well and there’s no reason for worry that this will become commonplace. We like to keep our streets clean and humans diving from balconies would stain them.”

“Damn it, Cal!” Flint yelled. “Do you see this isn’t the time for your humor? Do I look amused?” He turned and took a step onto the balcony. “Mira—”

“Stop!”
She inched her ass a little more over the edge.

Flint froze and then took a step back. “Damn it, Mira. Sit back again. You’re going to fall if you mean to or not. At least don’t die accidentally.”

She eased her ass back to where it had been. “Then stay back.”

“Fine.
I don’t want you to die. Tell her about breeding pacts, Cal. She doesn’t seem to believe that I’m obligated to do my duty.”