Avast! There be pirates threatening our heroes
“Is the other ship still trying to reach us, system?”
“It is.”
Amadis squared her shoulders. “Answer.”
A rough, hearty voice filled the bridge. “Well, hello there, transport. This is Captain Savela. Who do I have the pleasure of speaking to?”
“I’m Amadis Dubois, on a medical emergency mission to Space Station Nu. Are you the bastard who opened fire on me?”
A chuckle. He couldn’t be bothered to apologize or explain the attack. “A medical emergency, huh? Bringing Nu a lot of medical supplies? Must be. Your transport is pretty big.”
“Hardly. The Golden Ray will be functioning as an evacuation vehicle to ferry the sick to a hospital station. I guess you haven’t heard about the virus that’s spreading like wildfire on Nu.”
“Can’t say I have. And I doubt your story, at least the part about carrying no provisions. ITCS doesn’t let a ship travel empty one way, even for an emergency. You’ve got goods. I want them.”
“Your mother never taught you stealing is wrong?”
Savela roared laughter at that. “My momma told me to survive at all costs, and that’s what I do. Be nice, Captain. Let me board your transport and shop your supplies. Maybe add your ship to my group, if it’s in good enough shape. You can’t return to ITCS space before I overtake you, in any event.”
“Oh? Then why are we having a conversation? Why bother if you think you can steal what I have?”
“I like you. You sound smart. And pretty. Are you pretty, Captain?”
“Pretty good at kicking your ass if you don’t stay the hell out of my business.”
More laughter. Not just his. There was a crew with him, enjoying the back and forth. “There are others out here who won’t be as generous. The nearest ITCS patrol is two days distant, so no one’s going to answer your distress call.”
“Then there’s no one to save you from me blasting you to dust.” Amadis was shocked to discover she actually enjoyed threatening the thieving bastard. She just wished she had the firepower to support her bluster.
“I do like you. I’ll tell you what, Captain. Come to a stop. Let’s meet. I could use another bold fighter in my crew. Are you from Earth?”
“I’m a starkid. And loyal to the ITCS.”
“Too bad. You’d have been an excellent privateer. In that case, if you play nice, I’ll give you safe passage to the first ITCS colony, where we’ll drop you off.”
“You’re a real prince. What about the people dying on Nu? What are they supposed to do without this ship to transport them to the help they need?”
“What they’re already doing. They can keep dying. It’s a tough universe, Captain.”
“And you’re a pile of shit. Fuck off. All the way off.”
“Last chance, Dubois.”
She sneered, baring her teeth. Too bad he couldn’t see it. “You’ll have to fight me to take the Golden Ray. Good luck on that. You’ll need it.”
“I doubt it. You’ll see me in a couple of hours.”
“Then I’ll torch you in a couple of hours. End communication.”
On sale August 5, 2022
Pre-order now available, print on sale now:Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and print.
Threatened and pursued, they have no business falling in love. So that’s exactly what they do.
Victor was a cyborg spy during the corporate wars that devastated Earth. Now he’s a refitted demo model for CyberServe, spotlighting the services a repurposed cyborg can offer…in life and love. Suave, cultured, and fully realized as a sentient being, Victor has it all, except the love he wants for himself.
Amadis Dubois has played second fiddle to the powerful her
entire life. Now she has the chance to prove to everyone and herself she has
what it takes to lead. She accepts a humanitarian mission to bring desperately
needed medical supplies to a disease-stricken space station. If she can pull
off rescuing thousands of lives, she can finally move out of others’ shadows.
Fending off the attentions of a lovelorn cyborg becomes a
secondary concern when the captain of Amadis’ ship dies suddenly, leaving her
the only human on board. With her career-setting mission endangered, pirates
and rebels threatening at every turn, she has to turn to Victor for assistance
after trying to keep him at a distance. Between moments of fighting for her
life, she’s vulnerable to the numerous charms of the cyborg she has no business
falling for.
Life and love hang in the balance for Amadis and Victor, with trouble at every turn. They can have it all, if they survive.
Available at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Print is also available.
She’s marked for death. He’s her only hope. But can a de-commissioned cyborg once programmed to kill humans be trusted with her life…or her heart?
They
called him the Wall, part of a cyborg army that terrorized humans
during a long war waged by those intent on wielding power. When Tosha
Cameron, owner of a multi-billion corporation, first sees the
deactivated cyborg, he’s a tattered remnant of a horrific past.
Most
would prefer to see cyborgs destroyed, but those with vision see a
valuable resource. When Tosha’s business rivals target her for
assassination, the Wall—whom she renames Brick—is her best bet for
protection.
Reprogrammed,
Brick proves he’s more than a mere machine. Programmed to guard Tosha,
he can supply her every need. He soon develops beyond his learning
matrix and software, becoming capable of humanity…and more.
Dark secrets from a bloody past are waiting deep in his circuitry, however; secrets that could kill the woman he loves and has sworn to protect.
Also on sale, the second book of the CyberServed series, Mine to Keep
On sale now from Amazon, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and in print.
He was the most hated cyborg on Earth, and love is far from
his original design. But when old enemies hunt the woman he’s sworn to protect,
he discovers a passion for vengeance…and her.
CyberServe’s president Lillian Kwolek enjoys Alek on her terms: no love, no strings attached. It’s easy to keep him at a distance and guard her heart from hurt until an extremist group determined to right old wrongs targets her. Alek is loaded with a security program to keep Lillian safe, and it opens the cyborg to learning emotions.
Alek doesn’t like these feelings, which include a confusing mix of devotion to and wariness of Lillian. She doesn’t like his developing emotions either. The new Alek, who fulfills desires and her need for safety from increasing threats, is too intoxicating a temptation for a woman who can’t trust men, whether they’re flesh or machine.
They can’t resist each other, but past hurts threaten to destroy what they could have…and open the door to killers bent on annihilating cyborgs and Lillian.
No comments:
Post a Comment