Read My Cyborg Savior (Crimson Romance) for Free Online Page B

doing. She never planned to give up control again, in any way. And being at a cyborg’s mercy wasn’t a good plan.
    She shook her head and picked up her pace again. She didn’t need to glance over her shoulder to know that he kept up with her. She couldn’t have him. He was dangerous.
    He’d been genetically altered and his bones and joints were reinforced. Would he go crazy like other genetically engineered people sometimes did? Not long after she’d been born, one had lost his mind, believing he was superior to normal humans, and set out to take over the government. He’d killed a lot of people, and managed to assassinate the Ascendant before they’d captured him and put him and his followers to death.
    That had led to the Genetic Purity Movement, and a mass genocide of everyone who had even the tiniest alteration. Eventually they’d stopped due to public outrage. A lot of those people were innocent, productive members of society. So instead, they’d started putting them in Haven districts, like the one they were in now.
    They were supposed to be protected and taken care of, but not allowed to pass on their altered genes. Instead they lived in squalor, and were fed slop that dogs wouldn’t eat. They weren’t allowed outside of their districts or to travel off world. They couldn’t have jobs. Housing was overcrowded so some didn’t even have roofs over their heads.
    She glanced around. A lot of these people were deeply unhappy. Drinking and drugs were prevalent, but they’d rarely been cruel to her, especially when they’d learned that she was trying to help them.
    They turned down Meadow Lane when three children ran by in a rush of laugher. The last one, Jackson, stumbled to a halt. “Miss Clearborne!” He ran headlong into her and threw his thin arms around her hips.
    “Ooof! Hey, Jackson. You’re getting too big for that. You almost took me down.” She ruffled his baby-fine blond hair as he stepped back. “Where is Alice?”
    “She’s inside fighting with Darion.” He lowered his voice. “Darion’s been sneaking out of the zone to steal again, and Alice is worried she’ll be killed if she’s caught.”
    Fear clenched her stomach and she crouched down next to Jackson. “Does anyone else know about this?”
    He nodded. “A few of the other kids heard them fighting.”
    She took a deep breath. “Okay, make sure they don’t tell anyone. No one can know. Not even people within the district. Do you understand? It’s important.”
    He bit his lip. “I’ll tell them, but they’re kids. They might not remember. And lots of them aren’t good at lying.”
    She grinned. “I know, just tell them. Now get out of here and go play.”
    Her false smile dropped as he rushed past her, screaming for the other children to wait for him. She rolled her shoulders as she stood, trying to get rid of the tension. She had to talk to Darion.
    Striding through the open front door, Jamila didn’t bother to announce herself. She walked into the kitchen and grinned when she spotted Darion lip-locked with Alice, her tan hands wrapped in Alice’s blond hair.
    She cleared her throat. “I thought you were fighting?”
    Alice flushed as she pulled away. “We are.” She spotted Galen and frowned. “Who is that?”
    Jamila ignored her and wiggled her eyebrows. “Getting to the make-up part?”
    Alice glared at Darion, and crossed her arms over her chest. “No, we’re not.”
    “Great, because I’m about to start the argument again. Darion, you can’t leave the Zone. You’re risking your life if you’re caught, and Alice’s. Surely that means something to you, even if risking yourself doesn’t. Who will take care of these orphans if you aren’t around?”
    Darion threw her arms in the air. “Who’s taking care of them now? We have no food. We can’t educate them because we have no books. We can’t fix this rat trap, piece of shit house. They’d do just as well on the streets.”
    Jamila shook her head.