The Outlaw Cyborg (Cyborgs on Mars #5) - Honey Phillips

Chapter One

Angelica curved her hand over her stomach and smiled. Pregnant. Little bubbles of happiness floated through her veins. A baby of her very own at last. Someone she could love and who would love her in return. Someone else, she reminded herself. Justin was going to be so excited. He had been talking about his desire to have a child since the first night he brought her here to her new home.

She cast a quick glance around the expansive apartment. Even after six months, the amount of space allotted to the two of them was almost inconceivable to someone who had been brought up in one of the vast state-run orphanages. The crowded conditions meant that she had spent her life sleeping, eating, even bathing, accompanied by all of the other girls in her sector. Although she knew only too well that being surrounded by people didn’t mean that she never felt lonely, she missed the constant presence of the other girls.

Instead, all of this space was just for the two of them—the big living room with the open view, the sparkling kitchen always stocked with delicious food, the ornate bedroom with the huge bed, and most wondrous of all, the vast library filled with actual paper books. The library was a status symbol for Justin but during his frequent absences, she spent most of her time there, eagerly reading everything from history to science.

But even though the luxurious apartment was a sign of Justin’s enormous wealth, she would have been just as happy in one room as long as the two of them were together. Perhaps if he weren’t so incredibly wealthy, he would have been able to spend more time with her. As it was, he traveled so frequently on business that he rarely stayed more than a night or two in the apartment. His most recent trip had lasted over three weeks, and the big rooms had grown increasingly lonely.

A baby would help to ease the crushing loneliness—although surely he would be able to cut back on his travel once they had a child. I can’t wait to tell him when he gets home tonight, she thought with a smile, hugging her stomach once more. He was going to be thrilled.

Unable to sit still while she waited, she wandered into the luxurious bathroom to check her appearance. Her long white-blonde hair was loose and flowing, exactly the way he liked it. She was wearing one of the dresses he had chosen for her, a flirty little slip of blue silk that exactly matched her eyes. It seemed a little tighter than usual across her small breasts, and she smiled again as she realized it was another sign of her pregnancy.

She heard the door to the apartment open, and her heart gave an excited little flip as she danced off to meet Justin. He was standing by the door, so tall and distinguished looking, the streaks of grey at his temples only adding to his appeal. Since the moment he had picked her out of the line of girls assembled for his inspection, she had been enthralled by his looks and charm.

He looked up when he saw her and frowned. Her steps faltered. It wasn’t the reaction she had been expecting, but perhaps it had been a difficult trip.

“Oh, Justin, I have the most wonderful news.” She put her arms around him and lifted her face for his kiss. Instead, he impatiently pushed her hands away and headed for the bar cabinet as she stared after him in dismay. “Is… is something wrong?”

“Actually, something is very right. Finally.” He poured himself a brandy from the crystal decanter and stood looking down at the glass.

“You mean you already know?” But if he did, why was he acting so strangely?

“Know what?” he asked, still frowning down at his drink.

“That I’m pregnant! Isn’t that wonderful?” She forced aside her doubts and smiled happily at him.

To her shock, he threw back his head and laughed, a harsh sound she’d never heard before.

“Is… is that funny?”

“I find the timing amusing. After six years of trying, my frigid bitch of a wife is finally pregnant. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that you are as well—after all, that is the reason I chose you.”

“Wife?” She swayed on her feet and reached out to clutch the back of the couch.

“Of course. A man in my position has to marry well.”

“But you never told me you were married,” she whispered.

A manicured brow rose. “I didn’t think