Across Our Stars: Victor — A. Payne; N.D. Taylor

In the distant future, the nations of Earth have merged beneath a single ruling body: the United Empire. Under the protection of Her Majesty's Galactic Navy, humanity has spread across our stars and entered a new Golden Age of prosperity and peaceful colonization. Doctor Victor del Toro rose from nothing to escape poverty and a childhood on the streets. He serves the galaxy as one of the Navy's leading cyberneticists and views the Royal Marines as his family. But that doesn't mean they're privileged to know his career is a comfort from his turbulent past. Born to influential parents, Zoe Raines' childhood dream was to make a difference without her father's money. To avoid an arranged marriage, she enlisted and risked her life to save a fellow marine, sacrificing a limb in the process. Her new prosthetic places her under Doctor del Toro's watchful eye - and his talented hands. Age and rank should divide them, but Victor needs Zoe for reasons beyond their mutual attraction. Danger is on the rise in the galaxy, and the mass abduction of entire colonies leads to one staggering fact: someone out there has targeted cybernetic recipients. It falls to Victor to solve the mystery. With Zoe as his empathetic ear and the gun to guard his back, the doctor must discover the whereabouts of the missing cyborgs and heal his own damaged soul. Author's Note: This novel contains some adult content and a LOVE STORY.