Page 46 of Beyond Reason

Nathaniel West—or whatever competitor was trying to get his secrets—was smart enough to know causing a scene this close to the building that had burned down was probably a bad idea.

At least, I had to assume that was why they hadn’t just let someone shoot me from a distance.

Either that, or he really did want someone to tie me up and bring me back to wherever he was.

God, he’d be really disappointed when he realized I had a mind for violence and not science now. If they learned the truth about who I was, would their mission change?

Better not to find out.

“Do you think you should call me Marshall while we’re out in public?” The question came suddenly, and Axel froze beside me for just a moment before picking his stride back up smoothly.

“So, you do think someone will be watching us?” I wasn’t sure if he sounded angry or smug about my little admission.

“I mean, I honestly don’t know? But if they are, wouldn’t it be better for them to think that I’m who they think I am? They didn’t want to kill me before because I was their pretty little pet scientist. If they know I’m not, that makes me less valuable, doesn’t it?”

I didn’t want to say I was in more danger simply because I was me, but at the end of the day, hadn’t that always been the truth?

“I’m not calling you someone else’s name.” Axel sounded like the mere thought offended him. With a frown, and a moment of his brows coming together to show me where the same expression had worn lines into his face, he finally turned to me again. “I could call you sweetheart.”

“No.” The response came before I had time to think about it.

“You call me Sunshine.”

“I’ve always called you Sunshine.” I trailed my fingers along the back of his hand and stepped past him. “It goes so well with your positively glowing demeanor.”

The extremely annoyed expression he gave me told me he didn’t think I was funny.

Chapter 14

Axel

Iwas a strange mixture of anxiety and unadulterated joy. On one hand, having Xavier out and about when we both knew there was probably still someone after him made my skin crawl, made me want to walk around with a weapon in hand.

But having him beside me and watching the way his eyes lit up every time he saw something he recognized or remembered? It was more than worth the feeling in my chest that was threatening to strangle me.

“Axel.” He interrupted my thoughts. “You can’t scowl and look at me like you want to drag me off so we can have sex in an alley at the same time. You’re sending mixed signals.”

I scoffed, but… he was probably right. That was probably exactly how I was looking at him.

“This is just my face, Xavier. I’m not scowling.” There was no point in denying the latter half of his accusation. It took him a second to realize I hadn’t, and the smile that broke across his face was worth the admission.

It was strange. He was the same man I’d known before—not quite a psychopath, but certainly morally gray—but there was a new measure of warmth to him. He was just a little easier to open up, a little easier to smile like he meant it. I didn’t know if it was the fact that he was alive again, or if it was some strange echo of the man whose body he’d taken over.

Whatever it was, I wasn’t going to question it. It was just a new facet to him, and I was going to accept every piece I was given. He’d asked me to look at him, to see him—to really see him—and I was going to make sure I did just that.

When he combed his fingers through his curls to push them out of his eyes, then took off at a run, I let out a low groan and started after him. Just because we were out and about didn’t mean I was going to let him out of my sight. There was every chance that he’d get sick of my overprotectiveness eventually, but I had full intentions of staying exactly this way until we figured out who was after him.

No, not until we figured it out. Until we found them, and we made sure that there was nothing left of them.

I knew I could call in a few favors, and there were people I could ask who would probably be able to find the answers I needed, but I wasn’t sure if I was willing to drag anyone else into this mess.

Not because I was worried about them. I’d fuck the world over to keep Xavier safe. I just didn’t know who I could trust.

I didn’t know who might be willing to sell us out to the highest bidder when they realized that Xavier was really here, that this impossible thing was really happening.

Of course, there was one person I could call. But—

“Axel, you’re going to have to run faster than that if you want to keep up. C’mon, old man. Did you forget how to move your legs?”

---