Page 71 of Beyond Reason

“I doubt it.” I wasn’t sure whether he was looking for a response, but I gave one anyway. “And honestly, I’m sure that facility didn’t do it to be some kind of magical reincarnation matchmaking service. Though, they’d probably play straight into it if they thought it would make them money.”

“They aren’t going to play into anything by the time we’re finished with them.” Seth’s tone took on steely determination, and I saw his entire demeanor change. For just a second, I could see the remnants of the dangerous man who he’d apparently coexisted with for a while. The posture, the expression… the way his fists clenched and unclenched like he was resisting the urge to grab a weapon. Just as quickly as it came over him, it faded as Kade walked into the room.

“What's got you so tense?”

How could he sound like he was threatening me even though he was looking at Seth and asking him a question? I could hear it in his tone, though. I could see it when his hand ran absentmindedly along his hip where I knew he had a knife strapped.

“Nothing. Xavier was just showing me the files Marshall took from the facility.”

“Anything helpful?”

“Not really. A lot of it is encrypted. It just made me realize how much I want to find Nathaniel West and make sure he can never hurt anyone again.”

Kade frowned.

“Are you getting clever ideas, Seth?”

“No, I wouldn’t know where to start. That doesn’t mean that I don’t wish I could go after him and personally set his entire building on fire for everything he’s done and everyone he’s hurt.” It was strange, hearing that venom come out of Seth’s mouth in his sweet, soft tone. But I could tell he meant it.

And I could tell exactly how much Kade hated the thought of it by the way he stepped forward and loomed over the smaller man.

“Just because you sometimes have the reflexes of an assassin doesn’t mean you’re going anywhere near anyone that has anything to do with Nathaniel West. Do you understand? If you try, I’ll hunt you down and make you wish I hadn’t found you.”

I’d never heard a threat that so clearly involved bodily harm sound so sexual before. And I’d definitely never seen someone’s body react to said threat in such a visceral and obviously positive way.

“I wouldn’t go without you. You promised to burn it all down for me, remember?”

Kade once again either forgot that I was standing there or he didn’t care. He shifted forward and stroked his fingers through Seth’s curls before using them to yank his head back.

“And I always keep my promises. Remember that.”

Still a threat.

Still definitely a threat.

That didn’t stop Seth from moaning into his mouth when he kissed him so thoroughly that I had to avert my gaze.

“Jesus Christ,” I muttered as Kade trailed back to the kitchen after glancing at Seth one last time.

Seth’s cheeks were flushed, his lower lip red and slightly swollen, but he was looking after the bigger man like he was the sky and every star that existed was somewhere in his eyes.

“You don’t look like you have the reflexes of an assassin. And it sounded like he was threatening to torture you, in case you didn’t pick that up.”

“Oh,” Seth said faintly, and the blush on his cheeks went darker. “I caught it.”

“You just… don’t care?” Not that I was really one to judge when it came to sexual practices. Maybe it was just seeing the way Kade worked, the way he was so different, but definitely the same. “Wait, don’t answer that. Just… damn. He’s still just as scary as he was before.”

“I mean, Kade started out wanting to kill me because he thought I was the guy who seduced him, then betrayed him. I’d say we’ve come a long way,” Seth muttered in my ear, and the sudden jolt of memory that tore through me was nearly enough to make me dizzy.

Stop it, Axel. I betrayed you. Don’t you get that?

Yeah, I get it. I just don’t fucking care. I love you.

I loved him, too. I was pretty sure I’d loved him from the first second I’d opened my eyes and seen him standing over me when he could have just killed me.

When he should have just killed me.

I’d been sent there to betray him, to seduce him, to gain his trust and client list, then kill him.

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