Page 23 of Beyond Hate

Which… meant I wasn’t surprised when the gunfire started and Xavier Benham came in to bring the entire operation to its knees.

Iwassurprised at the panic clawing through my chest when they mentioned that there was another man with them.

One going from room to room.

One killing anyone in his path. And Axel was sure to let me know I was right—that he’d read me from the beginning—because he made it clear thateveryonewould be killed, scientists and subjects alike.

It was easy to walk away from Nathaniel West, to leave him to a fate that I was pretty sure would be death. It was easier to go to my room to grab the bag I had packed—the serum, some weapons, money, clothes. The files I had on my past life and London. I could hear the gunfire a floor above, and I wasn’t going to let the emotion welling in my chest cause me to do something harsh, like leave behind information Ineeded.

I slipped a laptop I’d smuggled from the lab into the bag and made my way to London’s room. It was better if the sound above started traveling down anyway—from what I’d been told, the man was killing indiscriminately. I probably could have taken care of it, but movingaround himto make sure there was a path clear for me to get out was probably better.

There was every chance Nathaniel West had issued an order to kill me if I tried to escape with London.

And…

I shoved into his room with the keys to his chains dangling in my hand. His eyes were wide and terrified, his body shaking at the sounds echoing through the halls now. Screams.

Shots.

Danger.

“Listen to me.” I spoke in a cool, calm voice. “I’m going to unchain you. We’re leaving, London. If you try to run, I can’t promise you won’t get killed. You have to trust me.”

His breath was still coming in panicked gasps, and he jerked away from me as soon as the lock to his restraints fell.

“Oh, God,” he whispered. And then again, and again. Again, until I leaned forward and took his face in my hands, aware that the metal of a gun was pressing to his temple. It didn’t matter. His wide, shocked eyes jerked up and focused on mine.

“London, look at me.Staywith me.”

He drew in a sharp, horrified breath and then nodded once. Quick. Panicked. “Okay.”

“Okay?” I wasn’t sure he was actually hearing me, but he took my hand when I offered it, and his fingers in mine were holding tight enough that I was pretty sure I’d have to break them to make him let me go.

“What about—” I lifted my gun and took a shot before he finished the sentence. Warren slumped in the corner of the room with a bullet hole in his head. Just like that, my carefully planned revenge was gone to make sure I could protect the man beside me. London tried to jerk away, but I pulled him to his feet.

“Stop. He’s not worth mourning.” I was pulling him out of the room as he protested, but the sound of another gunshot made him jump and plaster himself to the side of my body. “Be quiet and stay close.”

Maybe I was being callous, but… what else could I do? My senses were on high alert. This was all falling down around us, and for some reason…

The only thing I could think of was how his lips felt pressed against mine earlier.

The only thing I could think of was getting us both out of here alive.

It was easy enough to tell myself it was because I wasn’tdoneyet. I had the serum in my bag. I could still bring Nikki back. He’d been the reason for all of this to begin with.

I could…

“Otto, I don’t want to die,” London whispered.

It was those same words he’d said when we first met, only now he was begging me to keep him safe instead of asking me not to hurt him.

I didn’t respond. I just wrapped my arm around his waist and aimed my gun as I carefully led us through the building. I wasn’t lying when I told Axel I knew another way out—service hallways spidered through the building and led to the surface. I knew where the entrances were on every level.

The thing was, there were two men there. Scientists, trying with shaking fingers to get the door open.

I knew them by name. I’d had lunch in the same room with them a few times.

“Otto, what’s—” I raised my gun and fired two shots without blinking.

---