Page 41 of Beyond Hate

Again.

Better than wanting to touch him.

Better than wondering if London existing was Nikki’s way of making up for all the ways he’d betrayed me.

That was ridiculous. Nikki hadn’t beengoodin the end. He’d broken me. He’d—

“Fuck, London. I’m tired of this shit. I know you ran off to get attention. I was evenpatientwith you after because you were pretending to be traumatized. But I’m done. Dead bodies at the whorehouse you work at? Fucking police officers calling here? What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” The harsh voice that spilled through the open window of the apartment made my insides turn to frost. It was a mixture of the unfeeling psychopath whose lack of emotions still ruled me and the training I’d had in my past life.

The man talked like he controlled London—like he had every right to speak to him however he wanted, to demand everything from him because heownedhim.

And London’s voice when he answered was small. Hurt.Tired.

“I wasn’t lying about it, Hudson. I told you someone was following me. You didn’t listen. Do you get it now? I’ve been telling you the truth.”

The sound of something in the room crashing made me step forward. If I didn’t have to, I wasn’t going to reveal myself when there were people milling around, neighbors letting their kids play in the grass by the courtyard… but I’d seen London’s split lip before. I’d patched it up in the facility. That was the first time he’d leaned into me, given himself over to my touch. It was the first time I saw how starved he was for hands he actually belonged to.

And now I was seeing the exact asshole who’d hurt him to begin with in action. Tall and broad, blond, with dark eyes and an arrogant expression.

That cold feeling spread, dancing beneath my skin and tipping my fingers in frost that longed to thaw in the heat of blood,in the feel of someone’s life spilling out around me. I wouldn’t be careful with him. I wouldn’t worry about leaving evidence, I would…

“I don’t know what actually happened, but you’re full of shit, London. Some desperate asshole getting killed at your job doesn’t mean anything. No one would take you. No onewantssomeone like you.”

“Ottodoes.” London hissed it out in a snarl, and then his eyes widened like he realized what he’d said. His hand actually clapped over his mouth, and the color drained from his face. He glanced around like he was trying to make sure he hadn’t just made a deal with the devil, but he didn’t realize the devil had heard every word.

Otto does.

He knew. Maybe he thought I wanted him just to hurt… and I still wasn’t surewhatI wanted from him. But hearing him say it, hearing thelongingin his voice when he did…

London wanted me there with him. He didn’t understand it anymore than I did, and the wordfateplayed in my head again like a taunt. Whatever the reason, hewanted me.While this asshole was telling him how worthless he was, London wanted me in the room to show him he was wrong. Whether that was through pain, through blood, through death, or by sticking my cock down his throat again, I wasn’t sure.

I just knew that the vials in my hand suddenly felt like they were burning my palm, and I nearly threw them on the ground. I stuffed them into my pocket instead—after all, people would pay their souls to get a hold of something like this drug. I knew it, because I’d seen some of the military offers Nathaniel had gotten.

And some of the private offers—people who had lost loved ones.

People who had lost obsessions.

And I—

“Get the fuck over here right now. I’m going to fuck the taste of that name out of your mouth.”

My body froze again, my fingers going for the knife I had concealed at my side. Maybe I wasn’t going to bring Nikki back, but I sure as shit could end the asshole in the room with London right now.

Before I could move to do it, London was already darting around him—he’d grabbed a knife from the block on the kitchen counter and was holding it between them with trembling hands.

“No. No, Hudson. It’s not happening. I’m done.” He swallowed hard. “I’m not yours anymore. I never was. I’m—” He cut himself off, but I knew the answer.

And he knew it too.

He was mine.

Chapter 15

London

Icouldn’tbelieveallofthis was happening because the fucking police had called me about the dead body at Til’s. I would have been better off keeping what had happened to myself, but something had possessed me to put my phone on speaker so the man in the apartment with me had to finally admit that I was telling the truth.

I wasn’t sure why it mattered to me that he admitted it, because Hudson didn’t meananythingto me. He wasn’tanythingto me.

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