Read Online Love in Retrograde by Charlie Cochet - Free Book Online Page A

wasn’t supposed to happen. He quickly wiped at his eyes before he finished tapping the clamps shut over Mars’s ankles. He lingered by Mars’s head, his fingers itching to soothe him. “I’m sorry.”
    “We will now initiate the preliminary sequence.”
    Kelly stepped to one side near the two guards stationed by the door. This was how it had to be. The fact Mars loved him didn’t change anything. The man had been engineered. He had a greater purpose, and it wasn’t to live happily ever after with intern Kelly Sutton.
    Coward.
    No. You’ve always avoided the tough decisions, never took any chances, always afraid of the repercussions, of getting into trouble. You’ve always played it safe. Kelly glanced over at Mars and received a sad smile. You’re just going to let him die?
    Kelly let out a shaky breath and calmly turned to one of security guards. “Excuse me, I’m really sorry, but I’m not feeling well. I think I might….” He punched the guard across the face, cursing at the pain that burst through his hand. Son of a —That freakin’ hurt! It looked so damn easy in the movies. Kelly swiped the guard’s gun and the light Taser at his side. Spinning, he pressed the button on the light Taser just as a second guard ran into it. Well that was fortunate. The guy convulsed and hit the floor hard, landing next to his unconscious companion.
    “Sorry.” Pocketing the Taser, Kelly turned the gun on his horrified-looking coworkers. “All right, everyone on your knees. Now!”
    The startled technicians put their hands behind their heads and lowered themselves to their knees.
    “I’m so sorry. I really am. But I can’t let you do this.” He backed up and tapped the keypad beside Mars’s chair. The steel clamps opened.
    Mars sat up and took Kelly’s wrist. “What are you doing?”
    “Find us a way out of here.”
    Alarms blared through the room, emergency lights blinked, and Mars stood, his gentle eyes filled with worry. “Why are you doing this? You’re risking everything.”
    “I’m sorry for what I said. I never thought you incapable of love. In fact, you’re the most amazing guy I’ve ever met. I’d really like the opportunity to earn that love of yours.”
    The director appeared, his face burning red with his anger. “You’ve got to be bloody kidding me. What is this, a bloody BBC drama? He’s a weapon!”
    Mars let out a feral growl and snatched a hold of the director’s collar. He lifted him off his feet. “I am not a weapon!”
    “Mars! We have to—”
    The lights in the room flickered, and Kelly heard the locks bolting shut, trapping them inside. Through the speakers, Director General Preston’s gruff voice chastised him.
    “You stupid boy. There’s nowhere for you to run. Turn yourself in, and we might consider leniency.”
    Kelly took a step back as green gas began to emerge through the vents. Shit, it couldn’t be over. Not yet. He spun to Mars, who appeared unfazed by the gas that was about to knock them all out. Joining Mars at the panel by the door, Kelly watched anxiously as Mars’s amber eyes glowed blue.
    A click met Kelly’s ears, and he couldn’t help his grin. The large steel door opened, and the gas turned off. A series of panicked shouts caught his attention. The gas turned on inside the observation room, where all the government officials scrambled to the locked door. They called security, ordering them to break them out.
    This was his chance.
    “Stay close,” Mars ordered.
    Kelly wasn’t about to question him. He ran after Mars, but not before snatching a handheld glass tablet off one of the petrified technicians. As they hurried down the corridor, Kelly tried to access the network, but his clearance had already been revoked.
    “Shit. They cut me off.”
    Mars paused, his eyes glowing blue just before the building’s floorplans popped up on Kelly’s tablet. That whole glowing eyes thing was going to take a little time to get used to. They had a hell of a