Page 122 of Believe it or Knot

“I’m here, Ford.”

He lets out a beleaguered breath. “Good. Good, baby. But you need to get out of there now. We just overheard the police say they're going in with flash bangs.”

I blink at that. “But this is a laboratory. There are chemicals. Lots and lots of… explodable chemicals.”

“I know,” he grits out. “Ethan’s working on getting any of the doors between you and the outside open so you won’t have to use a keycard.”

I nod, already moving toward the door again, pressing my ear against it while tucking the hard drive into the waistband of my shorts. I don’t know if it’ll be worth anything, but I’m not going to just leave it behind, either. It could be just what we need.

Though with my luck, it’s probably blank.

Ethan’s voice comes out of the phone, fainter than before. “When you leave the room, go right. Straight down the hall, take the third left and then an immediate right. You should see the doors to the outside there.”

I close my eyes briefly to remember the directions.

“There will be guards,” Ford says, like we don’t already know that. “So I need you to be careful, pip. Come back to me in one piece, yeah?”

My throat gets tight, my nose sting, tears prick my eyes. It’s really not the time, but goddamn, I wish someone would say that to me, care about me enough to make demands like that. I swallow around the lump in my throat and push down the loneliness I’m sure I’ll feel for the rest of my freaking life.

“Don’t worry, Ford,” I say, making sure my voice is steady. “I’ll make sure she gets out safe. Both of them.” I add for Ethan’s benefit.

“You too, Sor. Get yourself out safely too.”

I make a noise of agreement, though I know without a doubt if it’s between me and one of my best friends, I’ll make sure they get out before me. They’re omegas with bonded packs and I’m… well, just a beta with no hope of a real future besides working at my parent’s restaurant.

“We’re on our way to you, Cherrybomb,” Swift shouts over the phone, sounding feral. He probably is seeing as his omega is once again in danger. “Gonna rip them apart for you.”

“You say the sweetest things,” she coos, and Vee rolls her eyes.

“We’ve gotta go.”

“Love you,” Sadie sings into the line before hanging up and rushing toward me.

I hold up a hand, telling them to wait as I carefully inch open the door and peek out the door. Empty. I resist the urge to let my shoulders droop in relief.

We’re a long way away from being safe.

I peek again and then push the door open all the way, motioning for Sadie and Sylvie to go ahead of me. Almost as soon as we’re in the hall, the sound of multiple booted feet pounding toward us reaches our ears. “Shit,” Sadie curses, taking off at a run, leading the way. Vee and I are right on her heels, me bringing up the rear, protecting them with my body as best as I can.

Panic explodes in my chest, right along with the sound of gunshots from behind us. All three of us duck our heads, like that will help.

“Careful!” a male voice growls. “We don’t want to kill the omegas.”

Not the omegas. But me? I’m expendable.

Like always.

We skid around a corner and my worn down shoes with no grip slide out from under me. I hit my knees hard, and my best friends curse when they realize I’m not right behind them. “Fuck. Sorrel, get up,” Sadie urges, scrambling toward me.

I know I need to, but my bones feel bruised and I’m so fucking tired. But they need to get out. Now.

“Go,” I say, pushing at them when they come back for me, knees screaming from the impact on the hard tile. The sound of footsteps behind us gets louder. “I’ll hold them off.”

“Jesus, Sorrel!” Vee tugs on my hands. “We’re not leaving you to get yourself killed.”

“Move your fucking feet!” Sadie hooks her palm under my armpit to get me standing, then they both urge me forward. “We’re so fucking close.”

The three of us shriek and duck when a wall explodes next to us, the sound of a gunshot making my ears ring at the same time.

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