Lured (Team Zero #1) - Rina Kent Page 0,41

in my business’s startup formula. I invested in his research that was initially a way to counter immunity deficiencies for abandoned children.

Something he can relate to. I agreed with his reasoning at first. As long as he thinks I’m a benefactor, it works for both of us.

Type Alpha, the first version of the drug – that Johnson likes to call a medicine – killed all the mice. Type Beta had severe side effects, and therefore, Johnson refused to test it on humans. Now, there’s Type Omega that Johnson needs to test on prospect subjects I selected for this project.

Fifty children. Their ages vary between 7 to 12 years old. Homeless. Abandoned. Unwanted. Thrown away. Street Urchins. People call it kidnapping, but I saved them from their miserable lives. I gave them a home. A warm meal and a bed. They will be the founding members of my assassination company.

Loyalty is everything in the underground world. I don’t want mere hit men, mercenaries, or ex-military. I want children raised and toughened how I like. Type Omega will strengthen their abilities and keep them loyal to me.

That’s why we’re here.

I have to ensure the fucking doctor keeps his part of the deal.

I stroll to where Johnson is checking his French woman’s pulse and shouting to call an ambulance.

Only there’s no one.

I made sure the restaurant is emptied before I came in.

Johnson lifts his head and freezes upon seeing me. He slowly straightens and shields the girl from my view as if that will save her.

If I want her dead, nothing will keep her alive.

He had so much potential to be like me, but he allowed himself a weakness.

Killing her won’t bring results. Using his feelings for her will.

I’ve been watching since I sensed his interest in her and knew she’d become handy.

And I always make lucrative investments.

Weakness is our doom. I left my family and changed my name so no one recognises me. The man from the past was a weakling.

Phoenixes rise from the ashes. Or, in my case, a devil.

Hades was born and Hades will stop at nothing for power. I’m building my own underground empire, which starts with The Pit.

The Pit relies on Johnson’s Type Omega.

I won’t only force him to test the drug on the subjects, but I’ll also make him continue his research in case he can come up with a stronger variation.

My strides are relaxed as I sit down on where Johnson’s chair. I stretch my legs in front of me, cross them at the ankles and interlace my fingers.

“What have you done?” Although the veins in his neck are about to burst open, Johnson tries to keep his tone as detached as possible. He knows I would use any anger or emotions against him. Either he’s not trying hard enough to mask his feelings or his care for the girl is that strong.

He advances towards me, slow, intending to intimidate me. Nero appears from around the corner. He’s dressed as a waiter today and helped in spiking the girl’s food and keeping a watch on her all this time. He stands by my side. His stance is wide and his bulky arms are crossed behind his back.

He’s my right hand and a mercenary. A strong one. He will help me build a stronger army with the fifty children and Type Omega.

Johnson doesn’t stop until he’s a short distance away. He’s not intimidated by Nero. Johnson isn’t the type to be intimidated, but he’s stupid enough to show his weakness for a girl. He might’ve as well announced it in the Daily Mail.

“I said. What the fuck have you done to her?” he grits out, resting one tense hand on the table in front of me.

“Nothing major.” I pause to gauge his expression. “Yet.”

He manages to keep his face in control, but the hand lying by his side clenches into a fist. He soon unclenches it.

“What do you want, Hades?”

Always to the point. That’s what I like about Johnson. He’s the right type of genius to build my assassins’ army. Once they’re old enough to be killers for hire, they will be mines of gold.

“We’ll start testing Omega,” I say. “No more stalling.”

“I’m still studying the side effects –”

“Since when did you become an ethics’ police?”

He works his jaw and steals another look at the girl as if to make sure she’s fine. Weak fuck.

“I wouldn’t have agreed to your investment if I had ethics, but I will not put kids’ lives in danger.”

“You’re not putting them