Page 61 of Run From Me

I shrugged, buying me seconds to get the fear trying to choke me under control.

“No. Who are you?” I glanced from one to the other and then the third. They all had military-style cuts. They all had tattoos that covered their necks. The guy talking to me had plenty of lines on his cheek, like tally marks.

“Ripple never mentioned me? I’m his big brother. You can just call me J for now. I let you be Ripple’s little plaything, but he seems to have disappeared.”

I shrugged again and feigned confidence as I moved toward O.

“He’s probably at the fight or something,” I said.

I wasn’t trying to outmaneuver, more like just buy myself some time, but it didn’t matter. The guy, J, sidestepped and had a knife to my throat before I could take more than a single step.

“Word’s out that a Spector car with you in it was seen in our territory. Care to tell me the story behind that?”

I wanted to move or shake my head but bleeding out wasn’t in my plans for the evening.

“A Spector? They’ve come to the morgue. Just the same as the Vipers and any other asshole. I don’t really know what you want me to say.”

I hated that right then my heart hammered away, very much awake to the danger. When had I started to see danger? When had I started to care?

“I want you to tell me what you did, princess. You haven’t checked in since Ripple disappeared.”

I swallowed carefully, feeling the sting of the blade, certain I’d been nicked.

“Or maybe I’ve been checking in with a guy that’s missing?”

I hated lies. I’d done as much as I could to never be my mother. And technically, I wasn’t lying.

“Give us your phone.”

Shit. My mind raced. There wasn’t anything incriminating on there. Xander? He was listed under asshole. But then again, the couple of Viper contacts I had were similar in name.

I didn’t have to make the choice to show my phone or not though. They’d found it.

“Stay still,” J said.

“What else am I going to do with a knife to my throat?” I was a little worried I’d started to lose myself in the little twisted game of Xander. Flirting with danger almost seemed like a high. Even if my heart said one thing from fear, a conflicting adrenaline surge seemed to course through my veins all on its own.

They held the phone up to see my face, not caring if I wanted to let them in or not.

“Who the fuck is gherkin?” one of the guys asked.

That brought joy to me. I never thought anyone would ever see that.

“That’s Ripple. You know? A tiny little pickle?”

Something hard hit the side of my head and I swayed for a second.

“Bitch.” The voice sounded like J. The pain in my head wasn’t welcome, but the lack of a knife at my throat as he reached for my phone was.

“Fuck.”

I smiled even as I braced myself against the counter.

“See, told you. Checking in just like a good girl.”

I was certain I’d checked in right before he pissed off Xander, so I guess that was a win.

He threw the phone on the floor.

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