Page 44 of Run, Little Rabbit

“I don’t care if it pisses you off. There’s more at stake here than your little obsession. I’m all for a game of cat and mouse, but we all know she’s not leaving here until I get what I want. And if I can’t get that from Rory, I’ll get it from her.” Max turns to Angel. “Get her ready, Doc, and then we can get this over with.”

He turns on his heel and walks out of the basement without another backwards glance.

“What’s his game?”

Angel shakes his head. “My guess, he’s toying with her and letting her think she has the upper hand with this little game of hers. And when she least expects it, he’ll break her before throwing her back to her father.”

I look over at Echo, standing there in the dirty basement in nothing but her underwear and still managing to look like a fucking queen.

“He might try to break her, but I don’t think he’ll win with this one.”I think she’s got a darkness lurking in her that will put all of us to shame. I can feel it. See it swirling in those eyes that look like the colour of the forest. There’s a danger hiding in their depths, a spark of madness waiting to burn into chaos, and I can’t wait to see what she’ll do next.

Perhaps she’ll destroy us all.

Chapter Eighteen

Echo

It’s insane.Fucking crazy. Maybe it’s the whisper of death caressing the shell of my ear, but I’ve never felt more alive than I do at this moment. It’s electrifying.Thrilling. All that adrenaline pumping through my body, and I want more.

Angel brought me upstairs to wash off the grime of the basement. I didn’t really see the point in it, since I was going to be running through a wood, so I declined. I could have a long bath when I got home. I wasn’t about to believe that Veoncouldn’t find me or that I’d struggle to outrun these guys. My heart twisted as I thought about Veon. The guy was probably beating himself up and thinking that this was his fault. It wasn’t, but somehow, he’d find a way to convince himself that it was. That maybe he should have done more or done something different, and no matter how much I, or anyone else, tell him otherwise, it won’t make a difference. He will still blame himself.

Besides, knowing Veon, he’s probably going to stage a one-man rescue mission. I really hope he swallows his pride long enough to ask for a bit of help. Veon might be able to handle his shit, but coming up against a house full of Volkov men might be a step too far. I am curious as to who he’s gonna bring with him. He doesn’t exactly play nice with others.

The house is nice. I didn’t get to see much of it other than the floor when I arrived, as Niki carried me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. But this place… wow. It’s stunning. Sleek and modern, styled to perfection. It was probably done by some uppity designer that charged Maxim a fortune, but they’d done a really good job.

I’m not entirely sure where we are, but I did roughly count the minutes as I rolled around in the trunk of Maxim’s car. I swear the guy went over every pothole as a punishment for breaking his nose. I think that hurt more than hanging from the hook for a few hours.

I wasn’t in the trunk for too long, roughly around twenty minutes, so I’d guess we were a couple of miles outside the city. There hadn’t been much road or traffic noise, so we hadn’t travelled on the motorway or any major roads. Then again, it had been late at night when I’d had a brief lapse in judgement and broken Maxim’s nose, so that tracked with the early dawn light breaking through the window. I was just grateful that I hadn’t been in the basement longer than a day.

If I’m being honest with myself, I’m surprised they let me out so soon, especially since they know what I’m worth. I’m not an idiot. I know that there is probably something else at play here. Quinns and Volkovs have been enemies forever, so I’d be surprised if Maxim hadn’t thought of some sort of scheme to play this to his advantage. I mean, it’s not every day the daughter of your enemy drops into your lap.

I just had to be the idiot who broke the wrong nose. I also had to hope that they were men of their word. Are they really going to let me go if I cross the boundary?

But the even bigger question here is, do I actually want to let them?

For the first time in a long time, I’ve found something that excites me in a way that killing normally does. That rush, that hit of bliss as I take a life. That erotic sensation that curls and swirls in my gut and makes me feel more alive than humanly possible.

Is it the thought of running for my life or that it’s these men that will chase me that has my body lighting up like it’s the Fourth of July?

Or maybe I’m just fucking crazy.

Angel takes his time checking out my limbs now that I’m out of the chains. My arms ache, and there are two purple bruises around my wrists where the cords held me up. Other than that, I feel completely fine.

There’s an energy humming in the air. Anticipation making the air feel electric. Like one spark could ignite everything. But I’m not scared of the fire.

I want to feel itburn.

“And?” Maxim says in a clipped tone.

Angel steps back from me and eyes me warily. Like he knows he’s the only thing from stopping this madness from happening. And it is madness. I shouldn’t want it, but I’m yearning for it.I stare at the three men, and I wonder who will catch me first, because let’s face it… I’m not escaping.

I don’t want to.

I want to let my darkness out to have some fun. Torturing these Volkov men is going to be the icing on the cake.

“She’s fine,” he finally says, and I could have fist-pumped the air.

Niki, my silent Viking, steps forward and holds his knife out towards me. There’s something wild in his eyes, and I feel it mirrored in mine. He excites me in a way that feels like a visceral caress against my skin.

---