Page 69 of Run, Little Rabbit

Once upon a time, I probably would consider taking down the mighty Rory Quinn and taking his place, but recently, I’m more interested in a different throne altogether. And the more I think about it, the more I’m convinced that it’s the right thing to do.

“I’m going to make a deal with a devil.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Sphinx

“Please don’t tell me you mean Maxim Volkov,” I say with a groan.

“Yep,” she replies, popping the ‘p’.

“I really hate that guy.” Although I don’t hate him quite as much as I did before I found the folder on Bennie’s phone with my dad’s name on it. I always thought the guy had been responsible for murdering my entire family, but he was just in the wrong place and the wrong time. Go fucking figure.

Ten years ago, my dad had been working for Maxim—that much I knew. He kept Maxim’s accounts and managed his books. Money had gone missing, and I had thought that Maxim had killed my father and the rest of my family because he assumed my father had taken it.

I’d come home from school to find him standing over my sister’s body, and I’d put two and two together and thought I’d gotten four. Turns out, Max had been there to warn my dad. He was just too late.

That’s all the information that was in the folder. It didn’t tell mewhowas responsible for killing my family or who was skimming from Maxim. Guess I will have to ask the asshole myself.

“Fine. I’ll help but on one condition.”

She narrows her eyes at me, and I’m reminded that I’m looking into the face of a killer. I’d only half told the truth about guessing her alter ego. I was about 85% sure I was right, but there was still a nagging doubt, and she completely eliminated it when I posed my question.

“What condition?”

“I want five minutes alone with Max.”

Her eyes narrow even more, which is slightly unsettling. “Why?”

I purse my lips, unsure of how much information I’m willing to part with. It's not that I don't trust Echo; I do, but I'm not sure how I feel about opening all of those wounds in front of her. “Because I think Maxim might know about what happened to my family.”

She tips her head to one side, her green eyes a little sorrowful. “Why do you think that?”

I look at my coffee mug and sigh, readying myself for the trip down a traumatic memory lane. “We’re going to need something stronger than this.”

Her eyebrows shoot up, but she doesn’t say anything. I can feel her gaze burning a hole in my back as she watches me grab a bottle of top-shelf vodka and two shot glasses.

I pour two shots and then clink my glass against hers. “Za zdar’ovye.”

She throws me a curious look, but my years of hiding out with a ragtag collection of Eastern European smugglers aren’t a talking point today.

Echo winces as she downs her vodka, and I chuckle. I’m quite fond of it now, but I think that’s probably down to the fact that drinking so much of it for a few years burnt away any of my finer taste buds.

“So…” Echo says, dragging the syllable out.

“So?”

She sighs in exasperation and pours us another shot. “Tell me everything.”

Well, that isn’t going to happen. There’s too much history and not enough time. Besides, I’ve kept my secrets for so long, buried them so deeply, that I’m not sure what will happen if I unleash them. Same thing as Pandora, probably.

It’s silly, really. I’m twenty-eight, and no one knows my real name anymore, apart from Maxim fucking Volkov. And even then, he’s probably forgotten it.AndI’ve just discovered that my only sort of real friend is a serial killer who leaves a cute little calling card.

“A long time ago, in a house far, far away—”

Echo snorts. “You’re such a geek.”

“Don’t interrupt unless you have a decent question,” I admonish. “You already know I lost everyone; well, that includes both my parents and my little sister.”

---