Page 26 of Run, Little Rabbit

“Boss?” My heart sank.

“Yeah, Mr Volkov.”

Fuck. “Did he leave with anyone?”

The guy shrugs his shoulders. “Sorry, man, I didn’t see. I know Nikita left with him, but—”

I’ve heard enough. I run out of the building and back into the cool night, but there’s no one here. Nothing. No trace of her.

Wait. What is that?

Something glitters on the ground, caught in the light of the moon.

I crouch down and see a teardrop diamond sitting on the tarmac. Exactly like the ones sewn all over that ridiculous dress she was wearing. I pick it up and turn over the small gem in my hand.

“Echo…” I breathe. “Where are you?”

I trail my gaze across the dark gravel, and I see something that has my heart crawling up my throat. Drops of blood.

I have to stop my thoughts spiralling like a runaway freight train; otherwise, I will be hitting full panic mode, and I need to keep it together. I have to if I want to find my girl.

I stand up and run my fingers through my hair as another unsettling thought churns my stomach.

How the hell am I going to tell Rory Quinn his only daughter has been kidnapped by the head of the Volkovs?

Best get it over with.

I dial Jace’s number, knowing he’s always with Rory, and he picks up on the third ring.

“What’s the problem?”

Jace is straight to the point. I rarely ring the guy, and we don't chitchat.

“Is Rory there?”

“Yes, but occupied.”

I can hear a man screaming in the background, and my hands turn clammy. Is that going to be me later? Fuck, I’m going to lose a hand. I stare at my left hand, at all the creases and scars that make up the history of that hand. Is this the last day I’ll get to see it?

“Veon. What’s the problem?”

Jace’s voice snaps me back to attention, but I can’t get the words out.

Just say it quickly. Like ripping off a band-aid.“Echo has been kidnapped.”

“Get back to the house. I’ll tell Rory.”

Then he disconnects the call, and I obey my orders like a good soldier.

“How could you let this happen?” Rory says, his voice laced with a deadly calmness that has me squirming in my seat. “Why was she eventhere?”

“Her friend, Verity, had VIP tickets to the grand opening,” I reply. “It would be thought odd if she didn’t attend when the others did.”

Rory raises his eyebrows. “Oh, it would, would it?”

“Veon is right, Dad,” Conor says with a sigh, and I could have kissed the guy. As much as I dislike the twins, I’m glad they’re on my side here.

“And you know Echo will do what she wants,” Cillian adds. Again, he’s right. Echo was not the kind of woman to be toldwhat to do. It was one of the things I both admired and found incredibly frustrating.