Page 42 of Run, Little Rabbit

“My brothers aren’t psychopaths,” Echo states. “They’re high-functioning sociopaths.”

“Sorry for not understanding the difference,”I reply with an eye roll.Oh, sarcasm. How much I miss you.It’s so hard to make my hands sound sarcastic.

Her green eyes hold mine with a ferocity I wouldn’t expect in someone hanging from a meat hook. “Do we have a deal?”

I look at Maxim. He’s the decision-maker, and I’m sure Angel will get on board eventually. He’s just cautious and thinking of the risks. Rory Quinn is ruthless, and I know that us kidnapping his only daughter that he’s deliberately kept out of the family business, it is not going to sit well with him. Especially since we’ve got something underhand going on in the ranks, a crate of missing guns, the hand of a rat and a dead little grass.

I wish I could have seen the looks on the terror twins' faces as they opened the pretty box I left on their doorstep. I put a lovely big red bow on it and had it delivered to their downtown apartment. You know, it’s really hard to find a sturdy gift box for putting a head in.AndI had to line it so that it wouldn’t leak blood everywhere. I really hope the twins appreciated the effort that I put into their gift. I wouldn’t go to that much trouble for just anyone.

“We need to establish rules,” Maxim says, drawing my attention away from memories of severed heads and back to chasing little rabbits. He turns to Angel. “Will that make you happier about this?”

“I suppose,” Angel grumbles and folds his arms across his chest. Angel may look like a little drama queen, but I know the guy could kill me with his bare hands. Which was kind of hot.All that power in someone so… temperamental. It will certainly make this little chase interesting.

Maxim walks to stand in front of Echo, and I get a glimpse of his ass in his tailored slacks. Fuck, how had I never noticed how sexy his ass is?

“Rule number one: no murder.”

“Pfft, spoilsport,” Echo mumbles.

“Rule number two: no serious maiming.” Max looks at me with a raised eyebrow.

“So a little bit of maiming is fine?”I could live with that.

“As long as I don’t need real medical attention, I’m game,” she says with a blasé tone.

“Is that so?” Max asks with a soft laugh.

“Yeah. I happen to like a bit of pain.” She winks saucily at him, and I’ve got a suspicious feeling that there’s a lot more to this woman than meets the eye. I mean, what kind of person feels comfortable winking at their captor while hanging from a meat hook?

“Rule number three: if Echo crosses the boundary, she goes free, and we give up the chase.” Maxim fixes his eyes on me for that one.

“Fine.”I can obey the rules when I need to. I might not like it, but I know where I am in the hierarchy here. I respect it when Maxim is being the boss.

Maxim turns back to Echo. “You have anything to add?”

“Rule number four: no ruining my fucking hair.”

“It’s okay, little rabbit. I’ll wrap it around my fist while I’m fucking your ass.”

She gives a sharp inhale, and the tip of her tongue flicks out to wet her lips.

“Any other demands?” Angel asks, taking a step closer to Echo. “Now’s the time, because in a moment, I’m going to take you out of the chains, check you over and start counting.”

Echo tips her head to one side, thinking for a moment. “No safe words. I get a five-minute head start. Oh, and give me a knife.”

Smart girl.I reach under my shirt and pull a knife from its sheath at my back. “You can have one of mine, little rabbit.”

“Only one?” she asks with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes, I’m going to need the other one to carve my name over your heart.”

She huffs a laugh like she doesn’t quite believe I’ll do it. But I will. I’ll do it while my cock is buried deep in her cunt and she’s screaming my name.

“Okay,” she says with a nod. “I’m ready.”

I clap my hands and rub them together. I haven’t had this much fun in ages.

I walk over to Echo and sink my hands into her waist. The soft mesh of her corset slides against my skin as I lift her down from the hook.