Page 6 of Run, Little Rabbit

Veon slams the brakes, and the car lurches to a stop. The seatbelt cuts into my chest, and I throw my hand out to brace against the impact.

He looks at me, and his eyes blaze with anger. But at what? I hope it’s not me for killing some slimy piece of shit.

“Of course not,” he growls. “But killing Bennie might start a war.”

“Ha,” I bark. “That guy wasn’t that important. He’s not even in middle management.”

“Not the point.” He points his finger at me. “You’ve just put a target on your back by leaving your calling card.”

I smile sweetly up at him. “But that’s what I have you for, to protect my six.”

Veon drags his hand down his face. “There’s only so much I can do, and Bennie had loyal customers. Customers that are going to be pissed now that they can’t buy secrets.”

I shrug my shoulders. He isn’t going to convince me that what I did was wrong. Bennie was a monster, and I wasn’t going to let him hurt another kid. “Did Charlie ring your sister?”

His shoulders droop, and a heavy sigh leaves his beautiful mouth. “Yes. He’s making his way to the estate, and she will take him in.”

Good. It’s not very often I get a chance to save someone, so I let that little feeling of warmth spread through my chest for a few minutes before locking it down.

“Oh, I almost forgot.” I dig Bennie’s phone out of my bag and wave it in his face like a mighty trophy. “Think you can get something off this?”

“The fuck is that?” He hits me with a flat stare, and my skin flushes. Sometimes he looks at me like he hates me, and it sets my core on fire. “That had better not be Bennie’s phone.”

“And if it is?” I say sweetly, batting my eyelashes.

A tirade of muttered curse words leaves his mouth, and I almost chuckle. One day I’ll break him.

“What if someone can track it?”

“Pfft. You think Bennie is going to be stupid enough to have a phone that can be tracked?” I wave it in his face again. “Look at this thing. It’s like military grade or some shit.”

“Give it here.” Veon snatches it out of my hand and examines it, turning it over between his fingers. The longer he looks at it, the deeper his scowl gets. It makes my fingers itch to trace it.

This longing isn’t one-sided, by the way. I see the way he looks at me when he thinks I’m not watching. With a yearning that burns my skin.

But Veon has this thing about duty and blah blah blah. I mean, I get it, I do, but sometimes he looks at me like he wants to punish my ass and fuck me into oblivion, and let’s be real, I am down forthat.

I think he’s also got a bee in his bonnet about being eleven years older than me, but I could not give a shit. I’m twenty-five, and I’m pretty sure that makes me an adult, but whatever.

“I’m keeping this.” Veon slips the phone into his jacket pocket.

“What? No.” I lash out, but he blocks my hands, pushing them away with force. “Give that back.”

He huffs a laugh and smirks at me like I’m adorable, and it makes my blood boil. This time, I hurl myself towards him, over the centre of the car and into his lap. I thrust the heel of my palm up at his chin, then drop my elbow into the soft spot beneath his ribs.

He wheezes out a breath, but it doesn’t seem to slow him down. I scramble to get my fingers into his jacket pocket, but he’s quicker than I anticipate, and in the small space of the driver’s seat, it’s not long before he has my wrists trapped in one of his giant hands and the other is twisted in my hair and yanking my head backwards.

“Echo.”

Fuck, my name sounds like a threat. All low and raspy and full of warning.

I moan. I can’t help it. Veon has that effect on me. Like a match to gasoline, we’re explosive.

Or I imagine we would be if I could ever get him to give in. At the moment, we simmer, just waiting for that spark to set us off.

“Veon… please.” I know I’m begging, but I can’t seem to stop myself. I roll my hips, only a little, but I feel him lengthen beneath me.

“Not gonna happen, princess.” He tightens his grip in my hair, and I hiss. “Now, be a good girl and get back in your seat, or we’re going to have a problem.”