Page 92 of Run, Little Rabbit

“Your father lost money in the wrong casino, Sphinx. Don’t stand there preaching to me like that when you ended up under my father’s thumb because of your own father’s actions.Ididn’t offer you up as payment.”

“Fuck you,” he throws at me, his anger getting the better of him. I know he’s not really angry at me, but I’m here and his father isn’t.

I drag my hand down my face, the effort of dragging up the past taking its toll. “Sphinx, I don’t know who murdered your family. I don’t know if it was tied to something my family did or something you discovered when my father had you working for him, but what I do know is that I will help you figure it out.”

He looks stunned at that. I know I’m not usually one for offering help, but Sphinx is an old friend, and I owe it to him to help. Especially if it’s my father’s fault that Sphinx’s entire family was killed.

Sphinx nods and lets out a shaky exhale, some of the anger and frustration leaving his shoulders.

I hold my hand out. “We help Echo take down her father, and then I promise, I will help you with whatever you need to find out who killed your family. Deal?”

He eyes my hand warily, that bottom lip stuck between his goddamn teeth again. Eventually, he wraps his hand around mine and gives it a firm shake. “Deal.”

“Alright. And for what it’s worth, I was sorry when I found your family, Sphinx.”

“Thanks,” he mutters before a frown settles above his grey eyes. “What were you doing there anyway?”

“Oh,” I chuckle. “I was going to see if you wanted to get a drink with me.”

“Like on a date?” There’s a hint of surprise in his tone, and it’s quite endearing.

I nod, a fond smile curling my lips as I think about the memory. I’d been so nervous. I wasn’t out at the time, and I didn’t really know if Sphinx was into me, but I had worked up the courage to go and ask him out anyway. Then I got to the house, and all thoughts of clandestine kisses vanished when I clocked the open door and smelt the copper tang of blood in the air. “I don’t know if you noticed, but back then, I may have had a little crush on you.”

Sphinx snorts. “I bet your father would have loved that.”

“Hmm,” I agree. My father expected me to marry a woman, but at the time, I was caught somewhere between duty and the desire to explore my sexuality.

“And now?”

“Now we are two different people, and that was a long time ago.”

Sphinx nods in agreement, knowing just as well as I do that the men we were ten years ago aren't the men we are today. Our worlds changed and diverged, transforming us into two very different people.

“Come on,” I say, pulling the door open. “Let’s go and make sure no one has lost a limb.”

He snorts. “That’s entirely possible. Veon shot the big guy, and I’m pretty sure he’s going to want revenge.”

So the redheaded beast of a man was called Veon. “What’s his deal?”

“What do you mean?”

“The man looks like he’s chewing glass all the time.”

“Ah,” Sphinx says as he strolls out of the room. “Veon let duty get in the way, and now he’s missed his chance with Echo because she’s obsessed with you three, and he doesn’t share.”

“Fucking idiot,” I mutter, but it’s his loss. If Echo ever decided she wanted him to join us, I wouldn’t mind, but it sounds like he has some things to figure out first.

Huh. Never thought I would be so… patient.

“Tell me about it,” Sphinx agrees with a laugh but then frowns suddenly. “Veon and Echo haven’t been speaking much since she threw him out, so maybe the big guy isn’t the one we should be worried about.”

Chapter Thirty-Six

Echo

Iwatch Sphinx and Max leave, knowing that they need to clear the air over what happened to Sphinx’s family. I just hope that when they come back, they’re both alive and Sphinx gets whatever he needs to help him move forwards.

Veon, however…