Page 19 of Run, Little Rabbit (Blood & Bonds #1)

Chapter Eighteen

Echo

I t’s insane. Fucking crazy . Maybe it’s the whisper of death caressing the shell of my ear, but I’ve never felt more alive than I do at this moment. It’s electrifying. Thrilling . All that adrenaline pumping through my body, and I want more.

Angel brought me upstairs to wash off the grime of the basement.

I didn’t really see the point in it, since I was going to be running through a wood, so I declined.

I could have a long bath when I got home.

I wasn’t about to believe that Veon couldn’t find me or that I’d struggle to outrun these guys.

My heart twisted as I thought about Veon.

The guy was probably beating himself up and thinking that this was his fault.

It wasn’t, but somehow, he’d find a way to convince himself that it was.

That maybe he should have done more or done something different, and no matter how much I, or anyone else, tell him otherwise, it won’t make a difference. He will still blame himself.

Besides, knowing Veon, he’s probably going to stage a one-man rescue mission.

I really hope he swallows his pride long enough to ask for a bit of help.

Veon might be able to handle his shit, but coming up against a house full of Volkov men might be a step too far.

I am curious as to who he’s gonna bring with him.

He doesn’t exactly play nice with others.

The house is nice. I didn’t get to see much of it other than the floor when I arrived, as Niki carried me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

But this place… wow. It’s stunning. Sleek and modern, styled to perfection.

It was probably done by some uppity designer that charged Maxim a fortune, but they’d done a really good job.

I’m not entirely sure where we are, but I did roughly count the minutes as I rolled around in the trunk of Maxim’s car. I swear the guy went over every pothole as a punishment for breaking his nose. I think that hurt more than hanging from the hook for a few hours.

I wasn’t in the trunk for too long, roughly around twenty minutes, so I’d guess we were a couple of miles outside the city.

There hadn’t been much road or traffic noise, so we hadn’t travelled on the motorway or any major roads.

Then again, it had been late at night when I’d had a brief lapse in judgement and broken Maxim’s nose, so that tracked with the early dawn light breaking through the window.

I was just grateful that I hadn’t been in the basement longer than a day.

If I’m being honest with myself, I’m surprised they let me out so soon, especially since they know what I’m worth.

I’m not an idiot. I know that there is probably something else at play here.

Quinns and Volkovs have been enemies forever, so I’d be surprised if Maxim hadn’t thought of some sort of scheme to play this to his advantage.

I mean, it’s not every day the daughter of your enemy drops into your lap.

I just had to be the idiot who broke the wrong nose. I also had to hope that they were men of their word. Are they really going to let me go if I cross the boundary?

But the even bigger question here is, do I actually want to let them?

For the first time in a long time, I’ve found something that excites me in a way that killing normally does. That rush, that hit of bliss as I take a life. That erotic sensation that curls and swirls in my gut and makes me feel more alive than humanly possible.

Is it the thought of running for my life or that it’s these men that will chase me that has my body lighting up like it’s the Fourth of July?

Or maybe I’m just fucking crazy.

Angel takes his time checking out my limbs now that I’m out of the chains. My arms ache, and there are two purple bruises around my wrists where the cords held me up. Other than that, I feel completely fine.

There’s an energy humming in the air. Anticipation making the air feel electric. Like one spark could ignite everything. But I’m not scared of the fire.

I want to feel it burn .

“And?” Maxim says in a clipped tone.

Angel steps back from me and eyes me warily. Like he knows he’s the only thing from stopping this madness from happening. And it is madness. I shouldn’t want it, but I’m yearning for it. I stare at the three men, and I wonder who will catch me first, because let’s face it… I’m not escaping.

I don’t want to.

I want to let my darkness out to have some fun. Torturing these Volkov men is going to be the icing on the cake.

“She’s fine,” he finally says, and I could have fist-pumped the air.

Niki, my silent Viking, steps forward and holds his knife out towards me. There’s something wild in his eyes, and I feel it mirrored in mine. He excites me in a way that feels like a visceral caress against my skin.

He places the tip of the blade against my inner thigh and slices my skin. I gasp at the sharp sting. “What was that for?”

He doesn’t answer but brings the edge of the blade to his mouth and sweeps his tongue over it, licking it clean.

A gruff sort of groan leaves his mouth, and it’s the first real sound I’ve heard him make. It’s harsh, like a dark whisper, but I feel it all the way to my toes. My core clenches, and my pussy fucking drips . I want to hear that sound by my ear as he’s buried inside me.

Niki holds the wicked-looking knife out to me, handle first, and I take it. The knife feels heavy in my hand, but well balanced. It’s a nice weapon, and I can’t help but twirl it around my fingers. Yeah, I might be showing off, but I don’t want these three to think I’m going to be easy prey.

“So, how far out is the boundary?” I ask.

“The house is surrounded by woodland on all sides,” Maxim says as he walks over to a cupboard on the wall behind him. “In total, there’s about five acres, but there is a river close to the boundary markers on three sides of the property. If you reach the river, you’re free to go.”

I cast a glance out of the window. It’s dark, but I can see the morning light starting to break over the horizon.

Max holds out a simple black bracelet, kind of like a thick rubber band.

“What’s that for?”

“It’s simply a heart monitor. It’s linked to my watch so I can keep an eye on your heart rate.” Maxim slides it over my hand and settles it on my wrist. “It won’t track your location.”

“Good,” I say. “Because that will be totally cheating and a real dick move.”

Niki taps my arm and waggles his eyebrows. “It’s his kink. He’ll get off on how fast we can make your heart race.”

Interesting. Never come across that kink before. I gaze at Maxim, and he looks sinful. Like he’s going to eat me for breakfast.

Well, a girl can dream.

“Do you want any other clothes?” Angel asks, eyeballing my lace corset and pants.

I think about it for a minute. I could borrow something, but it’ll most likely drown me, and if I do make it to the boundary, being found in my underwear will make any story I come up with more plausible.

“Nope. I’m good.” Just eager to get going on what I already know is going to be the best day of my life.

“Fine,” Maxim says as he leads me to the front door.

He swings it open, and I get my first look at the grounds.

Wide open lawns disappear into a dense woodland.

It’s a great spot for a hideout, I’m not surprised they brought me here.

There’s no sound of cars, no planes in the sky, just unrelenting, uninterrupted silence.

I’m literally in the middle of nowhere. My heart rate picks up as the fear starts settling in my stomach. Adrenaline sparks in my veins, creating a jarring contrast against the fear.

Maxim groans next to me, no doubt enjoying the sudden hike in the speed of my heart. His hand grabs the back of my neck, and he pulls me towards him, close enough that my nipples brush against the silk of his shirt.

“Run, pet. Run fast because if I catch you, I’m going to devour you.” He presses a soft, tender kiss against my temple and then pushes me towards the door. “Clock’s ticking, Echo.”

The band vibrates on my arm, and I see the five minutes displayed on the band start counting down. It kicks me into action, and I start to run.

The grass is soft beneath my feet as I take off towards the woods.

My heart pumps furiously, and I can hear my blood thundering through my ears.

I sprint for as fast and as long as I can.

Until the grass turns to undergrowth and slices the soles of my feet.

Until my chest burns with every breath. And still I run, because I want to make this last. I want to reach the river just to wait for them because in this little game, it’s not me who’s the rabbit.