Page 45 of Run, Little Rabbit

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 fuckingdrips. 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.

Chapter Nineteen

Angel

The ground crunches under my feet as I track her through the woods. She was careless, and tracking her is easy, even in the early morning light. But maybe that’s the point. Is she leading us into a trap?

Those first five minutes felt like the longest five minutes of my life. I might have been against this from the start, but there is something a little thrilling about chasing her. I was glad that Max agreed to the rules. It wasn’t that I needed rules, but theillusion of safety settles my anxiety. Especially where the Quinns are concerned. Conor and Cillian had been great in bed, hands down, some of the best sex I’ve ever had, but they were scary. Like, I’d rather die than stick around something scary. They didn’t have rules, and they didn’t have any morals to hold them back. They calculated odds and risks and did what they wanted without a care for anyone that might be caught in the crossfire.

Max was different. Yes, he was dangerous, but he at least felt empathy and guilt—I was pretty sure I was in love with the guy.

My phone buzzes in my pocket. Speak of the devil.

Max:

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