Page 47 of Run

As David listened to the call, he scanned his surroundings, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Suddenly, the back of the plumber’s van opened, and Marcus and Abasi jumped out—guns in their hands, pointed at him and Elle.

“They’re here,” David snapped.

He put the car in gear, intending to drive right into them. A bullet hole appeared in the top of the windshield, and he let the engine idle.

“We’re coming,” Callum barked.

“Who’s here?” Ryan’s granddad shouted. “What’s going on? That gangster told me to phone you at twenty past the hour and not a minute later, or someone would die. Did I do something wrong?”

“No,” Ryan said. “You haven’t done anything wrong.”

Marcus and Abasi wrenched open the rear passenger doors and climbed in.

“Drive.” Marcus pressed his gun to the back of David’s head.

“Do not drive,” Callum bellowed.

“Drive, or Abasi puts a bullet in Elle’s leg,” Marcus said evenly.

David put the car in gear while Elle gaped at her brother in horror. As they took off down the street, the rest of their team came running toward them.

“Floor it,” Marcus ordered.

“Sorry, guys,” David said as he accelerated toward the team, making them scatter.

“Elle, throw the phone out the window,” Marcus ordered. “Throwallphones out the window. We’re having this conversation in private.”

Still stunned, she did as instructed.

Once she’d closed the window again, Abasi handed her two sets of handcuffs. “Cuff both his hands to the steering wheel.”

“How will he change gears, genius?” Elle had clearly gotten over her initial shock.

“You can do it for him.” Abasi was unfazed.

“Get it done, Elle. My trigger finger’s getting itchy.” Marcus pushed David’s head with his gun.

Glowering at them, Elle leaned over David and secured his hands to the wheel, using one set of cuffs for each hand.

“Not as much fun as we had with the pink ones,” he whispered to her, trying to reassure her somehow.

“Don’t talk to me. I’m still seriously annoyed with you.” She turned toward the back seat. “But not as annoyed as I am with you, Marcus, or you, Abasi. Shoot me in the leg? Really? You should aim for my head instead because I will beat you to death with my bloody leg if you put a bullet in it.”

19

Marcus looked pained. “That doesn’t even make sense, Elle. If you’re going to threaten somebody, at least try to make it sound credible.”

David focused in on the arguing siblings. Marcus didn’t sound like a man who was out to hurt his sister. Interesting…

Elle glared at her brother before focusing her attention on Abasi.

“Could you do it?” she demanded of one of the most feared men in London. “Could you shoot me in the leg and not feel anything when you did it? Just because he told you to?”

“Fuck.” Abasi slumped back into his seat, his gun lowering. “Don’t blame me; the threat was his idea.”

Every instinct David possessed screamed at him. What the hell was going on? This wasn’t the conversation he’d expected. Nor the reaction he’d prepared for. Right now, Elle seemed to be engaged in a stare-down with her brother.

David cleared his throat. “Where am I heading?”