Page 13 of Run

“See these people? They’re your family. Not that crapfest you grew up in.”

Joe grinned at their boss. “I knew Benson Security would get you to connect with that sensitive core of yours one day.”

Callum glared at him while making that low growling noise of his that made kids cry.

“Joe’s joking,” Megan said. “You’re big and bad. Ooo, scary. Can we stop growling now?”

Callum sighed but carried on talking. “Lake says he got a call from somebody with information to share. His contact’s on his way here to tell us what he knows. Hopefully, the man’s got a way out of this situation that doesn’t involve us hiding forever. I don’t see Isobel and her sisters going for that plan.”

“Do we know this contact of Lake’s?” Ryan asked. “Can we trust him?”

“Aye, we know him.” Callum pinched the bridge of his nose. “Jury’s still out on whether we can trust him.”

“Are you going to tell us who this savior is or make us extract the information from you a sentence at a time?” Megan snapped.

Callum let out a heavy sigh. “It’s Elle’s very own personal spy.”

For the first time in her life, Elle was completely at a loss for words.

5

“You know,” Elle said to the lawyer Benson Security had provided for her, “I think the police are going about this whole interrogation room thing the wrong way. I mean, wouldn’t people be more likely to talk if they were comfortable? They should get rid of the boring table and chairs and puke-green walls and instead go with pastel shades. A comfy sofa, an Espresso machine, and snacks would be good too. They could even add a TV and some magazines.” She grinned at the woman, who was staring at her like she was talking Chinese. “You know? Like a posh doctor’s waiting room. Don’t you think that would work better on the criminal psyche?”

“I think,” Ms. Patel said in all seriousness, “that I have no idea how the James family gene pool produced someone like you. Or, more importantly, how you made it to adulthood.”

She seemed genuinely mystified, so Elle answered honestly, “Online gaming,Star Warsmovies, andBuffycomic books. Never underestimate the influence of decent geek culture on an impressionable young mind.”

“Fascinating,” the lawyer muttered as she stared at Elle.

Elle beamed at her. “It’s a good job that I have zero self-esteem issues because you have a seriously elitist, authoritarian vibe going on.” From her long, poker-straight, shiny black hair to her pristine black suit, everything about Ms. Patel suggested she was going over dissection techniques in her head while staring at you. “Now that I think about it, you remind me of someone I know. Have you ever met Rachel Ford-Talbot?”

“Can’t say that I have.”

“You should. If you added some vamp-red nail polish to your look and swapped out your warm skin tone for milky white, you’d get Rachel. It’s uncanny. You two could be the same person in alternate realities.” Elle folded her legs underneath her on the seat, tailor-style. “I need to see how far this goes. Do you come from money? Are you related to Prince Harry? Do you think tact is only for the lower classes?”

Ms. Patel blinked several times, reminding Elle of the reptile house at London Zoo. No matter who was caged, you knew who the true predator was. She cocked her head as she considered Elle. “Usually, I intimidate people.”

Elle laughed and flapped a hand. “Don’t worry; it’s not you. It’s me. You’ve still got it. It’s just that when you’ve grown up around the London Mob and then had Rachel as a boss, you’re pretty much immune to the whole intimidation thing. Although I pretend to be intimidated sometimes. Mainly for Callum. He’d be hurt if he knew I saw him as a big grumpy teddy bear.” She glanced around. Still the same boring room. “Do you think they’ve given up asking me questions?”

Ms. Patel’s eyes narrowed. “No, it’s more likely they’re scrambling for some cause to hold you. Don’t worry. It won’t work.” She glanced at her Cartier wristwatch. “Another half an hour, and I’ll inform them you’ve finished cooperating with their inquiries, and we’re leaving. After that, they can contact you through me. They’ve already let everyone except Callum go. There’s no need to keep you two any longer.”

“I’m pretty sure they don’t think I’ve been cooperating with anything. You’ve barely let me answer a question.”

“That’s what your employer pays me to do.”

“Doesn’t it make me look guilty when I don’t answer their questions?”

“It makes you look smart and protected. The last thing you want is to appear vulnerable. Sharks can smell blood in the water for miles.”

“You really are kinda scary,” Elle assured her.

There was a knock at the door, and one of Ms. Patel’s minions stuck their head into the room. “May I have a word?” he said. “I need your input on something.”

“Of course.” The lawyer stood and faced Elle. “Don’t talk to anyone without me. Not one word.”

Elle nodded solemnly. “You’re the boss of the firm, aren’t you?”

“Of course,” Ms. Patel repeated as she sailed from the room.