Page 65 of Dining for Love

Chapter 20

Reid

IT’S BEEN THREE days since someone bumped into Willa, and I can’t shake the feeling that it’s got something to do with the Bunnies. How could it not? I spent the weekend upgrading my existing security system and expanding it to encompass Willa’s place, getting Agatha’s permission to do it on hers as well. I’ve got a live feed that constantly pushes to my phone, and I’m not proud of how much I’ve been checking it.

I’ve never been like this. The entire time I was undercover with the Bunnies, I was calm. I understood the risks, and I was willing to take them.

But here? With Willa? I’m entirely unprepared for whatever this is. It’s suffocating, the constant worry. I can’t get a full breath and I’m entirely on edge. I need it to stop.

My shoes squelch as I run along the beach. I’ve not been on sand since leaving Miami, and I don’t know why I stopped, but my calves are screaming about it right now. After logging a mile on the torturous stuff, I turn up the access path and aim toward home, speeding up in an effort to get everything out of my head. Just focus on the run.

I’m out of breath and nearly ready to die by the time I arrivehome. Slowing to a walk, my eyes land on something glinting on my doorknob.

I look around, checking up and down the street, looking for anything out of the ordinary.

Nothing.

Approaching my door, my gut clenches. It’s a white rabbit’s foot.

The Bunnies have been here.

My heart climbs into my throat, and spikes erupt inside my chest. It takes everything I have not to scream in frustration.

Stepping into the house, I pull up the security feeds, but of course, I see nothing. The Bunnies aren’t amateurs. I curse and punch the button to call my chief in Miami.

“MacKinnon.” His voice is gruff as he answers.

I don’t bother with niceties. “They’ve left their calling card on my front door.”

“Shit.”

“Anything you can do from there?”

A sigh comes through the phone. “You know as well as I do that you’re out of my jurisdiction. You’re on your own over there, Mac.”

My jaw ticks. “I figured. What about off the books? Anything?”

“Doubtful. I’ll alert the DA, but you know they won’t do shit over there.”

“Anything will help.”

“You good, MacKinnon? You don’t sound like your usual self.”

“I’m good,” I lie. “Just wasn’t expecting a rabbit’s foot on my front door.”

He grunts. “Going from the deliverer to the receiver.”

“Exactly.” Even though I’d never seen the results, I’d been the messenger of doom for the Bunnies more than my fair share of times when I was undercover.

“Stay alert.”

“Will do,” I respond. We hang up, and I get ready for work. I stop by Betty’s desk at the station, asking her if she’s noticed anything out of the ordinary and telling her to be on the lookout.

She gives me a look. “Everything all right, Reid?”

What is it with the perceptive women in this town? But I give her what I hope is a convincing smile. “Of course. Just let me know if you hear of anything unusual?”

“Sure thing.”

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