Page 18 of Redeeming Rabbit

He jerked to a stop and spun to face me. His gaze crashed into mine, and panic filled his blue eyes. “You’re here.”

I looked around, confused. “Is there somewhere else I should be?”

“No. Of course not.” His gaze drifted down to my clavicle before snapping back to my eyes. “How was work?”

Was this an attempt at small talk? Or did he actually want to know? “Fine,” I said cautiously. “What are you doing here?”

He rubbed his hands down his thighs as if to wipe them off and thrust one toward me. “I’m here to talk to you.”

I shook his extended hand, ignoring the zing of energy that passed between us. Nonsexual forms of touch often cause the brain to release oxytocin. It was a perfectly normal reaction, often romanticized in books and movies. Neither of us appeared to want to end the handshake, though, and it continued for several seconds past awkward before I finally yanked my hand away.

“It’s good to see you, Poe,” he said like it had been months rather than hours since our first interaction.

I opened my mouth to correct him but remembered Poe was the abbreviated nickname for Postal because I was apparently the complete package. It was quite possibly the lamest line I’d ever heard in my life, yet mention of it now only increased the fluttery sensation in my stomach. My smile kept trying to widen, but I wrestled that traitorous twitch of my lips under control. “It’s nice to see you, too.”

He seemed surprised by my admission and kept watching me like he was waiting for me to take it back.

“Did you leave another set of keys in my apartment?” I asked to break the sudden tension between us.

He grinned. “No. But I do need a word with you. Is there somewhere we can talk?”

The polite course of action would be to invite him up to my apartment, but I wanted to know more about the reason behind his presence first. Decision made, I led him into the common area on the bottom floor. The interior decorators had obviously been going for a seventy’s retro vibe with explosions of earth tones and odd-shaped chairs and tables. It was vibrant and trendy but not too comfortable, and residents rarely took advantage of the space. Today, it was empty, so I perched on an upholstered orange chair while Rabbit wandered to the nearest coffee table and picked up the odd teal and gold centerpiece.

He studied the abstract conglomeration of plastic and metal and shook his head, muttering, “Rich people are into the weirdest shit.”

I was comfortable, not wealthy, and still paying off college loans, but I didn’t correct him. Instead, I watched him wander around and take in the space.

Finally, when his curiosity about the room had been sated, he faced me. “The cameras have picked up Matt Parker’s car in your building’s garage.”

No surprise since Tap had told me of his intention to mount a hidden camera above my parking spot. “Matt approached me this morning,” I replied automatically.

“What? Where?” Rabbit’s eyes went a little crazy as he closed the distance between us, his gaze roaming over my body as if checking for damage. “Are you okay?”

His unrestrained concern was unexpected and overwhelming. “Yes. I had the Taser.”

“Of course you did.” The grin that stretched across his lips conjured emotions I didn’t want to think about. “What happened?”

I gave him a detailed recap, answering questions and voicing my intention to never return to the coffee shop. By the time I finished, Rabbit had sat and stood three times and paced to the door and back twice.

His brows drew down in a ferocious scowl. “Want me to break into his house and beat him with a sack full of rocks?”

His threat of violence to another human being should have thrown up a red flag, but instead, it warmed my heart. Blood also rushed to my face, making me feel flushed. Unfortunately, my mind eviscerated his offer. “Too risky. I don’t know what security measures he has in place.”

“I have people who could figure that out.”

“Also known as potential witnesses. I don’t want anyone to get in trouble for… taking out my trash. I can empty my own garbage.”

His expression softened, and his lips quirked with amusement. “You have a lot of that in your life? Trash?”

“Actually, I avoid refuse at all costs. This is Tina’s… dumpster fire.” This was when people usually realized I was too bizarre to hang out with, but Rabbit’s grin encouraged me to keep going. “I wouldn’t leave remains in a dumpster, though. And torching it would only stink up the place.”

Rabbit’s grin didn’t fall, but his eyes sharpened with concern. I might have gone one step too far.

“Only raw recruits put the trash in the dumpster. There are… other ways to dispose of useless shit.”

I’ll be dammed. The man might genuinely understand me.

My smile stretched, as did the silence between us, until we walked right off that ledge back into awkward. “Well, thank you for stopping by.”

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