Page 46 of Redeeming Rabbit

Easy for him to say since he wasn’t the one trying to keep my skeletons hidden in the closet. “You don’t know half the shit I’ve done.”

Morse stared past me, his eyes growing distant. “I once bombed the wrong village.”

Shocked, I gaped at him. Nothing like blindsiding a person to get their undivided attention. He sure as hell had mine now. I’d known he’d been a drone pilot for the Air Force, but he never talked about it. Like, ever. Few of my brothers discussed the shit they’d seen and done. I had a list of questions but forced my jaw closed. If he was finally willing to talk, I wouldn’t interrupt him.

“There were families in the village.” He continued, still not looking at me. “Children. Not a lot of them, but one is too many. I’d been running surveillance, searching for a sign of the piece of shit we were hunting down. When the strike order came, I did what I always did. My fucking job. The intel was wrong, and the mark wasn’t even there. All those people died for nothing.” His voice was raspy with self-recrimination. “You think you’re the only one with stories?”

“You were acting on orders. I have only myself to blame.”

“So?”

I blinked, unsure what he wanted from me. “So what?”

“All that shit’s in the past. The question is, what’s your plan for the future?”

Did I look like a planner? Because it required all my focus to make it day by day. I shook my head. “No plans.”

“Ah. I see. You made a play for the woman, fucked it up, so now you’re just gonna give up. That’s pathetic.”

Was he trying to get under my skin? “Sorry my fucking life isn’t entertaining enough for you.”

“Don’t be such a drama queen. Either you use the resources given to you and figure your shit out, or don’t and be miserable for the rest of your life. Nobody’s entitled to happiness. You have to work for it. Sometimes, you even have to fight for it.”

“You’re not even gonna ask about my story?”

“Absolutely not. Start sobbing on my shoulder, and I’ll knock your fuckin’ teeth out. You want a therapist, go see Sage.”

Ugh. Not Morse, too. “I don’t need a shrink.”

He shrugged. “Fine. Choose misery. Whatever.”

“This whole take-life-by-the-horns speech is kind of rich coming from you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Your gardener… Does she know you’re stalking her?”

“It’s not stalking. I’m watching out for her like I promised her husband I would.”

“Keep telling yourself that, brother.”

He sighed, staring up at the ceiling, likely praying for patience. “Will you help her or not?”

“Of course, I’ll fuckin’ help her.” It was insulting he’d even asked. “Want me to do it pro bono?”

“No. She’s too prideful. She’ll never go for that. Do what Wasp did for Ol’ Lady Williams.”

Ol’ Lady Williams was the wife of a brother we lost to cancer last year. An electrical problem recently fucked up the headlights and wipers of her Kia Sorento. She didn’t have the funds to fix it and was too prideful to let us do the work for free. Since we weren’t about to leave her stranded without a vehicle, Wasp made up a military grant program. Had her fill out a form and everything, letting us know exactly what she could afford. The club would have eaten the cost had Kaos not flashed his fat-ass checkbook. The former hockey player had more money than he knew what to do with, and keeping a military wife’s car safe so she could continue chauffeuring her grandchildren had been a worthy cause.

“You want Kaos to pay for it?” I asked.

Morse’s face scrunched up. “No. Hell, no. Bring it to me. I’ll cover the expense, but your ass better not overcharge me for labor.”

“Have her bring it in today, and I’ll donate the labor.” I wasn’t on the clock, so the hours I spent working on it wouldn’t pull me from paid jobs. And it would keep me busy for the rest of the day. Win, win.

Morse considered me for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then, he seemed to come to a decision. He pulled out his chair and sat down. “Pull up a seat. I want to show you something.”

Though I was suddenly suspicious, curiosity eventually won. The tech team didn’t care much for company, so the pickings for furniture were slim. I grabbed a folding chair and parked my ass beside him. He clicked on an icon, selected a folder, and scrolled through video files until he found the one he was after. The player started, and I instantly recognized Elenore. She wore my Offspring T-shirt and turned her borrowed baseball cap backward, preparing to spank my brothers at darts.

---