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Ignoring the mess, I take what’s left of the popcorn and grab a soda before going back to the theater. I pick a comfy seat and plop down to enjoy some gore.
I wake from a light doze an indeterminate time later with Kendrick standing over me, sipping a beer. I look backwards up at him and grin as another eardrum-blasting explosion on-screen sends body parts flying. “Hey. Welcome back.”
“Are you really thatbored that you’re watching a movie? Isn’t there anything else to do?”
“No, and nobodyelse, either. Doc’s taken away all my fun.”
Kendrick bends down to kiss my forehead. “Doc loves you. You know it’s coming from a place of genuine concern. He’s not trying to be mean.”
“Sure feels like it.”
“Doc doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. He was worried sick when I brought you back; he’s just trying to keep you safe. That was a scary moment for all of us, but especially Doc, you know, because he knew it was all on him to save you.”
This isn’t fair. I’m trying to wallow in self-pity, and Kendrick is making me feel bad for Doc instead. He’s playing dirty. Looks like a change of subject is in order.
“How did the mission go? We get what we need?”
Kendrick scowls and straightens. “No. Something fishy is up. This CEO was more scared of the idea of Cobra sending his men to beat him up than he was of me there threatening to beat him up in person.”
My brows furrow in confusion. “Cobra’s not known for his blackmailing racket. He deals in drugs and hookers, not corporate espionage. Why would he muscle in on our territory?”
“Because we’ve killed two of his men now? I don’t know, but it’s not good for us.”
“Definitely not. We need that money. Keys can only bypass some of our bills with his computer work, and sometimes we need to get stuff on the up and up—actually pay for it. If Cobra’s cock-blocking us, we could be hungry for a hot minute.”
He sighs and ticks off an imaginary list on his fingers. “We’ve got plenty of food to get us through at least a couple of months, Keys can keep the electric company at bay, Doc’s got connections of his own for stocking the clinic, and everything else is just luxuries. We’ll be okay, but if this is a sign of how things are going to be, yeah, we’re gonna have to tighten the belt a few notches.”
“What are you doing to Bunny with your belt now?”
We both turn to Doc, me wincing as I twist too far in my seat to see behind me. My shoulder didn’t like that, and Doc purses his lips and shakes his head at me.
Kendrick ruffles my hair with a grin. “We were being good, Doc. Scout’s promise. I was just telling Bunny about Ramsey’s weird activity.”
“You mean the new blackmail racket? Keys told me about it.”
Geez, how long was I asleep? Everyone else already knows the scoop.
“Oh! I almost forgot …” Kendrick takes another swig of beer and lets out a belch. “Doc, you think you can clear Bunny here for some light extracurricular activities? Nothing much, just some work on a Viper I lugged back here this afternoon.”
Doc and I both drop jaws at the same time and exchange shocked glances. Kendrick kidnapped a Viper?
“What kind of activity were you thinking? The bat is definitely out, and no guns, either. She could hurt herself with kickback.”
“Well, we’re not gonna shoot the guy—yet. I was thinking some light knife work to soften him up while I question him.” Kendrick tips back his head and finishes his beer. “It shouldn’t be too hard. Dude already shit himself when I broke his arm, tied him up, and threw him in the van. He’s all packaged for her. No way he can fight back with the amount of rope I used.”
Doc looks back and forth between me and Kendrick with a dubious glare. “The sling stays on. And if I find out you let her use the bat, you’re both in trouble.”
We both hold up our hands in mock salute, though I forget whether the Scouts hold up two fingers or three, so I end up switching back and forth between two different poses just to be on the safe side. “I’ll be good, Doc. I can carve him up without hurting myself.”
He grunts and turns on his heel. “I’ll be in the clinic if either of you go too far.”
Kendrick snorts. “It’s the guy who shot Bun.”
Doc pauses. “Then I’ll be in the morgue when you’re done.”
Ooh, exciting! I get to play all I want! I hop out of my seat and run to change clothes. I can’t very well help Kendrick interrogate someone wearing my around-the-house gear. No, it’s time for the Summer City Hare to make an appearance.
I knew the bunny ears and Domme getup would earn me a nickname, but I had been hoping for something cooler than the Summer City Hare. I don’t know quite what I expected, but that just sounds kind of … lame. You don’t always get to pick your own superhero name, though, and the so-called journalists in S.C. just aren’t that creative, I guess. I mean, where’s the classic vigilante alliteration? Ravishing Rabbit? Bludgeoning Bunny? Nothing. Just Summer City Hare. Bah.
