Epilogue
Swinging my keys around my fingers, I shake my head and click my tongue as I venture farther into the house.
Crimson covers nearly every inch of the living room of Dove’s target.
The girls are in the middle of it in their suits, hacking away at the man while carrying on a conversation about a new bakery that just opened on Dove’s street.
Meanwhile, Wrenley’s in the kitchen with his head shoved into a trash bag, puking his guts out.
I feel like a dad who just rolled up on his kids while they’re making a mess of their toys.
“Wrenley, for fuck’s sake, man. Why do you come if you can’t stomach it?” I frown as my best friend keeps dispelling his lunch.
As far as I know, he’s been helping Dove with her hard kills, as she and Bunny call them. But if this is what he does at every crime scene, he’s just making it harder for the little pink princess to clean up.
Wrenley glares over his shoulder. “Listen, for the most part, I can handle it. It’s when she goes overboard that—”
“I don’t think there is such a thing as overboard when it comes to these fuckers,” Dove cuts in, bubbly as if we aren’t discussing dismemberment.
I swing my gaze to where she and Bunny are doing precisely that.
Dove’s got a line of intestines strung between her hands and is winding them around her elbow like she’s putting away Christmas lights.
Blood and organ chunks freckle the white suits the girls are wearing, and that’s when I spot Bunny setting body parts off to the side.
“Whoa, Little Rabbit. The freezer is already stocked. I thought we talked about cooling it on the human fertilizer.”
Bunny grins sheepishly, her lips curling inward as she peers up at me. “I know… but… well…”
“No buts, baby. We’re walking a thin line as it is. Vivian next door keeps trying to convince me to enter the garden in some big magazine contest—says we’d surely win. We don’t need anyone poking around asking how the hydrangeas got so vibrant.”
Bunny pushes to her knees and starts toward me, reaching for my hand.
“Little Rabbit, this is the only time I’ll say this, but keep those grimy paws off me.” I flash a grin, mirth lacing my tone.
Her sultry laugh fills the room as she remembers she’s covered in another man’s bodily fluids. Stripping quickly, she leads me out of earshot of Dove and Wren. “I figured maybe we could use just a little more… because this will be my last time helping Dove for a while.”
I can tell by the way she says it there’s a hidden meaning tucked into her words. I mull it over for a beat. Bunny’s smile widens—unable to wait for me to decipher it. “I’m pregnant!”
Shock spears through me—both at her statement and the fact she seems so happy about it. Excitement pours off her as she bounces on her toes and reaches for my shoulders. “Hunter, did you hear me? I just confirmed it this morning. I’m twelve weeks.”
My hands find her hips, blood roaring in my ears. Quietly, I ask, “How on earth are you pregnant again?”
I won’t pretend to know how the human body works. Faline is only five months old. If she’s already three months along… My brain spins while Bunny laughs at my puzzled expression.
“We made another baby in the bathroom at the bar.” She giggles, lacing her fingers into my hair. “We’re having another baby, Hunter.”
A dam breaks inside me, giddiness and elation flooding my veins. “And you’re… happy? You’re okay with being pregnant again?”
Her gaze softens as one hand slides down to cup my cheek. “Yes, baby. I’m so happy. I love you.”
“I love you too.” Hugging her to me, I nuzzle her ear. “But I know you wanted to wait a while. So if—”
“Hunter, stop. I’m excited to be growing another part of our little family. I couldn’t be happier, okay?” She cups both my cheeks and lays a chaste kiss on my lips. “It’s okay to be happy.”
“Well, in that case…” I grin, release her, and pump my fists in the air as I shout to Dove and Wrenley, “We’re having another baby!”
Three Months Later
Kenny G filters softly through the house as I get home from work. It’s late. The case I’m on is eating up too much time, and with Bunny on bed rest as she nears her last trimester, I hate missing chances to take care of her.
Yasha and Maru yip excitedly as I toe off my shoes. “Shh. You don’t want to wake your mom and sister, do you?”
Something tells me Bunny isn’t asleep, though. Something soft cushions my feet as I head upstairs.
Roses?
Ruby petals blanket the steps, leading down the hall to our bedroom, where a soft glow spills from the open doorway.
“Bunny?” I call.
No answer.
Quietly, I continue, and when I step into our room, I see why.
My little rabbit is sleeping peacefully on our bed. Rose petals coat the floor. At least a hundred candles flicker as Forever in Love plays on her phone. Warmth blooms in my chest, my heart skipping a beat as I grow closer.
Next to her, the petals spell out a message.
Two words. A question mark.
Marry me?
I was already the happiest man on earth, now I feel like the luckiest in the universe. After everything, Bunny keeps proving she chooses me, chooses our family, and that she’s not going anywhere.
But fuck if she doesn’t still surprise me from time to time.
A laugh escapes me, stirring her awake.
“Hunter?”
Kneeling beside her, I smooth the hair from her face. “Yes, Little Rabbit.”
She bolts upright, petals flying as she swings her legs off the bed. “Oh my god, I fell asleep!” Her forest gaze drops to the message, half-slid to the floor. “Shit! It’s ruined.”
Chuckling, I ease her back and climb onto the bed, bracing over her. “It’s okay, Bunny. I saw it. And my answer is yes—though I can’t believe you beat me to asking.”
Nuzzling my nose, she grasps my face. “It’s my turn to make the big, grand gestures, Hunter.”
“You’ve given me a beautiful baby girl. You’re growing my son.
And now you want my last name. I’d say you’ve more than made up for the hell you put me through, Little Rabbit,” I joke, then pause.
“You are taking my name, right? I know it sounds antiquated, but I hate that you still use his. I want our names to match—and our kids’, too. ”
“That was never a question, baby. I love you. I always have, and I always will.”
Fuck, I never get tired of hearing her say it.
I knew the moment I laid eyes on her that she was meant to be mine. But hearing Bunny say the words always sends my heart galloping.
My little rabbit loves me.
Our story couldn’t have a more perfect ending.