Chapter 8 - Lily’s RabbitEthan reached the penthouse in less than four minutes.
Too late.
The living room had become chaos.
One guard was on the floor, coughing from what Caleb identified as a crushed capsule of irritant powder Daniel had hidden inside his cufflink. Another guard had tackled Daniel against the wall. Rosa stood in front of Lily with a kitchen knife in her hand, trembling so violently the blade shook.
Lily was crying.
Not loud.
That made it worse.
Her stuffed rabbit lay on the floor near the hallway.
One eye missing.
One ear torn.
Its belly split open.
Ethan stopped.
Rosa looked at him, horrified.
“She took something from it.”
Ethan’s eyes moved to the rabbit.
“What?”
“I don’t know. Lily screamed when Veronica grabbed it.”
Lily sobbed, “Daddy bunny.”
Rosa collapsed to her knees and pulled the child against her.
“Baby, what do you mean?”
Lily pointed at the rabbit.
“Daddy put secret in bunny.”
The whole room went silent.
Rosa stared at her daughter.
“No,” she whispered.
But memory arrived cruelly.
Miguel, the week before he died, kneeling in front of Rosa’s swollen belly and holding the stuffed rabbit he had bought secondhand from a street vendor.
“For our little warrior,” he had said.
He had sewn the torn ear himself.
Rosa had laughed because his stitches were terrible.
Now she looked at the rabbit’s split belly and understood.
Miguel had hidden something inside it before Lily was born.
Veronica had known.
Or suspected.
Ethan crouched and examined the toy.
The stuffing had been ripped out.
Whatever was hidden inside was gone.
Caleb dragged Daniel upright.
“Where did she go?”
Daniel coughed, eyes watering.
Ethan crossed the room and grabbed him by the collar.
“Where?”
Daniel laughed weakly.
“You think Veronica runs without a destination?”
Ethan’s grip tightened.
Detective Keene entered behind him.
“Mr. Mercer. Step back.”
Ethan did not move.
Daniel smiled through blood at the corner of his mouth.
“She kept one insurance policy. Miguel’s real drive. The one in the rabbit. The one your little charity mascot carried around your penthouse for two years.”
Rosa made a strangled sound.
Ethan slammed Daniel against the wall.
“Where is she taking it?”
Daniel’s smile faded as he saw Ethan’s face.
“Private helipad,” he said.
Caleb turned.
“Roof access.”
Ethan released Daniel and ran.
Rosa shouted behind him, “Mr. Mercer!”
He stopped at the elevator.
Lily stood with tears streaming down her cheeks, clutching the ruined rabbit.
“She said Mama made me dirty,” Lily whispered. “But Daddy said I was brave.”
Ethan’s face broke for one second.
Then he said, “Your daddy was right.”
May you like
The elevator doors closed.
And Ethan Mercer went hunting.
