Smith, wake up.”
He groans and his eyelashes flutter, but he doesn’t come to.
“What did you do to him?” I stand and advance toward Rabbit. “Were you trying to kill him? Me? Is this all on my father’s orders? Was it even true about him being able to undo wishes?”
Rabbit hops backward. I lunge forward, suddenly not caring about answers anymore. Suddenly wanting nothing more than to slam my unburned fist into his face. Sensing my intentions, he pivots and scurries away. I am on his heels when he darts into the ladies’ room. Slamming my whole body against the door, I follow him in.
Even though his hands are above his head in surrender, I can’t stop. I keep coming at him. One step after another until he’s backed into a corner.
“Okay,” Rabbit squeaks. “It was your father’s idea. He doesn’t want you tied up with the boy.” Tears fill Rabbit’s eyes and pour down his cheeks. “And yes, it’s true about your father being able to undo wishes. I would never have lied to you about that.”
“Oh, yeah, you’re a stand-up guy.” I throw my own hands up in exasperation. “I need to check on Smith. Make sure you didn’t kill him.” Spinning around, I march out of the bathroom and back to where I left Smith. Except Smith is gone.
A movement catches my eye and I turn in time to see the glow of the parking lot lights come from outside as one of the big security guys walks out with Smith flung over his shoulder.
“Smith,” I scream after him at the same time that Rabbit trots toward me yelling my name. Ignoring him, I head for the exit, but Rabbit heads me off. He flattens himself against the door.
“Lennie, stop. Look, please, can’t we sit and talk? When you keep moving around like this, I can’t stop myself from chasing you. It’s my nature, I guess. The need to hunt, pursue, track my prey. That’s why everybody calls me Rabbit, you know.” He flashes me a nervous smile.
I shake my head, trying to make sense of this convoluted logic. “That doesn’t make sense. Rabbits don’t hunt—they run away.”
“Don’t they?” Rabbit shrugs. “Maybe not. Or maybe we know different kinds of bunnies.”
“Whatever.” I want to wrap my fingers around his throat and squeeze, but with my flambéed hand out of commission, I settle for grabbing his shirt and giving it a good shake. “Just let me out of here.”
Rabbit doesn’t budge. “If it helps, your friend is fine. The shock of the separation seemed to be a bit much for him. And, um, well, since you are no longer in hell, I assume the need to hold your hand will return. For those reasons he was taken outside for his and your own health.”
“Our health? You set me on fire! And Smith was passed out on the floor. How does it help to drag him somewhere else?”
“He wasn’t dragged, he was carried. Gently. Well, maybe not gently.” Rabbit grimaces slightly, as if considering this. “But he’s alive! And you want him to stay that way, right?”
I swallow. This guy just held a lighter to my hand. My father told him to, or maybe he’s insane, but either way he’s right—Smith is better off as far away from here as possible. And while the same is no doubt true for me as well, I’ve gone through this much to hear what my father has to offer, so I might as well see it the rest of the way through.
Screwing up every last bit of courage, I make myself take one and then another step away from the door. “Okay, take me to Cash.”
“Let’s get you bandaged up first.” Rabbit smiles as if we’re friends again, as he shadows my retreat deeper into the bar.
I come to a stop, planting my feet. “I don’t trust you.”
“And why would you? But you’ll soon see that I never meant you any harm and now I only want to fix what I’ve broken.” Placing a hand on my back, he gently steers me through the bar to the swinging kitchen doors. Boxes fill the space, stacked all the way up to the ceiling. I eye them curiously, but don’t say a word.
“This way,” Rabbit says, pulling open the door to the walk-in freezer.
“Really?”
He nods in a way that is meant to be reassuring. I am not reassured. But I’ve come this far, so I walk inside. The door closes behind us with a soft