Love & Lattes - A Bunny's Bounty Ep. 06

Welcome back, my lovely reader~

If this is your first visit to L&L: A Bunny's bounty, I strongly recommend starting from episode one to get the best experience.

Take your time, I'll wait for you to catch up. :3

♥

And with that out of the way...

Well, my lovely reader, I hope you're ready for a little more drama advancement. You should know by now I can't just write gushy romance, and there are some loose ends to tie up as it were.

We'll jump up a few more weeks to get to the good bits, but rest assured, there's still going to be some fun in this chapter, this really is the most sex-heavy story I've written to date and I make no apologies for it.

Huff! Okay, let's jump right in!

—♥—

Episode 6:

An Unorthodox Request

It took a few weeks for Isaac to hear anything back from Keys. This was expected, they worked methodically to be sure all the data they gathered would be accurate. Not to mention, Isaac knew he wasn't their only client so there was that to consider too.

He was having lunch with Karen when the text buzzed off on his phone. He gave the rabbit an apologetic smile before checking it. Karen had figured out soon into their relationship that Isaac didn't get calls or text messages lightly and they would usually always be work-related.

She sipped some water and studied the dog's face when he read the text, his jaw setting, she could see the slight clench from his teeth in his muzzle and the faint tension in his spine, one ear gave a precise flick before he put his phone away. Whatever it was, it was personal and made him angry, though he was obviously trying to conceal it.

"Everything okay, Honey?" Karen asked the words gently, moving a paw to lay her fingers over his on the table.

Isaac's ears snapped up as if coming out of a daze and his icy blue eyes cut back to Karen's emerald ones. "Yeah, just work issues."

The rabbit nodded. She tried to not pry in his work affairs, she knew some of his stuff was confidential and she wouldn't want him to compromise his professional attitude for her curiosity. "Hmm... well you know I'm here if you need to talk about it."

"Thanks, Angel." He grinned at her and gripped her paw with his, tension easing slightly in his features.

The text message had simply read, 'Job's done, a courier will be dispatched to your home within the hour.' Keys didn't send their results through anything but physical means. No electronic paper trail to track them back from that way.

Karen looked at her own phone to get the time and groaned, "We should wrap this up, I need to get back to work."

The dog nodded and stood from the table, placing a few bills on top of the check before helping Karen out of her seat. The rabbit grinned at him as he pulled her chair out then offered her a handpaw to stand up. He had been like this the whole time, always seating her, holding doors for her, even helping her in and out of the car.

"Thank you my wolf." She gripped his handpaw while standing and then promptly grabbed hold of his arm, pushing against him as they walked out of the small cafe.

The cafe had only been a few blocks from her coffee shop so they walked back together. "I need to run home after I drop you off, expecting a package I can't miss," Isaac spoke the words as casually as he could.

Karen could read her dog like a book and could tell whatever was going on had him tense and worried, despite his facade to appear normal. "Isaac... are you sure you're alright? Is something going on?"

"It's no big deal, just tying up some loose ends with a case," He growled the words, an edge in his voice. "Long overdue loose ends..."

"Something you've been working on for a while then?" Karen had spoken to him at length about his job and how he did everything from missing persons to finding stolen goods. That's when he wasn't doing side work for the local police. She knew some of his cases could drag on for months or even years, some never resolving.

"Something like that..." The wolf set his jaw like he was done talking about it but the rabbit pushed against him as they walked making him stumble slightly.

"You better not be doing anything stupid or dangerous! If I lost you..." Karen huffed the words, her ears drooping and looking away while clinging more tightly to his arm.

Isaac felt his heart wrench and his stomach twist, recalling a distant memory of his former wife saying something similar to him long ago. He stopped and moved a paw over her face pulling her gaze to his while they stood there on the sidewalk, "It's gonna be fine, I won't do anything stupid, I won't leave you. You're stuck with me, okay?"

Karen felt her eyes growing damp while looking into his, seeing the resolve in them and giving a soft knowing smile. The dumb dog was planning something dangerous she could tell. "You better not, or I will hunt you down and handcuff you to me. You belong to me now doggy."

"All yours..." Isaac growled the words against her lips before pushing to them in an eager kiss. The two of them embraced kissing hungrily, Karen's little mocha tail flicking behind her.

After a few moments and several gawking looks from onlookers, they parted lips and resumed their walk to the coffee shop. Once they got to the entrance Isaac gripped both of Karen's handpaws gently with his. "I will tell you about it all later when the time is right, so just don't worry, I'm fine."

Karen gave the wolf a playful grin, she was still worried but she had learned she could trust him and gave him another quick kiss on the muzzle before pulling away. "See you in a few hours, Honey."

Isaac watched as the rabbit gave him another loving look before turning and walking back into the coffee shop, purposely flicking her hips and giving her butt a sway knowing he was watching her.

Once Karen was gone Isaac gave a decisive snort through his nose, pushing the thoughts of that rabbit's curvy butt out of his mind to get down to business. He moved to his car and made the drive back to his house.

—♥—

He had barely climbed out of his car when the courier arrived, a small mouse of a woman driving in on one of those overpowered mopeds that could easily hit interstate speeds. She pulled right up behind him, not even bothering to killing the engine or take her helmet off, just raising the visor to speak, "You Convel?"

The wolf gave a nod and the mouse reached for an electronic pad at her hip and tossed it to him. "I'm a big fan, autograph please."

The dog snorted at the words in amusement and made a scribble on the device's electronic screen before tossing it back. The mouse caught it in one handpaw and was already lobbing a manilla envelope to him in her off-paw.

"Have a good one." She snapped the visor down and quickly pulled out of the driveway, obviously in a hurry for the next stop.

Isaac tore away the protective seal on the envelope and leaned against the hood of his car, withdrawing the contents. Keys had gone above and beyond like always. They had satellite pictures of the house the fox was currently in, up-to-date pictures, his current alias, along with information on his job, wife, and his two kids.

The wolf whistled in appreciation while going over the information. "Look at you, Jeremy, just built yourself up a nice cozy life like nothing ever happened. Kids, a mortgage... It's a bitch when the past catches up, eh buddy?" He spoke the words to himself then flicked an ear as his phone rang, it was Keys.

Isaac picked up and answered, "Not like you to follow up so directly."

"I'm going to say some things, you're going to sit there, say nothing and listen, then I'm going to hang up. You understand?" Keys' voice came out in the same nondescript smooth tone it always did.

"Crystal," Isaac set his jaw to keep his mouth shut after responding. You didn't piss your informant off in this business, especially one like Keys. It could take him years to find someone with a tenth of their talent.

"I don't normally get involved in my client's personal affairs but you've been a good reliable source of income for me, and you're kind of cute, so let's get to it."

There was some typing at a keyboard and a long pause. Isaac thought he might have dropped the call at first before Keys spoke again, "I did some follow-up tracing on your cell phone and one Karen Kalama's. As I suspected, both your phones were in proximity of one another several times since our last conversation, I can only assume you're with her."

Isaac clenched his jaw at the words but kept silent. It was interesting but not surprising Keys would do something like this, they were probably covering their own ass initially.

"I'm not stupid Isaac and anyone with half a brain could put one and one together to see what you were planning. I've got my fee so it's no concern of mine, but I suggest you talk to her at least roundabout, make sure you're not opening up something that's best left untouched."

More silence, more typing, and another sigh, "I've included a copy of the warrant and even went through the process of getting the case bumped up into the queue of the system, so it's on the radar again."

Isaac whistled in appreciation before Keys responded with, "Shut up. I still consider that talking!" The dog grunted and grew silent again.

"If you're going to do this, don't go all neanderthal about it. You're a smart dog or you wouldn't make it in this business and I certainly wouldn't waste my talent for you on some personal fool's errand. Do I make myself clear? Speak boy."

The wolf clenched his teeth at the jab before responding in the same way as before, "Crystal."

"Good dog."

The phone clicked off and Isaac growled in irritation, "Bastard..." He snarled as he sorted through the envelope. Karen calling him such things was great, but anyone else doing it just made him furious and Keys knew it would irritate him. Keys also knew they could get away with it though. Isaac would be committing career suicide to lose them as a contact.

He withdrew a freshly printed document that showed the warrant for Jeremy Atkins. The form had been recently renewed and was set to active status. Isaac shuddered to think what Keys could do to his personal life if he ever got on their bad side.

"Guess it's time to go on a little hunt..." Isaac grinned wide as he looked over the information, then flicked his ears up thinking back to what Keys had warned him about. Keys didn't get involved in personal things lightly, but he had been dealing with them for years.

Truth be told the wolf had intended to just go in to mete out some old fashioned retribution in the form of a few weeks in an IC Unit or a shallow grave in the canyons somewhere, but would that resolve anything? Especially if it came back on him and he ended up in prison for it? That wouldn't do Karen any good.

He played the whole process out in his head and it always would lead back to him. They would find out about Jeremy's past, trace it back to Karen, then figure out they were dating and trace it to him. "Damn, guess there's no avoiding this..." The wolf grumbled to himself as he shoved all the documents back into the folder.

—♥—

"Isaac, if I recall... when I brought this up once before..." Karen gave the wolf an angry glare from across the table in his house, they had just finished dinner and he had brought it up that he wanted to talk about it. Karen sighed out and clenched her teeth, "Preeetty sure I said, don't bring it up unless I fucking brought it up."

"Yes, I know that." The wolf looked away awkwardly, hating to see the anger in her eyes along with the pain. He drummed his padded-fingers on the table for a moment before speaking again, "Well it's come up a few times during our lovemaking, and..."

"And fucking what?! Spit it out!" Karen snapped the words slamming a paw down on the table with an angry snarl.

Isaac flinched at the heat then set his jaw and resolved himself before sitting back against his chair and locking his eyes with hers. "Fine! What would you do if you found him?!" He barked the words out as if playing along with her anger.

Karen's eyes widened at the words and then his own heated tone. Her brain wanted to process the body movement, try to find some inconsistencies in his stance or voice, but the question and the topic just had her off guard as she looked away with a sigh, not able to look into his eyes being so serious. "I... I haven't thought about it in a long time..."

"I'm sorry I just-"

The rabbit cut him off to speak, "I would like to say I would murder him in cold blood."

The wolf raised his ears at the words and saw the tears starting to form in her eyes but he let her talk. Karen closed them to force the tears at bay before continuing, "I used to have nightmares all the fucking time... at least three or more times a week. For the last seven years."

Karen cut her eyes back to his, a stream of tears rolling down her cheek fur as her voice took on an edge, "I used to pray I would see him on the street someday, oh it wouldn't be pretty... I would take my time doing it too... I wouldn't care about the consequences, I would just want him to suffer and beg before I snuffed his pathetic life out!"

Isaac moved a paw over hers and felt the rabbit shudder and look down with a sigh. "Then you came along... stupid dog... now I have a reason to worry about the consequences. Now, more than anything... I just want to be with you, feel safe... enjoy our love-making... not look at sex as some torture in my mind."

The wolf clenched her paw gently letting her continue but Karen just shook her head before sighing. "Fuck it... it's over and done, sure I still want him to pay, but not at the cost of losing you."

"Karen I-" Isaac started to speak and she looked up at him her eyes growing hard and a little cold.

"You're an Idiot? Yes, I know." Karen snarled the words and pulled her handpaw away before standing from the table and turning away from him, paws resting on her hips.

"I'm sorry I brought it up, I just needed-" He spoke the words frantically before the rabbit looked back at him with a frustrated look on her face.

"Cut the crap, Isaac. I had my suspicions but you bringing this up just solidified them." Karen's look shifted to irritated before turning to fully face him, moving to the table and placing her palms on it as she leaned down. "You're off on some crusade huh? Trying to avenge me to make me feel better?" She spoke the words coldly in his face.

The wolf's ears shot up and he felt rage twisting in his chest before snapping back, "Yes! But... more than that!"

Karen blinked in surprise and took a step back, hearing how furious his voice had become. Isaac stood from the table and stomped towards her pressing his paw against her face. The rabbit felt her heart leap into her throat in both fear and excitement as the dog shoved his mouth to hers in a possessive hungry kiss.

The rabbit blinked back more tears but felt her tension melt away. She found her paws on his shoulders and pushing her body into his eagerly. The two of them kissed for what seemed like hours but was just a pawful of heartbeats.

The wolf parted lips from hers and growled in that way he did when he was in full-on alpha mode with her, "You are mine... I won't let someone hurt what belongs to me!"

Karen felt her face burning at the words, her eyes blinking wide at them. She pushed her forehead to his chest to look away from his gaze and took a shuddering breath. "You're so damn sexy when you're like this..."

The wolf huffed proudly and shoved a paw against her rear, squeezing it hard and drawing her tightly against his chest. Karen nuzzled the wolf's chest happily for several moments, just enjoying his scent, heat, and strength all around her.

After several moments the rabbit finally pulled from his arms and stepped back several paces, taking a calming breath before resolving herself. "You fixed me Isaac... you healed me... taught me to trust and love again. The dreams are almost all gone you know."

"Yeah? That makes me happy... you've helped heal me too, Karen..." He spoke the words feeling his heart calm and his tail start to move again, his tension having made it go rigid.

"Well... you've dug this up, let's hear it." The rabbit gave a shrug of her shoulder. "I want out of the dark, be transparent with me, or I will leave here and now and I won't come back."

Isaac felt his heart sink into his stomach at the thought of it and exclaimed out in a panic, "T-tell me you're not serious!"

Karen gave him a smile and folded her arms, "I don't like having secrets kept from me that pertain to me..." She gave the wolf a reassuring smile, "I couldn't leave you doggy, but I can cut you off for a few weeks."

Isaac growled to himself and stomped into the kitchen, withdrawing the envelope and taking a copy of the warrant out, slapping it all on the dining room table along with a current picture of the fox.

Karen looked it over and felt a chill run down her spine, her blood running cold as her nails dug into the table. That chill quickly turned to fire as she felt anger boil in her chest at the sight of the fox. "Son of a bitch..."

"It gets better..." Isaac said casually as he started laying the information out for her. Karen's eyes grew wide at the details as she looked things over.

"A wife and kids?! He's a manager with an engineering firm, making that kind of salary?!" She looked over the pictures of the large house and the three cars.

Karen snarled and kicked the chair over before stomping away from the table furiously shouting out her words, "I've been in PTSD hell for the better part of the last mother fucking decade, and this son of a bitch... This piece of fuck just went on starting up a happy fluffy fucking life!"

Isaac just stood there, he knew he couldn't calm her down and the best thing would be to just let her go, hopefully she didn't break too many things.

Karen clenched her fist and ground her teeth, "I figured the piece of shit was living in a trailer park somewhere, or in a ratty apartment barely getting by... but this fucking shit!?" She almost screamed the words, making Isaac's ears flick down.

The rabbit took a steadying breath before pacing over to the wolf. "What are you planning to do?"

The dog flicked his ears back up at her furious glare and cut his eyes to the table with all the information laid out, "Well... what would you like me to do?"

Karen twitched her eye and ear in time as she huffed, "Murder and torture are out of the question, unfortunately... If i had this information and you weren't part of my life... I would happily go to prison right now, but..."

The rabbit stalked over the table looking at the warrant and cut her eyes at Isaac, "Do you have the credentials to go arrest this son of a bitch?"

"I do." The wolf huffed the words in a cocky tone, thinking to himself. 'Thank you Keys for the temporary license.'

"Still active... will be eight years this March... Ten-year statute... Damn... well he almost made it huh?" The rabbit gave the wolf a grin as she spoke the words.

"Yeah... but this isn't horseshoes..." The wolf huffed back with a grin.

"The hell does that mean?" The rabbit looked at him with a confused look.

Isaac shook his head with a sigh, "Nevermind, old saying... anyway..."

The wolf moved over to the table and tapped the house picture. "It's about a six-hour drive, he is one state over."

"Son of a bitch was this close all along... So are we doing this?" The rabbit looked over at her wolf with furiously determined eyes.

"What's this 'we' stuff?" Isaac huffed.