Page 41 of Unspoken (Shadow Falls: After Dark #3)

Chapter Forty-one

They left the office. Della couldn’t walk fast enough.

The moment they were alone, Chase asked, “Are you okay?”

“Yes.” Her heart pounded and ached. As they made their way to the exit, his shoulder brushed against hers and the touch sent sharp jolts of pain right to her chest.

Chase waved at the guard and the doors opened.

They walked through. The cold air hit Della’s face and it felt and tasted like freedom. Chase kept going until he reached the end of the sidewalk. He stopped and looked out into the parking lot across the street.

“The guard really shot at you?” He continued to look around.

“Yeah, but the box did hit him. It could have been an accident.”

“You threw the box at him?” Chase glanced up and down the street as if looking for something, or someone.

“No,” Della said. “The ghost did.”

He looked about ready to say something, but itching to put miles from this place before Mrs. Applebee changed her mind, she asked, “What are you looking for? Can we leave and talk later?”

“Steve drove my car. He should…”

An engine sounded in the night, and Chase’s car pulled into the parking lot across the street.

“Shit,” both Della and Chase said at the same time. Because the scent that reached them at the same time wasn’t Steve’s.

***

“What in the hell were you thinking?” Burnett asked as he drove out of the parking lot. Chase had quickly explained that they’d let Della leave without involving the police. Then Burnett told Chase to get back on his own, but to meet him at the school.

The moment Della had crawled into the car, she’d started explaining that this was on her, not Chase, but then she realized that if Steve had been driving Chase’s car Burnett probably knew what had happened.

“I was thinking my dad could get the death penalty.” She looked away, afraid he’d see tears in her eyes. And not because she’d been caught. She’d didn’t give a flying flip that she’d been caught. It was the fact that she still had nothing. Nothing that would help her dad.

After blinking, she looked back at Burnett.

“The files were gone. Someone took them. What if it’s the DA? What if—”

“It’s not,” Burnett said.

“How do you know?” she asked.

His hands tightened around the steering wheel. “Because I’ve already got them.”

Her heart dropped. “You got them?”

He nodded.

“When… But… why didn’t you tell me? I wouldn’t have done this if…” She saw his expression harden. His silence said so much.

“There’s something bad in there, isn’t there?”

Burnett let go of air. “What matters is if the DA does go to look for them, they won’t find them. I destroyed them.”

“What was in there? Did my dad see the murder? Does he know about… vampires?”

She saw Burnett’s Adam’s apple go up and down.

“Damn it! Tell me.”

“He talked about being attacked by what he referred to as a monster, but then… he claimed he killed his sister.”

“What?” she gasped. “He didn’t do that.” She curled her hands into fists and wanted to hit something. Yanking at the seat belt, she broke it.

“Della, I’m not saying he did it. I… I’m saying he told the doctor he did it. But that will never come out. I destroyed the file.”

“You did?”

“Yes,” he said.

“Did he say why he thought he did it?”

“No. He just said he did it. That’s all he said.”

She sat there, hurting. “He didn’t do it. We know this other guy did it. Stone did it.”

“I know. That’s why I didn’t tell you.”

She inhaled a shaky breath and they drove in silence for the next fifteen minutes. Her mind continued to race. She tried to understand. She couldn’t.

“Why would he say that?” she muttered.

“Because he was confused,” Burnett said. “Maybe in his mind, not protecting her was the same as killing her.”

It sounded as if Burnett had already tried to rationalize it. But did he believe it? Did he think her father had killed his sister? She remembered Bao Yu and the visions. The accusations.

None of it could make her believe that her father was a murderer.

A few minutes later, another concern hit. “What if his doctor testifies?”

“He passed away last year. Unless they can find a nurse—and that would be hard because I looked, and couldn’t find one—this won’t come out. Like I said, I destroyed the file. This will not come out.”

Della pulled her knees up in the seat and hugged them. Right then, she knew that Burnett was doing this for her. And she’d bet he hadn’t gone through the FRU, either.

“Thank you.” She leaned her head against her legs and gave in to the tears. Silently.

“What happened in there?” Burnett asked. “Did they take your name? Did they call the FRU office?”

Della told him about the ghost, about the guard shooting at her, and how everything played out.

Burnett gritted his teeth. She could actually hear it. He couldn’t jump on her about what she’d done. Because he’d done the same thing. Only he’d been successful.

“You’re lucky that guard didn’t hit you,” he said through tight lips.

“I know.” She looked out the window at the passing terrain and tried not to think.

“We’re going to have to do something about the ghost.”

“She didn’t hurt anyone. She wasn’t throwing the boxes at him, just tossing them out.” Go ahead, look. Look in every box there is. You won’t find it because the proof doesn’t exist.

“But Della—”

“Give me this, Burnett. Please. She just wants answers.” We all do , Della thought. Why would her father think he’d killed his sister? It didn’t make sense. Because she knew, she knew with every ounce of her being, that her father wouldn’t kill anyone. The man had even purchased live traps to catch a rat that had taken up residence in their attic. Then he took it off in the woods and let it free. Her mother had teased him about it, and he’d teased back that the rat had reminded him of her mother.

They drove the rest of the way in silence. When he parked the car, Della looked for Chase. She didn’t see him. She inhaled. His scent lingered. Probably waiting in the office.

“Go get some rest.” Burnett got out.

She started to walk off and then turned back. “Do you believe me now? My dad said he saw a monster. He saw Feng that night and you remember I told you he told my mom that his brother got cold like me. He knows that I’m vampire?”

Burnett exhaled. “We don’t know that.”

But Della did. She knew it just like she knew her own name. Her father thought she was a monster. And this, this was why he didn’t love her anymore.

***

Della was almost to the cabin when Chase dropped down right in front of her.

She didn’t have time to brush off her tears.

“I’m sorry,” he said and pulled her against him.

She let him.

His scent filled her, and she gave in and cried some more.

She stayed there for several long seconds. His arms around her. Her head on his chest. Her heart breaking.

Her mind ran laps around what she wanted to say.

She loved him.

She hadn’t done anything wrong with Steve.

Her father knew she was a monster.

“It’s going to be okay,” he whispered, close to her ear.

She pulled back. “No, it’s not. He knows, Chase. My dad knows. And in the file, it states that my dad said he killed his sister. Why would he say that?”

“I don’t know.” He brushed tears from her cheeks. “Della, listen to me. I promise, I’ll fix this. Okay?”

She looked up in his eyes. “How?”

“I just will,” he said.

She blinked and there was something in his eyes, something in his tone.

“What are you going to do?”

“Just trust me. Can you do that?” he asked.

And of all the things he could have said this gave her more pause.

“If you have a plan I need to know.”

He stood there, his firm hands on her shoulders. “I haven’t got it all figured out yet, but I’m working on it.”

“Working on what?”

He dropped his hands from her. “I need to go see Burnett.” He started to leave.

“No.” She grabbed his arm. “You know something. What are you not telling me?” He looked away from her. “Don’t lie to me, Chase. What’s going on?”

“I have not lied. I promised you I wouldn’t lie. And I haven’t.”

“But you’re not telling me something.”

“Della, I’m trying to work this out. Can you just give me some time? I’ll do the right thing.”

“What’s the right thing?” she asked, now certain he was hiding something. “What are you planning?”

“I’m planning on doing everything earthly possible to get your dad off. I believe he’s innocent.”

“I know he’s innocent,” Della insisted. But there was still something Chase wasn’t saying. Her mind raced. “Did Kirk give you something? Does he know where Stone is?”

When Chase didn’t answer, she asked, “Have you talked to Burnett about it?”

“No.” He sighed.

“You know where my uncle is now, don’t you?”

“No. Della, please, just…”

“Just what? Trust you? You are asking me to trust the guy who’s done nothing but lie to me? Who’s walked out on me twice? No, let’s make that three times, because you left me again.”

“Burnett thought it was too dangerous for me to be here.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? Why haven’t you called me, or texted me? Why didn’t you text me the other day when you went to see Kirk?”

When he didn’t say anything, she just stared at him.

“I have to go,” he said. “Burnett’s waiting,”

“What the hell are you not telling me, Chase?”

He leaned down and kissed her. “That I love you.”

He flew away.

Della stood there in a world of hurt. Was it possible to love someone and not trust them?

***

Chase landed on the office porch. He heard Burnett stirring in Holiday’s office. Chase raked a hand through his hair. Looking over his shoulder, he checked to make sure Della hadn’t followed him.

Then he glanced back at the office door. Right or wrong, he had to do this.

He walked in and heard the chair in Holiday’s office shift as if protesting the person’s weight.

“In here,” Burnett said, in his normal pissed-off tone.

Chase walked in. The man sat there, his shoulders straight, arms crossed, and looked up at Chase with the same expression his tone carried.

“You should have called me. This whole thing could have been bad.”

“Yeah. I probably should have.”

Chase sat down. The chair groaned in protest. And so did Chase’s heart. Eddie had saved him. Taught him. Protected him.

He looked at Burnett.

“Something wrong?”

Chase felt a knot tighten in his throat.

“I need some help,” Chase said.

“With?” Burnett unfolded his arms, and leaned forward, now more curious than angry.

“I’ve found myself in a very bad position.” Chase ran a hand over his face.

“What position is that?”

Chase looked away, unsure how to start. His gaze landed on a picture of Holiday holding Hannah.

He sat up. “What… what would you do if someone killed Holiday?”