Page 6 of Unspoken (Shadow Falls: After Dark #3)

Chapter Six

Her chest gripped, and she felt pain behind her rib cage. Goose bumps tripled and chased each other on Della’s skin. She looked at her elderly neighbor, remembering that when she’d been turned and Mrs. Chi had heard she’d been sick, she’d brought Della egg drop soup. Was the woman…?

Mrs. Chi glanced up at Della. “Have you seen my cat?” Then panic entered her dark Asian eyes. “What happened? I brought hamburgers and then…” She faded, turning into nothing more than a smear of wispy fog in the night. Or was that smear the mist in Della’s own eyes?

“No,” Della said. “Talk to me. Who did this to you?”

“Who did what?” Lucas asked, now standing next to her.

Della ignored him and pushed her way through the crowd, wanting nothing more than to prove herself wrong. Right before she went to jump over the yellow tape that an officer had just rolled out, Lucas caught her.

“You can’t go in there.” He leaned in. “Della? What’s going on? You’re acting freaky. Kylie freaky. Ghost freaky.”

Della ignored Lucas and listened to the cops’ dialogue. “How many?” asked one of the paramedics.

“Two,” someone answered. “I’m told it was their store. Someone pumping gas saw the old man on the floor through the window.”

***

Chase had taken his car down some back roads where he could drive fast. He’d even taken the top down, hoping the frigid air would help him think of how to get his ass out of the sling he’d gotten himself into.

As his motor roared he recalled something his dad had told him years ago. Chase had thrown a ball and accidentally broken his next door neighbor’s window. The old man who lived there had been a grumpy ol’ ass. Chase hadn’t wanted to face him. His mom had agreed to do it, but when his dad found out their plan, he hit the roof.

When you make a mistake, son, you face it.

He’s gonna yell at me, Dad.

Well, yeah. You broke his window. He has the right to yell.

Chase turned his car around and headed back to Shadow Falls.

He parked his car. The lights were off in the office. Burnett was probably at the cabin he and Holiday shared. He walked through the gate, knowing the alarm rang.

When he stepped up on their porch he heard Holiday talking, no doubt trying to calm her husband down. It seemed that was the woman’s mission in life.

He knocked.

“Be smart and leave!” Burnett’s words and anger carried through the door.

“I’m not leaving,” Chase said.

The door swung open. A bright-eyed Burnett stood there.

“Can I come in?” Chase asked.

“I’d prefer you didn’t,” he said, but shifted back.

Chase stepped inside. Holiday rushed in from the hall with Hannah, her dark-haired little girl, in her arms and placed the baby in Burnett’s arms.

“What are you doing?” Burnett asked.

“You asked me to not let you kill him. I figure you won’t kill him if you’re holding Hannah.” The woman’s green eyes looked determined. “Plus, she needs changing and it’s your turn.”

Burnett cradled the small sleepy body against him. “I still have one free hand.” He looked at Chase. “Why are you back?”

Chase swallowed the lump in his throat. It wasn’t fear, it was pride. “Because I remembered something my dad told me. When you make a mistake, you face it. I made a mistake, sir.”

“If you mean coming back here, I agree.”

“No. I made a mistake trying to force your hand. You demand respect, and believe it or not, I do respect you. What I did was probably the most disrespectful thing I could have done. I’m asking you to overlook my stupidity. Let me stay here.”

“Because of Della?”

“Yes. But not just that. I want to work for—”

“They can train you.” Burnett’s tone was colored with anger.

“I don’t just want to be an FRU agent.” He met the man’s stern gaze. “I want to be a damn good FRU agent. I want to learn from the best. And you are the best I’ve seen. Della has told me that you take risks and will break rules to do what is right. That’s the kind of agent I want to be. I’m asking you to take me under your wing. Teach me how to do this. To work within a set of guidelines and still be true to yourself.”

Burnett stood there, his eyes still hot. His daughter looked at Chase with a toothless grin. The contrast between the two looks alone made the moment feel awkward.

“I’m asking for one more chance,” Chase said. “Let me earn your respect. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Burnett’s expression lost some heat. He looked at his wife. She nodded. Her husband exhaled, looked back at his daughter and frowned, then glanced back at Chase. “Anything?”

“Anything,” Chase said.

“Do you know how to change a poopy diaper?”

The smell hit Chase’s nose and his Adam’s apple trembled. He took a step forward to do his duty. “I can learn.”

“Not on my baby,” Holiday said. “It’s your turn, Daddy.” She pointed down the hall.

Burnett glanced back at Chase. “But I need—”

“To change a diaper. It’s my turn to talk.” Holiday motioned for her husband to leave.

Burnett walked away with his smiling daughter in his arms. As he left, Chase heard him say, “Hannah, how can you be so sweet and smell so bad?”

“Thank you,” Chase said, sensing Holiday’s nod earlier meant more than he could guess.

“Don’t thank me.” Holiday moved closer. “What you said was powerful.”

“I meant it.”

“I believe you.” She looked down the hall to where Burnett and Hannah had disappeared. “You know my husband might be hard as nails on the outside, but on the inside he’s the most decent man I know. He’s taken an oath to never cause unnecessary harm. He follows that. Although a few times I’ve had to remind him of it.”

Chase nodded. “He’s very lucky to have you.”

“Me, on the other hand,” she continued. “I never took any oaths. And Chase Tallman, if you hurt Della one more time, I’m going to remove your boy parts, grind them up, and feed them to the hungry rats and scorpions. Is that clear?”

Chase nodded. He would have said, yes, madam, but he’d about swallowed his tongue. It wasn’t just the removal aspect of what she’d said, but the hungry rats and scorpions. Those two words should never be used in the same sentence with boy parts.

“Now, go. If you need a place to sleep tonight, cabin fourteen is empty.”

***

“We should probably leave,” Lucas said for the eighth time.

What if Mrs. Chi came back and could tell Della who’d done this? She needed to know. Needed to find the idiots and make them pay.

“I saw them,” she muttered, her gaze on the front of the jewelry store as they wheeled a body out on a stretcher. Her chest filled with a knot of hurt.

“Saw who?” Lucas asked.

“The weres. There were three of them.”

Lucas spoke in a whisper. “We don’t know if weres did this.”

“Their scent is here,” Della said. “I’m sorry if this insults you, but we are both pretty sure what happened.”

“Just because they were here doesn’t mean they killed anyone,” he said in a low voice.

“We won’t know that until someone looks at the evidence. And if someone doesn’t inform the FRU, this evidence might not be available to them.”

Lucas closed his eyes as if trying to digest her words.

“Let’s contact Burnett.” Della pulled her phone out of her pocket and typed a text.

***

Chase dropped a hand over his eyes and sighed. The stench of fresh paint filled the space and was giving him a headache.

A knock at the cabin door echoed through the thick wooden walls. He didn’t have to guess who it was. He’d heard and sensed Burnett land outside the second his head hit the pillow. And he’d been counting his lucky stars that Burnett hadn’t planned on interrogating him tonight. He’d eaten just about all the crow he could stand.

“Come in,” he said, getting up, knowing Burnett could hear him.

By the time he got dressed and entered the living room, Burnett was sitting on the sofa—in the dark. His eyes weren’t bright, a good sign. The man nodded to the chair across from him. Chase followed orders and sat.

“Douglas Stone.” Burnett said the name—nothing else. He didn’t actually say he wanted information, but it was implied. And since Chase had already pissed the man off, he decided not to push it.

He stood and walked to the table in the adjoining kitchen and pulled out the file from his backpack. Walking over, he handed it to Burnett.

“It’s everything we have on him.”

Burnett opened the file and thumbed through it. The only sound in the dark air was of the papers rustling. He finally looked up.

“Most of this information is fifteen years old.”

Chase nodded. “I know.”

Frustration tightened the older vampire’s expression. “Do you know how hard it is to find someone with this outdated information?”

“Difficult. I know. Not impossible.”

“But improbable,” Burnett hissed.

“There is one new report from a council affiliate at the end of the file. A Douglas Stone was questioned in a different murder.”

Burnett turned a few more pages, read, then looked up. “In France?” He inhaled again. “That’s what you were doing there?”

Chase nodded, hoping the fact that he’d actually saved Miranda Kane would make Burnett less inclined to be an asshole.

“Was Della’s uncle with you?”

“Yes.”

Burnett continued to stare. “But you don’t know where he is now?”

“No.”

“Because you told him not to tell you?” he accused.

Again, Chase decided to tell the truth. “Right.”

Burnett looked down at the file. “In France, you came up empty again and couldn’t find him?”

“We have proof that someone fitting his description, using the name Don Williams, flew back to the U.S. All of our attempts to locate a Don Williams in France and neighboring countries have come up empty. It must have been an alias. Right now they’re searching here in the U.S.”

“And?” Burnett asked.

Chase paused. “Nothing has come up. I’ve searched for weeks. But the FRU has tons more resources to find people.”

Burnett arched an eyebrow. “We do. Unfortunately, when looking for the real scum of the earth, it’s not those resources that usually turn something up. It’s who you know, other scumbags, who are willing to talk.”

“So I should go through my scumbag list?” Chase asked with a touch of sarcasm, but then he had an idea and immediately adjusted his attitude. “I see your point.”

Burnett nodded. “Oh, I heard from the FRU again. They are expecting you to work full-time. Have you actually finished your primary education?”

“A year ago,” Chase said.

“And college?” Burnett asked.

“I took one semester and I might go back on my own later, but I’m eager to start my career with the FRU.”

Burnett closed the file. “Working under me and living here, there will be rules.”

Chase didn’t care much for rules. “I’m sure we can compromise.”

Burnett’s eyes grew just a bit brighter. “I don’t compromise. You’ll either follow them, or you’ll find yourself living somewhere else.”

Chase’s gut tightened. “What are the rules?” If Burnett said he couldn’t be near Della, all bets were off.

Burnett’s phone dinged with an incoming text. He pulled his cell out, read the message, and frowned.

Not that Chase expected it to be good news at this hour.

Burnett stood and tucked the file under his arm. Then he pointed to the envelope on the sofa.

“That’s your contract, and it covers their rules. We’ll go over mine later. I have to go.” He tapped the file he held. “I’ll keep this.”

“What’s wrong?” Chase asked. “Can I help you with something?”

“No.” The adamant way the man gave that one-word response worked its way into Chase’s suspicions.

“Is it about Della?” Chase stood up.

“I said I didn’t need help.” He started out.

“Wait, you can’t—”

Burnett swung around. “Yes, I can! You said you wanted to earn my respect. So start earning it by listening. I’m taking care of this.”

Chase met Burnett’s stern glare. “Is Della in danger? Tell me she’s not in any danger and I’ll do as you ask.”

“She’s not in danger.” He left.

Chase dropped in the chair and ran his hands through his hair. Then he grabbed his phone and sent Della a text.

Are you okay? What’s up?

No answer dinged back. Was she still pissed?

Everything inside him screamed for him to find Della, but damn it, he sensed this was his first test from Burnett. Inhaling, he recalled the honesty in the camp leader’s voice when he assured him she wasn’t in any danger.

Could he trust him?

What if he was wrong?