Midnight Hour (Shadow Falls: After Dark #4)(116)

there. But how … Shit. Mrs. Conner made me repeat her address back to her today. Caleb must have been around. I never even sensed I was being

followed.”

“I didn’t sense him, either,” Burnett said.

Perry looked up. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Burnett asked.

For killing someone. “Your car?” He tried to make light of things. Change the subject.

“At least it wasn’t your Ferrari,” Perry said.

“Sold it.”

“You loved that car.”

“Yeah, I did.”

“Maybe you’ll start driving the Porsche now,” Perry said.

“Sold it, too.” Burnett glanced at him as if he sensed what Perry was doing, but he obviously decided to let it ride. “Holiday and I bought

twenty-five acres next to the camp. We want to expand to take in more students. There’re thirty chameleons applying this fall. We still had to

apply for a loan to finance the cabin construction. We’re hoping it clears and we can get everything up and running before September.”

“Now I feel really bad about your car.”

“Don’t. I was going to sell it, too, and the insurance paid more than I could have gotten for it. It’s a piece of metal. Nothing more,”

Burnett said.

“It was a classic. You loved it.” It was a life.

“And right now you’re sitting here, not a scratch on you, Mr. and Mrs. Conner are at home probably watching The Bachelor—she loves that show

—and that car doesn’t mean shit.” He half-smiled.

When Perry didn’t smile back, the humor in Burnett’s eyes vanished. “It’s tough, I know.”

“I’m a wimp for letting it get to me, aren’t I?”

Burnett stood and put his hand on Perry’s shoulder. “If it didn’t bother you, I’d be worried.”

“How do you do it?” Perry asked, for the first time questioning if he had what it took to be an agent.

“You put it in perspective. There are good people in this world and there’re bad ones. The bad ones rape, kill, and torture the good ones.

There’s no telling how many people Caleb’s already killed, but think about how many more innocent people who’d have suffered at his hands if

you hadn’t stopped him.”

Perry nodded. His mind raced, guilt coated his soul like an emotional stain, but then it hit—one good thing that might come out of this. “He

might trust me now.” When Burnett looked confused about the statement, Perry elaborated. “Jax’s game. He wanted Caleb dead. He might trust

me enough to tell me what’s going on.”

Burnett nodded. “Now all we need to do is figure out how to play this.”

*

After Burnett and Perry made plans, Perry went to Miranda. He didn’t tell her anything, but just being with Miranda had helped bring home

Burnett’s point. He’d taken a life and nothing was going to change that, but Caleb had brought this on himself. The next morning, the dark

spot on Perry’s soul wasn’t completely gone, but he could deal with it.

Leaving Shadow Falls, he called his dad and requested a two p.m. meet with Jax. Burnett had Caleb buried on an empty lot in what had been

dubbed the Killing Fields under the only oak tree on some property just a mile from where Jax lived.

This went against Jax’s rules, but if his brother wanted proof of Caleb’s demise, he’d have to get it himself.

When it was show time, Perry walked up to the front door. The goon standing guard let him in. Perry grimaced when he saw his parents. He didn’

t know why, but the idea of them thinking of him as a murderer stung. Perhaps it was because he knew they were sick enough to be proud of him

for it.

It felt so screwed up that it reminded him of the unresolved issues. He’d been so worried about Miranda and Tabitha, he hadn’t dwelt on his

own problems. They were still there, like a forgotten to-go box of food in the fridge that would start stinking soon.

“Ah, little brother, come in,” Jax said. He held a glass that looked like whiskey.

Did his brother always drink? Maybe he needed it to be able to live with himself.

“I’m told you come bearing good news.” Jax stood up and downed the rest of the liquid from his glass. Perry noticed the slight slur in his

voice.

Perry had been around enough drunks to know that some got happier, some got meaner. A meaner Jax could be dangerous.

Perry sat down in the same straight chair. It was uncomfortable as hell, but the last thing he wanted to feel here was comfortable.

“Do I need to cut you a check for taking care of Ricky?” Jax asked.

“I haven’t found Ricky yet,” Perry said.

His brother frowned. “Then why are we meeting?”

“Caleb.” Perry pulled air through his nose. He saw his mom smile. His father didn’t. Did that mean anything?

Jax, eyes wide, just stared. “Where’s the proof?”

“I buried him.”

“I told you that you’re required to bring the head to me.”

“I let him keep it.” The thought of removing a head from a body turned Perry’s stomach.