Midnight Hour (Shadow Falls: After Dark #4)(14)

Was his father’s anger because he felt something for Perry or simply because Perry was right? Not that it mattered anymore. He couldn’t

change this now.

The image of Miranda flashed again. Perry started walking away, but his father’s next words brought his steps to a halt.

“We get made as supernaturals, and it’s over. How many times has Jax said that?”

Who was Jax? Perry turned around.

His father, looking ready to morph into something badass, stared daggers at Caleb. “Are you friggin’ forgetting his rules?”

Jax? Rules? Perry stored the name. So his father did know who was really behind this? The realization landed with a thump against the sore spot

in Perry’s heart. How many times had his father told Perry he knew nothing? And damn it, but Perry had wanted to believe it. Wanted to believe

that his father wasn’t in so deep that the price would be too high.

“Don’t start with me old man,” Caleb yelled, his eyes now glowing yellow. “You don’t have what it takes to do this job.”

“I’m doing just fine,” his father barked back. “It’s you that’s screwing up, taking too many chances. You and you alone are going to

bring the FRU down on our asses! The human police we can outsmart, the FRU, not so much.”

Perry didn’t move, listening, hoping to hear something else, but then his wounded soul rushed right back to Miranda. Was she really hurt?

He walked away from the side yard to a patio where he might have some privacy.

Pulling out his phone, he glanced back to confirm he wasn’t being monitored. Caleb watched him like a hawk—always suspicious. And for good

reason. They hadn’t stayed off the FRU’s radar without being careful. But they hadn’t been careful enough.

Perry was going to bring them down. The whole damn gang, his parents included, just as soon as he knew who the whole gang included.

He pushed his phone’s contact button then remembered he’d deleted all his numbers as soon as he’d learned his dad’s job included robbing

banks. Not the end of the world, he knew the numbers by heart. The ones that mattered anyway!

He dialed.

The phone rang once, twice, then three times. What the hell? Burnett James always answered his phone. Especially when he had a beef with you.

And right now Burnett had a big one with Perry. He’d ordered Perry to return to Shadow Falls. The man was just too protective. And not just as

a camp leader or a training agent with the FRU.

Perry and Burnett had been in the same foster home for about six years. When Burnett turned eighteen and left the home, he’d pretty much left

everyone behind, everyone but Perry. He would come to see him at least twice a month. It had been Burnett who had arranged for him to go to

camp Shadow Falls.

Perry knew Burnett was letting their relationship cloud his judgment. And Perry hadn’t even told him everything that was going on, just that

there was some criminal activity happening. Burnett still had ordered Perry to back away, telling him he was too close to it because of his

parents.

But Perry wasn’t walking away. This might be his one chance to really prove himself to Burnett. To the FRU. And maybe even to himself.

The call went to voicemail. “Leave a message,” Burnett’s recording said.

Something had to be wrong. Bad wrong.

He inhaled and fought the urge to take flight toward Fallen, Texas, to see if his stupid vision was just his mind playing tricks on him, or if

… if something had really happened to Miranda.

He hung up, his finger lingering over the keypad to punch in the next number. His heart said to go right to the source, to call Miranda, but

his heart wasn’t running on logic. He’d screwed up with her. Royally.

It wasn’t fair for him to go to her. She had his number—if she’d found it in her heart to forgive him, she’d call.

She hadn’t called.

But not once since he’d left had he stopped hoping she would. Like a lovesick little boy he’d slept with his phone close to his bed. Anytime

his phone had been out of hearing range, even for a few seconds, he came back, holding his breath checking for missed messages.

She hadn’t called.

He knew she was dating Shawn Hanson, a warlock, someone of her own kind, someone more deserving of a girl like Miranda. But damn it, he’d

worked his ass off this last year to try to be the type of person to deserve her, too. And at times, he actually felt he’d accomplished that

feat, but then he’d mess something up, fail to meet up to his own expectations. And he’d start questioning it all over again. Questioning if

he could ever be deserving of her.

Oh, she thought less of herself because she was dyslexic, but he didn’t care about her powers. Or that she occasionally made goofs. He loved

her, goofs and all.

She was so much more than she gave herself credit for. She could just look at him and make him smile. She could touch him and make him feel

more alive. She could stand beside him and he wanted to be a better person for her. Because she believed in him, he wanted to believe in

himself.

She loved people. Loved them unconditionally.

Even when they weren’t deserving.