Midnight Hour (Shadow Falls: After Dark #4)(43)

“Hey, you Sherlocks. While you solve the crime, can I go?” Lily asked.

Burnett focused back on her, but didn’t speak.

“I want to go see Mr. Crow,” Lily said, a bit unnerved.

Burnett looked to Shawn. “Take her to the hospital and then…” His gaze went back to Lily. “We’ll put you up in a safe house for a few days

until—”

“What about the Crows?” Lily asked.

“They’re not supernatural. But I could have an agent do run-bys to—”

“Then no,” she said. “I’d rather stay with them.”

Burnett’s lips thinned. “I can’t guarantee your safety if…”

“I’m not leaving them.” Her chin lifted at a stubborn angle.

“Fine. Someone should be checking in every hour or so.”

“Not him.” She pointed to Shawn. “And I can call Uber to get me to the hospital.”

Frustration wrinkled Burnett’s brow. “The agent I assign won’t stay with you. He’ll just make passes by the place to assure—”

“Not him!” She jabbed her finger toward Shawn.

*

Shawn followed Burnett and Perry out of the interrogation room. Shawn’s chest tightened. He was ticked at Lily Chambers. But more ticked at

himself. He’d screwed up. Though for the life of him, he couldn’t pinpoint exactly where he’d gone wrong. Hadn’t he followed protocol?

Okay, maybe he should have announced himself as an FRU agent sooner, but …

Burnett came to a dead halt in the middle of the hallway and swung around to face Shawn. Air caught between his tonsils. Was Burnett about to

dish him up a ration of shit?

Probably. Shawn might even deserve it. Then again, he’d followed his gut. And one of Burnett’s rules was to always follow your instincts.

All the evidence had pointed to … Who was he kidding? It didn’t matter where it pointed. The girl wasn’t guilty.

Meeting Burnett’s gaze, he prepared himself for a reprimand. But then he saw Perry. Surely Burnett wouldn’t tear him a new * in anyone

else’s presence.

Had Perry returned for good? More importantly, was the guy thinking he would pick up where he’d left off with Miranda?

If so, the shifter had better like disappointment.

Shawn wasn’t about to be pushed aside. The shot of confidence gave his backbone an extra inch but he lost it just as quickly. The decision

wasn’t all his, but Miranda’s. Yet, Perry had already hurt Miranda. Surely, she wouldn’t go back for round two.

Instantly realizing that Burnett stood there, eyes on him, Shawn motioned to Burnett’s office. “Can we step into—”

Burnett didn’t wait for him to finish. “Get Uber’s last name and run a check on him before she leaves with him.”

“Uber?” Shawn saw Perry bite back a grin, but he didn’t jump in to correct Burnett. No, he left that to Shawn, and no one liked correcting

Burnett.

“Uber isn’t a person,” Shawn said.

Burnett’s brow tightened. “She said she was calling him to give her a ride to the hospital.”

“It’s a cab service.”

“Then why didn’t she just say she’d call a cab?”

“It’s a new kind of cab service,” Shawn said.

The crease between his brows deepened. “Just drive her to the hospital and—”

“Me?” Shawn asked.

“And stay with her until she goes home. I’ll have to assign someone for the night shift to keep an eye on the Crows’ house.”

“But … you heard her,” Shawn offered. “She—”

“Stop.” Burnett glanced at Perry. “Wait in my office,” he told the shape-shifter.

Okay, now Shawn was going to get shit.

Shawn watched Perry walk away before continuing. “I think she’d prefer another agent.”

“Probably because you nearly fried her ass,” Burnett said, not quite a reprimand, but definitely a jab.

Shawn knew he deserved it, but … “I didn’t mean—”

Burnett held up his hand. “Not your fault. Sounds as if the situation just got out of hand. But it is your problem. Agents have to deal with

all kinds of people and situations, even the difficult ones. Oh, and Miss Chambers doesn’t get to pick who works her case. I do that.”

Shawn should shut up, but he wasn’t one to always do what he should. “Don’t you think it would be easier if you assigned Chase or Lucas to

her? I could work Miranda’s case—”

“My gut says it might be the same case,” Burnett said in a firm tone. “Go do your job. And whatever shit she dishes out to you is a lesson

on how you’ll approach the next difficult suspect.”

Shawn turned and found the “lesson” waiting outside the interrogation room door.

*

Perry moved away from the door where he’d eavesdropped on the conversation. It seemed odd that Burnett had assigned Shawn to Lily Chambers

when the girl had been so adamant. Not that Perry didn’t like it. Maybe the warlock would fall for Lily and leave Miranda free and clear.