Midnight Hour (Shadow Falls: After Dark #4)(44)

Could Burnett actually be doing it to … help Perry out?

No, Burnett wouldn’t play matchmaker.

Hearing footsteps down the hall, Perry moved all the way over to Burnett’s desk. He picked up a picture of Hannah, Burnett and Holiday’s

daughter.

The baby had grown. Before he’d left, she’d squealed every time he walked into the room. Would she even recognize Perry now? He kind of

fancied himself as the girl’s uncle. Setting the picture down, he vowed to make up for lost time when he got back for good.

“Good call in there … with your question about hearing the other guys speak.” Burnett stepped into the room. “I missed that one.”

“Thanks.” The praise brought a smile to Perry’s lips. Living in the foster home, without a father, Perry had found a role model in his older

foster brother. Burnett had never let him down.

“Now,” the vampire said. “Explain why you took your sweet-ass time getting here.”

Perry leaned against the desk. “I went to check on Miranda. Della said she’d tell you.”

“She did.” Burnett shut his door, the thud echoed in the office. “I wasn’t talking about now. I told you two days ago to get your butt back

here.”

“And I told you I wanted to finish this.”

Frustration tightened the angles of Burnett’s face. “And did you … finish it? That’s why you’re back?”

“No. I had a vision or something like that of Miranda in trouble. I just needed to see she was okay. I’m heading back in just a bit.”

Burnett stared at him for a long second, disappointment flashing in his eyes. “Perry, I don’t know what it is you’re trying to prove. But—

”

“Me, neither.” The hurt he’d carried around like an anchor leaked into his voice. He cleared his throat. “That’s my biggest problem, not

knowing exactly what I’m trying to prove.” The truth rolled out without asking permission.

Perry looked back at the picture of Hannah. “Is she talking?”

Burnett took a few steps closer. “Your parents abandoned you, and that hurt you. Now you want to hurt them back. But I’m not sure—”

“No.” Perry continued to stare at Hannah’s photo without really seeing it. “It’s not that simple. I’m not even looking forward to…”

“Then don’t. Let me put someone on them. When they pull the next stunt, we’ll bring them in.”

“No.” Perry met the man’s stern gaze. “I have to do this, Burnett. Even if it pisses you off.”

Burnett’s lips tightened. “At least tell me what’s really going down.”

He considered it again, at least telling him about the Jax connection, but damn it, he knew Burnett, he’d pull Perry out for sure then. He

didn’t understand it, but he needed to be the one to stop his parents. “I told you.”

“All you said was that they’re up to no good. Doing something illegal for fast cash.”

And this was where Perry needed to tread lightly. “As soon as I know who all is behind this crap, I’ll hand it over.” The case would be

closed. His past permanently put behind him.

“What kind of crap are we talking about?” The vampire, now only a few inches taller than Perry, clenched and unclenched his right hand

hanging at his side. When Perry didn’t respond in the limited microseconds Burnett’s patience allowed, he continued. “Don’t tell me this is

tied to the two Dallas-area bank robberies.”

A little air caught in Perry’s lungs as he worked to snatch an answer from his brain without lying. “How did—”

“I’m not an idiot. I’ve been looking at all the local crimes in the Dallas area since you told me.” Now both of Burnett’s hands fisted. “

Tell me you didn’t participate.”

More treading was needed, but he was treadless. “I had to or—”

“Damn it!” Burnett said. “You could have been shot and killed.”

“I can handle—”

“The hell you can! You might be one hell of a shifter and can morph faster than most, but you aren’t faster than a bullet. You have to pull

out of this now!”

“If I was working a case for the FRU, they could easily have had me working undercover doing this same thing.”

“But you’re not undercover! If something goes wrong, you aren’t legally working for the FRU. That means you’d be held accountable. I’d

have to arrest your ass.”

“Then assign me the case.”

Burnett frowned. “I can’t authorize a junior agent to work on his own, on a case we haven’t even looked into.”

See, he knew he was right, Burnett would have pulled him. “Then I’ll do this my way.”

Burnett let go of a gulp of air. “Whether you give a shit for yourself, don’t do this to me or Holiday! How do you think we’d feel if…” He

stopped talking and clenched his jaw.

Burnett’s concern had Perry’s chest aching.

“I’ve got a meeting tomorrow to meet the lead guy. If I get what I need, I’ll turn it over.”