Midnight Hour (Shadow Falls: After Dark #4)(61)

Perry waited for the tension to defuse, for his own anger to weaken, before bringing up Jax again.

“So you two worked for Jax long?” Perry asked.

“Jax and I go way back,” Chuckie said.

Mark, eyeing the red-haired woman at a table to their right, didn’t answer.

Chuckie leaned in. “I’m shocked the boss let you in just by the word of your old man.”

“He must like my dad.” Perry brought the glass to his lips and pretended to take a sip. Even the smell burned his sinuses.

“Is it true what your dad says? That you’re stronger than you seem.”

“I surprise a few people.” Perry purposely hadn’t shown his cards. Hell, his father hadn’t seen all he could do. Burnett, who was a reborn

vampire with super strength, had warned Perry against it early on. If people think you’re the best, or better than most, it makes you a

target. Show them just enough to get their respect, but not enough to make them want to bring you down.

“Do you know what this new job is here in Houston?” Perry folded his drink napkin so he wouldn’t appear too interested.

“It’s not in Houston,” Chuckie said.

“So are we heading back to Dallas?” Perry looked up.

Before Chuckie answered, his phone rang. He pulled it out, turned the phone off, and staggered to his feet.

“Hey.” He nudged Mark, who now sat with the red-haired woman.

“Jax called. I’ll be back.”

Jax?

Chuckie walked toward the exit. Perry checked the room. Mark continued chatting up the woman. Caleb was lost in conversation with the brunette.

His parents danced without arguing.

Perry rose up. Following Chuckie could be risky, but it could also be worth it.

Perry hadn’t taken one step when Caleb fixed Perry with a glare.

“Gotta drain the lizard.”

He found the bathroom empty.

He yanked a bunch of paper towels from the dispenser and shoved them at the base of the door. Wasting no time, he darted into the stall and

shifted into a small mouse.

Skirting out of the bathroom, he had to dodge drunken feet to make his way to the door. A man and a woman, arms wrapped around each other,

walked out and he escaped with them. Staying in the shadows, Perry followed the building around to find Chuckie. The man wasn’t on the right

side, so Perry headed left.

Gotcha! Chuckie leaned against the old redbrick structure, phone to his ear. Perry scurried in the shadow of the building. He needed to be in

hearing distance, but not too close to be stomped on by the bozo’s fat feet.

Not that it would kill him, but it would hurt like hell.

“I was in a bar,” Chuckie argued. “I wouldn’t have been able to hear you.” He paused. “What? I shot that bitch at a drugstore. I saw her

go down.”

So Chuckie not only robbed the store, he shot Lily Chambers? Damn, Perry knew he didn’t like this guy. He wished he’d broken the guy’s hand

when he’d touched his mom’s ass.

“I can’t help it if she didn’t die,” Chuckie exhaled. He raked a hand over his face as if trying to wipe off the drunken haze.

Perry’s tiny brain flashed a large image of pretty Lily Chambers sitting in the interrogation room. Then he flashed an image of the girl’s

blood on Shawn’s shirt. Perry’s rodent skin started to burn with the need to morph into something vicious to teach this jerk a lesson.

He couldn’t. Not in public. Not until he had enough to bring this gang down.

“Now?” Chuckie continued. “I just got here a few hours ago. And I had a few beers. It’s illegal. I could kill someone on the road.”

Seriously? The absurdity of his statement made Perry’s brain roll.

“Can’t you get someone else?” Chuckie hesitated. “She’s not going to connect you to the robbery, besides it was me she recognized, not

you.” He kicked at the gravel. “I know the rule, no loose ends. Fine. I’ll go! I’ll take care of her.”

Chuckie stormed into the bar.

Perry stayed hidden in the shadows forming a plan. He had to warn Burnett. Which meant Burnett would know what Perry was up against and try to

pull him out. But not telling Burnett would put Lily Chambers in more danger. Perry needed to call Burnett. And when the big bad vampire, who

wasn’t really all that bad, insisted Perry come in, Perry would just have to insist harder that he had to stay.

Realizing he might be missing something when Chuckie told the others, he almost morphed to go in. But nope, he needed to go in the same way he

came out. He’d call Burnett later. He took off. Fast. As fast as his tiny feet would go around the building to the front door.

Almost there, he saw the dark-haired vampire, the one Caleb had been hitting on, standing in the door. She really looked familiar.

He knew her. From where? She looked around. Searching. For what?

Or who? The earlier urgency filled his chest. One mystery at a time.

He ran right between her two black pumps and through the door before it closed.

He darted under a few tables, heading to the bathroom to shift, but he spotted Mark walking out.

“He’s not in there,” Mark shouted to Caleb standing at the table with his mom and dad.