Midnight Hour (Shadow Falls: After Dark #4)(71)

“I don’t have a concussion. Sit down, please.”

Kylie did as Miranda requested, her weight had the sofa sighing. “So it was a dream.”

“It wasn’t a dream. Just listen.” She racked her brain to find a way to explain things in a way that didn’t sound crazy. It didn’t exist.

It was crazy.

Taking one more deep breath, Miranda told Kylie everything. Well … she told her everything she’d told Burnett and Holiday. Again, the

armadillo was her secret.

When she finished spilling her guts, Kylie sat there looking dumbfounded. Pretty much how Miranda felt.

“What did Holiday say about the visions?” Kylie asked.

“She said it could be related to the tattoo. But they weren’t really visions. Not like you and Della have. I’m not living it like you two

say you do. There were images. Like a picture explodes in my mind. Then it’s gone.”

Their cabin door swung open. Swung so hard, it banged against the wall.

Della swooped inside and put her breaks on when she saw Kylie and Miranda on the sofa.

Della exhaled. “Did you tell her?” Della asked Kylie.

“Tell me what?” Miranda asked.

Kylie shook her head.

Della placed a hand on her hip. “Girlfriends don’t lie to each other.”

“Lie about what?” Miranda asked.

“Can’t do it,” Della said to Kylie. “He’s calling her pretty and bringing her flowers.”

“What?” Miranda asked.

Della focused on Miranda. “Look, I just hope the wafer you’re stuck on is Perry, because the other side of that cookie is flirting his ass

off with another glob of icing.”

*

Perry flew hard and fast. He couldn’t miss the meeting. Most of the way, he flew as his favorite prehistoric bird, something close to a

pterodactyl, but faster and better looking.

Realizing it was getting light, he started morphing into a peregrine falcon while flying. Then he noticed the thick brush that probably held

thorns below and remembered what he needed to do. He landed.

His next stop was behind the Marriott Hotel where his father had rented a room. He morphed and checked the time. Five minutes after eight.

Damn. They might have left.

He noticed he had ten messages from his father, all wanting to know if he was okay. He hit redial.

“Perry? Tell me this is you, son,” his father answered.

“It’s me,” Perry said.

“He’s alive. Our son is alive!” his father’s voice piped through the phone.

The emotion he heard in his dad’s voice tugged at Perry’s heart. The silence from his mom, added a different kind of tug.

“Why didn’t you return our calls? We’ve been worried sick.”

He’d prepared for this question.

“That vampire nearly killed me. Luckily I was half morphed and it didn’t completely do me in. But I was no good for hours. I made it to my

girlfriend’s place. I told her to text you, but she forgot.”

“You’re alive,” his father said. “That’s what matters. We’ll hunt that vampire bitch down later.”

“Yeah,” he said, not having planned for that. “What room are you in? I’m at the hotel. We’re going to Jax’s, right?”

“We left the hotel already. Why don’t you just lay low? I’ll explain it to Jax.”

Perry clenched his fist. “No. I want to do this.”

“You sure you’re up to it?” he asked. “He’s gonna want to see you at your best.”

“I’m up for it.”

“Okay, we’re at the diner about six blocks over on Jackson Street. But hurry, we’re supposed to be there at nine and Jax doesn’t tolerate

tardiness.”

“I’m on my way!”

Less than three minutes later, Perry walked through the restaurant door. He braced himself to see Caleb—knowing when he saw him, he’d want to

kill the bastard. Right then. Right there. Even in a restaurant filled with witnesses.

He couldn’t do it. Nope.

If he wanted justice he had to be patient. But Caleb’s time would come. Perry had never taken a life, but this time might be different.

Still wearing the ripped and bloodstained shirt, mostly because he needed to carry off the story, he walked into the diner. The smell of bacon,

eggs, and cinnamon French toast flavored the air and reminded him he’d skipped too many meals. He spotted his dad and mom in a booth. Alone.

How had he gotten so lucky?

Avoiding eye contact with worried customers, he went and sat in the booth across from his parents.

“You have no idea how good it is to see you.” His dad smiled. So did his mom. But it looked as fake as the pink stuff she was sprinkling in

her coffee.

“Do you need to eat something? We’ve got about fifteen minutes before we have to leave,” his dad said.

The waitress came by carrying a cup of coffee. “Coffee?” She stared at his shirt.

“Motor oil,” Perry said, but he wasn’t sure it looked convincing with his battered face. “And yes, I’ll take the coffee. Thank you.”