Midnight Hour (Shadow Falls: After Dark #4)(85)

something that could link you to Ms. Wales.”

“That’s why I came here, too.” Miranda sat down in Holiday’s rocker and pulled the unhappy baby closer. “I don’t know why I didn’t think

about it immediately.”

“How would you know … Wait, what do you see as a link?” Holiday asked.

Miranda ran a finger over the baby’s soft cheek. “That Ms. Wales is from England and so is my dad. We could be … related somehow.”

Holiday sat on the sofa, holding a very sleepy Hannah. “I didn’t think about that, either.”

“Then what did you come up with?” Miranda asked.

“When I was taking her class in college, Ms. Wales mentioned that she was dyslexic.”

“And she’s a professor?” Miranda asked a little shocked.

“I told you just because you are dyslexic doesn’t mean you aren’t—”

“Smart. I know,” Miranda said, she just found it hard to believe. “I guess it is weird both of us being dyslexic.”

“Right. It could mean nothing. But…” Holiday paused. “Because dyslexia can be hereditary, it gives your assumption that you two could be

distant relatives more credibility.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Miranda looked down at the baby in her arms. He’d quieted and now looked up at her with wide light-gray eyes. “He’s not

as ugly as I thought he was.”

“I think I see Perry in him,” Holiday said.

Miranda nearly choked on air. “Perry?” Hadn’t he completely dismissed her crazy assumption that—

“He didn’t tell you?” Holiday asked.

Perry had a baby? “No.”

“He’s pretty sure that the baby’s father is his half brother.”

Her words floated around Miranda’s head a few seconds before she deciphered them. “I wasn’t even aware he had a half brother.”

“He just found out. Jax, the one behind all this, is his mother’s son from an earlier marriage.”

Miranda nodded, but didn’t like that she was learning things about Perry that he should’ve told her. She recalled their quick visit. He’d

spent most of the time worrying over her. He probably hadn’t told her because he hadn’t wanted to toss his own problems on her. Didn’t he

know she wanted him to toss them on her?

“Let me put Hannah down.” The fae disappeared into a bedroom.

Miranda stared at the baby that did kind of look like Perry. She wondered if one day she’d hold Perry’s baby. While having a baby was several

years away, she wanted to have children.

And if what she felt for Perry was real, and she felt pretty damn certain it was, he truly might be her life mate.

An image of him with pain in his eyes flashed in her head. Her life mate had to be hurting. She considered how her argument with her mom stung,

how her lingering hurt toward her dad ate at her conscience. She could not fathom how it would feel to know your parents and now a half brother

were criminals. How would it feel to be the one sending them to prison?

Holiday walked back in.

Miranda looked up. “I’m worried about Perry being caught up in all this.”

Holiday sank into a chair. “We’re all worried. But Burnett tried everything to get him to pull back.”

The room fell silent. The baby in her arms suddenly felt warmer.

“Has your father done your family tree?” Holiday asked.

Miranda looked up from the sleeping child. Her question had her train of thought doing U-turns. “I … I don’t know. Up until I found out

Tabitha was my sister, I didn’t even know his real name was … Evans.” Just saying it stirred up some of her still present resentment.

“Would you be okay if I asked Ms. Wales if she has any Evans lineage in her family? I don’t know if she’s done her family tree, but I get a

feeling she would have.”

“That’d be fine,” Miranda said. “And … I’ll ask my dad if he has one.”

Holiday’s gaze shifted to the baby. “You seem to have the right touch with him. He didn’t fall asleep for me.”

“He’s probably just exhausted.” But Miranda liked the idea of her having a knack with babies.

“She doesn’t seem worried about you anymore, either.”

Miranda looked up. “She?” Right then Miranda felt the bonedeep cold that could only mean one thing—a ghost was present.

*

The gunshot hadn’t stopped ringing in Perry’s head when Agent Tobler bolted up. “Perry, Chase take the back. Della and I are taking the

front.”

Perry didn’t hesitate. But no way in hell could he keep up with a reborn vampire. By the time Perry got to the fence, Chase was on the other

side.

He started to leap over the fence when he heard yelling.

“Move and I’ll fill your friend with enough lead he’ll glow.”

Floodlights brightened the backyard. “Who the hell are you two?” a dangerous voice asked.

Perry backed against the house. Heart slamming against his ribs, he peered through the fence. He saw three guys holding guns. No, not just