Unspoken (Shadow Falls: After Dark #3)(11)

Chase was almost to the Shadow Falls gate when he heard Burnett’s voice. “I’ll text her in a few minutes and let her know you will be showing up instead of me. Don’t forget the blood. And don’t mention this.”

For some reason Chase knew Burnett was talking about Della. And the “this” had to be about him.

Through the darkness Chase spotted Lucas Parker stepping out onto the office porch. Lucas was taking Della blood. If Chase had known she needed blood he could have supplied it.

He felt like an idiot. Of course she would need blood. She’d been living with her parents, pretending to be human. Since he’d been turned he’d never had to live with humans, and therefore hadn’t considered this. He felt a ding to his ego knowing he’d let Della down.

Again.

Just one more thing he had to make up to her.

Lucas’s footsteps came closer and Chase looked up. The dark-haired, blue-eyed were approached with a smile. While Lucas was a were, Chase didn’t have a problem with the guy. Chase could even relate to Lucas. The were had gone against his own family and joined the Were Council while fully intending to work with the FRU.

Lucas stopped. “Good luck.” It was as if he knew exactly what Chase was up against. “Say ‘yes, sir’ a lot and don’t mouth off.”

Shoulders tight, Chase made his way into the office.

He stepped through the front door. The only light on was in the back office. Burnett’s office.

Trying to hide his unease, he walked in. Burnett sat behind his desk. His eyes were a light yellow, telling Chase the man was already angry.

The older vampire had a few inches and about twenty pounds on Chase. Not that Chase was afraid—at least not of physical harm. The man had other means to hurt him.

Della respected Burnett. In a way, Burnett was more of a father figure than her own dad. If Burnett was dead set on keeping him and Della apart, it would make this harder.

Not impossible, because Chase wouldn’t allow that, but harder.

Burnett looked at the chair across from him in an invitation, though not an overwhelmingly friendly one. Chase pulled the folded envelope from his pocket containing another copy of his resignation and his requirements and placed it on the desk.

They sat there. In silence. Time ticked by slowly. Was this some kind of a test? Deciding to take a chance, Chase cleared his throat. “I realize—”

“Back again, are you?” Burnett interrupted.

Chase nodded. When the man didn’t reach for the envelope he figured he’d spoken to someone from the office and knew what was inside. And if his expression was any indication, he didn’t like it.

But was he angry because of Chase’s demands that he work under Burnett and stay at the camp, or was he just angry at Chase?

“This time is different,” Chase offered.

“You expect me to believe that?”

“I brought—”

“I know,” he seethed.

Chase again tried to decide how to play this. “I would be an asset to the FRU.”

Burnett’s eyes glowed brighter. “To the FRU, yes. To Shadow Falls, to Della … no!”

Chase stiffened. “We are bon—”

“I don’t give a rat’s ass what you are. You hurt her!” He slammed his fist down on his desk. The heavy piece of oak furniture bounced off the floor. “She has enough pain from her father. She doesn’t need the likes of you messing with her.”





Chapter Five

“I never intended to hurt her.” Chase felt his own eyes grow bright.

“Your intent doesn’t mean shit!” Burnett said. “You saved her life and then you left her. Not once, but twice!” His fist hit the desk again.

Chase wondered how many blows the desk would take before collapsing. Better the desk than him.

“Don’t you think that hurt her?” His bright eyes dared Chase to deny it.

“I suppose it did,” Chase admitted. “The first time, I left because I knew once you figured out I was working with the council you wouldn’t allow me to stay. The second … I left to fix a problem, not to create one.”

“You left to protect Feng Tsang and let Della’s father take the fall.”

Chase lifted his gaze. “I left to find the person responsible for committing the murder.”

“That would be Feng Tsang,” Burnett said. “Della saw in a vision—”

“I don’t know what Della saw, but Feng did not kill his sister. But he knows who did.”

Burnett did not look convinced. “Do you know where Feng is?”

Chase met his gaze sincerely. “No.”

“If you did know, would you tell me?”

He could lie and control his heartbeat, but he suspected Burnett would guess. “No.”

“So you’re still protecting him?”

“I’m trying to protect the innocent. That includes Della’s father.”

Burnett leaned in again. “Funny, that’s what I’m trying to do. And you know who’s more innocent than Chao Tsang?” He paused. “Della.”

He got Burnett’s meaning. “You don’t need to protect Della from me.”

“The hell I don’t!” His palms flatted on his desk. His canines extended as a not so subtle reminder of how dangerous he could be.