Unspoken (Shadow Falls: After Dark #3)(27)

Swearing under his breath, his gaze still on the bird in the sky, he caught another sound and scent coming from behind him. So did Baxter. His growl echoed in silence, and they both swung around.

*

Della stared at the office door.

Had Chase been eavesdropping? Probably. The lowlife vamp had no shame. But she’d bet getting his ass kicked by a girl would offer him a little much-needed dose of humility.

“You two have to get along, or avoid each other,” Burnett spouted out, as if fully aware of what had turned her eyes a light yellow. “No bloodshed.”

Della frowned. “You always take the joy out of things.”

Burnett shook his head as if her smartass remarks didn’t suit him. “Sit down.” He waved at the chair in front of Holiday’s desk.

“Aren’t we done?” she asked, so damn ready to face Chase on the off chance he would offer her something he hadn’t offered Burnett. An ass-whooping didn’t always have to draw blood.

“No. I’ve got some more news on your father’s case and on the murders last night. So drop your butt in the chair and get kicking his butt off your mind.”

News of her father’s case? Chase instantly became second priority. She pulled the chair out and sat down. “What have you got?”

Holiday went back to her chair. Burnett leaned his backside on the edge of Holiday’s desk. Hannah let out a sweet coo, but the tension in the room seemed to pull the innocence out of it.

“We’ve gotten a new DA assistant assigned to your dad’s case. Jerod Mason, he’s fae, but works a lot of supernatural cases that fall into the regular courts.”

“DA? You’ve got one of our own helping to put my dad away?”

Burnett frowned. “Sometimes the best defense is having an ally in the offense. Jerod is going to pass info to your dad’s lawyer.”

“What about the judge? You said you were trying to get a supernatural judge who could look for a reason to toss the charges out.” Her stomach ached thinking how things could go so badly.

“That hasn’t come through yet.” He spotted Della’s frown and held up his hand. “It still might happen. These kinds of things can take a while. Meanwhile, I spoke with Jerod this morning. He plans on picking up all of the files tomorrow and when he does he’s going to get us copies, as well as your dad’s lawyer, so we’ll know what your father is up against.”

Who was Burnett kidding? She already knew what her dad was up against. A murder charge. One that could put him away for life, or worse. Texas was big on the death penalty. Della’s heart thumped in fear just thinking about it.

“Do we have a date yet? For the trial?”

“No, but Jerod said that the word is that the DA’s office is pushing for it to be soon. We’ve got a few people working in the courts and we’re trying to make that happen.”

“Why soon?” Della asked, dreading seeing her dad go through this.

Burnett’s expression softened, as if what he had to say wouldn’t be so easy to take. “The less time they have to dig things up the better off we’ll be.”

“This can’t be easy for your dad,” Holiday added. Hannah let out a sweet coo, so sweet it felt as if it didn’t belong anywhere near this conversation.

Della’s chest tightened with the guilt for causing this. “You’re right.” She swallowed. “I heard him tell my mom he didn’t know how long he was going to be able to keep his job.”

“We’re going to do everything we can,” Holiday said. “You know that.”

Della nodded, but the thought clawing at her sanity was.… what if “everything” wasn’t enough?

*

The instant Chase and Baxter swung around, Steve came walking from the woods.

Confused, Chase cut his gaze up to the sky where the bird was still visible, then he looked back at the shape-shifter.

Steve wasn’t grinning, but his brown eyes held a hint of humor that royally chapped Chase’s ass.

“You thought that was me.” Now the shape-shifter smiled.

“Yeah, I did,” Chase said, certain his own expression didn’t come off so upbeat. “So it was a friend, huh?”

Their gazes met. Tension filled the early Sunday air. Chase inhaled and the guy’s scent filled his nose. The scent reminded him of Della because Chase had always smelt it on her when he first met her. Something he really preferred not to think about.

Steve looked skyward where the bird flew in circles. “Nope. Not as far as I know.” The guy’s heart rate didn’t indicate he was lying. “But he is now.” Steve smiled, showing no fear. Something Chase admired even when it stung.

Since he’d learned of this guy’s feelings for Della, he’d wanted to find things about Steve to dislike—things to discredit him in Della’s eyes.

But other than his flirtation with the daughter of the vet Steve worked for, Chase hadn’t been able to find any dirt on the guy. That made things harder, but it also spoke of Della’s choice in who she let into her life.

Chase swallowed his pride and decided to take the high road. “I guess I was wrong. Sorry.”

Steve glanced away for a second as if debating something. When he looked back he had determination written all over his expression. “That’s not the only thing you’re wrong about.”