Unspoken (Shadow Falls: After Dark #3)(45)

And from the way Miranda said it, it was clear the witch was having a hard time coming to turns with her home issues. Della supposed learning you had a half sister and that your dad was still secretly married to your sister’s mom would take some getting used to.

Miranda took a big sip of soda. “Then Mom and Dad argued. Dad spent the night as a donkey. Oh, but it gets worse. I had to explain to Shawn why I had a donkey in my living room.”

“Shawn?” Della and Kylie said at the same time. Shawn was a warlock, Miranda’s childhood crush, and now the new cute FRU agent who had a thing for the witch.

“You’re seeing Shawn?” Kylie asked. “I thought you were going to see how things went with Perry first.”

“I … well, I…”

While Miranda spit out random words that didn’t make sense, Della took another sip of soda and then checked her phone to see if she had a text from Chase. She didn’t. Damn him.

“He came over,” Miranda said. “He even said he knew I was trying to make a decision and he wanted to give me space. But not so much space that I’d forget about him.”

“He’s too cute to forget about,” Kylie said.

“But so is Perry,” Miranda said. “I saw him tonight and he was … sweet and said he’d be patient. But … if he’d known I was out with Shawn last night, he’d have a cow.”

“Well, let him have a cow and a couple of bulls while’s he’s at it,” Della said. “No one should tell you who you can spend some time with. I mean, who the hell does he think he is? You didn’t ask to be bonded to him! And if he goes off and gets himself killed, that’s his fault!”

Confusion appeared on her friends’ faces and she realized what she’d said. She dropped her forehead down on the table.

“I think the vamp has some explaining to do,” Miranda said.

“Yup,” Kylie chimed in. “Start talking.”

*

Chase landed in the back of the abandoned building on the outskirts of Houston, where the Hell’s Pit was hidden in some underground tunnels. Pulling his phone out to see who’d texted him, he saw Della’s number and almost didn’t read it.

Then, refusing to be childish, he read the message. “Text me that you’re okay.”

He gritted his teeth, fighting back the sense of betrayal. He felt like an idiot for being jealous. He’d always thought jealousy was a fool’s emotion. If people wanted to be with someone else, it simply meant they didn’t want to be with you and they weren’t worth hurting over.

Yet, here he was … hurting. Feeling insecure. Another emotion he wasn’t accustomed to feeling. The last time he remembered feeling like this was with Tami, when he’d been fourteen.

Was this what it was like when you really cared about someone? Damn, he cared about Della. And the thought of Steve putting his hands on her did a number to his gut.

Realistically, he knew the guy probably hadn’t had his hands on her. Chase hadn’t smelled Steve on Della. The shape-shifter’s scent had just been on Baxter. But from the look in Della’s eyes when he mentioned Steve, he knew the two had been together.

He had started to text her back when he heard someone in the distance. Putting his phone away, he listened. Was Burnett still having him tailed?

When the noise came from the shed, he relaxed and pulled his backpack off.

He moved toward the small building that he knew was the back entrance of the prison. Then Leo stepped out of the small door.

“Hey?” Chase walked up. The African American man, ten years older than Chase, stood about four inches taller than him and had the body of a football player.

Leo shook his head. “I don’t know if I think you’re stupid or if I’m impressed.” He opened the shed’s door, where a staircase led down.

“Let’s go with the first one.” Chase followed the guy down. The smell of unwashed bodies permeated the air. Leo got halfway down and turned, his eyes a brighter blue. “Is that O blood I smell?”

Chase nodded. “One for you and a couple for bribes.”

Leo smiled and continued down. Their footsteps echoed through the concrete halls as they made their way to the small office. There stood a huge metal door with some serious locks on it.

“You been here before, right?” Leo asked.

“Yeah.” Once. At the time, they’d only had two prisoners locked up.

“We supply soap and water, but they don’t bathe. They know the smell gets to us.”

“I’ll deal with it.”

“We lock ’em in their cells, but those bars are cheap metal and don’t hold up to some of those prisoners. We’re supposed to get upgraded bars next month.” He looked at a small screen. “From what I can see, no one has gotten loose. But every time I go down, I go with the notion that someone is loose. It’s saved my life.”

Leo reached over to the desk. “This here’s a Taser. You ever work one?”

“No,” Chase said, tempted to tell him he wouldn’t need it. His hands, with his Reborn strength, could cause plenty of damage. But he decided to take it. He wasn’t afraid, but he wasn’t stupid, either.

Leo pulled off the tip of the gun to show him how to load it. “Just pull the trigger.” He grabbed a few extra cartridges. “Put these in your pocket. Whatever you do, don’t let them get their hands on it. It hurts like a mother. I learned the hard way.”