Unspoken (Shadow Falls: After Dark #3)(57)

The fact that he hadn’t been self-conscious about being in his underwear with Della meant something. But it was just another thing she didn’t have time to contemplate right now.

“This is ridiculous,” he muttered.

“Ridiculous is you almost getting yourself killed. But I’ll let my husband take that up with you. I’m here to check on you and give Della this.”

She held up a large manila envelope.

“The DA’s file on my dad,” Della said, guessing, and hoping.

Holiday nodded. “It was dropped off thirty minutes ago. I made Burnett a copy. He’ll look at it when he gets back. I would have waited to give it to you, but she seemed pretty adamant you get it now.”

“She?” Della asked.

“Your aunt,” Holiday frowned. “Obviously, there’s something in here she wants you to see. And she’s not patient. She knocked over my bookcase when I didn’t immediately do as she said.”

Della took the envelope.

Holiday continued, “Normally, a spirit attaches themselves to only one person because of limited energy. Your aunt is probably the strongest ghost I’ve seen. Plus she’s angry and confused, which concerns me.”

Della inhaled. “She’s never hurt me.”

“Yet,” Holiday said. “I’m not saying she’d do it on purpose, but when a spirit gets that much power, they don’t know how to use it, or when they’re crossing the line.” She sighed. “It’s extreme, but there is an exorcism that we could try.”

“An exorcism?” Della remembered the visions she’d had these last few months. The things she learned about her aunt—how Bao Yu had been forced to give up her illegitimate child, how she’d lost her boyfriend because of it, and how at only nineteen she’d been brutally murdered.

Della had no idea what would happen to Bao Yu if she was exorcised, but hadn’t she had enough done to her? Her aunt might be confused about who’d killed her, but the reason she’d hung on to this life was to deal with all those things that had been forced on her. To find the answers she needed. Who was Della to take that away?

“No.” Della clung to the envelope.

“Wait,” Chase spoke up. “If she’s dangerous, maybe—”

“No. You even told me that she was responsible for saving you last night.”

“Yeah, but like Holiday said, she might not mean to do something wrong. She might—”

“No.” Della looked at Holiday. “It’s not happening!”

*

Holiday left, but Chase wasn’t going to drop the issue with her aunt. “I’m worried something could happen to you,” he insisted.

“Then stop. I’m not yours to worry about,” she insisted right back.

“Like I’m not yours? Right?” He let out a low growl. “Then what are you doing here, Della? Why did you stay the night?”

“Don’t make more out of it than it is,” she told him, then told herself the same thing.

Frowning, he slumped back on his pillows and closed his eyes. She didn’t know if he was drowsy from the healing process, or if he was thinking.

She hugged the file to her stomach and considered leaving. She needed to read the file. Her gaze shifted to the door.

Chase’s voice stopped her from leaving. “This guy, Perry’s cousin, who showed up. He didn’t hurt anyone, did he?”

“No. And I don’t think he could. He’s only half shape-shifter.”

Chase nodded. His eyes met hers. “Are we going to read the file?”

We? The word caught in her head. She tightened her hold on the envelope.

She almost left then, but realized that they both had a reason to want to solve Bao Yu’s murder. Chase to get Eddie off, and her to get her father off. It was the first time she realized she truly believed it. Believed her uncle hadn’t killed her aunt. Had it been Perry’s cousin showing up and his connection to Stone that convinced her, or was it that she just wanted to believe Chase now?

Oh, hell, it didn’t matter why. And just because she believed it didn’t mean she had forgiven her father’s brother. If he was any kind of man at all, he would have come forward to help.

“Sit down and let’s read it.” Chase motioned to the chair. Della sat and started reading. She heard him stand up.

He didn’t say anything, but she could feel his eyes on her. His words replayed in her head. I’m worried something could happen to you.

She could feel his concern for her. She wasn’t ready to accept that he had the right to be concerned. And yet she understood how he felt, since she’d been worried sick about him for the last twelve hours.

She’d even climbed in the damn bed with him, so she could hear him breathe, afraid he would stop.

But now that she knew he wasn’t dying, she wanted to deny those feelings.

Hadn’t her plan been to push him away?

Not everyone ends up together. You still have a choice. His words echoed in her head, and they felt less true than when he had said them.

“Stop,” she finally muttered, and looked up.

“What?” he asked.

“Staring at me. I can’t read.”

His green eyes tightened into a frown. “Then can I see what you’ve read so far?” He held out his hand.