Unspoken (Shadow Falls: After Dark #3)(6)

Chase had landed on the house’s eaves, beside Della’s window. She hadn’t been in her room, but then he saw her outside her bedroom door, her shoulders dropped in defeat. Della Tsang didn’t do defeat. Behind that tough exterior, there was a vulnerability to her, but she seldom caved in. What was wrong?

He jumped down beside the door, and overheard Chao Tsang’s hurtful words. Every single one of them.

Maybe Feng Tsang, or Eddie Falkner as Chase had known the man who took him in after his parents’ death, was wrong. Maybe Chao had killed his sister. For Della’s sake he hoped not, but right now Chase didn’t have a high opinion of her father.

He flew back up to the roof, wanting to comfort Della. Her taste, that quick kiss he’d stolen, still lingered on his tongue and he craved more. But all he wanted to do now was hold her. Console her.

She had her back to the window, her phone to her ear, and obviously her guard down or she’d have sensed him.

He tilted his head to see who she was talking to. With about ten feet and a glass pane separating them, all he could make out was that the voice was male.

His memory shot back to Lilly mistaking him for Steve. That had stung. Had Della called Steve for comfort?

“I need to come back to Shadow Falls. Can you call my father and tell him I’m falling behind on my grades?”

So it was Burnett on the phone.

She paused, then spoke again. “I don’t care. Make something up. He’ll agree to it.” Her shoulders tightened. “Yes, he will. He doesn’t want me here.” She held her breath. The pain sounded in her voice. “Tomorrow’s fine.”

Chase exhaled a pound of frustration and fury. Fury aimed at her father for being such a bastard, and frustration because … Chase didn’t want her back at Shadow Falls.

Considering Burnett’s distrust of Chase, if Della went back, it would be almost impossible for him to see her. These last three weeks away from her had been hell. Right then his need to be close to her pushed him to accept what he had to do.

It would change everything, but it was the right thing. He’d have already done it, if Burnett hadn’t screwed things up.

Chase considered opening her window and telling her his plans, but he recalled her anger at him. She’d try to stop him. He couldn’t let that happen.

Knowing that Della would either hear him or catch his scent any second, he drew a heart in the condensation on the window and left.

He’d gotten less than a mile when he picked up the scent of some weres … and blood. Diving low, the smell got stronger. Thankfully, it was animal blood. He pulled up higher and went to take care of business.

*

“What happened?” Burnett asked.

Della gripped her phone tighter. “Nothing.”

“Della?”

Fine, it had been a lie. But not really. Sometimes “nothing” just meant it hurt too much to say it aloud. A creak sounded outside and she swung around. “Hold on a minute!” She shot to the window, lifted her nose. His scent held there. Then she saw the heart.

“Damn,” she muttered.

“What?” Burnett asked.

She didn’t know why, but she wasn’t ready to tell Burnett about Chase. Embarrassment, probably, that she’d let him get away. Not because she wanted to protect Chase.

She owed him nothing.

Later, she’d tell Burnett. Hopefully after she’d gotten the information from Chase and knew her uncle’s whereabouts.

“I thought I heard someone.” She leaned into the window and searched the sky.

“And?” Burnett asked.

“No one is here.”

“When is the last time you fed?” he asked, probably thinking she wasn’t on top of her game. And he might even be right. She’d let Chase get away. Not once, but twice.

“When?” he repeated.

She knew he wouldn’t count the two bites of hamburger and three fries she’d had at the restaurant. No, he meant blood.

“Tuesday.” She’d gone to the blood bar.

“Can you get out of the house tonight? I’ll meet you with some blood at the park beside your house.”

She hated that he felt as if he had to take care of her. “I can wait until I get back.”

“No, it’s not healthy!”

“Maybe I’ll go to the bar.” She wouldn’t, but he didn’t need to know that.

“No, don’t go to the bar tonight. It’s almost a full moon. Weres will be out and the supernatural bar is the first place they’ll go. I’ll meet you at the park beside your house.”

Her stomach grumbled at the thought of blood, proving Burnett right. She needed to feed. But something about living back at home had her ignoring that hunger—as if doing without blood would somehow help her fit in with her family. Make her more human. Damn, she was pathetic.

Her gaze fell on the fading heart, and she recalled another reason she couldn’t leave. What if Chase showed up again? “Really, I think I can wait. Why don’t—”

“Della.” His tone was dead serious. One that said any argument would be futile.

“Fine. But it will have to be later, when my parents go to bed.” Maybe by then Chase would have come back, or she would have found him.

“I’ll text you with the details around midnight.” He hung up.