Unspoken (Shadow Falls: After Dark #3)(65)

“Go with Trisha.” Burnett motioned to the agent who walked up. “She’ll show you the way.”

“Congratulations,” Trisha said, meeting Chase’s gaze.

“Thank you.” Chase shook the agent’s hand, a real sense of pride filling his chest. He’d signed the papers. It was official. Chase Tallman was an FRU agent. He’d even be given a badge and a couple of black suits. Not that Chase wanted to wear them. But the badge, yeah, he kind of liked having it. It felt nice to … belong to something.

Sure, he’d belonged to the council, but it hadn’t been so much his decision as it had been Eddie’s. This was his own doing. This was, Chase realized, his first real job.

Not that he needed money. His parents had left him with more money than he knew what to do with. But then again, this wasn’t just a job. It was a career. It was something that would probably define his life from now until he was ready to retire.

It hadn’t been anything like a ceremony, but in a small way it had felt like it to him. Part of him wished Della had been there. Because she should have been. Their lives were connected.

He recalled the conversation with Steve, and the one with Della earlier. You still have a choice. He hadn’t lied to her, she did, but damn it, it was his mission in life to make sure she chose him.

“Welcome to the team,” another agent called out.

Chase nodded, but realized the one person who hadn’t congratulated him was the one walking at his side right now: Burnett.

Was he still thinking about their earlier conversation about Chase’s trip to Hell’s Pit? The conversation had stuck with Chase, too. As much as he hated admitting it, Burnett had been right. Chase did feel invincible. No one had been more shocked than him when he’d felt that makeshift knife slice into his back. If it hadn’t been for the ghost, Chase wasn’t sure he’d have gotten out alive.

“I plan on making you proud,” Chase said to Burnett.

“Do that by staying alive,” Burnett said, confirming that Chase had been right about the man’s thoughts.

“I will,” Chase said as they walked back into the room where they’d left Della.

Della, phone to her ear, looked back at them and then down, as she held up one finger. “Yes. I shouldn’t be too late. I’ll stop by.”

Chase tuned his ear to listen, hoping to hear who Della had made plans with and fearing it would be the good doctor, Steve.

“Great,” a feminine voice answered. “Bring Chase with you.”

He recognized Della’s cousin’s voice. Chase really liked Natasha and her boyfriend Liam. And remembering Perry’s cold shoulder, he was glad to know he had friends.

Della looked up at him. He nodded at her to let her know it was a go for him, but she still said, “We’ll see.”

What the hell?

“Look, I’d better go now,” Della continued. “I’ll see you in bit. Oh, and again, I’m thrilled things worked out.”

“Me too,” Natasha said. “Don’t forget to come by; I can’t wait to see you.”

“I’ll be there.” Della hung up.

“You ready to do this?” Della motioned to Sam behind the window.

“Perry’s going in first,” Burnett said. “Then Chase and I.”

“Not me?”

“I think we have this,” Burnett said.

Chase saw Della flinch, but she tried to rein her frustrations in. She was constantly doing that. Except with him. She didn’t hold back with him. At least not with anger.

“Perry stepped out for air,” Della said.

“Just met him in the hall.” Burnett paused and glanced back at Chase. “Meanwhile, Mr. Tallman has just made it official. He’s an agent. Got his badge, suits, and everything.”

Della smiled at Chase, and it looked genuine—the kind of smile that reached her eyes, and made them twinkle a little brighter. He wanted to see that a hell of a lot more. See her happy, worry-free.

And he would, his gut told him. Just as soon as the problems with her father were resolved.

“Congratulations, Mr. Tallman,” Della said, her voice sounding sincere.

“Thank you.” If Burnett weren’t in the room, Chase would have moved in for a kiss, because he’d learned that whenever she allowed herself to smile, it meant her guard was down. And only then did she let him close.

What he wouldn’t give to knock that guard down for good. While he knew he needed to be patient, he couldn’t deny growing frustrated.

“It feels nice,” he said, and held out his hand, hoping a handshake would curb his desire for a kiss.

It looked as if she wasn’t going to accept it when he literally saw her guard go back up. But she slipped her hand into his. He took advantage of the moment and gently ran his thumb over her knuckles, hoping she felt that same spark of something wonderful that he did. Touching her was like sticking his finger into a happy socket. Nothing made him feel more alive.

From the quick way she retrieved her hand and the way her eyes widened, he knew she felt the electricity too. So why the hell was she fighting it?

Then through the two-way mirror, Chase saw Perry walk in and sit down across from his cousin, Sam. The two of them looked enough alike to be brothers.

“They send you in here to soften me up?” Sam asked.