Unspoken (Shadow Falls: After Dark #3)(76)

“Got it,” Chase said.

Della handed Burnett the baby.

Burnett took the child and made holding something so small and fragile look easy. “And remember, one hint of danger and you walk away and call me.”

“We know,” Della said.

Burnett frowned. “And don’t cause a mess for me to clean up.”

“Don’t worry,” Chase said.

“Right,” Burnett said. “And in case you don’t know, by ‘clean up’ I mean: no breaking and entering, no trespassing, no using excess force. You have your badge?” He looked at Chase.

Chase nodded.

“Everything you do reflects back on us. For all intents and purposes, you are to appear like humans. No jumping off tall buildings or bench-pressing cars. Keep your fangs in. You understand?”

“Yes.” Chase resented the insinuation that he would screw up—but he knew better than to argue. Then he remembered: “I spoke with Leo last night. The guard at the prison.”

“And?” Burnett asked, and his eyes widened with interest.

“He said that after seeing Kirk when he came to get me, he realized he had gotten him mixed up with one of the other councilmen. Councilman Powell.”

“So someone’s hiding something?”

Chase nodded, trying not to feel as if he were betraying the council. And he shouldn’t, because if any of them knew about Stone, they had betrayed Eddie.

“Let me ask you something,” Burnett said. “Since you still have connections with the prison and some of the council, what are the chances of getting them to transfer Pope into one of our facilities so we might question him?”

“Impossible,” Chase said. “Leo told me last night that Pope was killed.”

“Convenient,” Burnett said.

“I wish I could disagree,” Chase said.

Burnett nodded. “Well, you two get going, but I mean it: don’t create any shit.”

Hannah bounced up and down. “Chit. Chit. Chit!” she squealed.

Holiday glared at her husband. “I’m gonna wash your mouth out with soap for a month of Sundays!”

“Bye,” Della said, shooting Burnett a parting smile, and walked out. Chase was right behind her. They laughed.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Della asked, “Do you think they killed Pope because he talked to you?”

“I … I’m suspicious,” Chase said.

“So what are you going to do?”

“I’m trying to figure that out,” he said.





Chapter Thirty-two

When they got to Chase’s Camaro, he pulled his keys out. “You want to drive?”

He remembered her driving his car and getting caught speeding by the cops. The memory almost brought a smile to his lips.

“That’s okay,” she said and jumped into the car without opening the door.

And she landed on a bag in the front seat.

She pulled it out from under her and when she did a twelve-pack of hot dogs fell out.

“What’s this?” she asked as he got behind the wheel.

“Oh, in case we meet up with trouble,” he said.

“What?”

He ignored her question. “Do you mind the top down or are you worried about your hair?” When she didn’t answer he added, “I still have some hair things in my glove compartment.”

She made a face and dropped the hot dogs on the floorboard. “I don’t care.”

He slid the keys in the ignition, sat back in the seat a bit, then looked at her. “Yes, you do.”

“Do what?” she asked.

“You care. And I don’t mean about your hair.” He held up his hand, and before she could argue, he continued, “I know, I heard everything you said last night. About you not thinking this is real, or that it’s not love. But after I left, I realized what else you said.”

Her brows pulled together. “What else did I say?”

He reached between the seats and got his sunglasses. Slipping them on, he glanced at her. “How did you put it? Oh, yeah: the chills, the thrills. Then there was something about you being obsessed with me.”

He slid the glasses down his nose, and looked at her over the rims.

Her wide eyes and slacked mouth told him she was searching for a comeback but couldn’t find one. Shocking—Della always had a wisecrack. He loved that about her.

He continued, “I just want you to know, I’m okay with that. It’s a damn good start. And I know this because I feel the same way. The difference between you and me is that I know it’s the real thing.”

She still didn’t say anything, so he went on, “Probably because I wasn’t completely honest with you in the beginning. You need time to trust this, to trust love and to trust me, and I get that. And I’ll be here when you finally do.” He pushed the glasses up and started the car.

*

Forty-five minutes later they parked in front of the first house on the list of Stone residences. Della look around. This was a not-so-nice house in a not-so-nice neighborhood. A dog, which looked to be a cross between a pit bull and a Tasmanian devil, was chained to a metal pipe stuck in the ground.

Chase glanced at her. “Meet Trouble.”