Awake at Dawn (Shadow Falls #2)(54)

Burnett stepped to the side and started explaining that he needed to interview them separately. He opened the door and told Kylie and Miranda to wait outside of Holiday's office.

As the two of them started out, Selynn looked over at Holiday. "You should leave as well." Selynn's voice held such a condescending tone that Kylie decided right there and then that she really didn't like her. Not even a little bit.

Holiday shot the woman a look that Kylie could only describe as fiercely protective. "Sorry, but I don't take orders from anyone when it involves my campers. Or has Burnett not informed you of this?"

"She can stay," Burnett interjected.

Selynn placed a palm on Burnett's forearm. "I really don't think that's wise."

"The girls will feel more comfortable with her here." He stepped away from her touch. But Kylie noticed Holiday's gaze take in the familiar way the woman treated Burnett.

Jealousy flashed in Holiday's eyes. Not that it lingered more than a second. One blink and the emotion vanished. And probably for a reason, too. Selynn glanced at Holiday as if looking for a reaction. Which led Kylie to assume that Selynn had feelings for Burnett. Not that Kylie sensed that Burnett returned any of the feelings.

Then again, he might just be good at hiding his emotions. Could this be part of the reason Holiday refused to get too close to Burnett, because she knew he was already involved with someone? Instant distrust for Burnett stirred inside Kylie.

Burnett motioned for Kylie and Miranda to leave. Kylie, suspicious of Burnett for Holiday's sake, didn't move until Holiday confirmed the order.

"Who do they think is in charge?" Selynn asked, annoyed at Kylie's show of authority for Holiday.

"Can we please just get started?" Burnett said.

Kylie and Miranda walked out into the front room of the office.

"He's checking to see if we're lying. That's why he wants to talk to us separately," Miranda whispered.

"I don't think he thinks we're guilty." Kylie defended him, though she wasn't so sure she could say the same about Selynn. Then Kylie wondered again about the relationship between Burnett and the rude were.

"God, it sucks." Emotion gave Miranda's voice a raspy tone. "I can't believe we actually met the girls who were killed."

"I know," Kylie said but, honestly, she didn't want to think about it. She still had this overwhelming feeling that it was her fault. She dropped down onto one of the two desk chairs filling the small entry room and stared at her hands. Was this the bad thing that the ghosts had been talking about? No, the ghost had insisted it was someone Kylie loved. That thought sent another wave of sorrow sloshing in her gut. She hadn't loved those girls, but someone had. They had mothers, friends ... Closing her eyes, Kylie tried to reconnect to the calm she'd found at the falls. How long could she hang on to that feeling when bad shit just kept happening?

"It could have been us." Miranda pulled at a thread attached to her light green scrubs.

"I know." Kylie gripped her hands together.

It was only a few minutes before Selynn and Della walked out. Kylie stood up. Selynn motioned at Miranda to follow her. Then she turned to Kylie and Della. "We prefer if you don't speak. And Burnett can hear you if you do." She practically smirked before following Miranda into the office.

Della snarled at the werewolf's back. "Bitch," she mouthed the word. And when the werewolf was in the other room, Della said it out loud. "Bitch." She glanced at the office door. "I don't care if you can hear me, Burnett. She's a bitch. You know it. I know it. And Holiday knows it."

Footsteps sounded on the office's front porch. Kylie glanced toward the door just as it opened and Derek rushed in. "Thank God." He stopped and just stared at her as if noting the hospital scrubs. Right behind him followed Perry, looking just as worried.

Perry's gaze shot around the room. "Where's Miranda?" Fear and some other deep emotion filled his now copper-colored eyes.

Kylie didn't have a chance to answer because Derek swooped her into a big hug. She let him hold her, even rested her head on his chest and sighed at how good it felt to be this close to him.

"Why do you want to know?" Della mouthed off. "You don't like her, remember?"

"Is she okay?" Perry demanded, his voice a deep rumble of emotions. Kylie didn't bother to pull away to see, but she imagined his eyes were changing colors as he spoke. She'd noticed his eyes shifted with his emotions.

"Don't go all T. rex on me." Della lost her smartass tone. Whether out of fear of Perry or if she heard the emotion in his voice, Kylie didn't know.

"You okay?" Derek whispered in her ear.

"Yeah." Hell, no. Kylie pulled back to look in his eyes and she saw the same concern flashing there that she noted in Perry's. A rush of calm flowed from Derek into her. She didn't argue this time. She really needed it.

The door to Holiday's office opened. Miranda walked out. Perry met her eyes, then he turned and left the building. Miranda watched him go.

"What did he want?" she asked.

"To make sure you were okay," Derek answered, and slipped a hand around Kylie's waist. "I saw him right after I heard what happened and I told him. He was worried about you."