Chosen at Nightfall (Shadow Falls #5)(18)

It was a message Kylie didn't need to receive twice.

The one on his cell started talking to someone about finding Jenny. "She says he was headed north." He paused. "We will." He hung up and looked at the other guard. "Get her back home and join me in the northend to find this guy. Our orders are if we don't find him quickly, we'll have to sound the alarm."

"Twice in twenty-four hours, I think that's a record," the other stated with disgust.

Silence reigned in the dark. "Yeah, that's what happens when we start bringing in strangers. Protector or not, I knew that girl's coming here would stir up shit. And to think they want to keep her."

Kylie's heart pulled at hearing this. It wasn't that she hadn't believed Jenny, but hearing it somehow made it feel more real. And it hurt deeper.

Derek's touch grew warmer and Kylie knew he was attempting to console her.

One of the guys shifted closer to where she knew Derek stood. Derek shifted, obviously freaked out about someone taking up his space, even when he was invisible.

The guard glanced around as if he almost suspected he wasn't alone.

"Should one of us go check and see if she's still in her residence?"

"Yeah, we probably should," bit out the other guard.

And as soon as they discovered her missing, it would make it more difficult to escape, Kylie realized.

The guards and Jenny walked away. Kylie waited until they were out of hearing range to speak. She had words on the tip of her tongue when she heard another pair of footsteps echoing around them. Had one of the guards gone invisible and turned around? Or was this someone new?

Kylie squeezed Derek's hand, hoping to make him aware of the newcomer.

Derek's grip tightened as if he understood.

The footsteps stopped only a few feet from her. She tried to control her breaths in and out, praying the slip of air into her lungs, or Derek's breathing, wouldn't give them away.

* * *

Several very long minutes passed. Finally, whoever hung around let go of a deep, emotion-filled breath and began walking away. The crunch of twigs popping filled the air as he left. The temptation to call out her grandfather's name was strong. For the cadence of those footsteps, as well as that long sigh had sounded familiar. But she couldn't be sure, could she? Maybe it was just wishful thinking.

Wishful thinking that he'd discovered her missing and was worried and came looking for her.

Wishful thinking that he didn't know what the other chameleons were up to.

But wishful thinking could land her and Derek up to their eyebrows in trouble. So she stood frozen in one spot and waited. As soon as the footsteps faded between the shadows of the trees, Kylie said to Derek, "We have to go and go fast."

"I'm not arguing," he said.

"I'm going to let go of you and I think you should just go visible again."

"You think?" Derek asked, and yes, there was a tad of fear in his tone. "Oh, shit. You haven't done this before?"

"Not really," Kylie confessed.

"Okay, let's hope it works." He released her hand. Kylie closed her eyes and willed herself visible. A second or two passed and she opened her eyes. When she didn't see Derek, her heart pounded and fear swirled in her chest.

"Derek?" she whispered. Tears filled her eyes. Oh shit, had she done something terrible?

"I'm behind you," he said.Kylie swirled around and her breath eased out of her at the sight of him.

"You ready?" he asked, and smiled as if he'd read and liked that she'd been freaked out at the thought of losing him. Because face it, that meant she cared, right?

Not that it was a surprise. She'd never stopped caring. She just didn't know if her caring was in the same way he felt about her.

"Ready," she said. "We have to hurry." And they did.

They ran, side by side. She never pushed it to a level he couldn't make, though.

When they reached the five-foot fence, Kylie took his hand, ready to help him if needed. He didn't seem offended. If anything, he smiled and pressed his palm against hers. The smile, and the contentment that filled his gaze, reminded her that he'd tried to kiss her and only added to her anxiety.

Was it just too soon after her heartbreak with Lucas?

Or was it just too late for her and Derek?

Realizing this wasn't the time for contemplation, she started running faster. Holding Derek's hand tight, they leapt over the fence.

They came down with a good thud. Derek caught her around the waist. His breathing, heavy enough that his chest moved in and out under the dark T-shirt, matched her own. Their gazes met for one second, a second that felt as if it came out of some romantic movie. The kind where soft music played in the background. The kind that ended in some hot kiss. She pulled away. "We have to go."

Disappointment flashed in his eyes, but in a blink it disappeared. She knew he'd read her emotions.

Probably felt her confusion. And being Derek, he wouldn't push, or at least not too hard. Then again, trying to steal a kiss earlier had been pretty bold for him.

Maybe this was a new Derek?

Maybe she'd have to be a bit more careful?

Derek snatched the suitcase from her hand and they started running again. Running away from her new problems, but right back to her old ones.