Eternal (Shadow Falls: After Dark #2)(103)

“What did Red do?” one of the guys hanging in the back asked.

“Red?” Della asked. “That’s his name?”

“That’s what we call him. Red hair and all.”

Red hair? Della’s mind started playing connect-the-dots again and she found more dots than she expected. The last red-haired guy she’d encountered had been a were at the cemetery where Chan was buried. The cemetery where the security guards had worn uniforms. And on the uniforms had been a … cross emblem.

Suddenly, she heard Chase’s remark from earlier: This is like … a tomb or something. She turned to Chase. “I know where they are.”

Burnett came walking out of the office, looking surprised and somewhat content that he’d gotten something useful.

“He worked at the graveyard, didn’t he? Evert something, right?” Della asked.

Burnett nodded. “How did you know?”

“They said they called him Red because of his red hair. And Natasha and Liam had tattoos—like a brand—similar to the ones on the uniforms of the security guards at the cemetery. They have them there, Burnett, in some kind of underground tomb.”

He pulled out his phone. “We’ll turn that graveyard upside down if we have to. I’ll have some agents meet us.”

*   *   *

It was dark when they got to the cemetery. Della glanced up at the moon, only a day from being full, which meant the weres would be at their most powerful. Not that it concerned her now.

They landed at the front entrance. The silver moonlight brushed against a rusty metal gate, baring the cross symbol. She could kick herself for not remembering it earlier. But she had no kicking time. Three other vampire agents showed up within seconds. Della inhaled and got hints of were just outside the gate. And Red was amongst them, too.

Burnett paired them up and sent them each to a side of the cemetery where they would enter. “Chances are the guards aren’t cooped up in the office. They are probably walking the grounds. If we get the graveyard surrounded they’ll have less chance of escaping. Let’s get these guys,” he said and glanced up at the moon. “Remember, they’re at their most powerful right now.”

Della and Chase went to the west side of the cemetery as Burnett had ordered.

Right before they leapt over the fence, Della got a strong scent of were.

Chase glanced at her, letting her know he’d gotten it, too.

He held up three fingers, and when the last one went down, they both bolted over the six-foot fence.

Midway over the rusty posts, Della heard the weres talking. They were close. Too close.

The sound of her and Chase’s feet hitting the ground thudded in the dark.

The talking stopped. Silence echoed.

The guards either heard them or got their scent. Della didn’t care. She was ready to kick ass.

Chapter Forty-two

There were five. Even in the dark, Della spotted them running full force at them.

Chase cut his eyes to her as if making sure she was ready.

Hell yeah. For Natasha and Liam she was ready to do whatever it took.

She kicked her foot out, hitting the first were right in the gut, and sending him about five feet in the air. A tree waited on him. He slammed against the trunk with an ominous clunk, then slid to the ground. His lack of muscle control told Della he was unconscious.

One down, four to go.

Nope. Make that three. Chase got in a right hook, and another were fell to the ground, out cold.

Two more came at Della … with knives. The silver of the blades reflected in the moon’s glow.

Out of the corner of her vision, she spotted six more weres charging toward them. Damn, that made a whole pack of ’em.

Four surrounded Chase. And two came to join the other two circling her.

She went to kick one back to make it better odds, when another jabbed a knife into her arm.

She felt the pain.

Smelled the blood.

And just got plain ol’ pissed off.

Chase’s growl filled the night air. Fearing he was hurt, she cut her eyes his way.

His eyes glowed bright red, his fangs completely extended, but she got the feeling his reaction came from her injury. Not his own.

That one-second glance cost her. The weres now stood closer. Too close. Hands, feet, knives, they came at her all at once. But she moved with power, blocking, and even landing a few blows, as she moved.

She caught one were by the wrist, swung him around, and let him take the next few blows from his friends. He grunted, groaned as feet connected with his ribs.

When his friends stopped hitting him, she used her captive as a bowling ball. Chan, her champion bowler, would have been proud. He’d have called it a spare, because only one remained standing.

Just as she moved in to take him out, Burnett showed up. He caught the were by one arm and swung him into a tree.

Della turned to help Chase. But instead, she watched him take down his last attacker.

Burnett looked around. “Considering the odds, you did good.” Then his eyes grew brighter as he moved closer to Della and smelled the blood on her shirt.

“It’s okay,” she muttered. Before Burnett could start coddling her, Chase shot over and did it for him. He ripped off her shirtsleeve to see the wound.

“It’s not bad,” she said.

Right then, the sound of fast-approaching footfalls sounded in her ear. All three spun around at the same time.