Eternal (Shadow Falls: After Dark #2)(60)

Uck’s Burgers suddenly seemed like an appropriate name. At one time, she used to love the smell of cheap greasy food, but since she’d been turned, not so much.

A chorus of voices echoed around the space, along with the sound of meat sizzling on open grills. The place wasn’t what she would call first class. The floors looked like they needed a good mopping, and the booth tops looked sticky. This was for sure a hangout for the rough and tough.

Della took in another breath, trying to catch the scent of company. She could swear she picked out a vampire, but wasn’t 100 percent sure. Chase stopped beside her and spoke in a whisper. “Didn’t you say you knew this guy?”

“I met him once.” Della shifted her gaze from booth to booth.

“Where?” Chase asked.

“There he is.” Della walked toward Shawn Hanson, the warlock who’d been so kind as to fix Chan’s gravesite, and the one who had a thing for Miranda.

Chase had insisted to Burnett that they needed someone who looked young. Burnett had come through. Shawn couldn’t be more than twenty, maybe even nineteen, but he looked sixteen, wearing a hoody and a pair of worn jeans. Add the earring, and he not only looked young, but kind of tough, and even cute.

His blond hair, curls and all, looked a little messy—not like those guys who got their hair styled. She had a feeling this was the Shawn who Miranda had crushed over, too. In a way, his non-fussy look, kind demeanor, and basic blue-eyed-boy good looks reminded Della of Perry.

“Hey,” she said.

“What took you guys so long? I’ve been waiting for almost half an hour.” His eyes tightened as if in warning.

Not that she needed it. Shawn’s immediate slip into undercover told Della something was up. She fought the need to stick her nose up and take another deep sniff.

“Sorry,” Chase said, slipping into the role as well. “Della’s dad had to show me his gun again. I guess I shouldn’t have kissed her in front of him.” He nudged her into the empty side of a booth and then climbed in beside her.

“He’s gonna use it on your ass if you don’t start respecting him,” Della said.

Shawn laughed. “Y’all wanna get something to drink, or go to the park and hang and sip on what I got?” He leaned in closer.

At first, Della thought he meant to tell them something real. “I got what you asked for.” Obviously, this was still part of the cover.

He picked up the backpack that sat beside him. “Two pints of O. And it’s fresh.”

That told Della that whoever Shawn was putting on this show for was probably vampire. Her next intake of air, she caught their scents. There were two, no, three.

Then Della got a whiff of something tangy and sweet. Damn, Shawn had actually brought blood, and it even smelled like O. Her mouth watered … it had been a while since she’d had any of the good stuff.

“Hell, I’m ready.” Chase stood up and offered her a hand.

Della eased out of the booth on her own. Lifting her butt up, she saw three guys sitting in the corner. Vamps. Young but rough looking. Possibly gang members. Chase put a hand on her waist as they walked to the door. She stepped out of his reach, and right then caught another scent. A were. One hung close by.

His scent filtered up her nose and tugged on her memory bank. She wished she could turn around and find him. The trace didn’t bring an out-and-out negative vibe, but with the exception of the Shadow Falls wolves, were memories were seldom good.

They got out the door and a good distance away before Shawn spoke again, and this time in a whisper. “I’m assuming they’ll follow us.”

“They aren’t yet,” Chase said.

“Did you see the were?” Della asked Shawn, who was to her right, while Chase walked at her left. “His trace is familiar.”

“I never saw a were,” Shawn said. “But about six guys in there were wearing hats and there were a couple of guys working in the back. It could have been one of them.”

“I smelled him, too.” Chase glanced at Della. “Do you know where you would have run into him before?”

“No, and it wasn’t completely a bad trace. Just made me leery.”

“From Shadow Falls?” Chase asked.

“No. I’m not leery of any of the weres at Shadow Falls.”

They continued down the sidewalk. Shawn’s light blue eyes cut to Chase. “I’m Shawn Hanson, by the way. It’s good to meet you.”

Chase nodded. “Same here.”

Shawn looked at Della and something about his expression changed. “You doing okay?”

She knew he meant about Chan’s death. “Yeah,” she said and almost felt guilty how little she’d let the grief consume her. “Thanks again for … fixing the gravesite.”

“It was nothing.”

Della felt Chase’s shoulder brush against hers and she looked at him. “Shawn was one of the agents who helped bury Chan.”

“I see.” Chase tilted his head slightly to the side. “They’re following now.”

Della focused and could hear the slightest sound of footsteps, but they were still some distance back. No doubt, they thought they were out of hearing range. But along with the additional strength, a Reborn also had extra-sensitive hearing.

“Should we turn around and face them?” she asked.