Reborn (Shadow Falls: After Dark #1)(45)

“That’s okay.” Burnett and Della answered at the same time.

They both laughed, and while they didn’t hug, Burnett reached and grasped her shoulder. It was, Della thought as she walked off, as comforting as a hug.

As she approached her cabin, the sky clung to a hovering darkness. Only a few stars flickered above as if the hour had already chased them away. In the distance the sounds of the new day rang out. A few crickets chirping, a bird fluttering its wings, getting ready to do its morning flight. The warm feeling of affection she’d gotten from the visit to see Burnett filled her chest. Or it did until the dad-blasted panty perv flew down and landed right in front of her.

“So do you believe me now?” he asked, his confident smile downright infuriating.

She took a step back, realizing he stood a little too close. “I believe that you are more annoying than a mosquito trying to drink my dinner.”

“Ah, come on. You like me a little bit. I can tell.”

“You’re nuts. Loco. Living in la-la land. I don’t like you, not even a little bit!”

“Then give me a chance to change your mind.”

She felt her mouth drop open. “Why?”

“Because I’m not all bad. Because I think we have more in common than you think.”

“What do we have common? Oh, wait … do you think you’re a pain in the butt, too?”

He grinned, his teeth showing white beneath his lips. “You see, that’s part of what we have in common.”

“I don’t see shit,” she insisted, and tried not to stare at his mouth.

“I meant, we’re both smartasses,” he said. “We’re both vampire. We’re both tough as nails.”

His compliment caught her off guard and she didn’t have another smartass comment to offer him.

He took advantage of that momentary befuddlement. He stepped closer and let his gaze whisper over her. She felt it, too. Slow and an easy like a soft breath against one’s skin. “We’re both kind of hot,” he said, his voice deep and low.

“I don’t think…” you’re hot. She stopped in midsentence, knowing it would have been a lie and he would have heard it. She had to think fast. “You think you’re hot. Why am I not surprised? And for the record, I don’t consider myself—”

He pressed a finger to her lips. “You are hot. You got that whole ‘don’t mess with me’ attitude going. Which just makes a guy want to mess with you.”

“I wouldn’t recommend it.” She moved his finger from her lips and released it before she was tempted to snap it in two. What kind of game was he playing? And why had she let him play it at all?

“Hey.” He reached for her.

She held up one hand. “Do me a favor and just stay out of my way or I’m gonna squish you like that pestering bug you remind me of.” She slapped her hands together. “And I’m gonna enjoy it.”

Della got another headache during math class. Aunt Flo finally decided to drop by for her monthly visit. Between classes, her temples throbbing, Della went back to her cabin to get her tampons. While she walked, she thought about seeing Chan the night before. Had she imagined it? If not, what was he doing here in Texas? Yeah, he came here often, but he usually called her when he did. She thought about his reasons for not calling her back. Too busy? In trouble? But why would he have come here if he didn’t want to talk to her? She pulled out her phone. Finding his message from last week, she listened to it again.

Hey … just thought I’d call you. Hadn’t heard from you in a while. You tired of that prison yet? Wanna come join me and have some fun? Anyway, it’s not important, but call me when you get a chance.

Deciding to try again, she dialed his number.

It went to voicemail. All of a sudden, she remembered a message Chan had sent her months ago on a friend’s phone. She did a few swipes and found the text and the number. Angry at herself for not remembering earlier, she called it.

It rang twice. “Yeah,” a deep voice answered.

“Hi, I’m Della Tsang, Chan Hon’s cousin. Is this Kevin?”

“I don’t know anyone named Chan Hon.”

Yes, he did. She could hear his lie. And he hadn’t denied being Kevin. “This is his vampire cousin,” Della said, thinking he might think she was human. “Are you Kevin Miller? He used your phone once to send me a text.”

Silence filled the line. Finally he spoke. “You’re the one who goes to that fancy school. I was there with Chan in Texas when you got the virus and Chan took care of your ass. You’re the half-white one, aren’t you?”

He sounded like he was going to hold it against her. With a name like Kevin Miller, wasn’t he white? “Yeah, I’m trying to contact Chan and can’t reach him.”

“He moved to Texas.”

So it was Chan at the gate. She knew it.

“There’s a whole group of them who joined the Crimson Blood gang. Up in the Houston area.”

Della groaned inwardly. Chan had joined a gang? So far, he’d avoided joining one because he knew they could get him in a whole lot of trouble.

Della hadn’t heard of the Crimson Blood. Not all gangs were bad, but most of them were. And with a name like Crimson Blood, it didn’t sound good.