Reborn (Shadow Falls: After Dark #1)(66)

Kylie made a face. “Do you think he’ll believe you managed to do this all on your own?”

Della frowned. Kylie was right. She might have taken on two of the goons, but five would have been too much.

“Yeah, and how are you going to explain that they’re kangaroos?” Miranda asked.

Della grinned. “Well, I was thinking you could change them back before you left, but now that I think about it, when one of them says something about being hopping mad, Burnett will see your mark all over it.”

Della paused and looked back at the wiggling mass of slimeballs. “But you two know he’s going to be spitting mad. I hate that you two will get in trouble.”

“He can’t get any madder than he did when I turned him into a kangaroo,” Miranda said.

“He can’t be that mad,” Kylie said. “We got some bad guys. And we don’t have a scratch on us.”

Kylie was wrong. Burnett seemed mad from the moment he answered the phone. She’d given him the bit of truth that she’d decided to tell. She’d come here to see if she could find anything about her cousin Chan and accidentally stumbled across an organization that was forcing newly turned vampires into becoming indentured servants. Since the whole Chan bit wasn’t a lie, Burnett wouldn’t know she was withholding.

He calmed down a little when she assured him they were all fine, not a scratch on them. While still on the phone with her, he used his office phone and called some FRU authorities in Houston and had them coming there within five minutes. He would be there in about half an hour. The fact that Burnett could do that amazed her. Just how fast was he?

When she hung up, she went outside quickly to hide her uncle’s file in Kylie’s car. She’d just hidden the file in the trunk and slammed it shut when a peregrine falcon landed on it.

Della stared at the bird. “The FRU are due here any minute. You should leave or you might get your ass in a sling.”

She saw the bird turn its little head first left, and then right, as if checking whether anyone was watching. Then magical electrocharged bubbles started popping off. “I don’t care if I get in trouble,” Steve said, and hopped down to the ground, landing only a few feet in front of her.

Della shook her head. “Well, I don’t want you to get in trouble, so leave.”

He closed his eyes a second, then opened them. “I just wanted … I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry I overreacted yesterday, and then just now in there. I just … worry about you.” Honesty and emotion sounded in his deep voice.

Her chest gripped. “I’m fine. Look, I’m not hurt.”

“Then why are you bleeding?” he asked.

“I’m not bleeding,” she said.

“Your nose.” He grabbed the hem of his shirttail and brought it up to her nose.

When he pulled back, she saw the red stain. She touched her nose. “I don’t even remember being hit.”

“You wouldn’t remember,” he said. “I’m sure you were more worried about your friends than yourself.” He dropped the hem of his shirt and glided his finger across her cheek. “Am I forgiven?”

The soft touch sent currents of breath-catching emotion right to her heart. “I wasn’t the one who was angry,” she said.

“I know, but you weren’t the one who lost their cool, either. And the only reason I came here today was because … I just freaked out about you being hurt and all I could think was I’d been ugly to you.”

She swallowed the lump of emotion down her throat. “I can’t make you any promises, Steve.”

“We’ll see about that,” he said, and smiled.

That was his way of saying he’d prove her wrong. And part of her almost wished he would.

“Did you find anything out about your cousin and uncle?”

She nodded. “It’s true, my uncle was turned into a vampire.”

“Do you know where to look for him?”

“No, but at least I know for sure now.” It was a start, Della told herself, and she knew she wouldn’t stop without finding all the answers. But now she needed to find out about her aunt.

“I’ll help any way I can.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek. A soft, sweet kiss. Her eyelids fluttered closed and she longed to lean closer. She ached to be held, to feel his strength around her.

When he pulled back, he had a frown on his face. “You’re still warm.” He reached up to touch her brow.

She caught his arm. “I might have a little cold or something. Now go before you get caught here.”

“A cold?”

“Go,” she insisted.

“Fine. But call me as soon as you can.”

She nodded, and the bubbles appeared around him as he returned to bird form. Then, not wanting to leave Kylie and Miranda with the ball of kangaroos too long, she took off toward the door.

But before she got inside, two dark sedans squealed up in front of the funeral home, and six FRU agents hauled ass out of the car, charging right at her. Before Della could say anything, they had her circled. Two vamps, a were, a warlock, and two shape-shifters. And from the looks of them, they didn’t know if she was friend or foe.

One of them grabbed one arm and another caught her other. Freaking fantastic. First she was confronted by the bad guys, and now it was the good guys.