Taken at Dusk (Shadow Falls #3)(13)

"And you should be pissed!" Della shot Miranda an odd look. "She needs to know."

"Know what?" Watching the two of them exchanging gazes, Kylie got a bad feeling.

They didn't get a chance to answer because she heard a cracking sound and the cabin's front door swung open. Burnett walked inside, and behind him stood Holiday. Behind Holiday stood Perry.

Did they have news about the Brightens? Kylie's heart jolted.

"I told you to knock," Holiday snapped at Burnett.

"I did." He looked back at Holiday.

"Well, usually after you knock, you wait until someone tells you to enter."

Burnett shot Holiday a tight smile. "Guess you need to be more specific next time." He glanced back at Kylie, and she could see concern in his eyes.

"What's going on?" Kylie's gaze went back to Perry, who looked almost guilty. But guilty about what? Oh crap! What had happened?

"I'm sorry." Perry's eyes turned deep green.

Kylie's chest tightened. "Sorry for what?"

Perry looked at Burnett and then at Holiday.

"What happened?" Kylie asked. "Are the Brightens okay? Answer me!"

Perry just stood there looking guilt-ridden.

"I'd answer her," Della said to Perry in her snarky voice. "She might go after your ears again if you don't."

Chapter Five

"I don't know what happened." Perry moved in closer, his eyes brightening to emerald green.

"How could you not know?" Kylie looked to Burnett and then Holiday, waiting for one of them to pipe up. When they didn't, she refocused on Perry. "You were following them." Suddenly, the guilt she spotted on his face did a flying leap and landed right on Kylie's own shoulders. If something really bad had happened to them, it was her fault. She'd been the one wanting to contact them. But damn it, she'd been so sure it was the right thing to do.

"They disappeared," Perry said. "One minute they were driving down the freeway in that silver Cadillac and then, poof." He waved his hands out in front of him. "They were gone. Cadillac and everything. Gone. Poof."

Kylie's chest grew heavy. "People, human people, don't just go poof." She managed to keep her voice low, but her frustration laced the tone with sarcasm.

Then the truth hit. She only thought people didn't go poof. Not too long ago she didn't think people could turn into unicorns, or that vampires and werewolves existed. She wouldn't have thought she could use her dreams to communicate with people or that she could break down a concrete wall. So who the hell knew if people went poof or not? And if they did go poof, did that mean...?

Kylie's stomach knotted. "Are they dead?"

Holiday frowned. "Let's not start assuming-"

"We don't know," Burnett interrupted. "I have agents working on finding out, though. The agency is sending me pictures of the Brightens any minute now. At least then we'll know if they were impostors."

Burnett's phone rang and he snatched it up. "What you got?" His expression hardened. "That can't be. I checked them this morning." He paused and eyed Holiday, who moved closer to Burnett's side.

Della leaned over to Kylie. "The cameras aren't working." Her sensitive hearing had obviously picked up both sides of the conversation.

Footsteps sounded on the cabin porch and Kylie looked up as Lucas stepped through the doorway. His gaze found hers, his concern for her reflecting in his eyes, and he stopped beside her. His arm brushed against hers, and she felt his warmth. The memory of his kiss flashed through her head and she felt a little guilty about sharing it with Miranda and Della.

Kylie saw Lucas glance at her two roommates and nod. It wasn't an overtly friendly nod, either. Kylie had heard that werewolves were pretty standoffish, and she supposed it was true. Other than Lucas, Kylie hadn't really befriended any of them at the camp.

"Did Burnett get the pictures of your grandparents yet?" Lucas looked down at her.

"Don't know." She found herself staring at his blue eyes. For just a second, she wished she didn't question what she felt. Wished he weren't another unanswered part of her life. It would feel so good to just give in. So, why didn't she?

"You okay?" He mouthed the words more than spoke them. She nodded but wasn't so sure how true it was.

"Then someone tampered with them!" Burnett paced across the living room. "Have you gotten the Brightens' DMV records yet? I want to see a copy of their licenses to determine if they're who they said they were." He tightened his jaw muscles and glanced up at Kylie. Empathy for her flashed in his eyes, but it faded within a flicker of a second. Showing emotion, even a glimmer in his eyes, seemed too much for him.

Everything about the man looked hard and dark. And he seemed to like it that way. He had black hair, olive skin, and a body rippled with muscles that kept most men at a distance and most women his age wishing he'd get closer. Kylie saw Holiday studying Burnett and amended her last thought. In spite of the obvious attraction that ran deep between them, Holiday wouldn't let Burnett get close.

"I don't understand what takes them so long," Burnett snapped at the caller. "It's as simple as pulling records at the DMV. I could have done it myself by now." He released a deep, frustrated sigh. "Just send them as soon as they come in." He hung up, dropped his phone into his shirt pocket, and looked at Holiday.