* * *
Chase stood over Stone and the others were as he looked out the window and saw Della carry her sister out the back door and fly off.
Della’s mother and father stood up as if to go to the hospital. The front door swung open and two more agents walked in.
One was a female agent, a fae, and she went straight to Della’s parents.
She put her hands on them. Both Mr. and Mrs. Tsang’s postures changed immediately.
“Come,” she said to them. “Let’s talk.” She ushered them into the kitchen.
Burnett shifted closer. His eyes were bright red. He crouched down and looked at the three rogues. “Which one of you is going to tell me where my agent is that was sitting in that car out front?
“I’m counting to three, then I start shooting.” He pulled out his gun.
“One.
“Two.”
He shot Stone. “Oops, I forgot to say three.”
The two other weres gasped.
Stone tried to get up, but fell back down. The two weres looked terrified, not realizing it was only a tranquilizer gun.
“Should I start counting again?” He looked at the other two, and Chase guessed he was sizing them up for which one was more likely to talk.
“One.” He shot one of the half weres.
“He’s in the shed across the street,” the other were blurted out.
Burnett looked over his shoulder. “You get that?” But the other agent was already heading out.
Then Burnett looked back and shot the second were. Then he leaned in. “How well do you know that guard at Hell’s Pit?”
“Pretty well,” Chase said.
“Think you can remember how to get there? Eddie said he and Kirk would meet you there. Give him a call.”
* * *
Della paced the small room. A whole team of people was working on her sister. She’d stayed there with them until one of the doctors noticed her. “Get her out of here.”
At first she’d fought them, but then one said, “Do you want the best care for your sister?”
Della nodded and two other nurses brought Della in here. Oh, they pretended to just be comforting her. They didn’t know she’d heard the doctor tell them to detain her, and call the police.
“You want anything to drink?” the nurse asked.
“No.” Della kept blinking, and staring at the ground hoping to hide her bright eyes. Blood—her sister’s blood—soaked her blouse. Each time she walked back and forth, she repeated her prayer. Don’t let her die. Please, God, don’t let her die.
She heard voices on the other side of the door. Probably the police. Della didn’t care. There would only be a problem if they tried to take her out of the hospital. She’d have to hurt someone then. She would.
All of a sudden the door in the tiny waiting room flew open and Burnett walked in. He flashed his badge to the two nurses.
Della burst out crying, and he pulled her against him. “They tell me she’s about to go into surgery,” he said. “Kylie is on her way too.”
Della pulled back. The air she tried to pull into her lungs shook. “My parents?”
Burnett glanced at the two nurses. “Can we have a minute?”
They walked out.
“I have an agent with them. I’ll bring them here as soon as … it’s safe.”
“Safe?” Della asked, and her first thought was something else had happened, but then realized what he meant. He wouldn’t—couldn’t—let them come here screaming about vampires.
“It’s not their fault,” Della said. “You can’t keep them from here. I know they’re worried sick. If Marla doesn’t make it…” Della’s throat knotted.
“I think they’ll be here shortly. I’m just making sure.”
Della noticed the blood on Burnett. “What happened?”
He frowned. “Shawn. An agent. He’d been watching your house. They got him. I just brought him in.”
“Shawn, Miranda’s Shawn?”
Burnett nodded.
“Is he…”
“No. They’re taking him into surgery too.”
Five minutes later, Kylie showed up.
No sooner had Kylie walked in than the doctor stuck his head in.
“We’re prepping her for surgery. I’ll have the nurse give you updates.”
“Can we see her?” Della asked.
“I really don’t think we can spare the time.”
Burnett looked at Della and Kylie and glanced to the door that still stood open. “Doctor, can I please have a word with you?” he motioned the doctor over.
Della and Kylie ran out. Della led Kylie to the ER where they’d taken Marla earlier.
Two nurses were standing around her, monitoring her and wiping something around her chest.
“You can’t be in here now,” one of the nurses said.
“We just need to see her for a second. Please,” Kylie said. “It’s her sister.”
When the nurse reached for a phone to call someone—probably to toss them out—Kylie moved in and put her hands on Marla’s feet.
“We need someone in here, now,” said the nurse on the phone.
Della got between the nurse and Kylie, prepared to fight if she had to.
After only a couple of seconds, Kylie said, “We can leave now.”
Della looked back and Kylie was glowing.
The two nurses gasped.
“Did it work?” Della asked, chewing on her lip as they went out.
Kylie smiled. “I’m pretty sure. I think all they need to do is take the bullet out.”
Della, realizing Kylie was still glowing, pulled off her hoodie and handed it to her.
* * *
Two hours later, Della sat at her sister’s side in the recovery room. She hadn’t woken up, but the surgeon—who’d been shocked at how little damage the bullet had done—had assured her that Marla would be fine.
Burnett had popped in and told her that Shawn was going to make it. “My parents?” Della asked.
“They should be here soon. It’s going to be okay,” he said. But Della was afraid to believe it. It didn’t feel okay.
He left. Della looked back at her sister and worried about what she was going to say to her.
In just a few minutes the curtain shifted again. Della expected it to be a nurse, but her mom walked in.
She looked terrible. Her face was pale, her nose red, and her eyes wet.
Della waited to see the fear, the repulsion, appear in her mom’s eyes, but it didn’t. Or Della just couldn’t see it. Her mom moved in, albeit a little slowly. She glanced at Marla, and didn’t look away until her sister’s chest shifted to take air into her lungs.
Her mom let go of a deep, sad breath.
“They say she’s going to be fine,” Della said.
Her mom met her gaze again.
“I’m so sorry,” Della said.
Her mom pulled Della into her arms.
“For what? You didn’t do anything wrong. If you hadn’t come, we’d have died.”
Della leaned in and for the first time since she’d been turned, she didn’t worry about her mom touching her, or that she’d freak out at Della’s lack of body temperature.
Her mom pulled back and she brushed Della’s tears from her face. “I’m the one who needs to say I’m sorry. I … we … I wish you could have told us. These last nine months shouldn’t have been like this.”
“It’s not an easy thing to tell,” Della said.
Her mom nodded and said, “It wasn’t an easy thing to hear, either. But things are going to be different now.”
Were they? Della wondered. Her father wasn’t here. And she was pretty sure she knew why.
Her mom inhaled. “Your father is in the chapel. He did something terrible, Della. I’m furious at him, but he wants to apologize.”
Della figured it was about telling the police she might have killed the Chis.
“Why don’t you go and I’ll stay with Marla,” her mom said.
Della nodded, but when she walked out, she stopped and just leaned against the hospital wall. More tears fell from her lashes. What in the world was she going to say to him? Would he ever look at her and not see a monster?
Miranda and Kylie walked up. Miranda hugged her. Della hugged her back and hung on.
“You okay?” Miranda said and was the one who ended the hug.
“My dad wants to talk to me,” she said.
“Then go,” Kylie said.
“If he says anything mean to you, I’ll give him jock itch.” Miranda twitched her pinky.
Della, with tears still running down her face, couldn’t help but smile. Then she remembered. “How’s Shawn?”
“He’s out of surgery and doing well,” Miranda said. “His parents said I could visit him in a bit.”
“Good.”
“Go see your dad,” Kylie said.
Della nodded and took off, but when she came to the waiting room, she heard voices. She stopped and pushed the door open—just a few inches. Her gaze shifted around the room looking from one concerned person to the other.
It took her a second to realize who was she was looking for.
He wasn’t here. Not a vampire in the room.
She recalled some of the things she’d told him. And she supposed she didn’t deserve to have him here. But she remembered that second when she’d seen him walk into her parents’ home. She’d felt … Well, she hadn’t felt alone anymore.
Then she remembered the things she’d learned from Eddie. Chase had still been keeping things from her. Didn’t she have a right to be upset?
Stiffening her backbone, pushing Chase problems aside to worry about Daddy problems, she followed the signs to the chapel.
Chapter Fifty
Kirk and Eddie had met Chase at Hell’s Pit. He’d signed the papers for Douglas Stone, or Connor Powell, to become a regular resident.
Chase hadn’t said anything to Eddie about him talking to Burnett with Kirk around. But with their brief conversation, Eddie didn’t appear to hold any grudges against Chase.
However, Chase had sensed some tension between the two men. Eddie told Chase he’d meet him outside, and Kirk went with him through the prison’s back door to sign Stone up for his new residence. The paperwork was done and the guard led Stone to his cell.
When Chase went to leave, Kirk called him back. “I was wrong to have asked you to take care of this the way I did.”
“Yes, you were,” Chase said.
Kirk looked toward the exit and frowned. “I never meant to deceive Eddie. It was always more about protecting him.”
Chase sensed honesty in the man’s tone, but that was for Eddie to decide.
“It’s late,” Chase said.
Kirk held out his hand. “Can I say that knowing you work with the FRU, I’m hopeful that there might be some changes for the good?”
Chase recalled the times Kirk had been there for him and Eddie, and he couldn’t help but shake the man’s hand.
“Thank you.”
Once outside, Eddie met him. “You okay?” his surrogate father asked.
Chase nodded. “You?”
“Yeah.” Eddie put his hand on Chase’s shoulder. “I’m proud of you, son.”
“Even if I work for the FRU?” Chase asked.
“Even if,” he said. “How’s Della’s sister?”
“Burnett texted me that she’s going to make it.”
“Good.”
“Thank you for calling Burnett,” Chase said.
Eddie nodded. “If he wasn’t an FRU agent, I might even like him.”
“I told you. He’s a good guy.”
Eddie smiled. “He reminds me of your father.”
“Which one?” Chase asked. “I have two.” He met Eddie’s eyes, letting him know what he meant.
“I love you, son!” Eddie said and the two of them embraced.
* * *
Della walked into the chapel. Her father sat in the first row. The lights were out, except for some flickering candles. She wiped the tears from her eyes.
She saw him look over his shoulder. Her chest swelled with emotion, but she forced herself to go and sit down beside him.
He had his head down, his hands folded. “I am a terrible person,” he said.
More tears came. “No, you’re not. You saw some terrible things a long time ago and I reminded you of it all over again.”
He still didn’t look at her. “I’m the one who told the police that you might have killed Mr. and Mrs. Chi.”
“I know,” she said.
He looked at her. “You knew?”
“Yeah,” she said. “And it’s because of me that you were arrested for murder. I’m the one who had the file pulled so I could find out … about Feng and Bao Yu.”
“Yes, but Mr. James tells me you never thought I did it. Even when he got the file with my confession. You believed in me, and I turned you in.”
She felt another wave of emotion fill her. “It’s different,” she said. “I didn’t witness something terrible that gave me doubt.”
“Yes, you did.” Tears filled his eyes. “You witnessed me these last nine months. I treated you so badly. How can you forgive me?”
She reached over and took his hand in hers. “Because that was nine months, and you treated me so wonderfully for over seventeen years.”
He wrapped his arms around her and there, in the small hospital chapel, she got her daddy back.
After a few minutes, Della felt the temperature go down in the dark room. She looked around, almost afraid of what her aunt might do if she still didn’t believe.
“You didn’t kill your sister,” she told him and hoped Bao Yu would hear as well.
“I pulled the knife out,” he said, and his voice shook a little. “I might have killed her. She was trying to do it and I just … It looked like it was hurting her.” He cupped his hand over his eyes and the sad sound of her father’s cries filled the small dark room.
I was already dying, Bao Yu said. I’d seen the light already. He was trying to help me. I wanted it out. It’s not his fault. Her gaze met Della’s. I finally remembered. Thanks to you.
Della stared at the altar and the cross and where her aunt stood. She smiled at Della. She had tears in her eyes and mouthed the words, Thank you.
“She was already dying,” Della said. “I’m sure you did that because she … because you thought it would help.” She squeezed his hand. “The man who came into your house, the really mean one, he was the one who killed her.”
Her father shook his head. “Mr. James told me that too.”
Della looked back at her aunt.
Bao Yu turned and looked over her shoulder, and Della almost gasped when the wall behind her aunt seemed to open up. Where the Sheetrock had been was now what looked like the most beautiful sunset she’d ever seen. Colors so brilliant, so … unlike any she’d ever seen. Bao Yu turned, and suddenly Mrs. Chi showed up. They both waved at Della, then walked away, and the colors slowly faded.
But the warm, soft feeling swelling in Della’s chest didn’t fade.
“Did you see that?” her father asked.
“See what?” Della asked, shocked.
“Those colors, like a rainbow flashed on the wall.”
“Yeah,” Della said. “I saw that.”
“Maybe it is a sign that good things will happen from now on.”
“Yeah,” Della smiled. “I think it was a sign.”
They sat in the peaceful silence. Both looking at the wall, as if waiting for more colors to appear.
Her father spoke again. “Mr. James also told me that you saw Feng.”
“I did,” she said. “He’s a very nice man. A lot like someone else I know,” she said and smiled.
“I would like to see him,” he said.
“I’ll bet he would like to see you, too.”
* * *
Four days later, Chase poured Eddie a glass of blood and they sat down at his Frenc
h farm table. Baxter rested at his guest’s feet. The dog loved Eddie almost as much as he loved Chase.
“Della called me today,” Eddie said.
Well, that hurt. She hadn’t found the time to call him. Chase picked up his glass and took a slow sip to hide his emotions.
“The courts have dropped the case against Chao. His lawyer requested a new DNA test to be done on Bao Yu’s gown, and when they went to do it, it was missing. Fearing he would look bad, the DA decided to drop the case.”
“Really,” Chase said, and took another long sip. “Funny how things like that happen.”
Eddie looked at him. “I see you used your fireplace recently.”
“It got cold.”
“Right,” Eddie said. “You could have gotten your ass in a lot of trouble.”
“Yeah,” Chase said. “But I asked myself, if I got caught would it be worth it? It would have been. Besides, I didn’t do it alone.”
“Who?”
“Della has a lot of friends at Shadow Falls.”
Eddie nodded. “Della says that my brother wants to meet with me.”
“That’s good,” Chase said. He’d heard through the years how Eddie missed his twin.
He’d also heard from Burnett how Della’s father had admitted he’d been a total ass and was seriously trying to make amends with his daughter. So maybe the man wasn’t such an ass after all.
“Have you called or texted her?” Eddie asked.
Chase took another slow sip. “She told me not to.”
“And since when do you do what people tell you? You sure as hell didn’t listen to me.”
“She knows where I am. I’ve told her how I feel many times.” And she never told me she felt the same. That hurt.
Eddie leaned down to pet Baxter. When he sat back up, he dropped Baxter’s dog collar on the table. “Never turn your back on a challenge,” he said. “Isn’t that what the collar says? There was a day when you said you lived by that. Don’t stop doing that now, son.”
* * *
“Checkmate,” Della said, and smiled at her dad.
“Okay, I clearly need to brush up on the game,” her father said.
Della just grinned. She knew he’d purposely let her win, and she loved him for it. God, she loved him. Loved her whole family.
“One more game?” he asked.
“I should go.” Della frowned. “I promised Mom I would help her cook chicken fingers for dinner and I promised Marla I would watch the Twilight movie with her.” Della made a face.