AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Okay. Go back to the school.”
“But—”
“Don’t you even think of arguing with me!” Burnett seethed. “Do you have any idea how worried we’ve been about you? Go back to the school. Straight back!”
“The car,” she said.
“I said get to the school!”
“It’s on Peach Street and—”
“I know where it is!” He raked a hand through his hair. “Some more agents will be showing up here any minute now. If you want a career with the FRU, you’d better get your ass out of here now.”
Chase saw Della nod. He also saw the tears in her eyes. He took one step toward her. She took off.
“Did you have to be so hard on her?” Chase growled.
Burnett ignored him and stormed inside the house. Chase followed.
He stopped when he saw Councilman Powell’s body in the hallway. Chase hadn’t been close to the man, but seeing him dead pulled at his heartstrings.
Burnett looked up. “We need to mask Della’s scent. Go to the kitchen, find some seasonings, anything with a strong odor, add water to it, and boil it. Then wipe your prints off and put it all way. Fast.”
* * *
Forty minutes later, Della landed in the school’s parking lot. As good as home felt, right then she’d rather be anywhere but here. She knew what, or rather who, waited for her.
Della had grown accustomed to butting heads with Burnett. Holiday was another story. Burnett got mad. The kind of mad Della could handle. Holiday mostly got disappointed. That was harder.
A night breeze brushed against Della’s face and she hesitated, closing her eyes. Her heart ached, her mind raced. Then, knowing she couldn’t postpone it, she walked through the gate. The slight click of the alarm announced her entrance.
She heard the creak of one of the white rockers on the front porch. Through the darkness she could see the shape of one small woman.
Della didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t sorry she’d done it. Even considering everything that had happened, meeting her uncle was … good.
Holiday stood up.
Della stepped up on the porch. The red-haired fae frowned. Holiday didn’t frown a lot.
“I’m sorry I upset you,” Della said. “I know you were worried. But I had to go. And … the car’s fine.”
“It’s not the damn car I care about!” Holiday seethed, and she wrapped her arms around her. “You don’t do this to people who love you!”
Della rested her head on her shoulder for a few seconds before pulling away.
“I know what happened now,” Della said.
“Happened?”
Della nodded. “The night Bao Yu died. My dad didn’t kill her. Well, not … really. He wanted to help her. He found her and she was trying to pull the knife out of her chest. He did it for her. And that’s the last thing she remembered.”
Holiday sighed. “Does she know?”
“I think so. I don’t know if she believes it yet.”
“If that’s what really happened, she’ll realize it now.”
Holiday stepped back and looked at her. “You’re exhausted. Have you fed at all today?”
