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“Because of Della?”
“Yes. But not just that. I want to work for—”
“They can train you.” Burnett’s tone was colored with anger.
“I don’t just want to be an FRU agent.” He met the man’s stern gaze. “I want to be a damn good FRU agent. I want to learn from the best. And you are the best I’ve seen. Della has told me that you take risks and will break rules to do what is right. That’s the kind of agent I want to be. I’m asking you to take me under your wing. Teach me how to do this. To work within a set of guidelines and still be true to yourself.”
Burnett stood there, his eyes still hot. His daughter looked at Chase with a toothless grin. The contrast between the two looks alone made the moment feel awkward.
“I’m asking for one more chance,” Chase said. “Let me earn your respect. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
Burnett’s expression lost some heat. He looked at his wife. She nodded. Her husband exhaled, looked back at his daughter and frowned, then glanced back at Chase. “Anything?”
“Anything,” Chase said.
“Do you know how to change a poopy diaper?”
The smell hit Chase’s nose and his Adam’s apple trembled. He took a step forward to do his duty. “I can learn.”
“Not on my baby,” Holiday said. “It’s your turn, Daddy.” She pointed down the hall.
Burnett glanced back at Chase. “But I need—”
“To change a diaper. It’s my turn to talk.” Holiday motioned for her husband to leave.
Burnett walked away with his smiling daughter in his arms. As he left, Chase heard him say, “Hannah, how can you be so sweet and smell so bad?”
“Thank you,” Chase said, sensing Holiday’s nod earlier meant more than he could guess.
“Don’t thank me.” Holiday moved closer. “What you said was powerful.”
“I meant it.”
“I believe you.” She looked down the hall to where Burnett and Hannah had disappeared. “You know my husband might be hard as nails on the outside, but on the inside he’s the most decent man I know. He’s taken an oath to never cause unnecessary harm. He follows that. Although a few times I’ve had to remind him of it.”
Chase nodded. “He’s very lucky to have you.”
“Me, on the other hand,” she continued. “I never took any oaths. And Chase Tallman, if you hurt Della one more time, I’m going to remove your boy parts, grind them up, and feed them to the hungry rats and scorpions. Is that clear?”
Chase nodded. He would have said, yes, madam, but he’d about swallowed his tongue. It wasn’t just the removal aspect of what she’d said, but the hungry rats and scorpions. Those two words should never be used in the same sentence with boy parts.
“Now, go. If you need a place to sleep tonight, cabin fourteen is empty.”
* * *
“We should probably leave,” Lucas said for the eighth time.
What if Mrs. Chi came back and could tell Della who’d done this? She needed to know. Needed to find the idiots and make them pay.
“I saw them,” she muttered, her gaze on the front of the jewelry store as they wheeled a body out on a stretcher. Her chest filled with a knot of hurt.
“Saw who?” Lucas asked.
“The weres. There were three of them.”
Lucas spoke in a whisper. “We don’t know if weres did this.”
“Their scent is here,” Della said. “I’m sorry if this insults you, but we are both pretty sure what happened.”
