Read Eternal for Free Online Page B

growling sound. “Okay, let me change my answer to: It’s none of your damn business. And if you think I’d hurt Miranda on purpose, you’re an idiot.”
    Della watched the blond shape-shifter storm off, realizing how weird that was. Anger wasn’t Perry’s go-to emotion. He usually made some wisecrack comment, using humor to either cover up the real issue or to defuse the situation.
    Which meant whatever was wrong must be bad enough to take a bite out of his sense of humor.
    When she turned around she saw Steve standing at the door, waiting with a half-smile. Steve’s half-smiles always looked sexy. It was the way his eyes tightened, and his lashes lowered over those warm brown eyes. His dark hair looked a little like he’d been sleeping. She always liked it a little messy. He wore jeans that hugged him in all the right places and a navy T-shirt that looked so soft she wanted to touch it. Oh, and he was barefoot. Even that got to her.
    Her concerns for Perry and Miranda took a backseat to wanting to lean her head on his chest and feel his arms around her. To let the magic that was all Steve make her own issues feel less than. And if that made her less than, too, so be it. She’d pull up her big-girl panties later.
    Besides, she was just following Burnett’s orders. Enjoy being a teen.
    When she stepped up on his porch, his half-smile faded. All her soft feelings vanished and she remembered seeing Chase and the craziness that had happened at the falls.
    â€œWhat’s wrong?” he asked.
    Was her expression as sour as Perry’s?
    She opened her mouth, but didn’t have a clue where to start. Or what all to tell him. Did she tell him everything?
    That Chase had come to see her?
    That the Vampire Council wanted her to work with them?
    That she had a ghost hanging around again?
    Did she tell him she thought there were a couple of vampires buried alive and it might be up to her to find them?
    She had a feeling Steve wasn’t going to like hearing any of her issues.
    She frowned. “Can I just say ‘everything’ and leave it at that?”
    â€œHell, no.” He reached for her and pulled her against him. Her head found the special spot she loved. After a two-second embrace, he turned and started inside his cabin.
    â€œWhat’s going on?” he asked after settling her on the sofa and sitting beside her. His warmth pressed close to her side, his arm shifted around her shoulders.
    When she didn’t just spit it out, he lifted her chin and made her look at him. “Why do I think it has something to do with Chase?”
    Oh, hell. See, she was right, Steve wasn’t going to like this.
    â€œI went to the falls,” she said.
    â€œWhy?” he asked, sounding like Miranda.
    â€œBecause I kept hearing it. Holiday says the falls call you. Anyway…” She swallowed and just said it, “Chase was there.”
    She felt Steve’s muscles tighten and could swear his temperature actually inched up a few degrees. “Trespassing? Did Burnett grab him and teach him a lesson?”
    â€œNo, because he … he’d actually been here to see Burnett.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œThe Vampire Council wants me and Chase to work on finding the missing fresh turns that the creep Craig Anthony sold into slavery.”
    â€œAnd Burnett vetoed that deal, right?” Steve’s brown eyes grew a dark amber color as he waited for her answer.
    â€œHe’s trying to arrange a deal where we will be working for the FRU and not the council.”
    â€œBut you’ll be working with Chase?” Steve asked, his tone tight.
    She refused to lie. “If they agree to it.”
    â€œI don’t like it. Seriously, you caught that Anthony creep, now let someone else do the rest.”
    She cupped her hands together. “I can’t.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    Because it’s the right thing, because … “A