"Yeah." Kylie did want to talk to Holiday, yet she sensed the camp leader would tell Kylie the same thing she always did. I don't have the answers.
I think this is something you must find out for yourself.
But how was Kylie supposed to find the answers? Her plan of getting information from Daniel had been flushed down the toilet. Where did that leave her?
The chirp of Holiday's cell phone brought Kylie back to the present. Holiday yanked the phone to her ear. "Burnett?" Holiday's expression hardened. "No. You have the wrong number."
Kylie heard the frustration in Holiday's tone. No doubt the camp leader was worried about Burnett. A little of that worry wiggled into Kylie. She'd been the one to run off from the vampire event-if anything happened to Burnett it would be Kylie's fault. Looking off at the log walls of the dining room, she tried to deal with the guilt.
Then Kylie remembered that Burnett was probably the last person in the world who couldn't take care of himself. The man was six foot three of hard muscle and his vamp powers were some of the strongest. Or so Della had said. Since Burnett had stepped in as a temporary assistant, Della had become a bit of a Burnett fan.
"I'm sure he's fine," Kylie offered, and leaned into a dining chair. "No one stands a chance against him," Della insisted.
But neither Kylie's nor Della's comments helped. Holiday's brow remained pinched with worry. And it was more than normal concern, too. Kylie sensed the attraction between the two of them the first time she saw them together. Just because Holiday didn't want to get involved, didn't mean she didn't care.
Holiday dialed a number and then snapped her phone closed.
"Why would he turn off his phone?" Holiday's eyes tightened. "He has to have known I would want to talk to him."
"I can answer that," Della said. "You see, when you're out in the woods looking for someone, hoping to find them before they find you, nothing takes away your advantage more than a ringing phone."
The truth of Della's words only brought a deep frown to Holiday lips. "He could have called before he left. He's just being ... difficult. I swear, I can't wait until they hire someone else. I simply cannot work with that man."
Della grinned. "You can't work with him, you say you don't like him, but look how worried you are about him."
"I'm not worried ... I mean, I am worried, but not ... It's not like..."
"Like you really care about him," Della finished off Holiday's sentence, and then continued. "Like you have the hots for him? Or do you have the hots for him? You know one might assume-"
"You got the hots for me?" Burnett's deep voice rang out as he moved to stand behind Holiday.
Holiday's face blushed-from anger or embarrassment, Kylie wasn't sure. Then Holiday swung around and confronted the tall, dark vampire.
Burnett's eyes briefly met Kylie's and he nodded.
Kylie recalled what she'd been doing the last time Burnett's presence had startled her, and was sure her face reddened right along with Holiday's. "So you're alive," Holiday snapped. While her voice expressed anger, her expression told another story-genuine, heartfelt relief. Seeing the emotion, Kylie forgot about her own embarrassment. No doubt about it.
Holiday cared a lot about Burnett. Probably more than she wanted to admit.
"You never answered," he said. "You got the hots for me, or not?" His dark eyes lit up with a smile.
Squaring her shoulders, Holiday started talking. "Della assumed I might have the hots for you. And you know what they say about assuming, right?"
"It makes an ass out of you and me," Della answered, and gave Kylie the elbow. "Get it. A. S. S. U. M. E."
Holiday cut her eyes to Della in visual reprimand, then started walking away. She got three steps and swung back around. "Are you coming?" she snapped at Burnett.
"You didn't ask me to," he answered.
"Well, I assumed you would know I needed to discuss what happened."
He arched one dark brow upward. "And what did you just say about assuming?"
Della grinned and appeared totally entertained by Holiday and Burnett, but Kylie's thoughts went in another direction. She cleared her throat. "Didn't you guys agree to be forthcoming with all of us from now on? So why do you have to leave? Why can't we all hear this?" Holiday frowned.
"She's right." Burnett held out both his hands. "You did say that at the meeting. I believe it was the same one at which you called me a jerk," he added.
Holiday's eyes brightened with frustration. Obviously the man didn't know when to keep his mouth shut.
"Fine," Holiday said between her closed teeth. The two of them stared at each other, and neither of them blinked. When the silence became long, Holiday let go of a deep breath. "Why don't you address everyone then?" She waved at the front of the room. "The floor is all yours."
"I think I could do that," Burnett answered, but his expression said he didn't really like addressing the group. Kylie also got the feeling that Holiday knew it.
Holiday shot off, and Burnett watched her go. "I don't know which is worse, talking to everyone or talking to her alone." He looked up at Kylie and flinched as if he hadn't meant to say that aloud. Then before he moved to the front, he looked at Della. Kylie could swear she saw him mouth the words "Thank you."
When he left, Kylie studied Della. "How long did you know Burnett was in the room?"
"Pretty much from the time Holiday walked over here." Della grinned.
"Hey, we vampires have got to stick together." She nudged Kylie with her elbow as if saying Kylie was one of them. Kylie wasn't so sure she was. Then again, she wasn't sure she wasn't, either.
The door to the dining room swished open. Kylie looked that way.
Derek walked into the dining room, and his gaze went straight to her.
The sweet smile he sent her reminded her of the kisses they'd shared earlier.
A warmth brought on by the memory filled her abdomen at the same time an unnatural coldness brushed her skin.
Goose bumps popped up on her arms when she heard the words again. "You have to stop it. You have to. Or this will happen to someone you love. Soon. Soon. It will happen soon."