Page 33 of Dragon Detective

I couldn’t afford that—yet. And at this point, when I kept backtracking to redo things I’d already finished, I wasn’t going to be able to afford cameras for a very long time, let alone the best. But this was more important than the next bathroom update. I wouldn’t discover who was trying to drive me out of town unless I never slept and hid on the porch with a shotgun to catch them. Cameras might nip this off before it got worse.

I worried it would.

Would they try to burn down the building to make sure I was done for good?

“Then I’m going to have Shriek & Nail come out to replace the glass in each window. That’ll be quicker than ordering new and ripping out the trim. The frames themselves weren’t damaged.” He frowned. “After that, I’m going to clear the glass from your flowerbeds which probably means removing all the mulch along with it. Back to Shriek & Nail for new mulch, which I’ll spread.”

My eyes stung. “Why are they doing all this for me? This goes well beyond your detective duties.”

“It has nothing to do with my duties at Monsters, PI.”

“Then why?”

“Because they have an agenda, and I’m not letting them carry it out. We’re going to find out why and put a stop to it.” He sucked in a deep breath and released it. “And no pressure, but I’m doing this because you’re mine.” He lifted his hand, showing off the mark on his right wrist. “And this means I’m yours. There’s no in between in that.”

“I don’t . . . we just met.” Yet I felt like I’d known him forever. Maybe, in my heart, I had.

“Dragons mate for a lifetime and most never find the person who completes them. That’s you, Hannah.” He sounded so sincere. “You.” He thrust out his arm. “Touch it.”

“What if I don’t want to?”

“You don’t have to, though curiosity is going to eat you alive if you don’t. You’ll always wonder.” The smile he flashed my way made my bones melt. “Touch it. You should.”

“Why?” I pressed my clasped hands to my chest.

“You’ll discover why when you do.”

“Is it going to burn me or something?”

“I actually don’t know.” A hint of vulnerability shadowed his eyes. “I mean, it won’t hurt you in any way, but you’re not a dragon shifter, so nothing may happen.”

“What would happen if Iwasa dragon shifter?”

“You’d already know we were meant for each other. But touching it may—and I stress may—bring about a reaction within you.”

“What kind of reaction?” I was surprisingly intrigued about this. A strange thrill shot through me.

“You’d bear the same mark.”

“Whoa.” Were we fated to be together?

And would a mark like that keep him from cheating?

Argh. I wanted to yank on my hair for having the thought. Reylor wasn’t my ex. Just because one guy cheated on me didn’t mean they all would.

I sensed I could trust him when I’d never felt that way about anyone else before. But having the thought showed me why I was having a hard time believing he might actually like me.

As he said, I was human. He was a monster, a completely different species. They had their own culture and social norms. If he said we’d only feel complete together, then he meant it.

I knew he’d never lie. I wasn’t sure why, but that feeling was imprinted on my soul.

So I reached out and ran my fingertip across the dragon’s head on his wrist.

It flared as if someone had planted a sparkler beneath his skin, the sprinkles of light tracing around the outside of the image before flickering across the inner parts.

And my own wrist blazed with light.

I yanked my hand back and gaped down at the matching tattoo on my inner wrist.

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