Page 64 of Dragon Detective

At least Estadore wasn’t in on whatever this might be.

A rushing sound swooped overhead, making downed leaves scatter across the patio, but I didn’t look up.

“You need to leave.” My voice came out much too thready. My heart was thumping at a furious pace, and I needed to put a locked door between us before he—

“Will this make you reconsider?” He reached inside his jacket and tugged a big knife out of a sheath strapped to his waist. With a snarl, he gouged it at me.

I yelped and stumbled backward, my hands flying up. Sweat coated my palms as I clenched my fists tight.

“Sign,” he shouted, slashing out with the knife. “Sigh, damn you! Or else.”

An enormous, glorious dragon landed hard enough on the patio to make the ground shudder. He shot fire into the air, and even as frightened as I was, I stared, marveling at how amazing my new boyfriend was.

Reylor shifted into his gorgeous, naked self.

“The lady asked you to leave,” he growled.

Leaping, he tackled Grant, knocking him to the ground.

Chapter 31

Reylor

Grant gave up quickly. Perhaps because I grabbed his knife from his hand and pressed the blade against his throat.

Or because Hannah stomped over and kicked his shoulder.

Or because I partly shifted and shot smoke into his face.

“You’re right,” he snarled. “I broke the windows, but I didn’t do any of that other crap you’re trying to pin on me.” His chin lifted, and his tone lowered to a snooty huff. “But you have no evidence, and I’m not saying anything until my lawyer is present.”

After we called him, Detective Carter came quickly and in a whirl of sirens. By then, Hannah had run into the building and returned with my favorite sofa throw I’d secured around my waist. No need to shock the detective or snoopy neighbors.

“Another saboteur?” Detective Carter asked after he’d stomped down the walkway and stopped beside us. He directed his scowl at Grant.

“He slashed a knife out at me,” Hannah said from the circle of my arms. Once I had my foot on Grant’s chest, pinning him to the ground, I’d held my arms out to her, and she’d run into them.

She kept trembling, and it was all I could do not to shift and bite off his head. Fuck any resulting charges. He wouldn’t be able to press them if he was dead. I wanted to fit in here, and no one would come near me if I did something like that—except for my fellow monsters. All of us understood the drive to protect our mates.

“Grant insisted he was going to make me sign papers to sell the building to him. He’s been after me since the moment I moved in.” Hannah’s finger stabbed toward the papers lying on a nearby table.

“You should’ve done as I asked,” was all Grant was now willing to say.

We didn’t need him to confess to the detective. The security camera evidence would be irrefutable, and that was the only reason I wasn’t shifting.

“I’ll send the latest footage,” I told the detective. “I’m sure you’ll find all the evidence you need there to charge him.”

“Don’t make any threatening moves,” Detective Carter said in a grim tone. He cuffed Grant with his hands behind his back. After taking the paperwork and knife from the ground, he led Grant down the walkway toward his vehicle parked near the curb, calling out over his shoulder. “I don’t believe you’ll have any more trouble from now on, Hannah.”

I turned her in my arms. “Are you okay? He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

She shook her head. “You arrived at exactly the right time.”

I didn’t want to think of what might’ve happened if I hadn’t gotten here quickly. The elderly basilisk lady had been alone, and I’d called 9-1-1, then waited for them to arrive and take over before flying here as fast as I could. The entire time I flew across town, I kept picturing Grant scaring her, threatening her. Seeing him gouging out with his knife was enough to make me go ballistic.

No more. Never again.

I kissed her, grateful she was safe and that this was over.

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