Page 30 of Dragon Detective

“Nothing,” he barked, flattening his hand over the pages to cover them.

No need. I could see the title across the top.The Competitive Edge: Silent Strategies to Surpass Rivals.

A rather dry topic.

Since I was his only potential rival in town, though there were a few hotels on the outskirts and three B&Bs in the next town over, I had to wonder if he was planning some silent strategies to surpass me as his rival.

I’d let Reylor know what I discovered.

“Nice seeing you again,” I said breezily, walking across the foyer to use the bathroom. When I was done, I found Bailey back at the desk with my books.

“Here you go.” She scanned each and loaded them in my tote, handing my bag to me across the top of the desk. “Enjoy!”

“All the best with the baby,” I said, not letting on that I’d see her in a week at the baby shower Melly was organizing, since it was a surprise.

“Thank you.” She rubbed her lower back, wincing. “I feel ready to explode, so I hope this little one joins us soon and doesn’t go over.”

“Only a few weeks left.” She was due in three, but I could see why she’d be eager to get it over with and hold her new baby. I couldn’t wait to give him or her lots of kisses.

When I was engaged, I used to dream of one day having a child, but that plan got put on hold indefinitely. It wasn’t like my clock was ticking down quite yet. I was only thirty.

I left with a wave, planning to extend one to Victor, but he no longer sat in the cozy reading area. When had he slipped out? I wasn’t paying attention. His book appeared to be gone with him.

Outside, I paused on the path, tilting my head back to soak in the sunshine. The weather was perfect, upper seventies and with a light breeze to keep the bugs away.

With a smile, I strode out onto the sidewalk and continued down Main Street to Shriek & Nail, where I ordered the paint I needed. I hefted the can and went back outside, walking over to Creature Cones because I just had to try their peanut butter chocolate swirl Melly had talked up the last time I ran into her.

I sat outside and enjoyed my cone before hefting my purchases and walking back to my building.

Reylor met me at the end of the driveway, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt that was snug enough to outline his delicious muscles. He took my tote bag and paint from me, which was sweet, but it was the concern in his amber eyes that made my heart and body come to a shuddering halt.

“Let me take care of things before you go closer,” he said.

My gaze shot to the front of the building, and I whimpered to see all the windows looking out onto the porch broken. Glass glinted in the sunlight on the path winding along the left side of the building.

My breathing kept stuttering; I couldn’t suck in enough wind to make my mind function.

“What . . .?” I raced around him and up onto my front porch, where I gaped at the shattered glass covering the wooden floorboards on my list to be painted.

Chapter 16

Reylor

When I arrived and found all the windows on the left side and front porch area of the B&B broken, my first thought was for Hannah. It was all I could do not to shift into my dragon and shoot my fury’s fire into the air.

Instead, I dove through one of the front windows, bellowing her name. I rolled across the parlor floor and came up in a crouch, my fangs elongating in my mouth and my hands sporting two-inch claws. Nearly feral, I raced around the downstairs shouting her name. I found Max locked in the rat closet, interestingly enough, but rather than let him try to flee through one of the broken windows and perhaps get injured, I scooped him up and took him with me. I ran through each level of the building, not finding any more evidence of sabotage, but also not finding Hannah.

It was only when I reached the attic that my heart rate slowed, and I realized she wasn’t here. A glance out the window showed she wasn’t on her patio either. I took the stairs faster than I should with Max howling in my arms, almost flying all theway to the basement where I hoped I wouldn’t find Hannah lying on the dirt floor, injured or worse.

Not there either.

I returned to the front porch, unlocking the front door from the inside, an ironic thing now that anyone could gain access through one of the broken windows.

I found her note, and after I dumped glass off one of her wicker chairs on the porch, I sagged into it, placing Max on my lap.

I called Detective Carter, and he said he’d be over right away. He arrived within moments, and I showed him around while he took pictures and notes.

“I thought Hannah owned this place,” he said, his gaze narrowed on me.

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