36. Reylor

Chapter 36

Reylor

I was kicking off my shoes in the foyer when a scream echoed through the building, coming from upstairs. I took the stairs three at a time all the way to the top, finding the attic door open.

“Hannah,” I bellowed, continuing up the attic stairs.

“I’m okay,” she said. “But . . . Now I feel bad.”

I hit the top and came to a halt, my eyes widening. A woman knelt on the floor by the window, curled forward, cupping her face.

“Not too bad,” Hannah added. “I mean, can soup be considered a weapon?” Her shrill laugh rang out. “Although, it eliminated the threat of her gun.”

“Gun?” I barked, striding over to put myself between them.

Hannah held up a handgun. “She pointed it at my head, but I handled this like the good chef I am by flinging hot soup in her face.”

Evelyn Blakemore glared up at us, her face pink, and her eyes still watering from the soup. “If she’d just handed it over, I would’ve left her alone.” Tears streamed down her cheeks. “I wouldn’t have actually shot her.”

“Hand what over?” I asked.

Evelyn snarled. “Not telling.”

Hannah looked up at me. “Can you call Detective Carter? My phone seems to have gone missing, and I think Evelyn played a role in its disappearance.”

“I couldn’t let you call anyone with it, now could I?” she said.

I made the call, and the detective said he’d come right away.

Evelyn struggled to rise to her feet. “You scorched my face.” She blotted her cheeks with the hem of her shirt. “I’m going to bear scars. I’m pressing charges.”

“You broke into my building. You threatened me with a handgun,” Hannah said, her voice lifting. “I defended myself, which is well within my right.”

A growl ripped up my throat. “Don’t even think of pressing charges.”

She sneered. “What are you going to do about it? Growl at me?”

I lifted my hand and released my claws, savoring how her eyes widened as they grew in length. When I sent smoke from my nostrils, she stumbled backward, falling on her ass. “Dragon shifters are very protective of their mates.”

She gaped at us both.

Detective Carter arrived at that moment, puffing as he finished climbing the stairs to the attic.

“Well,” he said, peering around, “this place needs some tidying, don’t you think?”

Hannah rolled her eyes. “It was tidy. Sylvia and this one,” she jabbed a finger Evelyn’s way, “have been tossing things around.”

“Vandalism, then.” He grunted and pulled cuffs from his back pocket. They were getting quite a workout lately.

Hannah explained the situation and how Grant and Sylvia were part of the plan. Victor had acted on his own and was solely motivated by his worry about competition.

“Threats don’t go over well with the judge,” Detective Carter said grimly. “Especially with deadly weapons.”

Evelyn whimpered and tears trickled down her face. “She should’ve just handed it over. If she had, I wouldn’t have had to break in and look for it myself.”

“Hand what over?” he asked.

She made a zipper motion with her lips before opening them. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Huffing, he held out the cuffs. “Will you go quietly with me to the station, or do I have to use these?”

“They’re real?” She traced her finger around one of them.

“Of course they’re real. I’m a detective. I don’t carry fake cuffs around with me for fun.”

“Too bad,” she said, drawing herself up stiffly. “I’ll go with you, but I’m not saying anything.”

“I’ll call with any questions when I’m filling out the report,” he told Hannah. “But I think I’ve got it down in my mind.”

“Thank you,” Hannah said as he led Evelyn toward the stairs.

“Four times a charm?” he called out to us.

“I sure hope so.”

Once they were gone, I drew her into my arms and studied her face. “Are you alright? She didn’t hurt you?”

“Nope. I just wish I didn’t have to fling that soup in her face.”

“Is that all there was?”

“You know me. I made plenty. There’s a big pot of it on the stove.”

“Good, because I’d hate to miss out on your soup.”

“I’m mad because it created more of a mess up here than she did. I’ll have to come up with a bucket of soapy water and clean.” Her smile rose. “I made corn muffins too.”

“My favorite.”

“I’ve got some blackberry jam I also made that’ll be perfect with them.”

“I’m getting hungry already,” I said with a grin.

We turned and, arm-and-arm, picked our way across the attic.

“Will we ever discover what Evelyn was looking for?” I asked.

Hannah gazed up at me with a sparkle in her eyes. “Before the detective arrived, she told me. Well, she gave me a clue. I know exactly where it is. I found it within days of moving in, but I thought it was something one of the kids played with.” Her laughter trilled out. “After we enjoy my soup and muffins, how would you like to go on a treasure hunt?”

“Dragons love treasure.” I drew her into my arms for a quick kiss, then grinned down at her. “I can’t wait, sweetheart.”