That made Lana think of the camera that was in the hallway just outside of her room.
“The camera should have picked up Dizag as he came in here and left.”
Walking to the window, Nick pushed back the heavy drapes. The window had been shattered.
“I don’t think he came in through the door. I’m pretty sure he came in this way. Shredding the door might have been the last thing that he did, doing it to try to scare you. He might even have left through the window.”
The idea that Dizag thought that he could scare her made her angry all over again. She growled, loudly.
Nick looked at her as though he understood what she was thinking.
“See if he left any clothes untouched. If so, grab them. You’re gonna stay in my extra room. There is safety in numbers and we can watch each other’s backs,” Nick said.
Lana looked at him gratefully. She knew that he wanted to let her know that he thought she was strong and capable of fighting, but that she needed extra protection against their dangerous enemy. An extra paw in a fight against a dragon always came in handy.
They stopped by to talk to the manager before they left. Nick briefly explained the situation in Lana’s room. The manager was startled because no one had reported hearing or seeing anything.
He took them into his office where the images from the camera were recorded and stored on the computer systems. He was shocked to see that all of the cameras on Lana’s floor had been disabled.
Nick didn’t seem to be surprised.
“We’ll send some people over to repair the room tomorrow,” Nick said. “Just cordon it off for now.”
“Shouldn’t we call the police?” The manager asked.
“You could, but it wouldn’t do any good. We know who did it and why. We also know who we are looking for. The police, except for a couple of shifters on the force, wouldn’t stand a chance against Dizag if they cornered him,” Nick said.
The manager, a raccoon shifter, nodded. He understood.
Nick signaled a taxi, which dropped them off at his apartment. He nodded at the night watchman and grabbed Lana’s hand, leading her to the elevator.
The night watchman looked Lana up and down as though she were a fine steak, licked his lips, and then winked knowingly at Nick, whose back was turned.
Lana had the sudden urge to throat-punch him.
Once again, her violent reaction stunned her. She had always been calm and peaceful. Now, she felt like she was out to destroy anyone and anything that irked her or got in her way of trying to find and save her sister.
Nick, sensing her mood, gripped her hand tightly and pulled her into the elevator. It seemed as though the ride took forever, but finally there was a ding and the doors slid open.
Lana wasn’t shocked when she entered his apartment. It was neat. Everything was put in its place. There wasn’t a lot of clutter, but it was functional. He had what he needed, nothing more, nothing less.
She couldn’t help thinking that his place could really use a woman’s touch.
As though he could read her thoughts, Nick smiled ruefully and shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t spend a lot of time here. I work so much that this is basically a place where I eat, sleep, shower, and occasionally watch television.”
Lana suddenly felt as though her legs were too tired to hold her up anymore, and she sank into the enveloping softness of his couch.
Nick ordered a pizza and then went into the kitchen, grabbed a couple of beers, and then sat next to her. At first, they simply sat in silence, staring out into the moonlit darkness through his patio door.
Lana wanted to say something, but she didn’t know what. Suddenly she felt awkward, like a schoolgirl with her first crush.
They both jumped like they had been shot when the doorbell rang.
Lana smiled coyly at Nick as she took the last piece of pizza. “I hadn’t realized I was so hungry,” Lana said, patting her stomach after devouring her half of the extra large pizza.
“Stress and adrenaline does that to a person,” he said smiling.
Once again, he sat next to her on the couch. He was so close that their thighs were touching. Lana could feel the warmth radiating from his leg to hers, heating up her entire body.
She breathed in his scent, sensing a hint of pine. Her heart began to beat a million miles an hour and huge bolts of electricity coursed through her like a herd of racehorses.
Her hand twitched. She wanted to reach over and touch him. She wanted to grab his hand and then feel all the way up to his thick muscles, across his chest, and …
Lana’s thoughts stopped abruptly as her face erupted in flames. Where had these thoughts come from?
Abruptly, Nick stood up and reached out his hand, pulling Lana to her feet.
“You must be exhausted. Let me show you where your room and the bathroom is,” Nick said.
He led her to the bathroom and pulled out a new toothbrush. “I hope you like this brand of toothpaste,” he said.
She nodded. “Anything is fine, as long as it cleans!”
He left her alone so she could use the facilities and take care of her night toiletries. Then, he showed her to her room.
It was decorated in an emerald green color, which just happened to be Lana’s favorite color. She looked at the bed and could almost feel the fluffiness of the pillows and the soft mattress cocooning her.
Nick looked at her as though he wanted to say something. Lana hoped that he would say something—or nothing—and just kiss her.
She wanted to feel his lips pressed to hers so much, and she wished that she had the courage to initiate a kiss herself. However, just as she was about to, he briefly touched her cheek
