The stars, however, were shining and twinkling as though there was nothing amiss and everything was perfect in the world.
After about half an hour, they headed back. Lana was jumpy. Every tumbling leaf or dancing blade of grass nearly scared her out of her skin. A cat scampered past, causing Lana to feel as though she was going to have a heart attack. She had never been so relieved to be inside of four walls in her life. They made her feel a little bit safer, although Dizag had already proven that a mere door and walls would not keep him out.
They both headed to the showers. When Lana stepped out, she saw that Nick had made her a sandwich. They sat together on the couch that faced the patio window, allowing the light from the night skies to shine in on them.
Lana trembled inside when Nick’s hand brushed hers. When he reached out and held her hand in his, she reveled in the comforting warmth that flowed through her.
She wanted to say something, but she didn’t know what. She knew what she wanted, what she needed, but she didn’t know how to ask for it. The words eluded her. Frustrated, she heaved a huge sigh.
The chemistry between her and Nick was thick. She wondered if he felt it. She wondered if he could sense how she felt.
After a half an hour, he said, “I’m sorry, but I am so beat. If I don’t get some sleep, I’m liable to pass out on the street and not wake up for a week.”
Lana nodded. Nick pulled her to her feet. She stood up chest-to-chest against Nick. She looked up into his beautiful eyes and licked her lips. She wanted so much for him to wrap his arms around her and pull her close to him.
However, after a couple of seconds, he yawned. Chuckling, he led her to the guest bedroom.
She turned around to face him. She wanted so much to ask him to stay. He could just sleep, just with her snuggled up against him.
Her lips parted and her chest began to heave. The look on his face made her knees weak. She reached up and touched his cheek.
Nick leaned into her touch and put his hand on the back of hers. They stood there, looking deep into each other’s eyes for just a few seconds.
Lana’s heart flew into her chest. She was sure that if she asked, he would say yes. Taking a deep breath, the words were on the tip of her tongue.
Then, Nick leaned down and kissed her cheek. He turned quickly and shut the door as he stepped into the hallway. Lana felt tears of disappointment well up in her eyes as she heard his footsteps tread down the corridor. His door opened and closed, almost sounding as though he had slammed it.
Lana leaned up against her door. He couldn’t have made his answer any clearer. He doesn’t want me.
Sighing, she slowly got undressed, meticulously folding each item and putting them in the chair. Then, facing another night alone, veiled in a shadow of loneliness and need, she slid between the sheets.
Holding one of the large pillows against her body, she allowed herself a moment to cry. She cried for the victims who were murdered. She cried for her sister. And she cried for the emptiness that seemed to invade her.
When she was empty, and had no more tears to give, she closed her eyes. She pictured Nick. She saw his hair and his beautiful eyes in her mind. She imagined what his lips would feel like pressed against hers. She fell asleep, picturing his arms wrapped tightly around her.
8
Nick
Nick quickly walked to his room quickly. He had to get away from Lana’s door as soon as he could, or he would go back in. He knew he shut the door a little hard, but his frustration had built so intention, he was afraid that he was going to explode.
He gratefully pulled off his jeans. They were getting to be a little tight, because of his physical response to Lana.
It wasn’t just that she was beautiful, with her emerald green eyes, long reddish hair, and perfectly curved body. He wanted to consume her heart-shaped lips. Nick longed to feel her body pressed to his.
It was more than her physical features. She was thrust into a world of destruction, evil, and chaos, yet she managed to maintain her composure. She showed true courage in the face of incredible danger. She had seen what Dizag had done to the other women, and knew that he would take great pleasure in destroying her. Yet, she refused to back down in her quest to find her sister. He actually suspected that even if Lucy was found, safe and sound, that Lana would continue hunting for this monstrous man, because she had witnessed what he had done to other women. She had the tenacity of a…lion.
He chuckled at his own thought. She was definitely a lion, in spirit and in physical form.
As exhausted as he was, he couldn’t fall asleep. His mind was racing a million miles an hour.
Thoughts of Lana dominated his brain.
What would she do if I went back down the hallway and knocked on her door?
Based on the look in her eyes and her response to him every time they got close to each other, he suspected that he knew the answer to the question. She would step back and allow him in.
Yet, he still would feel as though he was taking advantage of her. He thought that he might be falling in love with her. Nick knew that she had feelings for him. However, he wasn’t certain if those were true feelings or if they were simply a result of him being her safety net in an emotional time. He hoped with all of his might that this situation would be resolved in a positive way.
Visions of Dizag’s handiwork continuously tried to invade his thoughts. However, he knew that he needed a break from the grisly murders that had taken over his life in the last few weeks. Pushing them away, he forced himself to focus on Lana.
Even though he ached to hold her and it was causing him some discomfort in his nether regions, she was the best thing to have come into his life in a long time. Her large expressive eyes were the last thing that he pictured as he fell into a deep slumber.
When his alarm went off at seven the next morning, he was still drained. He was pretty sure that he could sleep another week if he could get away. However, he had things he needed to accomplish, and he couldn’t do anything from bed.
Actually, one of the things he wanted to accomplish most he could do from bed, but for now, that was off limits.
Groaning, his body cracked all over as he rolled out of bed. He thought of that old joke about sounding like a Rice Krispie, since he was snapping, crackling, and popping all over.
Hoping a cold shower would wake him up, he stood under the streaming water. He never even felt the iciness rolling down his body. His mind took him to other places. Nick wished that there was a magic spell that could make his brain shut up, even for five minutes.
Lana popped out of her room when she smelled the coffee and bacon. Her hair was tousled and she had the droopy eyes of someone who wanted to go back to bed.
Nick felt himself stirring, as he had never seen anyone looking so beautiful.
They ate in a comfortable silence. It was clear that each had something on their mind, but it was also just as obvious that neither of them knew how to address the issue.
They took their usual walk after they washed and put away the dishes. Nick unconsciously reached for Lana’s hands, so when he discovered her hand clasped firmly in his, he was startled. The air seemed to snap from the electricity that zapped around them.
After they returned, Nick said, “I have to go into the office. I want to see if they picked up any clues the night before and do some research. Do I have your word that you will stay here, in the house, and not go outside, not visit the neighbors, and not go to the club?”
“Yes,” Lana replied. “I will stay here, like a good little lion, until you get back.”
“Thank you,” he said.
It was hard for Nick to concentrate. Every time he tried to focus his attention and read the reports, his mind drifted back to Lana. Dizag had already proven that four walls and a door wasn’t enough to keep him out. Nick wasn’t foolish enough to think that Dizag didn’t know where he lived and where Lana was. The dragon shifter seemed to know everything. He likely had spies ever
ywhere. As a matter of fact, Nick wouldn’t be surprised if there was someone following Lana all day, every day.
There were no surprises from the autopsy report. It had been pretty evident what occurred.
He dropped by the hotel to see what was going on. There had been so much butchery that there were still a lot of crime scene techs working the place. It looked even worse with the daylight streaming through the windows.
After talking to the manager, who was justifiably angry about the damage and trauma, Nick decided to head home.
He drove the speed limit, which was unlike him. Usually he drove as though he were in the Daytona 500. He also took the long way home.
Nick was eager to be home. That was part of what bothered him. He wanted to be there with Lana so much. He wanted to talk to her, look at her, and breathe in her sweet scent of lavender and vanilla.
However, being in the same space as she was and not able to touch her was pure hell—especially since he knew that she craved his touch as much as he wanted hers. He just couldn’t make it right in his head.
In spite of his procrastination, he soon found himself parked in the driveway at home. Taking a deep breath, he headed in.
Expecting to see an anxious and restless Lana, he was shocked to see her sitting on the couch, drinking a soda, watching Criminal Minds. She was so engrossed in the show that she barely acknowledged Nick’s entrance.
He sat down next to her.
“Hi, how was your day?” Nick asked.
“Shh,” she said. “Have you seen this show? The man is supposed to be in charge, but it is really one of the women who is always in charge and gives the information to solve the crimes.”
Nick smiled and nodded.
During a commercial, Lana asked Nick, “Is there any more information about Lucy?”
Nick said, “No. We went to their house. It was a nice place in a decent neighborhood. The house was a complete disaster. It was clear that there had been a fight of some type. There were a few traces of blood, but there wasn’t enough to suggest that anyone had been seriously hurt or killed.”
“That’s good. Where could he have taken her though? Is there any place around their house where he could stash her?” Lana wanted to know.
“To be honest, I think that he took her back to the shifter world. As a matter of fact, I think that might be where he has taken all of the girls. It is easier to hide them there and no one is actively looking for them in that world,” Nick answered.
“So, why is he still here in the human world?” Lana asked.
“Whatever his plan is, he isn’t done yet. He still has business here. I’m pretty sure that he has a group of other dragon shifters, and maybe even others, who are working with him. They are likely the ones taking care of the prisoners,” Nick said.
Lana jumped up from the couch. “We have to go back to the shifter world, immediately,” she said.
“Wait,” he said. “We don’t know where they would be in the shifter world. We might guess that it is on the fringes of Northland, but we don’t know for sure. Plus, that kingdom is so huge, without knowing exactly where to look, we could search for years and not find anyone. I’m hoping to gather a bit more information here and then we’ll head over. As long as Dizag is here in this world, nothing will happen in the other world, since he is likely the boss.”
Lana nodded, but looked unsure.
“I promise that I want to find Lucy and the others as much as you do. As soon as I know anything, we’ll go over,” Nick said.
Lana seemed to be reassured, so she sat back down and was once again enthralled with the antics of her new television hero—Penelope Garcia.
Nick was relieved that she had found something to keep her occupied. It kept the sexual tension at a minimum.
He ordered some Chinese delivery. She wasn’t sure how to eat the rice and vegetables, even with a fork, let alone chopsticks. However, she figured it out pretty quickly and ate everything. Then, it was back to profiling and snappy banter.
Bedtime arrived too soon for Nick. He had been enjoying the evening just relaxing with Lana and hanging out.
This evening, Nick kissed her on the cheek and walked straight to his room, not lingering near her door. He wasn’t even going to tempt himself.
He had settled into bed and was almost asleep when his phone buzzed. He checked the time and groaned. It was almost midnight. However, he was wide awake when he saw who was calling.
“Brady. What’s up?” Nick asked.
“I need you and Lana to come down here as fast as you can,” came Brady’s cryptic reply.
Nick hurriedly got dressed and knocked on Lana’s door. When he didn’t get an answer, he opened the door and walked over to her bed.
For just a moment he looked at her, sound asleep, snoring softly. Her hair fanned around her, and her face looked ethereal. He hated to wake her up, but the tone in Brady’s voice made it evident that the call was urgent.
He leaned down and shook her gently. She woke up in a panic, her eyes wide with fear. She let out a little squeak.
“It’s okay. I didn’t mean to scare you. Brady called and he needs us down at the club as soon as we can get there,” Nick said.
Lana nodded.
Nick left, and within a couple of minutes, Lana was ready. He was impressed with how quickly she could move. She had pulled on a sweatshirt and a pair of jeans that fit her perfectly. Her beautiful long mane was pulled into a messy bun on the back of her head.
His heart skipped a beat as he studied her for a minute. Without even a swipe of makeup, she was simply gorgeous. She was such a rare beauty, natural and unaware.
Nick felt himself becoming aroused just by looking at her, and he had to adjust his jeans. Finally, he snapped out of his trance.
“I didn’t know that women could get dressed that quickly,” he said, smiling at her.
“I’m not a typical woman. Plus, you said it was urgent,” Lana replied.
Nick nodded. “Brady said it was. Let’s go.”
Neither of them spoke during the ride over to the club. When they arrived, they noticed that the club was eerily quiet. Everyone was talking in harsh whispers.
“Oh, no, not again,” Lana moaned.
“We don’t know what happened, yet,” Nick said, as they hurried over to the bar.
Colleen stood against the wall, her face so ashen that she looked as though every bit of blood had been drained from her body. She was shaking so hard, it was a wonder that she didn’t shake the walls down.
“What happened,” Nick asked, eying Colleen with concern.
“Dizag was in here,” Brady said. “He walked up to Colleen and told her to give Lana a message for him.”
Nick heard Lana suck in a huge gulp of air.
“What was the message?” she asked, her voice hard.
Colleen’s voice was trembling as she said, “Lucy’s getting a little boring. Tell Lana I’ll be seeing her around.” She spoke in a whisper, so that it was hard to hear what she said.
Once Lana registered the message, her face flamed with anger.
“How dare he!” she exclaimed.
Both she and Nick began to look around the club, looking for any signs of the evil dragon shifter.
“Don’t bother looking for him. He’s been gone for a while. He left right after he gave Colleen the message,” Brady said.
“What did he look like?” Lana asked, through gritted teeth.
“He had long, stringy black hair. He reeked, as though he hadn’t bathed in months. His breath stank,” Colleen said. “He was disgusting.”
“And this is the monster who has my sister,” Lana growled.
9
Lana
Lana felt the anger rise in her. It started in her belly and boiled out like a pot of hot water. Dizag didn’t scare her. He made her angry. Angrier than she had ever felt before. Angrier than she had known that she could get. She felt so hot that she was afraid that she was going to explode.
>
Although Brady had said that Dizag had left, she still felt that he was close. She looked around the club, staring at each person’s face, trying to determine whether he matched the description that Colleen had given. There was no one.
“What kind of coward is he?” Lana asked. “He’s happy to come in and scare one of my friends with his so-called warning, but he doesn’t have the gumption to face me. What a pathetic piece of crap! Colleen, are you okay?”
Colleen gulped and nodded. “I’ll be fine. I’m always around someone, so I’m safe enough. He just startled me. And he was disgusting,” she answered.
Lana nodded. “I’m going to step out back,” she said. “I need some fresh air.”
She slid off the bench and headed toward the back before Nick could stop her. He started to go after her, but Brady stopped him.
“Give her a little bit of space. Dizag is gone for now,” Brady said.
Lana heard Brady’s words as she opened the back door and reveled when the cool night air caressed her face.
She leaned up against the wall and focused on the night sky. She missed her parents and she missed home, but she had to find Lucy.
Suddenly, an overwhelming stench flooded her nostrils, causing her to gag. Large hands gripped her shoulders, shaking her, then pushed her hard up against the wall of the club.
“Hi, Little Sister. I was hoping that I would see you tonight. My once lovely wife, Lucy, had told me so much about you,” Dizag said.
His breath smelled like rotting garbage or a sewer.
“You better not have hurt Lucy,” Lana growled through her clenched teeth.
“Oh, she’s still alive, if that’s what you’re asking,” Dizag said. “She’s just not as…pretty…as she once was.” Dizag sounded amused.
Detective Lion Shifter (A Paranormal Night Club Book 3) Page 5