The Dragon Spy (The Lone Shifters Book 1) (4 page)

A
fter their yowzer
interlude in the shower, they’d gotten dressed—they were both in jeans and T-shirts that Garrett had ordered from the upscale boutique while Jessica had dried her hair. She was glad he’d kept the clothing choice simple. A suit and dress were not going to serve them well if Lise showed up again.

A sparkle near the door caught her eye. “What’s that?” Jessica bent down and picked up the shiny object lodged near the closet door. She turned it over in her palm. It was an ancient coin. She’d seen these before—in a little elegant place tucked away at the Forum Shop.

“Oh my God. I got it! This is from Emperor’s Gold.”

Garrett took it and examined the edges. “It’s not gold. I’m a dragon. And a thief. I know gold.”

“Emperor’s Gold is a store that sells ancient coins and unique jewelry. It’s located at Caesars, in the Forum. That must be where the next clue is!”

“It must’ve fallen out of the envelope that Lise stole from us.”

Garrett leaned down and brushed a kiss across her lips. “Ready to go?”

She felt goggle-eyed and gushy. Smiling, she took his hand and they left the room.

The Las Vegas Monorail was packed with people, another good reason for casual clothes. Jessica had lived in Vegas long enough to know it was the quickest way to get to Caesars Palace from the MGM.

They’d made it inside and to the Forum Shops entrance before a thuggish man, the one from the diner, shoved a gun into her back. Whew. He smelled like a werewolf all right. A werewolf that hadn’t taken a bath in a week.

“Red, I presume?” she asked.

“Move. These are silver bullets, so don’t get any ideas.”

Garrett looked ready to barbeque the asshole, but Jessica shook her head. They were in public with a lot of people. She tried to honor the code that prevented them from exposing themselves to humans. In the shifter world, it could mean death, not just banishment.

“Let her go, Red,” said Garrett. “She has nothing to do with this.”

“Well, that’s sad. But she stays.”

He pointed to a bathroom closed for repairs. “Get in there.”

“You first,” said Garrett.

Red pointed the gun at Jessica’s temple. “Go.”

Garrett entered the bathroom, followed by Jessica. Red shut the door behind him. “How did you know we were here?”

“I followed you.” He tapped his nose. “You two have a real strong scent.”

“Oh fuck you,” said Jessica. She whacked the gun out of his hand. It popped out of his grip and slid along the floor, smacking the door to the men’s restroom. The guy’s mouth dropped open in utter shock, and Garrett knew that guy’s expression mirrored his own. His Jessica had some major balls.

Red growled and swung his arm up, his hand morphing into the paw of a werewolf with long, sharp claws.

Garrett opened his mouth and issued a stream of blue and silver fire. Red’s hand exploded in fire.

He screamed.

“Next time I’ll incinerate you,” threatened Garrett. He grabbed Jessica’s hand and they ran into the chaos that was the mall. He let Jessica lead them through the crowds, around ornate fountains with talking statues, and into the recesses of the world that was the Forum Shops. Above them, the sky painted ceiling melded from morning to afternoon to dusk, all within a few minutes.

Emperor’s Gold was tucked between a Louis Vuitton luggage shop and an Anne Taylor boutique. The jewelry store was a small rectangle. The floors were marble, the walls eggshell white, the glass cases filled with gold, silver, and the occasional flash of gems. An elderly gentleman waited for them.

Dressed in a well-fitted suit that Garrett recognized as Armani, the old man grinned. “Ah. You look like a couple in so much love. You come to Alfredo’s poor shop to find a special gift, eh?”

Garrett smiled and presented the coin.

“Oh-ho! This coin, it brings you luck. And you give it to me so I give you this.” He handed them a big pink envelope. “When you get engaged, you come back and let Alfredo help you find something nice.”

Jessica glanced at him and raised a brow. “Marriage isn’t in our future.”

Her words cut Garrett, but he smiled like they had meant nothing.

“Love don’t pay no attention to time,” said Alfredo. “And the future is never certain.”

Garrett blinked in shock, his heart turning over in his chest. He hoped what Alfred said was true. He hadn’t realized how badly he’d wanted this second chance with Jessica. He wished he could undo the past.

“Go now,” said Alfredo, waving his hands at them. “Shoo. Shoo. I see you soon, eh? Yes. You come back for the engagement ring.”

Garrett guided Jessica out of the shop and one of the elaborate fountains that sat a few feet away. She took the envelope and opened it. “You’re almost there, the game’s nearly done, by now you should know two is better than one.” She turned it over. “Go to the lobby and claim your prize.”

“It’s the easy? We ran around Vegas for an artifact that sits in the lobby of Caesar’s Palace.”

“Thanks for the heads-up,” said Lise as she plucked the envelope and cardstock from Jessica’s fingers.

“Where the hell did you come from?” Garrett asked, making a grab for the clue.

Lise jerked out of his reach. “I can’t believe it’s come to down to badly written rhymes and shitty clues. What the hell was Aiden thinking?”

She stalked off, melting away into the crowd before Garrett and Jessica could take a single step to follow her. Jessica’s disappointed look made him want to give her the world.

“Don’t worry, love,” he said, grasping her hand again. “The game’s not over yet.”

“
L
ise
!” Syneca stared at the Black Flame enforcer in surprise. The poor dear really should reconsider the black-leather look. The color and material did nothing good for her pale complexion. “I haven’t seen you since … well, I can’t really remember.”

Lise thrust the pink papers at Syneca. “
This
is the way we find our kind’s most precious possession? In a fucking hotel lobby ogled by humans?”

“Oh, Lise. You didn’t.”

“Didn’t what?”

People milled around the lobby, some waiting to check-in, and some meandering around to look at the décor. Thick red velvet curtains draped most of the walls, the floor was black tile, and the low lights that dotted the ceiling changed colors. In a way, the lobby resembled a low-key disco.

Lise, caring nothing for protocols, opened her mouth to issue black flame at the box displaying what the humans believed to be a Faberge Egg. Syneca grabbed the woman’s arm and slapped her hand over Lise’s mouth. “This is not meant for you.”

Lise jerked out of Syneca’s grip. “Any dragon may claim the egg, including me.”

“It’s not—“

“You!”

Syneca and Lise spun to face Jessica and Garrett.

Syneca watched in amazement as Jessica fisted her hand, hauled back, and punched Lise in the jaw. The woman fell to the floor, as useless as Jell-O in a microwave.

“Hello, Jess.”

“Syneca. It’s lovely to see you.”

Garrett retrieved the two pieces of pink paper dropped by Lise, the prideful look he sent Jessica not lost on Syneca.

“What is this really about, Mother?” He looked at the jeweled egg in its plastic casing and frowned. “This can’t be Giselda’s Egg.”

“It’s not,” she confessed. “It was a ruse.”

“What?” Lise struggled to her feet. “It’s not real?”

“The game wasn’t created for you,” said Syneca. “Aiden and I planned it to bring Garrett and Jessica back together. Your banishment has been lifted for weeks. I didn’t want you to miss out on the opportunity to find love. Jessica’s the one, isn’t she?”

“Oh, holy hell. You people suck.” Lise spun on her booted heel and stomped away.

Garrett and Jessica looked at one another and grinned. “You are the one for me,” said Garrett.

She said the words he’d been longing to hear. “I forgive you.”

“You mean it?”

“As long as you promise to never, ever, under no circumstance, leave me again. I don’t care how noble you think you’re acting.”

“Deal,” he said.

“Excellent,” Syneca said. “Here’s the card key for the hotel’s penthouse suite. I would not be at all offended if you gave me grandchildren.”

“Mother!”

Jessica laughed and took the key. With a smoky look at Garrett promising all kind of wicked pleasures, walked toward the bank of elevators. Syneca touched his shoulder as he passed and he stopped.

“You do realize she’s the treasure.”

“Yes.” He kissed her cheek. “Thank you. But you really didn’t need to create such a melodrama.”

“Well, where’s the fun in doing it the boring way?” She winked. “Welcome back, my son.”

“Thanks, Mum.” He gazed at Jessica. “I mean it with all my heart.” Garrett turned to go to Jessica, but spared one glance back to his mom. “I was right then. Giselda’s Egg isn’t real, is it?”

Syneca shrugged. “Who knows. Who cares. Love is real, son, and it’s waiting for you.”

* * *

M
ichele Bardsley is
a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of paranormal romance.
When she’s not writing sexy tales of otherworldly love, she watches “Supernatural,” consumes chocolate, crochets hats, reads books, and spends time with her husband and their fur babies.

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C
opyright
© 2016 by Michele Bardsley

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatever to anyone bearing the same name or names. All incidents are pure invention. This story is meant for mature audiences who are eighteen years and older.