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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