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means that your name will come up when the locals investigate.”
    “And if I’m not here—or my representative—there will be even more questions. Go back to town, but return here after the body’s discovered. Learn what you can, tell them that Reinholt was going to provide me information about Lihter.”
    “Throw the spotlight on the weren.”
    Tiberius half smiled. “I see no reason not to make his life as difficult as possible. But say nothing about the kidnapping.” At that, he frowned. Reinholt was supposed to have relayed more details about that. Now the girl was at Lihter’s mercy, and the task of rescuing her had gotten that much harder.
    “It’s possible that the blame you’re throwing toward Lihter isn’t the stuff of fiction,” Luke said.
    “You think Caris is lying? That she really was sent by Lihter?”
    “We can’t discount the possibility.”
    “I can,” Tiberius said. As much as he now despised Gunnolf, the previous weren leader, that weren had a core of morality. Lihter, though, had always been dangerous. Caris would never align herself with him.
    He could tell from Luke’s expression that his lieutenant didn’t share his certainty.
    “Keep your eyes and ears open,” Tiberius said. “I want to know if they have any reason to suspect Caris.” He clapped his friend on the shoulder. “I’ll see you in London.”
    “Good luck,” Luke said, which was not his usual parting comment. Under the circumstances, though, Tiberius appreciated it. More, he had a feeling he’d need it.

    Gabriel Casavetes looked down as the American tourist beneath him—Sally? Jenny?—moaned and writhed and dug her fingernails into his back.
    “Harder, baby. I’m so close.”
    He dutifully pumped harder, trying to erase everything in his head, trying to just simply
enjoy
it. She was young, she was beautiful, she was responsive.
    And all he was doing was going through the motions.
    Beneath him, she arched up, her muscles contracting and pumping him as she screamed and cried and basicallyshook the whole damn room with her orgasm. Then she collapsed back down, her arm over her eyes, her breathing wet and heavy. “Oh, yeah, that was amazing.” The arm shifted and she looked at him. “It was amazing, wasn’t it?”
    “The earth moved,” he said. He rolled off her and headed for the bathroom.
    “Oh, come back. Baby wants to snuggle.”
    He hesitated, glad his back was to her, because the hesitation gave him the chance to roll his eyes and wonder what the hell he’d been thinking inviting her up to his room. It was not because he was tempted to return and snuggle.
    He continued, shutting the bathroom door behind him. With any luck, he’d come out in a minute and find she’d gotten the hint, gotten dressed, and gotten gone.
    Instead, he pulled the door open and got an eyeful of naked tourist, the coverlet tossed aside, curled up on his dark green sheets. She patted the spot beside her. “Round two.”
    “Tempting,” he said, wondering what was on the television.
    “Get your cute little Swiss ass over here.”
    “Actually, I’m from Texas.”
    Her brow lifted at that, and her surprise knocked his estimation of her down a notch, which put it deep in negative numbers. He said
y’all
for Christ’s sake. Did she really think he’d been raised in the shadow of the Matterhorn?
    If she was embarrassed, though, she covered well. She sat up, ample breasts bobbing. “Well, that makes us neighbors. I’m from Phoenix!”
    “I think you forgot about New Mexico,” he said, but she just brushed it away, basic geography apparently beneath her.
    Note to self, he thought, no more talking to women while drinking.
    Then again, he’d moved to this iceberg of a town to get away. Because he wanted a dull life, an easy existence. And this woman was both dull and easy.
    What was that saying? Be careful what you wish for?
    “Do you hear that?” she said, as a sharp ping filled the room. He said a silent thank-you to