Page 58 of Brushed By Moonlight

A good thing Roux, unlike Mina, could lie through his teeth like the rest of us. And that he stood upwind, hiding his scent from the wolf’s.

“Like I said, I’m no expert…” Roux shrugged.

“And what do you do, Mr…?”

“Anand. I’m a logistics contractor,” he supplied smoothly.

The police officer looked around skeptically. “Logistics. Moving goods in and out of Auberre?”

I nearly laughed out loud. Auberre was so small, and its population so old, that there wasn’t much movement ofanykind in town.

Roux flashed a friendly smile. “Not here, no. We’re here for a retreat. You know — working to anticipate trends in a rapidly changing global network, et cetera, et cetera.”

He managed to hit exactly the right tone to sell our cover story — a story that Gordon, that conniving bastard, had come up with.

The line he’d had me memorize was,We move high-value goods through risky areas, and I’d practiced it dozens of times. Now, more than ever, it didn’t sit well with me.

“A retreat. I see,” Baywatch murmured, looking over the rest of us.

Speaking of which…Bene whispered, nudging me backward.

“And this fire was — where exactly?” Officer Baywatch demanded.

Mina pointed. “Over there. Would you like to see?”

“Yes, please.”

My dragon nearly burst out of my skin when he and Mina stepped toward the forest.

“Oh no, you don’t,” Bene murmured, clamping down over my arm when I moved to follow them.

Roux cut in, hissing at Bene. “I’ll go. Take him inside before he torches another few acres.” Then he strode after Mina and the cop, slipping his hands into his pockets in a way no self-respecting mercenary ever would. Which was the point, I supposed.

“Come along, Romeo.” Bene shoved me toward the front door. “Let’s get you some breakfast.”

“Not hungry,” I growled.

“Well then, let’s get me some breakfast. We’ll find some meat for you to tenderize or something.”

“Heathens,” Henrik sighed, bringing up the rear.

“Says the one who sucks blood,” Bene muttered.

I went inside because I had no choice. But I stayed glued to the front window for the eternity that dragged by before Mina reappeared from the woods. She smiled and shook hands with the cop — the shithead. No kisses this time, though the guy definitely wasn’t happy with that.

At least that gave me a glimmer of hope about Mina.

Then I caught myself. I didn’t want hope. I didn’t want her. In fact, it made perfect sense for her to hook up with him. A teacher and a policeman. She could work in the local school. He could keep this sleepy little town safe from guys like me. They could have two-point-three children and live happily ever after.

It made sense, but I just couldn’t stomach it.

The cop glanced at Roux, then pulled Mina aside and whispered. She whispered back while Roux casually admired the roofline of the château.

Finally, Mina nodded, though neither she nor the cop looked satisfied. He gave the château one last, suspicious look-over before sliding into his patrol car — a pathetic, boxy Citroën that was moreMr. MomthanMiami Vice, I noticed with some satisfaction. Then he drove off slowly, considerate enough not to leave tire marks in Mina’s gravel driveway.

Goody-Fucking-Two-Shoes. I scowled.

Roux waved, keeping his distance, but the cop only had eyes for Mina.