Jax followed the woman into a crowded upscale bar where she was greeted by several female friends, also in their mid-twenties, also dressed as professionals. When she turned around, his breath caught in his throat. She was a titian-haired beauty, so like Brighton. She wasn’t Brighton, of course, but she was a near twin which, in his mind, meant feminine perfection right down to the last freckle.

He stood in the shadows and watched as she was greeted by the little gathering. She apologized for being late and asked how many drinks she was behind. Even though the music was near-deafening, he could zero in on the conversation halfway across the room. One of the advantages to being vampire.

Suddenly he was thinking that making a commitment to Black Swan had been a stupid move. If he wasn’t obligated to finish patrol, he could make a move on her right then. A move she would not be able to resist. As it was he needed to find a way to locate her the following night, when he wasn’t patrolling.

He melted into the shadows before breezing by her table and scooping up her little clutch bag, disturbing the air no more than would a waiter hurrying past. In a dark corner he opened it, withdrew her ID and memorized her name and address. Finding a few of her business cards was tantamount to striking gold. He took one, closed the bag, put it back before she realized it was gone, then rejoined Falcon on the street.

“Where were you?” Falcon demanded. “What was that about?”

“Sorry. Bathroom.”

Kris narrowed his eyes. “Nice try. I’ve been with you long enough to know you only go, what, once a week?”

Kris rolled his eyes.

“None of your business.” After a pause, he added, “At least three times a week.”

“The point being that the urge didn’t just overtake you.”

“Some things are private.”

“Yeah? I don’t keep much from you.”

“That’s your choice.”

“You’ve got an answer for everything.”

“One of the advantages of being six hundred years old.”

“See? You even have an answer for that.”