When I arrived at the pub, it was crowded with young professionals. I realized I had no idea what Wilcox looked like. I saw a muscle-bound guy with a bleached buzz cut jostling toward the bar. He smiled when he caught me looking at him.

I grinned and made my way to him. “Wilcox?”

“Sure I will coc—” he said, and stopped and glanced over my shoulder.

I turned to see what he was looking at.

The man behind me was tall and thin, with very fine, messy, streaked blond hair. He had a really good fake tan and nice features, but I focused on his light hazel eyes, lined with kohl.

“Are you Milly? I’m Wilcox.”

The first man burst into laughter and said “Who isn’t with jubblies like that?” before turning back to the bar.

I shook Wilcox’s hand and bopped my head. “Aloha. Cool to meet you.”

His coat was open, revealing a black V-neck sweater over a rust-colored crewneck and dark-wash jeans. Around his neck was a thin, worn leather cord with a single shell. He had silver rings on his slim fingers and small silver hoops in his ears.

He was definitely, unquestionably fabulous.

“Call me Wil. Let’s get a table outside. If you don’t mind the cold and the dark.”

“That’s fine by me.”

Wil led me out to an empty bench by a sidewalk table. A waitress had just finished taking orders at the next table and she stopped by. Wil ordered a pint of bitter, and I said, “Me, too, thanks.”

When she was gone, the vampire smiled at me and we checked each other out.

“So, Milagro de Los Santos, what do you want to know?”

I laughed and said, “What gave me away?”

“My bros don’t know my work number, and Patrick Swayze played Bodhi in Point Break.”

I thought for a second. “That’s why the name seemed familiar. And Keanu played Johnny Utah. Great movie.”

“Agreed, but your story was rubbish. Now, Milagro from California, filthy cute, rep for asking lots of questions, brilliant”—he let his gaze drift downward—“immune system. You know I’m stoked to be sitting here with you. We all know about you. Do you really go by Milly?”

“Milagro or Mil will do,” I said. “I lied because I didn’t need your coworkers to know we were meeting. I heard that the Council was hassling you, and the Council has some Issues with me.”

“I heard they wanted you dead.”

“Like I said, Issues.” I wondered what else he’d heard. “I don’t die easily, though. Or willingly. I’m quite reluctant about the whole ceasing-to-exist thing. How about you?”

“Equally reluctant. How did you hear about me?”

“Do you know the Grant family in California?”

He nodded and said, “Never met them, though.”