He was looking for a killer. What he found was a woman who turned his lonely world upside down-and touched him as no other woman had ever done.

Auri 'Creole' Levalois is a man on a mission. Determined to put his foster-brother's killer behind bars, he has taken a leave of absence from New Orleans PD to hunt the man down. Following his last, desperate lead, Creole sets up a surveillance on the girlfriend of one of the bad guy's minions. Muse Summerville's thin file says the sultry blonde is hot as the Louisiana summer, and has a penchant for men-the more dangerous the better. But to Creole's cop instincts, something about her doesn't quite add up.

Grace Summerville's identical twin sister has vanished without a trace. Grace has left her cozy Charleston home and high school counselor job, and rushed to New Orleans' notorious French Quarter, where she has installed herself in Muse's apartment. This disappearing act is typical for Muse, who is far too much like their good-for-nothing, drifter father for Grace's comfort. But this time Grace is really worried. Especially when she discovers a dark, mysterious Cajun man watching her from the neighboring balcony-watching her with the feral interest of a predator. Is he somehow involved in Muse's disappearance? Or is he after something much more dangerous to a good girl like Grace...? k