A Demon's Desire Read Online Free PDF Page A

people on the street deserved to reside in a mental
institution at the very least.
    Her phone rang. She pulled it free of her
pocket.
    “Hey, sis. How are you?” The woman’s voice on
the other end was strained, tired. Guilt engulfed Emma. She’d had a
good night’s rest and had managed to avoid the pain and sorrow at
the edge of her thoughts. Her sister had no such opportunities.
    “How are you? Have you gotten any rest?” she
asked.
    “Some,” was the evasive answer. “You sound
good; you needed some sleep.”
    “Thanks, Amber,” Emma said.
    “Hey, look, someone called today claiming to
be a friend of yours. I’ve never heard you talk about him, so I
wasn’t sure. He said your car was being towed and that you asked
him to help my baby.”
    “Yes,” she said slowly, wondering how Tristan
had figured out her sister’s phone number and address. “Tristan,
right?”
    “Yeah. Pretty accent. Is he French or
something?”
    “No idea.”
    “So is he okay?”
    “He’s there to try and help,” she hedged.
“He’s different, so don’t be surprised.”
    “None of your friends surprise me, not that
I’ve met more than a couple. What’s the story?”
    “I’m kind of seeing him,” she said, unable to
voice the truth.
    “Boyfriend?” The surprise in Amber’s voice
was apparent. “I’ve been so worried about Sissy I haven’t paid any
attention. You think he can help Sissy?”
    “I think if anyone can, he can,” Emma said
honestly. Pain filtered through her at the desperation in her
sister’s voice.
    “Is he a doctor?”
    “Not quite.”
    “I trust you, Em.” Amber’s voice was quiet.
Her words tore at Emma’s heart. She took a deep breath and felt her
eyes water. She’d invited the devil into her sister’s home, to meet
with her four-year-old, dying niece.
    What if I made a mistake?
    “We’ve never met anyone you dated. Is it
serious?” Amber continued.
    “Most of the guys I date turn out to be
idiots. I’m doing a favor by not introducing you to them,” Emma
said, her mind going to Adam, the last man she’d dated. “No, it’s
not serious.”
    “You trusted him with your car, and he’s
coming to meet us!” The hopeful note in her sister’s voice was too
sweet, too long absent for Emma to correct her.
    “Yeah, well, this one might be useful,” she
said lamely.
    “This is really cool. I’ll have Mama drop by
to meet him,” Amber said.
    “That’s fine,” she managed, growing even more
unsettled by the thought of introducing everyone she loved to a
stranger who wasn’t quite normal. “Maybe I’ll drive over, too, and,
uh, introduce him or something.”
    “You’ve made my day.”
    “Thanks, Amber. Take care of baby and tell
Mama I said hello.”
    “I will. You’ve done enough, Em. You need to
get back to your life,” Amber lectured.
    “Sis, you and baby are my life.”
    “Yes, but if this guy is serious, don’t lose
him on account of us.”
    “Oh, no problem there,” Emma assured her.
“I’ve never let a guy come between my family and me before.”
    “You ought to. Someone needs to take care of
you.”
    “I know, sis.”
    “Well, have a good day,” Amber said.
    “You, too. Please take care of yourself.”
Emma hung up and stared at the phone then glanced at the Great Dane
sitting patiently beside her. “Your master has a lot of nerve,
angel. He better not be some wacko.”
    The dog stood as she started forward, and
Emma pocketed her phone. She passed through the shop, ignoring the
poisonous stares from the clerks. She trotted up the stairs and to
the apartment. His scent lingered where it hadn’t before. Her
cereal bowl was no longer in the kitchen sink. Her eyes settled on
the fridge, where a note that hadn’t been there when she stepped
out was held in place by a black magnet.
    Emma -
    I called your sis to tell her where you are
and had your car towed to her house. I rented you a car. It’s out
back. Bring Isolde. The keys are on the dresser and my