Craig's Heart Read Online Free PDF Page B

hesitated and Craig patiently waited, knowing she had to do this at her own pace. “Give me a second,” he told his friend. “Evie?”
    He could almost hear her mulling over her options and knew the second she decided to trust him. A huge weight fell from his shoulders when she gave him the address.
    “I heard it,” Damek told him. “I’ll be there as fast as I can.”
    The line went dead and Craig turned off his phone. “You did the right thing,” he told her.
    “Did I?” He could tell Evie was unsure.
    “Damek will help us,” Craig promised. He knew a lot of folks who would laugh at his assessment, knew they feared Damek, what he was and the power he wielded. But Craig knew better than most that, at his core, Damek was fiercely loyal to his mate, her family and his small circle of friends. While it was a very good thing to be Damek’s friend, it was a very bad thing to be his enemy. Thankfully, Craig fell into the friend category.
    “He’ll be here soon.” Fatigue swept over him and he sat down heavily. “Damn, I’m tired.”
    “You’re doing too much, too soon.” Evie hurried to his side, practically picked him up and dragged him back to the blanket. She covered him with his leather jacket. “Rest. I’ll watch for your friend.”
    Craig closed his eyes, promising himself he’d rest for a minute. That was the last thing he remembered until an unearthly roar jolted him from his slumber.

Chapter Three
    “What have you done?” Craig heard the anger in Damek’s low, precise words and opened his eyes to find his friend had Evie pinned to the wall by her neck. Pure menace pulsed through the air, making it heavy with anticipation of violence to come. Evie was fighting, hissing and scratching at Damek with clawed fingers, but she was no match for the ancient vampire.
    “Stop.” Craig jumped to his feet. The jackhammers in his skull started up again, but he ignored the pain and he stumbled toward them. He wrapped his arms around Damek’s waist and tried to pull him off. It was like trying to move a mountain. Impossible. “Damek. Don’t hurt her. Let her go. It’s not what you think.”
    “And how would you know what I’m thinking?”
    The walls of the room warped with power. Fury radiated from Damek, causing the very foundation of the building to shake. Crap, Damek was really pissed. And that was never good for anyone.
    As always, Damek was wearing a custom Armani suit, silk shirt and Italian leather shoes. The guy always looked as though he belonged in international banking instead of the nightclub he ran. But he was the most dangerous creature Craig had ever met.
    “Please.” Craig prayed his friend would release Evie before he hurt her. “For me.”
    Damek slowly loosened his grip on Evie but didn’t quite release her. She glared at Craig, a look of utter betrayal in her eyes.
    “I promised her you’d help us.”
    “I will help you, but I’m not so sure about her.” Damek turned to him, anguish in his face. “You are a vampire.”
    It wasn’t a question. Craig knew Damek would be able to see, to smell, to hear the difference. “It was an accident.”
    Damek sighed and looked back at Evie. “I will release you, but do not run. You will not like what happens if I have to catch you.”
    “He’s a vampire.” Evie shot her accusation at Craig. “After I told you about the monster who attacked me, you told me to trust you and I did. And you call in another one of them.”
    Craig walked toward her, trying not to let it hurt him when she flinched away from him. “I told you not all vampires are monsters, Evie. I’m not. You’re not.”
    She rubbed her face and tears filled her eyes. He watched her blink them back and knew it was because she didn’t want to appear weak. Didn’t she realize how strong she was to have survived the vampire who’d attacked her and escape him? To survive on her own without being caught out in the light or hunted by paranormal bounty hunters. Obviously