Vampire King of New York Read Online Free PDF Page A

roses before work.”
    “Right on it, Mr. V.” Moah hurried away and made the call from the bar phone.
    Beyond the bar window shadow dissolved into light. “Dawn is coming” David stood up and lifted his hood over his head. “I’m going home. What about you?”
    “I’m staying here awhile. I have some errands to run.”
    Moah opened the door for David and then locked it afterward. “Good night, boss.” He disappeared through a door to the kitchen.
    Max sat there staring into his glass. He closed his eyes and recalled the feel of her leaning against him when they danced. Love never fades, remaining as vibrant as its first day. No matter what any vampire told him, blood was not enough. Without love, eternity was an endless dark pit. He knew the pit too well.

 
    Chapter 4
    Evelyn tossed and turned in pain. Every dream tormented her. Either they didn’t make sense, like the ones about Max, or they were replays of the last time she saw Jack and J.J. That woman’s rants at the funeral echoed in her ears. “He didn’t love you. He never did.” Then the screams faded into an engulfing silence. Her little son’s mangled body lay on the cold metal table. He appeared so small, so helpless. His smile would never brighten her day again. Nothing could rip her heart like this.
    Just when she couldn’t cry enough, the world grew darker and swirled around with claws that sliced at her, screeching through her, and sucked her under a black tar morass.
    “Aaaaaaaaa,” she screamed, clawing at the air. “Get away from me.”
    When she opened her eyes, Laura was hugging her. Her pillow and sheets were in tatters around her. David stood in the open doorway.
    “Where were you?” she asked Laura. “I needed you.”
    “I’ve been trying to wake you up.”
    “What time is it?”
    “Quarter to nine.”
    “Oh, great. I’m going to be late for work.” Laura helped her out of bed. Immediately Evelyn rushed into the shower. Minutes later, she had her blond hair wrapped into a tight bun and was wearing one of her numerous gray suits, when she ran through the kitchen.
    “Breakfast?”
    “No time.”
    “These came for you.”

    “What?” Evelyn turned to David who held the huge bouquet of red roses. “From who?”
    “Max.”
    “Max? Oh, they’re beautiful. I have to run. Laura, please, put them in water.”
    Evelyn went out the door and down the steps. She flagged down the first cab she saw and climbed in. Traffic stopped her progress two blocks from the library.
    “I’m getting out here.” She paid the driver and joined the multitude of people on the sidewalk trudging to work. Tripping, she reached out and caught herself before hitting the pavement. A dead black bird. It was huge. A crow? No, bigger than that. A raven.
    Evelyn turned and headed for the library. She didn’t want to think about it, but her mind kept wandering back to when she and Laura were children in New Orleans. The mambo Brilla used to make spells. There was something bad about finding a dead black bird, but she couldn’t remember what it was. Maybe she would make time to look it up in the library. Maybe.
    When Evelyn got to work, she put away her coat and purse, her fingers trembling the whole time. Yes, it meant something bad. She was sure of that.
    “We missed you at this morning’s staff meeting.”
    Evelyn jumped at the bird-like, high-pitched voice of her supervisor. “Sorry about that, Mrs. Jepsen.”
    The thin, silver-haired woman smiled, but Evelyn knew from experience not to count on that smile. She went through the returned pile and loaded a cart with books about Norway.
    “I wouldn’t shelve those. There’s a gentleman waiting to see you. He said you agreed to help him find the books he needs for his research.”
    Evelyn looked around. “Who do you mean?”
    “He needed specific information on Viking weapons.” Mrs. Jepsen frowned. “Oh, he must have already gone to that section.”

    Evelyn wheeled the cart down the rows of