Craig's Heart (5 page)

Craig sighed and ran his finger through his hair. His fingers went to his face and he frowned when he almost poked himself in the eye. “My glasses.”

“They’re in the pocket of your leather jacket. I put them there for safekeeping.” Evie motioned to the jacket.

Craig blinked and a slow smile crossed his lips, making him appear even more handsome. “Wow, I can see everything perfectly.”

Damek shook his head and sighed. “Of course you can. You’re a vampire now. The change healed any infirmities your body had.” His tone was gruff, but Evie could hear the affection there.

Was it possible Damek would help them? That Craig wasn’t under his thrall, one of his minions. Evie wasn’t exactly sure how this whole thing worked other than what she’d seen in the movies or read in books.

Damek snorted. “Minions. Don’t believe everything you see at the movies. I’ve never sparkled in my life and have no plans to do so anytime soon.”

Evie gasped in horror. He was reading her mind. No part of her was safe.

Damek prowled toward her. “That’s right, little girl. I know what you’re thinking.”

“Damek.” There was a warning in Craig’s voice. Personally, Evie thought he was nuts to challenge this ancient vampire.

“Craig Lawton is one of the few people I call friend.” Damek’s black eyes mesmerized her, capturing her gaze. She couldn’t look away. “Give me your memories so I can know for certain what happened. Memories don’t lie.”

“Don’t hurt her.” Craig came to stand beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She wanted to burrow into him but didn’t dare move. She felt like a tiny mouse facing a killer tiger. Her skin was clammy. Her heart, which barely seemed to beat these days unless she’d just consumed blood or was under stress, was now racing like a runaway train. It was only sheer willpower keeping her on her feet.

She’d never been this frightened in her life, not even when the monster had stalked and attacked her. She had a feeling Damek would laugh at the power of the creature that had made her. She didn’t know if she should be comforted by that fact or scared out of her mind. Right now, she was terrified. Maybe if she survived the next few minutes she might find some comfort in the idea of Damek’s power.

“Let me do this.”

Evie knew Damek didn’t need her permission, but he was asking for Craig’s sake. Craig gave her shoulders a squeeze. Evie nodded, knowing she really had no other choice. If she didn’t allow him into her mind, he’d do it anyway. And she had a feeling that wouldn’t be a pleasant experience.

The corners of Damek’s mouth turned upward and his lips parted to reveal gleaming, white fangs.

Pain lanced through her skull. It felt as though a giant fist was burrowing inward. She would have fallen to her knees but Craig gripped her, holding her upright. “You’re hurting her,” Craig accused his friend.

“She’s fighting me.” Damek’s tone was one of total indifference.

“Don’t fight him, Evie,” Craig pleaded. “It doesn’t have to be this way. Relax. I’ve got you.”

She let go then. What did it matter what happened to her? While she wanted to destroy the one who’d done this to her, she didn’t fear death. It was preferable to the way she’d been living. Hiding in a vacant building during the daylight, scavenging the back alleys for drunks or addicts so she could have enough blood to survive. She was no different than the rats that slunk around the dumpsters of the city.

The minute she stopped fighting, the pain stopped. Her memories rolled backward like a reel of film, stopping when it got to the point just before the attack. She watched, totally detached as her life played forward. She flinched when the monster attacked, but it didn’t really touch her, not now. She felt removed from it all.

She hated having to watch herself in the alley, drinking from Craig when all he’d wanted to do was help her. She’d sunk lower than she’d thought she ever could. The memories played by at the speed of light, but she saw them all.

Finally, it was done, and she felt the second Damek pulled out of her memories. It was downright freaky to know that someone else was in her mind with her. A heaviness lifted and she was alone with her own thoughts once again.

Damek stared down at her and sighed. “This complicates things.”

“It wasn’t her fault.” Craig pulled her against his chest, and this time she couldn’t resist burrowing closer to his heat. She was so cold and couldn’t seem to regulate her body heat.

“You need to feed. Both of you.” Damek glanced at his watch. “You’re coming home with me.” He frowned at Craig. “Your brother and sister are back in the city and they’re looking for you.”

“Shit.” Craig’s arms tightened around her. “I can’t go home. Not yet.”

“Quinn and Chrissten love you.”

Evie found herself fascinated by the conversation between the two men, or rather vampires. One young and one old, yet you could really feel the bonds of friendship between them.

“I know, but can they accept this?” Craig motioned to himself. “I’m not sure they’ll understand.”

Damek’s expression hardened and Evie shivered. She did not want to be this man’s enemy.

“If they do not understand after all you’ve sacrificed for them, then it is they who are not worthy of you.” Damek turned and started toward the door of the abandoned building. “Come. My car is waiting outside.”

Damek walked away, fully assured they would follow him. And he was right. They really had nowhere else to go. Evie took one last glance around the dark, empty room and put one foot in front of the other.

Craig leaned his head back against the leather seat and tried to stay awake. It wasn’t easy. Exhaustion pulled at him, but he didn’t want to sleep. Not until he knew he and Evie were safe.

True to his word, Damek’s car had been idling outside the building, the driver waiting patiently. The vehicle wasn’t quite as large as a limo, but it was close. Evie was sitting next to him, her entire body rigid. Her eyes were on Damek as though she were afraid to blink.

“Everything will be okay,” he promised her.

She shook her head. “You keep saying that, but I don’t see how it can be.”

“We’re safe for now, and we’ll have some time to learn to control our new powers and the bloodlust.” At least Craig hoped they would.

Damek leaned back against the seat opposite them, his expression grim. “I would not wish this on you, my friend.”

“I know. But it’s happened and I have to deal with it.” Craig’s life as he knew it was over. That was hard to swallow, but then again, he hadn’t had much of a life of his own to begin with. His entire existence had been wrapped up in protecting his siblings and keeping their secret safe. It wasn’t as though his job would be affected. He worked for himself.

What would his family think of him now? Not just Quinn and Chrissten, but his extended family at Haven. They were all werewolves and he was now a vampire.

Damek removed his phone from his pocket and hit a button. Craig was amazed how easily he could hear both sides of the conversation.

“Did you find him?” It was Meredith and she sounded upset.

“I have him.” Damek ignored her questions and spoke over her. “Inform his brother and sister. There is a slight problem and Craig will be staying with me for a few days.”

Damek looked at him and raised one dark eyebrow in question. Craig shook his head. Maybe it was cowardly, but he didn’t want to talk to anyone. Not yet. Not until he fully came to grips with what he now was and what that meant for his future.

“He will call them when he can. Tell them he is safe.” Damek ignored the questions Meredith fired his way, ended the call and tucked his phone away. “You know that will not keep them away for long. They don’t know where my home is, but I have no doubt they will eventually find it.”

Craig glanced at Evie who was carefully listening to their conversation. Her eyes were wide with questions, but she didn’t say a word.

“I know. But it’s the best I can offer them for now. I need to understand myself.” Craig reached out and took Evie’s hand in his. “And I need to help Evie.”

Damek studied them both and sighed. “I was afraid of that.” The vehicle turned and pulled into a closed parking garage beneath a tall building. “We’re here.” The car came to a stop next to an elevator. Damek climbed out and held the door for them.

Craig stepped out and helped Evie exit. She was swaying on her feet and Craig could sense the fatigue pulling at her. The longer they were together, the more in tune he was becoming to her feelings and moods. It was strange to understand so much about a person without really knowing them or even having to look at them. He was just very aware of her at all times.

He wondered if she was feeling the same with him or if it was all one-sided?

“This way.” Damek motioned them inside the elevator. They stepped inside and the doors silently shut behind them.

Evie swallowed hard and fought down the panic welling up inside her. Who was Damek, besides being a vampire, and where was he really taking them? Craig might be safe with his friend, but she was under no such illusions. Damek didn’t like her, didn’t like what she’d done to Craig, and she couldn’t blame him. She didn’t like what she’d done to him either.

Craig stood by her side, his sandy-brown hair disheveled and his blue eyes half closed. His heart was barely beating, yet he was alive. Just like her. She couldn’t sense Damek’s heartbeat at all.

She didn’t want to notice how nice it felt when Craig slipped his fingers around hers and held her hand. Nor did she want to notice how his heat warmed her.

He was uncertain about his future, but not truly afraid. That amazed her. She’d been utterly terrified when she’d discovered what she’d become. Of course, he’d already known vampires existed, so maybe that made it easier for him to accept that he was now one himself.

Evie didn’t know what to think. Her life had become a roller coaster of nightmares and endless nights. She missed the sunlight.

Damek turned dark, soulless eyes on her and she shrank back before she could stop herself. But any sane person would run from the threat in the vampire’s gaze. “My mate is home. If you make any motion to harm her, I will kill you.”

Craig scowled. “Is that really necessary? Neither of us is going to hurt Sonia.” He offered her a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You’ll like Sonia, she’s great.”

Evie didn’t know what to expect when they exited the elevator and stepped into a small foyer that contained one door. Damek placed his palm over a fancy metal plate and the door opened. He stepped inside and held it for them.

The elevator door closed behind them and a quick glance confirmed her suspicion. Another palm plate. This place had more security than her bank. There were no windows in the foyer. No other way out. The only direction to go was forward.

Craig’s hand was warm against her spine, urging her inward.

Evie took a deep, steadying breath and marched into the room. The door banged shut behind them and she heard several locks engage.

“You’re home.” The woman’s voice was deep and full. Evie blinked at the slender woman with curly black hair and gray eyes who hurried toward them, her arms wide open. But it wasn’t Damek she hugged, it was Craig.

Evie felt her hackles rise and she had to fight the urge to pull Craig away from the other woman. She felt…jealous. Which was ridiculous. She had no real relationship with Craig, no hold on him.

“I’m so glad you’re okay. Damek’s been worried sick.”

“Sonia.” The warning in Damek’s voice was clear, but Sonia ignored it.

“I’m so happy you’re safe.” Sonia paused and slowly stepped back from Craig. Her smile disappeared and worry entered her gaze. “You’re not okay, are you?” Sonia glanced Evie’s way. “Oh no.”

“It seems our friend has had a slight mishap.” Damek pulled his mate to his side. The action reminded Evie of a lion protecting its next meal. There was no doubt Sonia belonged to this powerful creature.

“A slight mishap,” Sonia repeated. “A slight mishap is when you trip going down the stairs or maybe drop your cell phone in the sink. Being turned into a vampire is a bit more than that.”

“Can we maybe sit down and talk about this.” Craig swayed on his feet.

Damek was by his side in a blink. “Come this way, my friend. You need to feed and you need to rest.” Damek lifted Craig into his arms as if he were no more than a child and not a grown man at all. He carried him down a hallway even as Craig protested he could walk. Evie followed, not wanting to let Craig out of her sight.

She was very aware of Sonia following behind them.

The room they entered was more luxurious than anything she’d ever seen. It was as big as her entire studio apartment, but there was no window. Damek set Craig down on a king-sized bed and removed his boots and socks and then his jacket.

“I’m not an infant you know?” But Craig said it with a smile.

“You are compared to me, my friend,” Damek shot back.

Craig chuckled. “I guess so, but I’m not calling you dad,” he joked. “I’m so damn tired.”

“That will pass,” Damek promised. He turned to his mate. “They need blood.”

“I’m on it.” Sonia quickly left the room.