Craig's Heart

by N. J. Walters

  “The abuse I take.” Damek caught her hand, brought it to his lips and kissed each of Sonia’s knuckles before turning back to Craig. “I didn’t blackmail them. I didn’t have to. I simply pointed out a few truths to them. But you don’t have to take my word for it, talk to Meredith. Or your siblings for that matter. They were there.”

  Damek rose. “I must leave for work.”

  Craig jumped to his feet before his friend could leave the room. There was no expression on Damek’s face, but Craig knew his accusation had hurt his friend. “I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve that.” Craig raked his fingers through his hair, frustrated with himself and with the situation they all found themselves tangled in.

  “I’ve got a lot on my mind right now, but you’ve been nothing but kind and understanding. Hell, I probably wouldn’t be standing here if you hadn’t come to my aid. I don’t doubt that Vladimir would have found us by now if we were still roaming the streets, trying to survive. I owe you my life. Our lives.”

  Damek swore in a language Craig didn’t know, but there was no doubt what was coming out of his friend’s mouth was profanity. Some words didn’t need translating. “You owe me nothing. Nothing. You are my one true friend.”

  Craig pulled Damek into his arms and hugged him. “And you’re my friend. Now and always.” Damek returned his embrace and then pulled back.

  The older vampire stared at him for a long moment, both of them sharing their thoughts before retreating behind their separate walls once again. Damek nodded and Craig knew he’d been forgiven.

  Damek glanced at Evie and then back at his wife. “We must plan our next move.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Evie’s head was still ringing with Damek’s instructions on how to defeat a vampire, especially one as old as Vladimir. Nobody said it was going to be easy, but from what Damek had told them it seemed almost impossible—at least for her.

  But she wouldn’t accept defeat.

  There was no doubt in her mind that Damek could destroy Vladimir Drake. Whatever Vladimir’s skills, she couldn’t imagine him defeating Damek in a fight. But then, fate didn’t always play fair. She had to be prepared in case her opportunity arose or Damek failed.

  Fresh from her shower, she dressed in a pair of new jeans and the sweater she’d borrowed from Craig’s closet. It might be juvenile, but she liked wearing his sweater. It made her feel closer to him.

  Sonia had thoughtfully shopped for some new clothing for her and Evie now had several underwear sets, some new tops, a pair of jeans and a pair of leggings. She’d pay the other woman back as soon as she could.

  She sat on the bed, pulled on her boots and laced them up. Craig walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his lean waist and another one around his neck. A bead of water rolled down his broad chest, making Evie lose her breath. The urge to step up to him and lick that small droplet of water away was almost overwhelming.

  They hadn’t had sex last night before they’d fallen asleep or when they’d woken this evening. It was obvious he wanted to, but she’d put him off and then felt guilty when he’d immediately become concerned about her wellbeing.

  They’d still slept together, and she’d spent the night with his arm draped across her. She’d lay awake in the daylight hours, soaking up the sensation of being tucked up next to his big body. Safety. Craig represented safety to her on so many levels.

  As much as she cared for him and wanted to be with him, she needed some perspective, and that only came with distance. Unfortunately or fortunately, she wasn’t sure which, they were stuck together until the trouble with Vladimir and the bounty hunters was dealt with.

  Evie finished with the laces of her boots and leaned back against the headboard and watched Craig drop his towel and pull on a pair of boxer briefs. She almost broke out in a sweat at the sight of his firm butt cheeks. Too soon, he was covered, pulling on a pair of jeans and a dark-brown wool pullover.

  He picked up both towels and went back into the bathroom. She knew he was hanging them on the towel rod. He was good about things like that.

  Evie closed her eyes and sighed, but the image that filled her imagination was the one of Damek and Craig sparring in the empty apartment beneath Damek’s home. As soon as the sun had set this evening, Damek pounded on their bedroom door, demanding their presence. They’d barely had time to swallow the glasses of blood he’d thrust at them before he was hustling them downstairs to what seemed to be a workout space. He’d handed each of them a sword and demanded they pay attention and learn.

  And learn they had.

  Damek was a tough task master, exacting and driven. He’d drilled them over and over on different positions and maneuvers. She’d found them difficult, but Craig had taken to them like a duck to water. Before long, she was watching the two men spar. And while it was obvious that Damek was far superior, Craig held his own.

  Damek had explained about staking a vampire through the heart. Younger vampires it would probably kill. Older ones might be incapacitated, but not for long. The head needed to come off and the body had to be burned. A grizzly and bloody business.

  “Are you okay?” Craig asked as he came toward her. She rose quickly from the bed, not needing the temptation of having him sit next to her on a nice firm mattress.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Just thinking about everything we learned.” They’d spent three hours drilling before Damek dismissed them for the night. She had a feeling they’d still be at it if Damek hadn’t needed to go to work. Thankfully, being a vampire meant no sore muscles. She seemed to heal incredibly fast, her muscles strengthening as she’d gone through the various exercises.

  She felt more capable of defending herself than she had been, but nowhere near ready enough to defeat another vampire, especially not one of Vladimir’s age.

  Craig grinned. “That was one heck of a workout.”

  “You enjoyed it,” she accused. She’d sweat and struggled, while he’d seemed to have fun.

  He nodded and chuckled. “I admit, I did. I used to practice fighting techniques with Quinn and Hank all the time, and I miss it. But we’ve never used weapons before.”

  “Those swords were sharp.” A shiver trickled down Evie’s spine. Those blades were sharp enough to remove a person’s head if enough force was used. And with his new strength, Craig could easily do it. But that meant Vladimir could too.

  “Hey.” Craig caught her hands and held them against his chest. “Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”

  She snorted. “You keep your Pollyanna outlook on life if it makes you happy.”

  He frowned and released her hands. “It’s better than always looking on the dark side of things.” He raked his fingers through his damp hair. “Look, I’m not stupid. I know bad things happen to good people all the time. But I have to believe we can get through this, that we can come out the other side. What’s the alternative? To give up and throw in the towel?”

  Angry at Vladimir, angry at the situation they both found themselves in, and angry at herself for what she’d done to him, Evie lashed out. “At least I’m being realistic about the situation.”

  “What you’re being is a coward. You want to pretend that what’s between us isn’t happening. You’re afraid of me getting close to you.”

  “In your dreams.” She wanted to scoff at his words, to call him a liar, but she was very afraid he was right. She was afraid of him, of Vladimir, of what was to come. She started to stride past him, needing to get away from his masculine presence for even a short while. As she went by him, he caught her around the waist and pulled her back against him.

  “Let me go,” she demanded through clenched teeth.

  “Make me,” he taunted.

  Fury erupted inside her and she began to fight. He countered her moves easily, pinning her arms by her sides and lifting her off the floor. She threw back her head and slammed it into his face. He swore and she smelled blood. Her fangs exploded from her gums and her nails extended into claws. An
imalistic growls spewed from deep inside her.

  All her fear, all her pent-up frustration and rage poured out of her. Like lancing a wound, now that the poison was escaping there was no way to stop it.

  She heard Craig calling her name, but she was lost in a void darker than midnight. The only color was the deep-purplish red of rage. It filled her vision. She thirsted for blood.

  Like a caged wild thing, she fought the human bars that enclosed her. It was no use. As strong as she was, he was stronger. He pushed her face first against the wall and she dug her claws into the drywall, gouging deep. With his chest against her back and his arms around her, she was powerless to move. His legs surrounded her, immobilizing them.

  She howled like a wounded animal.

  The door slammed open and she heard a woman gasp and Craig’s command for her to leave them. Jealousy speared through her. Why was there another woman there? Craig belonged to her.

  That stopped her cold.

  She could hear them both breathing heavily, feel his hot, moist breath on her neck. Her heart was racing. She was hungry. Oh God, the hunger was eating at her insides along with the need for vengeance. She hauled a lungful of air into her and the enticing aroma of fresh blood made her moan and lick her lips. So good. It would taste so good.

  “It’s okay, Evie. I’ve got you. I won’t ever let you go. You’ll never be alone again.”

  Craig’s words slowly sank into her psyche as the haze of rage slowly evaporated, leaving her feeling empty and spent.

  What had she done?

  A lone tear trickled down her cheek.

  Craig slowly released his tight hold and turned her so she was facing him. He leaned close and captured her teardrop with his tongue. There was blood beneath his nose from where she’d hit him with the back of her head. She tugged at the hem of his shirt, lifting it until she could wipe the blood away. As much as she wanted to taste it, she was afraid of what she might do if she did.

  Her claws and fangs had receded with her anger, but the shame and disappointment remained. “I’m sorry.” What else could she say? She’d attacked him for no reason. She owed Craig everything. If not for him, she’d be alone on the streets. No, that wasn’t quite true. If it weren’t for Craig, Damek would have killed her the moment he met her for what she’d done to his friend, or Vladimir probably would have tracked her by now.

  Craig smoothed his hands over her arms. “It’s okay, Evie. It’s perfectly natural to get upset. Things have been out of your control from the beginning.”

  “I don’t see you having a hissy fit over the situation.” And that made her resentful. How come he seemed to be handling things better than her?

  He cocked his head to one side and studied her intently. She fought the urge to squirm.

  “Maybe because I already knew about vampires and werewolves and accepted them. I know this world and understand the reality of it. This is all new to you. You had no idea what had happened to you. I knew all too well.”

  “Not making me feel better.”

  Her comment surprised him and then he laughed. “I guess not. But it’s the truth.” He took her hand and tugged her toward the door. “Come on, we need to reassure Sonia everything is okay before she calls Damek.”

  Evie was suddenly in a hurry to do just that. The last thing she wanted was for Sonia to feel threatened by her. That would sign her death warrant. If there was one thing Evie was sure of, it was that anyone who was a threat to Damek’s wife died. Plain and simple.

  And she couldn’t fault him for that. The fact that he loved Sonia so much was a point in his favor.

  She glanced at Craig as he led the way down the hall to the living room, amazed by how he treated her considering she’d turned him into a vampire. Even when she’d attacked him, he hadn’t harmed her, had only protected her. Her heart skipped a beat.

  Craig stopped and swiveled around. “Are you okay?”

  Even now, he seemed so in tune with her. It was scary and enticing at the same time. “I will be as soon as I apologize to Sonia.”

  She stepped around Craig and took the lead. She knew the other woman was waiting for them, could easily feel her presence. That was a skill she’d gotten since becoming a vampire. It was a weird, but useful ability.

  “I’m so sorry,” Evie began. “I’ll pay for any damage to the room. I’m afraid the drywall took a hit.” She tried to make light of the situation, but her attempt fell flat.

  Evie expected to see fear or maybe disgust on Sonia’s face. Anything but genuine concern. “I’m just glad you’re fine. Please, sit.” She motioned to the sofa and, although Evie wanted to be anywhere else right now, she sat. She figured she owed Sonia that much.

  “I know it can be a lot to take in, and it has to be worse for you because you knew nothing of this world until you were attacked. I’d be shocked if you weren’t having more than a few problems adjusting.”

  “That’s what Craig said,” she muttered. She didn’t feel worthy of their understanding. Having her here was complicating their lives to no end.

  “And he’s right. It’s a lot to take in and adjust to. Give yourself some time and cut yourself some slack.” Sonia rose to her feet and smiled at them. “If you don’t need anything, I’m off to the library to do some research.”

  Evie frowned and glanced at the clock on the wall. “Doesn’t it close in an hour?”

  Sonia laughed. “With the amount of donations Damek had given them, the library is never closed for me. The night watchmen all know me and let me in.”

  “How are you getting there?” Craig asked.

  “You’re as bad as Damek,” Sonia playfully scolded.

  Evie could only watch the byplay and wonder. She’d never had good friends, not like Craig did. Lots of acquaintances, sure, but she’d never lowered her guard enough to allow someone to really know her. It was her way of protecting herself. Now she could see how much she’d missed by doing so, how she’d isolated herself.

  “But don’t worry,” Sonia continued. “Jerome is waiting downstairs with the car. He usually comes inside the library and reads until I’m ready to go unless Damek needs him for something.”

  Craig gave Sonia a kiss on the cheek. Evie curled her fingers into the leather of the sofa to keep from jumping up and going after the other woman. It was crazy. She knew Sonia was very in love with Damek and that Craig was only a friend, but that didn’t seem to matter at the moment.

  She was jealous and it didn’t sit well with her.

  The door closed, leaving them alone in the apartment. “I should leave.” Even as she said it, she knew she wouldn’t. First of all, she had nowhere to go, and she wasn’t stupid enough to think it would be easy to survive on her own with a crazy vampire after her. And secondly, she didn’t want to leave Craig, liked being around him. Plus, she felt a burning need to protect him and she could only do that if she was with him.

  “Stay.” He sat on the sofa next to her and pulled out his phone. “I need to make some calls. If you want to go out after that, we will.”

  She slumped back against the cushions and sighed. “I’ll wait.”

  Craig rubbed his thumb over her cheek. “Don’t be so hard on yourself, Evie. You’ve come such a long way in a short time.” A slow smile curved his lips, making her want to kiss them. “And you were hot when you were wielding that sword. Although, I’m thinking you might be more of a knife girl.”

  His observation made her laugh. That was one of Craig’s gifts. He made her forget her problems. No, not forget them. He made them easier to handle. “You like a knife-wielding woman, do you?”

  “I guess I do.” He leaned down until their lips were almost touching. “Although, not just any knife-wielding woman.” He touched his lips to hers. “Only you.” He kissed her then, deeply, hotly.

  She slid her hand up his nape to tangle in his hair. He tasted so good, spicy and warm. All hot male with a tinge of the blood he’d drank earlier. She made a soft sound in the back of her thr
oat and shifted closer.

  Then his phone rang.

  The last thing Craig wanted to do was stop kissing Evie, but he knew he had to answer his phone. If he soon didn’t make contact with his friends, they might come here. And he wasn’t sure Evie was up to that yet. And he sure as hell knew Damek wouldn’t be pleased. The older vampire valued his privacy and zealously guarded it.

  Knowing Damek like he did, Craig wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if the older vampire moved, and sooner rather than later. In fact, he’d be shocked if he didn’t. He probably had another apartment all ready in case he had to move in a hurry. Damek was nothing if not organized and prepared. Craig admired that and hoped to learn from him.

  Evie was calm now, but her eruption of anger hadn’t truly surprised him. She’d dealt with so much in such a short time that her emotions were bound to be volatile. He was lucky in that most of this wasn’t new to him. Plus, he had his family and Sonia and Damek supporting him. She was alone.

  He eased back, letting his lips linger one final second before grabbing the phone before it went to voice mail. “Hello.” He knew it was Meredith from the call display. He pulled Evie close to him, wanting her to hear the conversation. There could be no secrets between them. He wanted her to truly understand that they were in this together.

  “Hi, Craig.” Meredith took a deep breath on the other end of the line. “I’m so sorry about last night. We’re all sorry. We shouldn’t have reacted as badly as we did. That was wrong of us. I just want you to know that you’re welcome at Haven anytime and if you need anything from us, you have only to ask.”

  The hole their lack of acceptance had created in Craig’s heart began to slowly close. This was a new beginning for all of them. The parameters of their relationship had changed, but the basis of their friendship remained. They had years of shared history, of memories that nothing could erase. If he was a jerk, he could blow off her apology or he could take it and reach out to her, to all of them.

  He chose the latter.

  “That means a lot to me, Meredith. You mean a lot to me.”