Wicked Ways (Dark Hearts Book 1) Read Online Free

nod, he plucked the bottle of chardonnay from the bucket of ice. He filled my glass then changed bottles to fill Grimm’s with the red.
    “Thank you,” Grimm said to the waiter, before turning to me again. “My last name is Heller.”
    “Grimm Heller? Mine is Brown.”
    He nodded. “I know who you are. You’re a lecturer. I’ve seen your name many times. Noticed you last year, in fact.” He chuckled. “I promise I’m not a stalker.”
    I found my cheeks heating. Of course he’d know. “I have a boring last name.” Grimm Heller had rolled off my tongue like honey, though maybe that was the chardonnay working on me. “Heller does sound scary. You should be a spy or a jet fighter pilot with a name like that.”
    In the middle of tasting the wine, Grimm coughed and had to wipe his mouth with the table napkin. “Thank you, Zorina, I think.”
    The man saying my name made my heart pick up pace. I grinned and made a throwaway gesture. “Change your line of work. But, Zorie, please. I don’t really use the full name anymore unless it’s for students.”
    My food arrived, as did his. I’d ordered light while he had some monstrous breakfast. Watching him shovel it all in was breath-taking. Magicians had nothing on this man eating food.
    Grimm was good company – smart, funny even. I even found myself giggling at his stories. The bottle of chardonnay was barely halfway down and I was laughing at his jokes. Grimm seemed daring yet polite and for some reason that bothered me. Still, for a date with a man who was way above my grade in sexiness, things were going swimmingly.
    Coffee and dessert arrived. My stomach squeezed in with anxiety.
    The end of the date was approaching. Why did that worry me?
    Because he was a man, and men had done bad things to me.
    A touch as light as one of the fern fronds brushed my neck, sending tingles cascading down my body, making my eyelids quiver shut, making me wet and my nipples spike into my bra.
    Him.
    Somewhere near.
    Then the touch was gone.
    The world crushed in on my heart.
    Breathing with quiet, strangled gasps, I peered around the cafe, finally daring to turn in my chair and look at everyone – pedestrians, cars, patrons, waiters. No one stood out.
    He’s not here. The man I lost a year ago is not here. But I wasn’t quite convinced.
    “Zorie, are you okay?” Grimm took my hand.
    I shook loose and stood, shoving my chair back so fast it tipped then banged back down onto the pavers. “I have to go. I’m sorry.” My mouth firmed as I returned his startled gaze. “I’m sorry. It’s not you.”
    No time. No time. Get out of here. Why not use Grimm as a guard? No.
    “What?” He frowned. “Did I do something?”
    “No.”
    I couldn’t trust him. Maybe he’d brought this on...somehow.
    I pulled some cash from my purse, put it on the table, and I fled.
    That night, I contemplated running. But where to? Seated in the kitchen with all the doors and windows of my house locked tight, I thought the incident through, over and over. It had been a one second feeling at most. Maybe I’d imagined it?
    I glanced at my phone as it made the text message sound. It’d be Grimm again. My response could wait until tomorrow.
    When another text bleeped in, I gave in, picked up my mobile phone and texted back, Sorry, I get panic attacks. Just me. My past. I’m fine now.
    Reading his five or eight text messages was pointless. He’d never want to see me again but that was probably for the best. For a barely there boyfriend, he sure liked texting. I guessed I must’ve looked freaked out.
    Even stepping into my upstairs bedroom gave me a panic attack. Every corner had to be examined. I put the pistol on top of my bedside set of drawers. Hands loosely clasped over my chest, I watched the grayed ceiling for hours. Gigantic spiders in horror movies had nothing on my fears. Sometime well after one AM, I sank into a restless sleep.
     

Chapter 5
    Zorie
     
    When I awoke it was to an instant