Read Drawing Deep for Free Online

you’re at for awhile? Give the old man time to get frustrated and move on?”
    A possibility she had no desire to test. Between her continued irritation with her boss and now her father’s sudden appearance back home, Ria knew it was time to move on. But not here. “Hello? Shifters? Remember? Besides, Chris only plans on being here for a week unless something pretty phenomenal happens.”
    “Just think about it. I’ve told you before, not all vamps and shifters have this weird Hatfield and McCoy viewpoint that you do. However,” he pressed on before she could interrupt, “you have to admit they’re incredibly powerful creatures. Frankly, from what you’ve told me, all the males there are alphas. We’re talking uber tough, Ria. I honestly don’t know any safer place.”
    “Unless they hate vampires.”
    “Which you’ll never know until you ask.”
    Ria snorted. “Oh, I can just picture that conversation. Hi. I’m a vamp. Do you mind if I hang with you awhile or do you plan on shredding me to pieces?”
    Dax exhaled so loud it made a whoosh noise through the phone. “You’re prejudice is showing, and it’s not pretty, girl. Feel them out, and maybe ease off the cigarettes. One a day. Enough to mask your scent from other vamps, but light enough to make the cats curious.”
    “And if they kill me?”
    A pause. “Well. You’ll die knowing you were right.”
    Her eyes rolled. “That’s comforting.”
    Dax chuckled. “Only because you know I’m right. I’ve had more experience with the fuzz balls. Trust me. We may no longer be together, but you know I’d never steer you toward danger.”
    Ria gazed up at the idle ceiling fan over the bed. “I know. You’ve always been better to me then I deserved.”
    “No, babe. You deserve happiness. Everyone does. You only need to lean how to love yourself before you can love anyone else.”
    Uncomfortable at the direction their conversation had turned, Ria rubbed agitated fingers over the comforter. She’d rather talk about blood and death than emotional introspection. “Working on it.”
    “My advice?”
    “Yeah?”
    “Work faster.” Dax hung up, making Ria glare at the phone.
    She didn’t know how long she lay there, staring at nothing as she tried to process everything: her father, her job, her home. Herself. Should she stay or should she go? Should she tell the Felix family what she was and hope for the best, or not?
    Frozen by indecision, she twitched when her phone let out a discreet chime informing her of a new text. Lifting the device, she scanned the message from Lance.
    Boss pissed u missed breakfast. Stuck u on towing detail. Melinda will explain. Sorry.
    Nice. She flung an arm over her eyes, thinking what she should do is just go back to bed and start this horrible day over again.
    Chapter Four
    Though not particularly hungry after Dax’s call, the rich scent of bacon teased her nose and belly into waking hunger before she even reached the dining room. Ria scooped scrambled eggs, crisp bacon and a small pile of fruit onto her plate from the buffet laid out on top of the sideboard and made her way to an open seat. There were plenty. As in all of them. She was currently the only occupant in the room, which suited her mood. Trying to make polite conversation at a time when she only wanted to wallow in fear and frustration – and stuff her face at the same time – would simply tax her already stretched-too-thin nerves.
    Biting into the bacon alleviated her mood a notch. The second piece easing her even more.
    The magic of comfort food.
    After stuffing the last piece of melon into her mouth, she eyed the chafing dishes, contemplating seconds. Or possibly absconding with one of those muffins. She had nothing else to do until Melinda appeared to explain the whole towing thing Lance had texted her about. Though she wanted to get out onto the site and get to work, it was still chilly out, and she might just whack Chris over the head with a shovel if he