Read Online Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between by J. A. Saare - Free Book Online

and better. It’s that, or a dealer got greedy and started offering new and improved vampire specialties at private gatherings. Either way, our next step is to get invited to a private screening to see what’s on the menu.”
    “Oh man.” Images of wanna-be vampires came to mind and an electric tremor shot down my vertebrae. I didn’t want to be involved with a crowd like that. I gave Goose my most pitiful look. “Do we have to?”
    He laughed, the unexpected sound reverberating inside his apartment. “Why can’t you be like this more often? It’s refreshing and rather adorable.”
    “Fuck that shit,” I grumbled and felt my face flush red as I resumed my normal disposition. Adorable was a word with which I never wanted to be associated. No more chocolate. It coerced me into being happy and joyful.
    “It was fun while it lasted.” He frowned disapprovingly and looked at the ceiling, as if God needed to intervene on my behalf. “And yes, we do have to. Disco got the location of the next blood tasting. It’s Friday night—”
    “Hold it.” I sat up, placing the vial on the desk along with my mug. “I’ve got work.”
    “Can’t you take the night off?”
    He seemed dumbfounded, and I wasn’t sure why. Work means you have a schedule, and when it’s your day to work, you come in. It seemed like a basic concept to me.
    “Sure, I could, but it’s a busy night. I can’t afford to lose my job over this.” I liked my job and the people I worked with. No way was I letting that slip. “That is one condition I’m not budging on.”
    “Please, take the night off. Getting invited to these social functions is no easy feat, and I’m not sure the opportunity will come again in the foreseeable future. I won’t ask again, Scout’s Honor.” He lifted his fingers and drew a cross over his heart.
    “Okay,” I agreed reluctantly, and it hurt to do it. I’d never requested off work at the last minute before. I hoped Deena didn’t chew me up and spit me out. “But this is it, no more ditching.”
    “That sounds fair.” He sat up and opened a drawer on the desk. The chair squeaked in protest as he reached into the back, pilfered around, and pulled out a card. He tossed it across the desk, and I caught it with my hands. “That’s for your expenses. You’ll need to buy something for the occasion. Pamper yourself with a manicure and pedicure. Enjoy yourself.”
    “What about you?” I tried to picture him in head to toe black, with lipstick and eyeliner.
    “What about me?” He frowned, peering down.
    “Do you even own a black article of clothing? And who is going to apply your makeup?”
    He laughed so hard, I thought his neurological pathways had been fried.
    “What?”
    He grinned, laughing again, until he noticed my expression. “This isn’t that kind of party, Rhiannon. That card is to purchase a dress—a nice dress. The people who attend these functions are not young adults with a lingering case of depression. Purchasing vampire blood is an expensive habit, one that requires thousands of dollars each time.”
    I wanted to gag. I hadn’t worn a dress since my prom. “Can’t I wear what I did to the Razor?”
    “No.” He was completely serious now. “These people will notice anything out of the ordinary. You’ll need to get a dress, get your hair done—all of it. That’s why I insisted you come along and request the night off. These gatherings are exclusive and undisclosed.”
    My stomach knotted at the gravity of what I was entering into. I stood up, bracing my hands on his desk. “What goes down at these little social functions? I’m not down with guzzling someone else’s blood, dead or alive. If that’s part of the arrangement, I’m telling you right now, it ain’t happening. No fucking way .”
    “The expectation for you to sample the product will be there, but you can decline. You can say you’ve recently come down from your last taste and need a breather. It’s similar to a