Dangerous Designs Read Online Free PDF

to discover the undamaged sketchbook still lying where she'd thrown it on the floor. She'd stood stunned in her open doorway. No gaping hole in the floor, no damage even.
    Of course there wasn't. It couldn't be any other way. Still she couldn't reconcile what had actually happened in her mind. Finding escape in running away, she'd grabbed a change of clothes, a bite to eat and had left for school without waking up her mother. She'd needed time to think. Time to assess what the hell had happened. And why.
    All the while, she'd questioned Eric's opportune arrival at the mine entrance. It's not like he'd offered an explanation for his presence there at that hour. Then again, neither had she. Still, as much as she appreciated the rescue, his arrival outside the mine entrance had unlikely coincidence written all over it. She didn't believe in those. Ever.
    He was up to something.
    Shaking her head, Storey glanced behind her to make sure she was truly alone before racing the last leg home.
    Her mother might be a little odd in the eyes of the town folk, but she'd done one thing right – she'd taught Storey common sense. Storey's instincts screamed at her about Eric. He was too good-looking, too interesting and too interested in her to be normal. He was... different . Good different or bad different? Too early to tell.
    She knew one thing – she wanted to go back into the mine.
    Apprehension wafted through her. Okay, so maybe she didn't want to go back into the mine. It was more like she had to go back in.
    Home loomed in front of her. With it came a sense of awe. A sense of joy. A grin split her face. She, Storey Dupont, had a door into a mine shaft through her bedroom floor. She didn't know how and she sure as hell didn't know why, but there it was. And she was going to go through it again – soon.
    Well, after a snack and picking up a few supplies.
    In the kitchen, she threw back a tall glass of water and opened the cupboard. There were fruit snacks in there somewhere.
    "Storey?" Her mom wandered into the room, dressed in lounging pants and a camisole, rubbing sleep from her eyes. Jesus. It was three in the afternoon. Her assistant must be watching the store.
    "There you are. Are you all right?"
    "Of course, I'm fine, Mom. Why?"
    "Well, Gina called this morning and mentioned that she saw you walking very early this morning with a boy."
    Storey glanced over at her mom and caught her deep blue gaze – not accusing Storey, exactly. At least not yet.
    "And I know you were in bed last night because we spoke."
    Storey turned back to the cupboard without responding. Great. Someone had spotted her and had tattled already. About Eric no less.
    After a moment, her mother continued, her voice forced into light casualness. "She was pretty sure she'd recognized you." She cleared her throat. "Did you leave the house early? Without saying anything?" She hesitated. "And with a boy?"
    Distracted, Storey struggled to find an answer.
    "Storey?"
    Storey had to give herself a shake. "Yes, I woke up early and thought I'd go out for a walk. You were asleep when I got back, so I got ready for school and left."
    "Oh. Uhm. You're not trying to exercise at that hour, are you?" Her mother moved closer, reaching out a hand to Storey's arm. She peered up into Storey's eyes. "I know you've had a tough couple of months since Jeff moved away, and I know you want to be like the other girls and all, but you're getting so skinny. I'm worried. You're almost anorexic."
    "What? No, I'm not. Look, I couldn't sleep so I went down to the creek to watch the sunrise." She reached out and gave her mom a quick hug. "I'm fine. I eat. Honest." Storey hoped the conversation would die a natural death at this point. Her mom had spent most of Storey's preteen years trying to make her 'see the light' in one matter or another.
    Storey had always preferred the dark, which might account for her need to get back into that blackness.
    She still hadn't figured that trip out. She wanted