Read Online Embattled Hearts 1 by J.M. Madden - Free Book Online Page A

candles and gas lamps out, in case she lost power. What little laundry there was she finished, then ran several buckets of fresh water, and filled several large soup pots as well, leaving them sitting on the back burners. She emailed her family, telling them she would probably be without power for a couple days. Courtney, her sister, lived about four hundred miles south, and would probably get the same, if not worse, weather. Shannon debated telling her family about the Pepsi can and the fears that had been nagging her, but changed her mind. It wouldn’t be fair to scare them without concrete information yet.
    John arrived shortly after four, laden down with several bags of groceries.
    “Oh, wow. You didn’t have to do that, John.” Shannon struggled to relieve him of them, and even the small contact of his fingers on hers transferring the bags sent a thrill through her. He had on the standard leather, but this coat was longer than the bomber jacket he normally wore, with a wool collar around his neck. The dark brown complemented the color of his skin perfectly, and the beard stubble growing in made him look dangerous. More dangerous, actually. There was an army-green duffel hanging off the back of his wheelchair.
    “If you take the groceries, I’ll get my bag.”
    Nodding, she carried what she could into the kitchen, then returned for a second load. He must have bought two of everything. Two packages of steaks, two containers of potato salad, two bags of chips. Ten cans of miscellaneous veggies and fruit. There were also several bags of the frozen steamer bags of vegetables she preferred. And chocolate. Lots of chocolate. Her heart warmed as she found her favorite dark chocolate treat. Times four.
    Tears actually came to her eyes. Why would he do that for her?
    Heading back out, she found him in the guest room, pulling clothes from the bag.
    “I hope you don’t think I’m too presumptuous. I claimed the closet.” With a big hand, he motioned to the closet to the right of the door. “I think I’ll probably sleep out on the couch, more central, but I’ll keep my things in here.”
    Shannon nodded, trying not to let the sight of his clothing hanging in the closet mean too much. “That’s fine. I’m sorry you have to go to so much trouble, but I really appreciate you being here, John. I slept better last night than I have in several days.”
    He nodded. “I checked on you once, and you were totally out. You looked exhausted.”
    Shannon felt color creep up her neck at the thought of being watched in her sleep, especially by John. “Was I snoring?” she asked with a laugh.
    John shook his head firmly. “Nah, you were just deep asleep. Hey, uh, I talked to Jamison. He called a friend of a friend, and Michael J. Gerbowski is still behind bars in the state penitentiary.”
    Shannon plopped down on the end of the couch, her legs suddenly boneless. What a relief that was. She had logged onto the prison website to try to find out if he was still there, but the computer kept locking up on her. After several attempts she had stopped looking.
    John rolled in front of her, looking her directly in the eye. Knee to knee, he stopped, and Shannon knew more was coming. “Shannon. The prints on the can matched Gerbowski’s intake prints.”
    “What?” Shaking her head, Shannon tried to understand what he just told her. “You said he was still in prison.”
    John nodded. “I know. He is. I called my own contact and confirmed it as well. Michael Gerbowski is still in prison, but somehow his prints are on that can.”
    Shaking her head, mouth open in disbelief, she just sat there. “How the hell is that possible?”
    John’s face had hardened into a glower. “I don’t know. But we will find out. Consider Lost ’N’ Found officially on the case. I already talked to Duncan about it.”
    Shannon nodded. How had everything blown up this way? God, in had been almost ten years exactly since all this crap had gone down. Why