Read Online The 2014 R.L. Mathewson Chronicle Collection by R.L. Mathewson - Free Book Online

the money to cover the lawyer either.
                  Well, that wasn’t exactly true. If they set the bail for violating a No Trespass order they’d have plenty of money to cover it, but nothing with Jason was ever that simple. It didn’t help that he was a Bradford and that the family was well known by every Judge in the county. If Jason got caught violating the store’s ban they were screwed. At least he was, because she’d sworn the last time this happened that she would bust out her fists of fury on his ass if he ever caused her to have to make the walk of shame through the police station, again.
                  “I’ll handle it since it’s my fault,” Jared said and she didn’t bother arguing with him, because he was on her shit list as well.
                  “Yeah, it is,” she said, getting out of the truck as soon as he threw it into park. Before she stormed off to go kick her husband’s ass, she leveled a murderous glare on her father-in-law, which only made the bastard smile, bringing her rage to a whole new level.
                  Narrowing her eyes on the bastard who was looking at her as though she was a cute little puppy instead of a seriously pissed off woman on the verge of doing him bodily harm, she said, “You can forget about those brownies tomorrow night.” With that she slammed the truck door shut and stormed off towards the grocery store, trying to figure out how she was going to get her husband out of this one.
                  “B-but….he promised me cupcakes!” Jared yelled after her. “He tricked me!”
                  When she didn’t say anything, he yelled, “I’m the victim here!”
                  When she felt her lips twitch, she doubled her pace, intent on getting into that store and dragging her husband out of there before-
                  “But I love you!”
                  Shaking her head in disgust, mostly at herself for being so damn weak, she resigned herself to making the loveable bastard a pan of double fudge brownies with extra frosting later. It really should be a crime the way Bradford men were able to manipulate women, she mused as she stepped up onto the sidewalk only to jump out of the way seconds later when a woman came running out of the store, sobbing hysterically and hugging a metal serving tray to her chest.
                  Frowning, Haley turned around to watch the woman half-run, half-stumble across the parking lot. Swallowing back her dread, she looked back towards Jared to find him gesturing towards the truck. “I think it might be better if I just wait in the truck.”
                  Wishing that she could join him and pretend that this wasn’t happening, not again, she nodded numbly and forced her feet to turn her around and take her towards the store entrance. When the door slid open with an eerie whoosh , she stepped inside and looked around only to find the normally busy grocery store deserted.
                  Half-filled carriages were abandoned all around her, plastic bags were strewn about on the floor, pennies and quarters littered the floor around one cash register while at another a bottle of Pepsi rolled ominously across the floor. She started to head towards the produce section when she heard it, the muffled sounds of someone sobbing.
                  “Oh God, not again,” she muttered, not sure that she could go through this again.
                  She-
                  “Hi, Aunt Haley,” Sebastian said with a nod, appearing out of nowhere with his brother Johnny right by his side, both boys wearing frosting covered grins as they headed for the door at a leisurely pace as though the ominous tension in the store was just a figment of her imagination.
                  “Is Uncle Jared out there?” Johnny asked, gesturing towards the