Free PS01 - Tall, Dark & Lonely by R.L. Mathewson Page A

unbelievably adorable. There was really no other way to
    describe it. The big brooding man was utterly adorable. She recalled the expression on his face the last time she turned around
    and sighed.
    He looked completely stunned. She ran the conversation through her head, worried that she might have said something to upset
    him. She couldn’t recall anything. Perhaps he was overly sensitive and wasn’t happy that she hadn't played along? Whatever it
    was she didn’t have time to play around.
    She spotted the reason as she passed the living room. Jill was sitting on the couch painting her nails while she talked on her
    cell phone. Madison took a deep breath and stalked forward unable to hide the menacing grin. Jill looked up. Her eyebrows
    drew together in confusion.
    Madison snatched the phone from Jill’s hands. “Whoever this is you’ll have to call back in a month.” Jill’s mouth dropped.
    “Jill will be enjoying a month long groundation and I’m afraid her phone will be going bye-bye for a very long time.”
    Jill shot to her feet as she held her hand out in a silent demand for the phone.
    “Oh, I don’t think so.” Madison dropped the phone in the backpack she still carried. “When you earn this I will think about
    giving it back to you.” With that, Madison turned and walked towards the door. “Oh, by the way you’re grounded for a month in
    case you didn’t catch that little tidbit.”
    “I didn’t do anything!” Jill shrieked.
    Madison didn’t bother looking over her shoulder. “Found your alcohol and cigarettes. Incidentally, be prepared in an hour
    we’re going drug testing.” This time she did look over her shoulder and grinned mockingly. “Should be loads of fun.”
    Jill’s face paled. “You c-can’t do that,” she muttered.
    “No, but I can,” Grandma’s stern voice said from the doorway. “You be prepared now, young lady. The two of us are taking
    you for a drug test. God help you if it comes back positive.”
    Her mouth opened, but no words came out. Madison jogged up the stairs. “Let me go change. I’ll be right back.”
    Five minutes later Madison was downstairs in a pair of hip hugging jeans and a tight tee shirt. In this weather she would have
    preferred wearing several layers and possibly a blanket or two but she needed to be able to move freely for the fight that she
    knew was coming.
    She found Jill huddled in a corner, refusing Grandma and begging Candy, who looked nervous, to help her. This wasn’t the
    time for games. Out of fear that Jill would somehow get out of this, and she definitely was not getting out of this, she moved in
    and grabbed Jill’s arm and tugged her forward.
    Just as she expected, Jill tried to fight back. She yanked her arm back trying to get free. Madison tightened her grip and
    quickened her pace. They were out the door and heading towards Grandma’s Volvo when Jill moved to her second assault, girl
    punches. There were wild and weaker than a slap, but annoying as hell.
    “Let me go!” Jill demanded yet again.
    “No,” Madison snapped. Grandma hurried past them to open the back door of her car. She didn’t see Jill’s arm arch back and
    certainly didn’t expect the powerful half slap-half punch that slammed into her mouth. She felt the bite of metal in her lip. Damn
    Jill and her gaudy costume jewelry.
    Jill stumbled away and made a mad dash towards the front door. Oh no you don’t, Madison thought as she ran after her tackling
    her to the ground.
    “Oh my god, are you insane? Get off me now, you bitch!” Jill screamed.
    Madison climbed off her sister as she pulled Jill’s arm behind her back. “Ow, ow! Stop!” She twisted it more. “Fine I’ll go!”
    Jill snapped. Madison did not ease up on her hold. For some odd reason she just didn’t trust her little sister at the moment.
    “Ow! Madison! Stop!” Jill pleaded.
    Candy ran out of the house and jumped in front of them. “Madison, let her go!”
    “Get. Out. Of. My.