Unbreakable Rules (Too Many Rules Book 3) Read Online Free Page A

Placing one in the dining room I brought the other one into the living room, cupping it to ensure the flame wasn't blown out.
    Turning the flashlight off, I flopped into a recliner and waited. Mark and Amanda had taken opposite ends of the couch. Each of them scooted into the far corner. As far away from each other as it was possible to be without being obvious.
    I shook my head, those two had perfected the art of ignoring each other. To Mark, Amanda would always be my annoying little sister who had interrupted way too many late night sessions of World of Warcraft and insisted on joining our Star Wars marathons.
    To Amanda, Mark would always be my infuriating best friend who treated her like a necessary evil. Something he had to put up with if he wanted to hang out with me.
    "You should check on Mrs. Thompson," Amanda said.
    "You're probably right," I said as I grabbed the flashlight.
    "Who's Mrs. Thompson?" Mark asked.
    "She's our next door neighbor," Amanda answered. "She's older than dirt. Probably in her sixties, I bet. She used to babysit me when I was a little kid."
    "You're still a little kid," Mark said with a sneer.
    Amanda returned the sneer. "Careful, you're showing your stupidness again. Anyway, we've always looked out for her."
    "Mom says we owe her big time," I added. "When Dad left, Mrs. Thompson stepped in and helped Mom get through the tough times."
    Amanda winced when I mentioned Dad, but it didn't do any good ignoring the truth.
    "You guys stay here, I'll just run over and check on her. I'll be right back."
    Grabbing the flashlight, I headed next door. It felt good to be doing something. I liked Mrs. Thompson. She was one of those people who always smiled. She seemed to enjoy life and couldn't understand why anyone wasn't having a great time.
    Outside was as dark as inside. A black moonless night with a heavy cloud cover. Several of the houses across the street had their candles or lamps working.
    It was the silence that hit me like a fist to the gut. The only sound, a slight breeze ruffling the leaves across the grass.
    My breath hitched a little in the cold air. If there'd been any light, I probably could have seen my breath.
    Mrs. Thompson's house appeared dark and empty. I'd expected candles flickering in every window. Hurrying, I reached over to push the doorbell, then laughed at myself. Knocking, I stepped back and waited. A faint noise behind the door let me know someone was there.
    "Mrs. Thompson, it's Ryan from next door," I said. "Ryan Hardy."
    There was a long pause as I stared at her front door. Shifting from foot to foot I tried to stay warm while I waited for the older woman to make her way to the door. Was she trying to find her way in the dark?
    The click of the lock let me know that she'd finally made it. The door slowly opened exposing a blackness behind her.
    I slowly raised my flashlight beam, being sure not to get it into her eyes.
    My heart stopped and lungs seized into a tight ball. The goddess herself, Hailey Martin stood in Mrs. Thompson's doorway looking at me as if I might be Freddy Kruger or any of a dozen serial killers.

Chapter Three
Hailey
    I hate the dark. Have I told you how much I hate the dark?
    So there I was, homeless, phoneless, and boy-friendless. Stuck in a house I barely knew, my phone sitting in a bag of rice.  In some godforsaken housing development hidden in the woods. Unable to have friends over. Feeling rather sorry for myself.
    Then, the world ended, just to prove to me that things could always get worse. The power went out.
    The sudden pitch black and deathly silence seemed like a sentence from God for living such a crappy life. I obviously needed one more thing to drive the point home.
    I hate the dark. I mean on a bone-deep level hate. Not dislike. Not, don't care for. Hate! Pure and simple. A full-throated emotion that made my body shake. I had my reasons. Something about cousins, a hide and seek game, and a locked closet.
    I especially didn't like what it