Tainted Cure (The Rememdium Series Book 1) Read Online Free

She was the fifth generation born and raised in the tiny berg and the first female and second family member to hold the title of Chief of Police.
    Everybody looked out for each other and the community was tight-knit. Unfortunately, the flip side was everyone’s business was everyone’s business. The gossip train traveled at break-neck speeds. Within an hour after taking a strung-out Jesse to Bright Waters Treatment Center in North Little Rock two weeks ago, all of Rockport knew. Proof of their knowledge arrived when Regina’s cell phone blew up. Dozens of concerned citizens called, all offering their condolences and support. Several of the ladies from First Park Baptist brought over enough casseroles and salads to last Regina two full weeks. They even held hands and prayed for God to take away Jesse’s cravings for meth.
    Shaking off the horrible memory, Regina stepped up her pace and reached her car. “Maybe. I’ve learned quite a bit about how addiction works lately in counseling. One of the top on the list is financial stressors. Addicts don’t handle life’s little ups and downs very well. Money trouble is sometimes a trigger. Ol’ Kirk needs rehab, not jail time or additional bills to pay. He’s been outta work for goin’ on three years ever since the saw mill closed.”
    Roger cocked his head, a look of shock across his face. “Well, I’ll be. Never thought I’d hear those words leave your mouth. If anyone asks me about your change of heart, I’ll tell them it’s from this God-awful heat. Wouldn’t want our citizens to think their hard-nosed Chief of Police is gettin’ all sentimental in her old age.”
    Ignoring the jab, Regina slid behind the wheel of the Charger. She grinned at the rumble of the 5.7-liter engine. She could tell Roger was still talking yet she chose to pretend she didn’t notice. Regina gave the car some gas, letting the parking lot fill with the Charger’s deep growls from the dual exhaust.
    Without saying another word Regina left and headed home. A lump of sadness stuck in the pit of her stomach. Knowing the house would be empty made her want to hit something to release the churning anger inside her mind.
    She wouldn’t let the tears come. Enough were shed the day she left Jesse in rehab. Other than Fred’s funeral and the death of her parents, Regina had never cried so hard. The salty mess clouded her vision while she trudged—alone—back to her car. Jesse had bounced between rage-fueled screams of hatred to tear-filled pleas for her mother not to leave her. The look of terror and fear on Jesse’s face when Regina walked out the doors made her chest clench with sorrow. By the time she made it, the wracking sobs were so intense she couldn’t do a thing except lean against the doorframe and squall like a lost kitten.
    “Not gonna do it! No cryin’ today!” Regina muttered, cranking up the radio. Catch Scratch Fever blared throughout the interior. At the top of her voice, she belted out the words alongside Ted Nugent, grateful for the distraction.
    Five minutes later, she pulled up into the driveway of the small, three-bedroom house she shared with Jesse. Turning off the car, she stared at the place. Visions of the day the ownership papers were signed replayed inside her mind. A week before their first anniversary, alongside her husband Fred, they’d moved in. Less than a year later, Jesse was born.
    Memories of Jesse running around in excitement while she watched her parents decorate the roofline with colored lights made Regina’s chest ache. Without the usual over-the-top light display, the house looked dreary and sad, matching Regina’s feelings perfectly.
    “Christmas is gonna suck this year,” she muttered while biting her lip. A straggler tear escaped and tumbled down her cheek. “I miss you, Fred. So much. Maybe you could have kept Jesse from usin’ drugs. I sure failed. Damnit! This wasn’t how we’d planned things! I need you here. Doin’ all this alone