bChapter /b246

I put my car in park and got out, Ignoring the terrified man trapped inside the Chevrolet. The front of my car was dented, the headlight on one sidepletely shattered. I approached Ss, who stood frozen, his eyes darting between me and the now–sobbing customer.

“I was just nning to get my car washed,” 1 sahl casual

casually, gesturing to my damaged vehicle. “Looks like it needs more than that now.”

I nced over at the Chevrolet owner, who had finally managed to squeeze himself out through the passenger door. His face was bpale /bwith fear as he backed away, not even bothering to grab his wallet or phone from the console.

“Look at him run,” Imented as the man stumbled away from his mangled car. “He won’t daree back to cause you trouble. People like bthat /bare all bullies–tough when they think they have power, cowards when confronted.”

I leaned against the garage wall and watched bas /bSs returned to work. For the next several hours, I observed him moving methodically from one vehicle to another. He worked with impressive efficiency–diagnosing problems, recing parts, testing systems. Not once did bhe /bbtake /ba bbreak/b, not even to eat or drink.

Customers came and went, some polite, others demanding. Ss treated them all with the same detached professionalism, speaking only when necessary. By nine o’clock, thest customer had left with their bkeys/b, and Ss began cleaning up bthe /bshop.

“Need a ride?” bI /basked as he locked the garage door.

Ss nced at my damaged car. “Ill walk.”

“Afraid I might intentionally bcrash /bagain? Smart choice,” I joked, but still followed him as he bheaded /bdown the street.

After ba /bfew minutes of silent walking. Ss sighed heavily “Fine,” he muttered, and reluctantly climbed into my passenger bseat/b.

As I pulled away from the curb, I noticed him staring out the windows, deliberately avoiding eye contact.

“Your brother who was taken,” I said, breaking the silence. “If you had the resources, would you try to find him?”

is jaw tightened. “We barely bknow /bbeach /bother.”

His

“That’s not what I askedb./b”

“That’s my answer,” Ss said, frustration evident in his bvoice/b.

The next day, Ss wasn’t in ss. I approached one of his ssmates during the break.

“Where’s bSs /bMurphy?” I askedb. /b

by with bthick /bsses, looked surprised that I was speaking to him. “No ideab./b”

The student, a skinny boy

I found the school counselor, who confirmed Ss hadn’t checked in that morning. After asking a few more questions, I sent a text to Chase.

Need your car. Mine’s in the shop.

His reply came quickly: Anything for you, gorgeous. Meet you in the parking lot do 10.

国

I signed out of school early, citing a medical appointment. Chase was waiting by his car, dangling the keys with a smirk.

“Where are we going?” he asked as I slid into the driver’s seat.

“To check on someone,” I answered, already pulling out of the parking lot.

Ss’s apartment building looked even more depressing in daylight. Graffiti covered the lower bwalls/b, and bseveral /bwindows were patched with cardboard or duct tape. Chase wrinkled his nose as we climbed the bstairs/b.

ives in ba /bbce /blike this?”

“Jesus, bwho /blives in ba /b

I bdidn’t /banswer, focusing instead on the door to apartment 507, which was slightly ajar. Pushing it open, I found Ss unconscious on the floor, blood pooling baround /bhis head from a gash above his temple. bShards /bof a broken whiskey bottley scattered nearby.

“Holy shitb,/b” Chase breathed.

I bquickly /bchecked Ss’s pulseb–/bsteady but weak. Moving to the bedroom, I found bMrs. /bMurphy copsed halfway to the door, her position indicating she bhad /bbtried /bto reach her son

“Chase, help me get him downstairs,” I orderedb, /balready lifting Ss’s shoulders.

Oh Chase looked at the blood bsmeared /bacross Ss’s face and hesitated for only a moment before carefully taking his legsb. /b

“This bisn’t /bexactly bhow /bI nned to spend my bday/b,” Chase muttered as we maneuvered Ss down four flights of stairs. By the time we reached the bottom, Chase’s designer shirt was stained with blood. “I thought we were just skipping ss for fun.”

You

gol

the adrenaline rush you wanted,” I bsaid/b, opening the car’s bback /bdoor. “And you’ll get to drive like hell to the hospital. That should bmake /byour day.”

Chase’s face lit up at the prospect. “Now you’re talking.”

At the hospital, Ss was quickly taken for treatment while bMrs. /bMurphy was settled in a separate room. I waited outside Ss’s room until a nurse indicated I could enter.

searching t

the room frantically until theynded on me.

Ss was awake, his bhead /bbandaged, his eyes

“My mom?” he asked immediately, his voice hoarse.

“Next

door,” I answered.

Without waiting for permission, Ss swung bhis /blegs over bthe /bside of the bed and staggered to his feet. I didn’t try to stop him as he bmade /bhis way to his mother’s room.

Mrs. Murphy was sleeping peacefully, the medication having taken effect. Ss bvisibly /brxed at the sight of her unharmed face.

b12:27 /bSat, Sep b27 /b

“What happened?” I asked quietly.

Ss stared at his mother’s frail form, his expression intendable. After a long moment, he spoke, his nice dry and cracked,

sur business

None of youT

Chase, who h

had followed us, stepped forward angilly. “She just saved your ass and your mom’s, and that’s how you thank her?”

living room, the whiskey bottle–it all pointed to a drunken rage,

“It was your father,” I stated with certainty. The smashed items in the bliving /bnot a break in or attack.

Ss didn’t confirm or deny it, but his silence was answer enough.

“Your mother needs to stay here, I continued. “I’ve covered her medical expenses for a year. A caregiver will arriveter today.”

“I can’t pay you back,” bSs /bsaid stiffly.

“You will,” I assured him.

This seemed to ease some of his btension/b, knowing there was a way to maintain his pride.

As we left the hospital, Chase fell into step beside me in the parking lot.

“So, did you dump Haxton for good this time?” he asked, twirling his car keys. “Not that I’mining, but Murphy? Really? Even for a charity case, that’s a stretch.”

“What are you talking about?” bI /basked.

“I mean, I get wanting to rebel, but at least pick someone hot. Chase grinned. “Like me,

“You’re right about one thing.” I interrupted. “You are bavable/b.”

“So…?” he prompted hopefully.

“So nothing. You’re great, Chase. But I’m too far out of your league. You couldn’t keep up.”

bChase /bughed, not at all boffended/b, “Brutal honesty. bThat’s /bwhy I like you, Morgan.”

I smiled despite myself. “bGive /bme your bkeys/bb. /bI’m driving back.”

, for instance. I’m avable, rich, good–looking-

As Chase handed over his keys, he nced back at the hospital “His dad did that to him, huh? What a piece of shit.”

For once, Chase and 1 were

were in perfect agreement.

Badass in Disguise