Tweaked Read Online Free Page B

dollars if something goes wrong.”
    By “something” he means if Chase takes off.
    Jade is not at work that evening, and it’s lonely without her. It seems the only times I feel good anymore are when I’m with her or when I’m playing with the band. I’d like to spend more time with her, but every time I think of asking her out, I picture some disaster happening with Chase. It’s one thing to tell her aboutmy brother. But she goes to a different school, and she’s never met the real thing. I am paranoid that if I ask her out or if I have her over to the house, he’ll show up, all spaced-out, demanding money, scaring her off. Right now, everything is so chaotic in my life it’s better to keep things simple. At least that way, there will be no chance of her confusing me with him.
    I spend the first hour at work sorting and hanging small packets of electronic parts from display hooks. It’s a slow night, so it’s a good time, my boss Ralph Barnes tells me, to teach me how to handle cash.
    â€œI’ve had this store for thirty-five years, Gordie. For the first twenty-five, nobody was open on Sunday. But now I have no choice, if I want to compete. If I teach you to handle things, perhaps I can take the odd Sunday off. I’m too old to be working every day of the week.”
    Ralph is old, but he never tires of talking about his store. Once he’s shown me how everything operates, I handle the transactions for the remaining hour. Before leaving the hardware store, I call Jade to find out what’s going on. She’s just brought her mother home from three days in the hospital. She had a very bad chest infection, although the way Jade relates it, it sounds as common as if she’d gone to the grocery store. “She’s on mega doses of antibiotics and a heap of other drugs. She’s sleeping right now. I could sure use a visitor if you’re not doing anything.”
    It’s raining again when I leave the hardware store. I walk uphill along the pavement, jumping rivulets, the smell of wet concrete filling my nose. The sound of car tires splashing through puddles prevents me from hearing the footsteps until they are right behind me. Suddenly, I am pushed hard against the wall. There are two of them, probably ten years older than me: teeth missing, pockmarked skin, greasy hair shining in the neon lights.
    â€œKeep your mouth shut!” one of them orders, pinning my arms against the brick wall so I can’t move.
    The other waves a metal pipe in my face.
    My heart is racing harder than it ever has and in a way I have never felt before. “What do you want?”
    The guy with the pipe grins.
    â€œIs this something to do with my brother?” I try to keep my voice steady, but I am not nearly as together as I try to sound.
    â€œBingo,” announces the guy pinning me against the wall. He grabs my shirt collar, pulls me toward him, then pushes me back again, whacking me hard against the building, nearly knocking the wind out of me. “The creep owes us money. Two grand to be exact. He racked it up before he went and got himself arrested. Your brother has a bad habit of running up tabs. You’d better tell him from us that we want to get paid, or can we tell him ourselves? Are you expecting him home anytime soon?”
    I shrug and lift my hands like I don’t have a clue.
    When the guy pinning me realizes I’m not going to run, he drops his hold on me. “You tell him he’s got a week.”
    The guy wielding the pipe emphasizes the time limit by jabbing the pipe into my stomach. “A week. And if we don’t get paid, he’s going to be lying alongside his friend in intensive care.”
    I don’t know what else to do but nod. All I want is to get away from there. The two of them start to walk away. The one who had choked me turns. “You tell your brother DC and Ratchet came calling.”
    I watch their