<b>Chapter </b><b>222 </b>
The police chief looked between us, his weathered face disying obvious confusion. His eyes widened slightly as he nced at Zach then back to me.
“Wait, you’re ‘Boss‘?<b>” </b>he asked, brows furrowing. “We just watched him make that call.”
The chief leaned back in his chair, studying me with disbelief. “Thought we’d be meeting some… well, different kind
of person.”
He gestured vaguely with his hand. “And you two know each other?” he asked, looking between me and Sergeant
Ford.
I took in the chief’s uniform, noting the badge and the years of service pins. “You’re the chief? What exactly has my
friend done?”
My tone was cool and controlled, but with an edge that made the chief straighten in his chair. Before he could answer, Sergeant Ford stepped in, his demeanor shifting slightly.
“If he’s with Jade, then there’s no problem,” Ford said, his usually stern voice softening just a fraction.
The chief’s eyebrows shot up. He leaned toward Ford, lowering his voice to a whisper that I could still easily hear. “Aren’t you usually by–the–book? Since when do you bend rules for friends?”
“She’s with the Haxton family,” Ford replied quietly.
Understanding dawned on the chief’s ‘face immediately, his expression morphing from confusion to cautious respect. The Haxton name carried serious weight in these parts–enough to make even a police chief reconsider his approach.
“I’ll take him with me,” I said firmly, “but I want to know what he’s used of.”
Sergeant Ford cleared his throat, his posture rxing slightly. “I was at the school looking for a missing student when I encountered him. We both assumed the worst about each other and… exchanged some blows.”
“We thought each other was involved with the student’s disappearance,” Zach added, his face impassive but his eyes alert. “I only came along because he identified himself as police<b>, </b>and I didn’t want to cause trouble for you, since we were at school.”
“We were remarkably evenly matched,” Ford continued, a hint of respect in his voice. “Not many can hold their own against me.”
Ford turned to me, his professional mask slipping just enough to show genuine concern. “I apologize. I was just doing my job. So that unconscious student was your brother?”
I didn’t respond to Ford’s question, keeping my expression neutral. “Ready to go?” I asked Zach.
He nodded once<b>, </b>standing with fluid grace that belied his earlier fight.
“Since it was a misunderstanding, we’ll be going now,” I said to the chief, who simply nodded, clearly d to have the situation resolved without paperwork.
In the car, I nced at Zach’s brooding expression as he stared out the window. Thete afternoon sun cast long shadows across his face, highlighting the tension in his jaw.
“What’s wrong? Lost the fight, feeling bad?” I asked, turning onto the main road.
“I didn’t lose,” Zach protested immediately, pride ring in his voice. “I came voluntarily.”
“What, never been to a police station before? Wanted the experience?” A hint of amusement colored my tone.
Zach didn’t answer.
“I told you, you can treat this like Venezu. Don’t worry about causing me trouble.” I could tell he was concerned about how his actions might reflect on me.
Zach changed the subject, his voice softening slightly. “How’s your brother?”
“He’s fine,” I assured him.
“Was it Shadow Organization?”
“Just a warning. Nothing serious.”
Zach fell silent for a moment, his reflection thoughtful in the window ss. “That guy–Sergeant Ford he has old injuries. Without those, I couldn’t have matched him.”
I nodded slightly. So that exined it. Sergeant Ford was clearly more skilled than his current position would
suggest.
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