Badass in Disguise (Shadow) novel Chapter 208

Chapter 208

Jade’s POV:

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The doorbell echoed through my house. Ryan, who had been reading on the couch, immediately tensed, his hand moving to the weapon concealed at his ankle. Zach, who’d been meticulously cleaning a knife at the kitchen counter, paused mid–motion.

“That’ll be Max,” I said, emerging from my bedroom. “My brother’s back from Cloud City.”

For days, Zach had been asking about Max. I’d watched his curiosity grow with each passing hour, like a predator circling unknown territory. Now he was about to meet the person I’d assigned him to protect.

I opened the door to reveal a slender young man with intelligent eyes behind wire–rimmed glasses. Max was sixteen, with a quiet intensity that made most people underestimate him.

“Hey, sis,” Max said, then froze when he spotted Zach and Ryan. His eyes darted between the strangers, then back to me. “Did I… walk into the wrong house?”

He checked the house number behind him, then frowned. “No, this is definitely your place.”

“You’re in the right place,” I assured him.

Max’s eyes settled on Zach, who was studying him with unsettling intensity. “You are…?”

Zach didn’t answer, just continued his silent assessment.

Ryan stepped forward, breaking the awkward silence. “You must be Max. We’re friends of your sister, staying here for a couple days.”

‘I brought you something,” Max said to me, holding up a white bakery box. “Cloud City Donuts. From that place you used to like.”

I took the box and opened it. The sweet, sugary scent filled the entryway, I took a small bite of one donut and frowned slightly. “They changed the recipe.”

“Really? They taste the same to me.” Max looked disappointed.

Zach reached over and grabbed one without asking. He took a large bite, chewing thoughtfully. “These are good.”

I shot him a look. “Help yourself, why don’t you?”

“I did,” Zach replied without a hint of irony, taking another bite.

After getting Max settled in, I pulled Zach aside in the kitchen. “So? What do you think of my brother?”

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Chapter 208

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Zach wiped sugar from his lips with the back of his hand. “What’s his combat experience? Can he handle firearms?”

“Jesus, Zach,” I muttered. “Come on, let’s eat.”

Later, Max cornered me in the upstairs hallway while Ryan and Zach were occupied downstairs.

“Who are those guys really?” Max asked, his voice low. “They don’t look like tourists.”

I leaned against the wall. “Just some friends passing through Princeton.”

“Friends who look like they know fifty ways to kill someone with a paperclip?” Max raised an eyebrow. “Come on,

sis.”

I sighed. The truth was that Ryan and Zach were there to protect Max from potential Shadow Organization agents, but I wasn’t about to burden my brother with that knowledge.

“Here,” I said instead, pulling two gift cards from my pocket. “One’s from me, one’s from Ethan.”

Max’s eyebrows shot up. “Mr. Haxton sent me a gift card?” He studied both cards, then looked up at me. “Are you and Mr. Haxton… you know, official now?”

I glanced at the cards in his hand. “Just take them.” I reached into my other pocket and pulled out a sleek watch. “This is waterproof. You can wear it in the shower.”

Max’s face lit up as he examined the watch. “This is amazing. I’ll wear it all the time.”

Over the next day, Zach’s behavior was too obvious. The man seemed to appear wherever Max went–when he was studying in the living room, getting a snack from the kitchen, or heading to the bathroom. Once, Max walked into his bedroom to find Zach sitting on his bed, playing with a bullet like it was a coin trick.

“Why do you keep following me?” Max finally asked.

Zach looked up from the bullet he was rolling between his fingers. He didn’t answer.

At dinner, Zach followed Max out of his room. “Don’t disturb him while he’s studying,” Ryan said with a warning

tone.

‘I wasn’t making noise,” Zach replied defensively.

The next afternoon, I grabbed my car keys. “Zach, let’s go for a drive.”

Zach looked up from where he was methodically field–stripping a pistol. “Where?”

“Just around. Ryan, stay with Max.” My tone made it clear this wasn’t a request.

In the car, Zach watched the scenery blur past the window. “Where are we going?” he asked again.

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Chapter 208

“Nowhere specific. Just showing you around.” I kept my eyes on the road.

“Why didn’t you bring Ryan?”

I smirked. “Maybe I prefer your company, Zachie.”

Zach fell silent for a moment, then asked, “Can I drive?”

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I pulled over without a word and switched seats with him. Once behind the wheel, Zach’s demeanor changed slightly. A hint of excitement crept into his usually impassive face.

“I know this car,” he said, running his hands over the steering wheel. “There are only six in the world.”

“You like it?” I asked.

“Of course.”

“It’s yours then.”

Zach shook his head. “No thanks.”

“Why not?”

“Can’t drive this in Venezuela. Too flashy.” His practical answer didn’t match the appreciation in his eyes.

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