I Find Joy In Fucking Strangers (2)

Madelyn's POV

I’d only been in Chicago for two weeks and my little beater car was already acting up. The check engine light had been blinking like a desperate cry for help since yesterday and instead of going to some fancy dealership, I drove straight to a small, gritty auto shop on the South Side that looked like it had been there for more than decades.

The sign outside read “Russo’s Auto Repair.” Perfect.

I pulled into the open bay and killed the engine. The tools clanged somewhere in the back and a few guys in grease-stained coveralls glanced my way, but one...