Walking home from his after-school job at a car wash, he’d caught sight of a mugging. A skinny kid getting the crap beat out of him by two older, bulkier guys. Don’t get involved, he told himself. Big mistake. He looked away, ready to walk past. And couldn’t. He flung himself into the fight and just kept swinging until the muggers ran off.
He helped the kid off the ground, then recognized him as Drew Clayton, one of the rich kids at school.
He turned to go, figuring that was the end of the interaction. Someone like Drew wouldn’t bother with a foster kid like him.
But Drew surprised him. He grinned hugely. “Hot damn. How’d you learn to fight like that?”
Lyle shrugged. Stupid question from someone who knew nothing about life as an orphan.
“Know who those guys were?”
“No.”
“They run an
