‘Sorry,’ I say and take a step away from her, running a hand over the back of my neck. I’m too warm in this jacket.
We go inside. Inside Hollie’s apartment, Noah’s not asleep. He’s wide awake, and the TV is on. He’s watching the local news channel.
He’s staring at a picture of his own face.
Chapter Five
Hollie
‘Oh, god,’ I blurt out, coming to an abrupt halt so that AJ almost crashes into my back.
AJ kicks the door shut behind us and sidesteps me, putting down his helmet. Clearly, Noah’s not asleep. He turns his head away from his image on the TV screen that’s showing a news report about the latest mayoral crackdown on the number of car thefts affecting the city.
‘Hey, man!’ Noah says cheerfully in his brother’s direction.
‘Keep your voice down!’ AJ snaps at him. ‘What the hell, Noah?’
I don’t quite know what to do with myself. My high school crush is in my apartment, which is surreal in itself. And now Noah is beaming at him, and he’s lost the look of the nervous boy I rescued earlier this evening.
‘Sweet jacket!’ he exclaims as AJ stops beside the couch. ‘Where’d you get it?’
I flinch as AJ reaches up and cuffs his half-sibling across the side of his head in response.
‘Ow!’ Noah cries out.
‘Are you out of your mind?’ AJ questions him. ‘You stole a car!’
‘I’m on the nightly news!’
‘Noah, don’t you get it? This is your third count. Three strikes and you’re out, remember? That’s what they told you after the last misdemeanor. It means this time they throw you in juvie if you’re caught. Stop looking so proud of yourself.’
My heart goes out to Noah. His face has fallen with his brother’s reprimand. He’s back to looking frightened again.
‘You don’t really think they would…’
AJ rubs the bridge of his nose. ‘I don’t know, man,’ he mumbles. ‘It’s not your first rodeo. You’re not gonna get off with a warning. Tell me somebody pushed you into this and you’re not just running round the city tryna steal cars for kicks. Who put you up to this?’
AJ looks up at me. I’m still rooted to the spot. I feel my cheeks burn under his gaze, because I’m scared of what Pandora’s box I’ve unleashed by bringing Noah here, knowing now that he’s not as innocent as he looks.
‘Just some guys,’ Noah shrugs.
AJ frowns at him. ‘Which guys? I want names.’
I take a step closer and knot my fingers together. Noah crumples. His voice cracks when he says, ‘Casey Flood.’.
AJ curses at the revelation. ‘You arenotserious.’
I watch Noah, and he’s trying hard not to cry in front of AJ.
‘Who is Casey Flood?’ I ask, trying to draw AJ’s attention to me so that Noah can compose himself.
AJ paces in front of the couch. ‘Casey and his brother Ryan run a series of chop shops in Temptation Heights on the west side of Canyon. They steal cars and dismantle them, then they sell the parts on for profit. Echo used to know their father, until he dropped dead one day after a heart attack. How’d they find you?’
Noah wipes away tears. ‘I got talking to them at the arcade this one time. They gave me some cash for some games but then they said there was a way I could earn somethin’ extra.’
‘When was this?’ AJ demands.
‘I dunno. Couple months back.’
