Pushing the Limits (Pushing the Limits #1)(94)

“No.” I waved my hand in the air. “No. We’ve got to stop him. He cannot be caught or he’ll lose his brothers. Oh, my God, he can be such a stubborn idiot. What could breaking in possibly accomplish?”

“He wants you back,” slurred Beth.

Lightning bolts could have flashed out of the cloudless night and set my tennis shoes on fire, and I would have been less surprised. “Excuse me?”

Beth sat on the concrete and rested her head against the workbench, eyelids fluttering in exhaustion. “He’s in love with you and wants you to be his one and only. And some other bullshit about you not being in second place and proving you wrong.”

Ding, ding. Noah wanted my file and he wanted me back. My heart squeezed in warmth and joy then dropped and became cold. No, he couldn’t risk anything for me—not when it could cost him his brothers. I turned to Isaiah. “We have to stop him. When did he leave?”

“He wanted to wait until it got dark. Noah came home all messed up. I assumed he saw you and you guys had a fight. Babbled on about how he screwed things up with you and was determined to set it right. He asked me to come here, fix the car and then to keep you here until he showed.”

“Why didn’t you stop him?” I dug my keys out of my pocket.

“You don’t stop Noah.”

Guess again.

ISAIAH SLID HIS CAR INTO A spot at the supermarket across the street from the high school and cut the engine. I tried Noah’s cell and for the millionth time it went to voice mail.

“Why don’t you park at the school?” I asked.

Isaiah gave me an are-you-a-moron glance. “Police patrol the school grounds every two hours. They’ll know something is up if there’s a car in the school’s lot.”

Sure enough, Noah too had parked his car at the supermarket. “Done this before?”

“Just for kicks to play ball in the gym, but never to break into an office.”

I squeezed the door handle and eyed Beth, who was passed out in the backseat. “She okay?”

“Yeah, just f**ked up.” He pulled at an earring. “I can’t leave her in the car like this and if we wake her up, she’ll make enough noise to raise eyebrows. Odds are Noah would have picked the side entrance nearest to the main office. He’ll place something small in the doorway to keep the door from relocking him in. Make sure you keep that there. Grab him and tell him you two can argue later.”

“Thanks.”

I ran across the street and tried to keep my lungs from exploding. Good God, I was breaking and entering to keep my stupid, stubborn, sweet-as-can-be—boyfriend? Ex-boyfriend? Maybe boyfriend again?—out of jail.

Just like Isaiah said, Noah had left the side door next to the office propped open. I slipped in, making sure I kept the door exactly how I found it. Mrs. Collins would love finding the two of us locked in her office.

I had that eerie horror flick feel as the lights flashed on ahead of me with every step I took. My heart flew up to pound in my throat. I kept looking over my shoulder, waiting for someone to rush up from behind me and suck my blood or drag me off to prison.

At first I skulked against the lockers, then realized what a fool I was. The freaking lights were already on and would turn off once all movement stopped. No more skulking—I ran.

Thank God, the office lights were switch only. I’d had enough of motion sensors. Problem? Mrs. Collins’s office door was closed and no light shined from underneath the door. Had Noah already left?

The hallway went dark, but seconds later the lights flickered back on. Talk about freaking completely out. I grabbed the handle to Mrs. Collins’s door and almost yelped when it came open. As quietly as I could, I closed the door and backed away from it, hoping and praying that whoever entered the office was either Noah or wouldn’t find me.

The urge to scream zapped from my toes to my mouth when something warm and strong came up behind me and jerked me into the coat cabinet. The door of the cabinet shut before my eyes.

Noah hissed in my ear, “What are you doing here?”

I harshly whispered back, “I could ask you the same thing! I’m here to save your butt from going to jail over something stupid and losing your brothers.”

Footsteps echoed from the main office. I clutched Noah’s hand, which was still wrapped around my waist, and he pulled me closer to him. He barely whispered, “Side door?”

I nodded. If the security guard found the side door propped open, they’d know someone entered the building. I reached into my pocket and withdrew my phone, texting Isaiah rapidly: un-prop side door asap!

Seconds later Isaiah texted back: on it.

Noah lowered his head so his nose skimmed the tender area right behind my ear. His warm breath tickled my sensitive skin. I’d missed him and his touch. Why did he have to go and do something so idiotic?

I wasn’t worth losing his brothers. If Noah got caught he’d get arrested. My stomach dropped to my toes. What did I have to lose? I was a two-bit artist roaming the country with her canvases. So I’d have a record (every muscle cringed) and I’d have to stay at least one night in jail (vomit burned the back of my throat). Yeah, it would be great.

Noah’s arms tightened and I could have sworn he kissed my hair. I could do it—for him. I could give myself up and tell Noah to stay hidden. I was reaching out to shove open the door when Noah’s hand smacked it back down and held it to my stomach in a death grip. “What the f**k do you think you’re doing?” he asked in a low voice.