Life in Hiding

15 ~ Scared

**MAKE SURE YOU'VE READ CHAPTERS 13 & 14**

Running for my life, I realize how royally screwed I am.

We're too far down the alley to run away undetected. Jax is already sprinting down the street, in the clear, which should be impossible from where we were all standing.

"Hustle, Michaels." I order, knowing he can't afford to get caught. This would so not look good to recruitment scouts.

He speeds up and I'm hot on his heels until a car pulls up next to me.

"Sage Forest, get your ass in the car!" Someone orders and for a second, I contemplate getting picked up by the police.

Opening the door, I try to catch my breath as Emmy drives off. We take a few random turns just to make sure we've lost them. The silence is deafening, and I know the worst it yet to come but I can only focus on one thing.

What the hell is Scarlett gonna say?

Pulling into his driveway, he turns the car off and I go to get out, but he locks the doors. "Are you out of your fucking mind?"

I flinch. "No."

"Obviously you are if you think running around the streets with spray paint in the middle of the night is a good idea." He snaps, having a very good point there.

"I-I don't know what I was thinking." I admit and he snorts. "I was just trying to prove myself."

"Since when do you feel the need to prove yourself?" He demands.

I open my mouth, but I stop. Why did I feel the need to do that? I've never been like that before.

Emmy shakes his head, unlocking the doors. "Get inside."

Following orders, I trail after him into the house. Ricardo is sitting in his chair, watching a boxing match.

"Emmanuel, why are you here?" He asks, not bothering to look over as he sips on a beer.

Emmy throws his keys on the small kitchen table. "I picked up an idiot running from the cops."

That's all it takes for Ricardo to turn around and the shock on his face enough to make me feel guilty.

"Sit down." He orders, pointing to the couch. I do so as he turns to Emmy. "What happened?"

"He was running from the cops on Hickory with spray paint in his hands. I managed to snag him without the cops knowing and drove around to make sure we were in the clear."

"Technically I didn't use the–" The look they both give me is enough to shut up.

"What are you doing out so late?" He asks.

"I was hanging out with friends."

"And your friends enjoy committing crimes?"

"I wasn't with my friends when I was in the alley." I admit, hating the disappointment on his face. "Look, this asshole wants to tell me I don't belong here. Wants to tell me I don't belong hanging out with my friends when I grew up a few streets away. It's bullshit and I wasn't going to let him make me feel stupid."

"No, you wanted to do something stupid to prove you weren't a pushover." He says and Emmy nods in agreement.

"I'm not a pushover."

"Really, because someone who isn't a pushover would've never given him the time of day. They would've ignored him because it wasn't true." He points out and I know he's right.