Hardcore: Volume 1 Read Online Free PDF

everything.”
    I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her in for a hug. “No prob, kid. I just want to give you everything I never had. Is that so wrong?”
    “A little ambitious, maybe,” she answered with a chuckle and looked at me, full of hope and admiration. “I’ll do you proud. I’ll make it worth it for you.”
    “Lemme tell you a little secret.” I looked her in the eye. “You already have.” My chest ached at the version of what I could have been if I’d had the opportunity, all shiny and fresh and ready for the world instead of dark and mangled and beaten down from it. “I gotta head out, ‘kay? I’ll see you next Friday.”
    “It’s my favorite day of the week.” She waved.
    I smiled, but my heart was heavy with guilt. “Mine too.”  

    The rain fell softly around us as we stood in a half-circle around Jade, scanning the dark alley as she knelt to pick the lock to the dirty back door of an electronics store. When it popped, Jade stood and opened the door with a metallic creak.
    We had about a minute to get in before the motion sensors would set the alarm off. Everyone shifted to let me by, and I brushed past, scanning the hall, looking for the alarm panel as I made my way to the store’s office. The small room was crammed with shelves full of files and boxes, and a desk stood shoved in the corner. The smell of curry hit me like a wall when I stepped in and glanced around, finding the alarm on the wall over a first-aid kit.
    It was a simple system, just a standard alarm with a subscription service. Too easy. I assessed it as I dropped my pack and pulled out wire cutters, then popped off the casing and snipped the phone line to disable the call system. Everyone waited silently behind me.
    “Done.” I tossed the wire cutters back into my pack, and then we turned to loot.
    Jade was right. Every shelf was stocked, and we cleaned them out with greedy hands.   Jade made her way to the square standing case that was full of high-end camera equipment. She vaulted over and into the center of the display, knelt down, and unlocked the sliding glass doors in seconds.
    She jerked her chin at us. “Come on. Focus on this.”
    We abandoned what we were doing to fill our backpacks and Jade’s duffle bag, and just as we were zipping our bags, flashlights shone through the front door.
    “Hey,” a muffled voice yelled, and the cop banged on the window with the back of his Maglite.
    Jade spun around with eyebrows cinched together and venom in her voice. “What the fuck, Cor?” She turned to the girls and pushed Cher in the shoulder. “GO.”
    My heart kicked into gear as everyone took off, vaulting over the cases. I slid under the gate to the case and there it was. A small red light blinked like a frantic metronome, near the pace of my pulse.
    I twisted and got to my feet, following the girls through the store to the exit. “There was a separate alarm on the case, Jay.”
    “This is your fault,” she shot back at me as we burst into the alley, just as the cops ran into the mouth of the outlet, and one of them was on his radio.
    No one spoke or paused. The rule was simple. When things got hot, it was every girl for herself.
    The building in front of us was an easy climb with jutting bricks at intervals in a pattern, and I could see every hold I’d need to get me to the top. I ran full sprint, took three steps up the wall and grabbed a brick easily, climbing to the roof like it was nothing. I hit the tar paper and took off, and within minutes, the sirens were behind me. When I heard the helicopter, I dropped to the street and pulled off my buff, walking with no more purpose than anyone else in Manhattan as I wound my way through people and back to the warehouse.
    I was the first one back, and opened the door to find Jace sitting at the table on his laptop, looking mildly surprised.  
    “That was fast.”
    “Yeah, well.” I slammed the door. “The alarm on the case Jade popped had a