"We use socket wrenches on these at the shop. Always. But there are gouges here that look like someone used a wrench or pliers or something on the bolts."
I look closer at the bolt Lukas is pointing at and there are, in fact, deep scratches in the metal. Loud buzzing fills my ears as I try to breathe and process what he's saying.
"You're saying you think someone tampered with my battery while I was working last night? That's what Asher thinks too?"
Lukas huffs out a worried breath. "Yeah. We both think so. And I think they reconnected it before you and Olive came back this morning, which doesn't lead me to believe it's just a prank. I think someone wanted to isolate you and get you into their car. It's easy with a Jeep, since they don't have to get inside the cab to pop the hood."
Lukas keeps running his hands through his hair, and it's standing up at weird angles. I'd laugh if I wasn't so busy trying to squash a panic attack. An icy ball of lead settles deep in my stomach. If this was anyone else telling me about the scratches, I'd laugh it off, but my brothers are meticulous about their work. If Lukas says someone tampered with my car, I believe him.
Suddenly the warmth of the spring sunshine doesn't feel like it's reaching my skin anymore. Someone wanted me stranded, alone in the dark outside the bar, at 3 am. What if my phone had died before I reached Luis? I have a flash of the car that pulled into the parking lot and turned around with their high beams cranked up, blinding me as I got into the safety of Luis' car.
For a second I think I might throw up. Did I come that close to danger?
"Asher thinks we should file a police report," Lukas says, interrupting my terrifying train of thought. "He's freaking out."
"And tell them what? That there are scratches on my battery cables? What are they going to do?" I ask him. "It's not even like they can dust for prints. It was pouring rain last night, and Olive and I had our hands all over the hood this morning before you even got to it. They won't take it seriously. Just document it in my car paperwork at the shop in case anything else happens."
Lukas looks like he wants to argue with me. But what's the point? He knows I'm right.