The Original Crowd (37 page)

I stood up. “It’s tiring, really. You always have to play the ‘slut’ card because you’re not able to come up with new material, but that’s okay. I saw your WAIS-II scores. You’re not capable of higher mental functioning. Maybe I should just pat you on the head every time you use the same insult.”

So I walked over and patted him on the head.

“That’s a good boy. Go for something intelligent this time.” I grinned, cockily, but I saw he was seething.

Gentley grasped my arm in a painful grip and yanked me behind him, dragging me away from the table.

“Let go of me, asshole.” I was the one seething now, braking my feet, but Gentley didn’t even notice. He just pulled me behind him until we were out the door. Once outside, he slammed the door shut, effectively cutting out anyone who’d followed. Which had been everyone. I caught a glimpse of Rooters raising his cellphone, but then Gentley was addressing a few who were lingering on the porch.

“Fuck off,” he addressed them very congenially.

They scrambled.

“What are you going to do? Beat me up?” I taunted, but my hand was itching for my taser. That I’d left in my purse, which was in Tray’s bedroom.

Gentley glared at me, a good full minute, before he said, “I fucking wish. Trust me.”

I did.

Instead I sneered, “What the fuck do you want, Gentley? Pull me out here, make it look like you’re putting me ‘in my place’? Trust me, I can hit back.”

He raked a hand through his hair. “Would you shut the fuck up? You’re so damn annoying.”

“Oh no, fucker,” I began.

Gentley interrupted, “I’m not going to do anything. Fucking A, I can’t. If I did, and trust me, I want to, so fucking bad. But I can’t. If I did, Evans would have my ass in the hospital and I’d be lucky to walk back out.”

“What the hell’s going on?” Tray asked, a hint of violence in his tone.

Gentley and I had both been too caught up that we hadn’t noticed Tray’s approach. He looked to be returning from his vehicle and was regarding us suspiciously. It reminded me of the last time the three of us had been in the same vicinity. Tray had punched him and kicked him out. He looked like he was ready to do it again.

“Do I need to repeat myself?” he demanded, slowly climbing up the porch steps to stand next to me. There was a warning in his eyes as he stared at Gentley intensely.

Gentley held up his hand in a surrender movement. “No, man.” He took two steps backward. “Taryn and I were just going to have a talk. That’s it, man.”

“About what?” Tray clipped out, moving to stand, just slightly, in front of me.

“Look,” Gentley tried to assure us, “you and I already did our business. We’re good. I was just heading out and I saw Taryn. I thought I might give her a head’s up. I got a call that her ex is heading here. It’s why I was leaving.” He looked at me. “Booth was my ride here, I was coming to get him so we could leave.”

Brian was coming. That’s all I’d heard.

And of course—just like magic—a car pulled up in front of the house, rap music blaring through its open windows.

Three of the doors opened and guys piled out and leading the pack, was Brian.

And leading the pack, was Brian.

When he looked up, he froze, seeing us on the porch, three steps in front of him.

He took in Gentley, then his eyes trailed over Tray and me. They lingered on my hand that I’d unknowingly placed on Tray’s back.

I snatched it back, but fisted it, immediately regretting it. Tray turned to look at me and moved back to take in Brian.

The guys behind him, Rice and Hax all shut up when they saw me. Interesting, Hax was one of Jace’s guys.

Slowly, the sound echoing, Brian climbed up the steps and stopped, turning to face us. Hax and Rice stayed behind.

Gentley was pushed to the back of the porch, and to the back of my mind. I stepped in front of Tray this time as I faced off against Brian.

“Hey.” He nodded to me.

I relaxed slightly at the soft tone of his voice.

“Hey,” I breathed out.

He gestured behind me. “You and Ass Face friends now?”

Gentley wisely remained quiet.

“A cold day in hell.” I grinned tensely.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Brian nodded to Rice and Hax. “Go in,” he ordered.

They went in. Hax looked at me, lingering a moment before Brian shoved him inside and pulled the door shut behind.

He shrugged his shoulder towards the cars. “You should know, Grayley drove us. He’ll be here pretty soon.”

“Fine. I’ll leave.”

“Taryn,” Brian groaned—and we’d just entered Drama Land of the Past . “It’s not even like that. You have to know that.”

“You both lied to me. It’s exactly like that,” I said firmly.

“Oh for the fucking hell—it’s not! There are reasons, Taryn. Very good reasons,” he appealed to me. “Come on. There has to be for Geezer—Geezer!—to lie, too. We’re trying to protect you—”

“I don’t need your protection,” I cried out.

“Yeah,” Brian said shortly, “you do. You’ve always needed it.”

“Oh please!” I was so pissed, but I was reasonable enough to realize a lot of what I was feeling was from past shit. History that had never been resolved. “You’re a moron, Brian!”

“I’m a moron?!” He laughed angrily. “You fucking screwed my brother. That’s a moron. You’re a
moron
for doing that.”

“Oh no,” I started, “you screwed Liza and that other girl. You started it.”

Neither of us noticed Grayley until he was suddenly in between us and pushing us apart. I blinked, startled that Brian and I had slowly stalked towards each other. We’d been in each other’s face, yelling.

I saw Tray and Gentley watching. Gentley looked amused. Tray looked—I didn’t want to name what I saw in his hazel eyes.

“Shut the fuck up, both of you!” Grayley shouted. He stood in front of Brian, facing me. “You should leave, Taryn.”

“Me? You should leave!”

“Rickets’ is our territory. It always has been,” he reasoned, watching Tray cautiously.

What the hell? I knew why Gentley tiptoed around Tray, but…Grayley, too? And Brian hadn’t said a word to him. This was not the Brian and Grayley I knew.

Contrary to recent events, Grayley was not one to look for a fight; he avoided them at all costs.

But Brian—if a fight was brewing, Brian would be the one to flick the spark.

He loved fighting. He reveled in it.

And Brian was purposely not getting in Tray’s face. Yeah, the last time at the hospital—probably wasn’t the place to have a fight. But he wasn’t moving now, at all, he wasn’t even looking at Tray.

Which told me—it all clicked—and I gasped, reeling backwards.

Brian knew about Tray.

Brian was working for Galverson. Geezer had said his dad didn’t work for Brian, he worked for the new crew. He ‘sorta’ didn’t work for Brian. So that meant Brian was working for Galverson.

And I’m just stupid for not connecting all the dots until now.

Brian would never work for Jace, but he’d compete with him. And that meant business with Galverson.

And Grayley—Grayley was Brian’s brains. Grayley knew…everything.

But, Grayley wasn’t one to get involved in the drug business. And whatever else they were running…

I suddenly felt sick to my stomach.

“You’re working for Galverson,” I whispered hoarsely.” My eyes on Brian, I saw him suddenly pale, hearing me.

“Shut up,” Grayley hissed.

I continued anyway, “And you got that bracelet from wherever his storage it. You stole it for me.”

Grayley rounded on me, shoving Brian away with his back. Grayley grasped my shoulders, his eyes trailing to Tray’s over my head. “Taryn. Shut. Up.” he said firmly, harshly. “You have to shut up and leave this alone! Leave. It. Alone, for your own goddamn good.”

I was still staring, in horror, at Brian.

I saw regret flash in the depths of his eyes. I saw remorse…and…fear.

“Brian—” I managed out, unable to speak.

“Taryn—” He was shoved back by Grayley again.

Suddenly, I felt familiar hands at my back. Tray.

He wrapped an arm around my waist, and stepped beside me. “You can move.”

I don’t know what look was shared, but Grayley and Brian both instinctually stepped back, after taking one look in Tray’s eyes.

“I’m done. We can go,” he spoke again and it took a second to realize he was talking to me.

“What?” I choked out.

“We’re going. You got everything?”

“Yeah—” I was lost, stumbling. “Uh…my stuff’s at your place.”

We were already off the porch and heading to his vehicle. I was still in shock. “Oh my God.”

When we got to the SUV, Tray walked me to the passenger side and opened the door. I crawled inside and curled up in the seat as Tray got into his side, but he didn’t start the engine. He sat and looked at me.

I broke out, “What if they know? What if…they know what Jace did to me? What if…oh God…what did they do to me? What did Jace do?”

Tray remained silent.

“They all lied to me,” I cried out. “They all…I hate ‘em. I hate ‘em. They all—”

“For what it’s worth,” Tray murmured, watching me steadily, “I don’t think they had anything to do with it.”

“What? How can you…?”

“Because I’m on the outside looking in, and I know how guys like Lanser and Galverson think,” he replied. “They don’t share their secrets. Ever. Whatever Lanser did that involved you, it’s extremely unlikely that he shared the info with your friends, even his little brother. Guys make it to the top because they keep everything close to their chest.”

“I never said anything about—” I started, confused.

“You didn’t have to, Taryn. It’s written all over your face. When one lie is found out, a person starts wondering what other lies were told and how many of ‘em involve you. That’s what you’re scared of. You’re scared that your best friends turned on you, but I don’t think that’s it. It doesn’t make any sense.”

I’d fallen silent, shocked at hearing him think out loud. Even in my state, I was a little unsettled at how intelligent Tray is.

“No, my guess is that they found out something and they’re trying to protect you against it. I don’t think they know how you’re involved though.”

“But—”

Tray shook his head then continued, “And it might not even have anything to do with you. I mean, yeah—maybe. But you’re not exactly a person who just accepts whatever you’re told. If you’re pissed off, you go after whoever pissed you off. You’re a fighter and you’re virtually impossible from keeping out of shit.” He paused. “Maybe that’s it. Maybe they don’t want you to find out something, to look for something, that’d land you with Galverson. It all goes to Galverson. It makes sense. Your friends are worried that you’ll find out what’s going on and you almost already have. You’re a thief. You hate not knowing shit, so you find a way to get at it. Which is what you would do if something was going on that you didn’t like.”

Oh my God. That made perfect sense.

Which meant Brian and Grayley hadn’t betrayed me.

“I agree with ‘em,” he stated, meeting my eyes. “You told me you’d leave it alone.”

And I had, I’d already made the decision.

Even I wasn’t so out of touch with reality to think I could take on Galverson alone. And Tray was right, Galverson wouldn’t go after me. He’d go after Geezer, Brian, and Grayley first, then Mandy, Austin, Shelley, Kevin.

My family.

“I will.” I said sincerely. For the first time in awhile, I was scared.

“I will,” I said it again, a whisper to myself.

Tray sighed and leaned over, he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering on my cheek, then my lips.

I grinned, feeling myself melt. Again—it was inevitable.

I took his finger in my mouth, and licked it, swirling my tongue around it.

Tray groaned in shock.

I laughed. I covered the distance and kissed him deeply. Wanting to forget, wanting to remember who was with me, who I had in my life now. Tray answered me back, our hands in each other’s hair, holding each other tight as we tasted each other. Sensually. Needy.

Tray lifted me onto his lap, where he devoured me some more. I devoured right back and melted against him.

“Let’s go home,” I whispered, not realizing I’d called Rawley home.

Groaning, Tray kissed me a last time before setting me back on my side.

He started the vehicle and pulled out, as we circled to the front of Rickets’ House, I saw Brian sitting on the porch. Alone.

There was something I needed to do.

“Wait,” I broke out.

Tray braked and looked up at the porch. I saw the understanding in his eyes when he met my gaze.

“Thank you,” I mouthed silently, getting out of the vehicle.