Always Crew by Tijan

CROSS

The words had been rolling in my gut since my brother shoved his way through the crowd, and especially since everything that went down earlier today.

I didn’t like it. Not a bit.

And I needed to let him know, but it hadn’t been the time then.

It hadn’t been right when we got to the bowling alley, either, when Blaise showed up with his friends. Jade got Jordan’s number and asked where we were, so I knew he’d be showing up.

The girls were enjoying themselves. Jordan was enjoying them, too.

So, for them, for Jordan, I kept quiet. I waited.

But now, seeing my brother take a phone call and dart outside, I was done waiting.

Cool, calm, smooth, I took my bowling shoes off and put on my regular ones.

The only person who noticed was Bren, and when I looked up, her eyes were speculative. She looked at the door, and I gave her a small nod. She raised an eyebrow, and this time I was the one signaling to her that I didn’t need her help.

She nodded, settling farther back in the chair to keep score. Zellman wasn’t here, so she filled in. Jordan was too busy flirting. Me and Bren, though, we were good bowling, enjoying each other’s company, grazing arms and hands as we moved to go bowl and come back. Blaise noted the touches, his eyes darkening as he watched his own woman, but Aspen was having fun. She was laughing at Jordan, and her face was glowing being around her friends.

I knew it was killing him to see how I was touching my woman, and he had to refrain from touching his.

I enjoyed the torture, but it was time to stick another knife in his gut, metaphorically speaking, and I moved across the lobby, keeping to the shadows to not draw attention to me.

Jordan’s laugh cut out behind me.

I looked back. He was watching me, but Bren moved. She said a few words and he nodded to her, then to me.

I ducked out through the door.

My brother had moved out into the parking lot, but I saw his phone’s light and he was saying in a quiet voice, “Yeah, Mom. No. We’re good.” A pause. “I promise. Yeah.”

I could hear Marie saying her goodbye. Blaise reciprocated, then hung up, stuffing his phone into his pocket as he started back to the front door.

I moved back against the building, just shy of the front entryway.

He came across me, moving forward when I moved.

I grabbed his arm, throwing him back against the wall, and I shoved him the rest of the way, jamming an arm up against his neck.

My brother stilled, then snapped alive. He was fighting, trying to shove me off, but I was ready. I knew Blaise could fight, so I was prepared. He tried to kick me out away from him, but I shoved harder against his throat until he stopped, and now he was gagging.

“It’s me, asshole.”

He froze again, then sagged back. “What the fuck? This because of tonight? I’m sorry for not showing more appreciation that you punched Harper for me. So many thanks.” He was being sarcastic.

I shoved harder, enjoying hearing him choke before I relaxed my hold. “You’re dangerous.”

He snorted, half-laughing. “Right. You? You are actually saying that to me?”

I kept my tone low, calm, and cold. Two could be like that. “As of tonight, you are going to stop pulling my group into your personal vendettas. You are going to stop pushing the boundary, and…” when he tried to speak again, I spoke over him, “you know you’re doing it. You outed Tabatha, which outed Jordan, which could’ve outed Bren. Everything connects, and you know that. You knew what you were doing tonight.”

“I had to. Jessinda Hinckley’s father is a senator. She’s got family connections that out-connect Harper’s family. Harper’s a legacy. That means he’s going to be a bitch to actually get removed from the house, and no, tonight didn’t actually do it. It just put a dent in his campaign to stay and get Zeke removed instead. I’m doing this for him, too, and yeah, I’m sorry that I outed Tab and your boy since she was his girl, but I had to. It was a calculated move. Getting Harper kicked out helps you guys, too, because he’s a cancer. He’ll grow and fester and he’ll be toxic the longer we’re all here at Cain together.”

Maybe.

I got what he was saying, but I wasn’t okay that he was using my group to further his agenda.

“If you want to go rogue against Harper, do it on your time. Stop saying anything that connects to my crew. Got it?”

There was a little bit of light, and some of the red from the neon sign shining down on us. We could see each other clearly, and he studied me for a moment. He was measuring me.

I was done. Our family shit aside, I wasn’t going to stand anymore and let him play roulette with my crew, with Bren.

Finally, he dipped his head down. “Fine, but I did ask your girl if she’d hang out with Aspen next weekend. I don’t know where Aspen’s friends will take her, so I can’t be there to protect her.”

I stepped back. “Bren said yes?”

He nodded. “Then, that’s different. You’re giving us the choice to wade in or not. Do more of that shit and we’re good.”

“Right.”

“Right.” Another dark glare at him, but my brother was standing down, accepting what I said. And because I actually didn’t want to risk getting into a physical fight with him, I turned on my heel and went back inside.

Blaise followed a beat later.

He kept to his side. I kept to mine.

We were fine, that way.

From: Cross

To: Tazsters

Subject: Yes, payback is a bitch.

Stay tuned.

—always the best twin