A Whole New Crowd

  We moved through the crowd, and he pointed to a corner. Jace was standing in a corner with two girls pressed against him while he was nodding to another guy speaking into his ear.

  Krein leaned close again. “Stay here.” Then he muscled his way over to them. A guard let them through, one that I hadn’t known was there, and the other guy moved back so Krein could talk to Jace. A second later he was pointing at me. When Jace spotted me, I saw the slight widening around his eyes. The rest of the world would see the same poker face, but they weren’t privy to the storm that was brewing in his eyes. Great. His jaw tightened and I got ready. He was pissed.

  Jace broke away from the group he had been standing with, leaving the two girls disappointed until Krein went over to them. One girl glared at me, as Jace grabbed my wrist, pulling me behind him. He wasn’t nice and gentle like his second in command had been. He didn’t wait for his guards. He shoved through the crowd and kept his cement hold on me. When a drunk stumbled in front of us, Jace lifted me in the air and placed me in front of him. He didn’t pause. He swept the guy out of the way, then ushered me forward and kept his arms on both sides of me until we were at the other end.

  Then two guards materialized out of nowhere. They took point and led the way down a back hallway.

  “Jace,” I started.

  “Don’t.” He didn’t let go of my arm, but I was transferred to his side. He held onto me as we went to his office. As we neared the office, a girl left the room and ran in the opposite direction.

  “Get her. I don’t want her going that way.”

  The guard nodded and went in pursuit. When we were at the door, the guard passed us, holding onto the girl’s arm in the same manner that Jace was holding onto my arm.

  “Hey!” she protested, trying to twist her arm free. “Let me go.”

  She was ignored and then Jace had me in the office and the door was shut.

  I prepared myself. He was working. I had known that the second I saw he wasn’t happy to see me. That meant I had about two minutes until he would kick me out. He’d done it countless times to Brian over the years. Jace never liked us showing up on his territory, and this was the second time I had broken that rule.

  Jace kept the room dark and my eyes strained to adjust themselves. He didn’t say anything. He brushed past me and disappeared inside his bathroom. Emerging a second later, he pulled off his shirt and grabbed another one that had been laying on the chair. Pulling it over his head, I diverted my eyes when I saw his stomach muscles ripple from the movement.

  Here I went. “Jace,” I started.

  “What are you doing here?” His tone was all-business. There was no family warmth, and I shivered, missing it.

  “I came for a friend.” My heart was pounding in my ears. “My friend, Gray—”

  “You’re here about his dad.”

  “Yeah.”

  “You want to know if he’s working for me?”

  “Yeah.” I willed myself to look up and hold his gaze. Even in the darkness, his eyes could pierce their way through me. “Is he?”

  “Why should I tell you?”

  I flinched. He was so harsh. “Because I’m family.”

  “You’re not, Taryn. Not anymore.”

  Another slap across my face; his coldness hurt. “Why are you being like this?”

  A hollow laugh came from him. “Don’t fool yourself, Taryn. I’m not you. Brian’s not you either. You’re out. Why do you keep coming back?” He strode towards me and I was unsure what he’d do. “I told you to stay away the last time you were here.”

  “Yeah.” I rolled my shoulders back, ready for whatever was about to happen. “Then your brother showed up in my town—”

  “Your town.”

  I heard the mocking from him. “Yes,” I clipped out. “My town. You’ve made that abundantly clear. My town. My life. My future. You want the lines drawn and you want me on the other side, don’t you?” I sneered. “Screw you. I came back for one thing. Gray. Is his dad working for you or not?”

  There was silence for a beat. Then a soft laugh came from him and the cold from it sent chills through my body. This was the gang leader Jace. This was the mastermind behind the Panthers who kept them from being touched by the police. Cunning. Ruthless.

  He said, “Leave, Taryn. You were given an out and if you don’t take it, it might not be there anymore.”

  I snapped to attention. “Is that a threat?”

  “Yes.” There was no hesitation from him. “Stay out or I will fix things so there’s no longer an out for you to go.”

  “Jace.” My family member was gone. He had been gentle with me, but that was gone as well. “I’m here for a friend. How can you be mad at me for that?”

  “Because this isn’t your life. He’s not your friend. Stay out, Taryn. I mean it.”

  I shook my head, pushing past the lump in my throat. “Stop. Please.”

  “Get out.”

  “I take care of my friends and family.” He started coming for me, and my voice rose. I didn’t have much longer. “It’s the same quality in me that loved Brian.” He took my arm and we were going towards the door. “Please, Jace. Please.” He didn’t have the cement hold like earlier, but his hand would still leave bruises.

  He wasn’t being gentle anymore.

  I shook my head, clearing that thought as he opened the door. “Please, Jace. I know his dad must be working for you. Cut him loose. Send him away. Gray always gets hurt.” He was taking me out into the hallway. I slammed a hand against the door to stop us and lowered my voice, “He abuses him.”

  Jace stopped.

  “He hurts him. Please get rid of him. I don’t want my friend hurt. That’s all. That’s the only reason I’m here.”

  A guard straightened from the wall. He’d been waiting. “Boss?”

  Jace held my arm out and the guard took it.

  “Jace.” I strained against the hold. “Please.”

  The small light in the hallway cast his face in shadows. He was unmoving, a cold stranger He said, “Go home. This is no longer your home. These people here are no longer your concern. Get out and stay out. This is my last warning.”

  I frowned. My heart leapt into my chest. It was pounding with fear. What did that mean? “Jace—”

  “STOP!” He gestured to the guard. “Get her out. If you see her again, shoot her in the goddamn leg. I don’t want to deal with her again.” He stepped close to me. His eyes were primal as he stared into mine. “Do you hear that? I don’t want to deal with you again. I gave the order, Taryn. They will follow it. Come back again and you’ll lose a leg. Keep coming, I’ll have them shoot every fucking limb. It’s your decision. Get lost.”

  Then he disappeared inside, locking the door behind him.

  I stood there, staring at the door for a while longer until the guard led me out. I didn’t pay attention until we were in the cold and the door was shut in my face. I couldn’t believe what had just happened.

  Jace threw me out. He meant it.

  I drove home that night and went straight to bed. Tray called, but I didn’t call him back. My heart was breaking. I didn’t even notice if Mandy was mean to me or not the next morning. I remembered a faint good morning from her. I didn’t care. Then I got to school and I almost got back into my car as I looked up.

  It was homecoming. Fuck me. I already had a headache and when I got inside, another headache came at me. Mandy darted over. She grabbed my hand. “Did you hear?”

  “Uh—” I guess she had been nice that morning. I still didn’t care.

  “Pedlam’s coming here to play. Their football field got tilled last night. Can you believe it?”

  “What did you just say?”

  “Their football field was tilled. Can you believe that? I heard that their gymnasium got tarred, too. Seriously. Who’s crazy enough to do that shit?”

  Yeah. Who was crazy enough? My body went numb. “Excuse me.” I went right back out to the parking lot and spotted Tr
ay in the back corner, getting out of his SUV.

  I went over to him and opened his door again. He glanced up. “Hey.” I pushed him inside and got in beside him. I didn’t wait for him to say anything. I started right away, “You tilled their football field? You tarred their gymnasium?”

  “Yeah.” He was looking at me like I’d gone crazy.

  “Are you stupid?”

  “What are you so pissed at? You knew we were going in there to do some damage.”

  “Not this. Not damage that’ll launch an investigation.” A different fear from last night settled in my chest. It dug deep, and I knew it wouldn’t to be leaving any time soon. “I didn’t know you were going to do damage like that. I thought you were to deflate their basketballs or something? Not tar their gym.”

  “Why are you so bent about this?”

  “Because I have a record.” How could he not have thought about that? “Because I could go back to juvie. I don’t want to go there. I hate it and…” I stopped. I could lose my family. I lost one last night. I couldn’t lose my other one. It was me, only me. I was back to that way of thinking, but shit, who was I kidding? I never allowed myself to really let them in. I didn’t know my parents. They took off the same week I moved in. I knew Mandy, but she only talked to me half of the time, and Austin spent most of his time at his friend’s.

  There was no family.

  I’d be arrested. Somehow they would connect me with the vandalism last night, and I would be removed from their home. Jace kicked me out. He meant it. I didn’t have him and Brian. I shook my head. Brian wanted to be a Panther. I couldn’t do that life.

  It was just me. Again.

  “Get over yourself.”

  “Excuse me?”

  He snorted and rolled his eyes. “I don’t even know what you’re thinking, but I can tell you’re overreacting to this.” He cursed. “If anyone takes the blame, it’ll be me. You were in the dark. The other guys didn’t even pay attention to you. I told them I had a guy on the inside. That was enough for them, and trust me, no one will talk. You cut all the footage. The stupid security guards will get canned. That’s the extent of it. We didn’t hurt anybody. I highly doubt Pedlam will launch an investigation. With that security, I don’t think they’ll want the cops poking their noses around there.”

  My eyes shot to his and I tried to absorb his calm. “How do you know?”

  “My dad was a cop. I’m not dumb. Schools don’t keep security like that unless there’s something worth a lot of money or illegal on the premises. They won’t want cops getting curious. You have nothing to worry about.”

  His dad was a cop? I had to laugh. “You would’ve been my enemy if I was still in Pedlam.” Holy hell. “How did I not know your dad was a cop?”

  His tone cooled. “Because he’s not around anymore.”

  “What?”

  “He moved south. It’s just me. My mom killed herself before all that happened.” He bit out a hard laugh. “Hell, that’s probably why he went down the path he did.”

  His mom killed herself. I froze at hearing that. Fuck. I didn’t know what to say about her. He said, “It’s for the best. Don’t feel sorry for me because of her. She was in so much pain that she couldn’t endure it. She did what she had to do.”

  My god. He sounded hard and unforgiving. He was like me, but no. He wasn’t like me. He had friends. He had a school that followed him. I met his friends. They would do anything for him.

  “I’m sorry about your mom.”

  He chuckled. “Don’t feel sorry for me. My mom’s in a better place and my dad is a piece of shit.”

  “How can you afford that huge house?”

  “My mom was rich.” Then he scowled. “My dad left me money, but I don’t touch it.”

  “Oh.” I frowned.

  “It’s not something I talk about.” He grimaced. “Sorry, I just...don’t like to think about it. I’d go crazy if I did.”

  I nodded. I could relate. “At least you know who your parents were.”

  “Yeah?”

  He was watching me and the air switched again. Gone was the fear and a camaraderie took its place. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that, but I couldn’t fight it. “I never knew mine.”

  “You grew up in the foster system?”

  I nodded. Even Mandy hadn’t dared to ask me that question. My throat grew thick. “I never talk about it.”

  “Not even to that ex-boyfriend?”

  “Not even him.” Brian never wanted to talk about our parents or our families. He wanted to talk about sports, how he was going to be the toughest guy in school, or what Jace was doing. Realizing that I had confessed more to Tray in a few weeks than I had to Brian in a few years sent shock waves through me.

  “It’s his loss.” Tray’s voice grew light. He pretended to punch me in the arm. “Come on, Matthews. Let’s go and reap the rewards from being awesome. That prank was one that will go down in history. Everyone knows I did it, but no one can prove it. That’s the best thing about this life.”

  “What I would give to have your easy life.”

  I had crawled out of the vehicle, but I paused when Tray stopped behind me. I turned back. His eyes were narrowed, but he wasn’t looking at me. I had a sense he wasn’t even present with me anymore. His mind had wandered off. After a few minutes, he muttered, “Things aren’t always what they seem, Taryn.” Then he brushed past me and headed inside.

  I didn’t talk to Tray for the rest of the day. Well, he didn’t talk to me. I hated to admit it, but it bothered me. It bothered me a lot.

  CHAPTER NINE

  I would’ve known where the party was from a mile away if Mandy hadn’t left directions. Okay. Not really, but the music was blaring so freaking loud, I finally chose to turn my own radio off. I parked at the end of the lane and walked closer. When I got to the lawn, I recognized a group of Pedlam students. What the hell? They were supposed to wallow in their own parties. In Pedlam. Not here. I hadn’t gone to the game, but Mandy told me my old town lost. That couldn’t mean anything good was going to happen with them here.

  I hugged myself, suddenly chilled, and wished I’d kept my sweatshirt on, but to no avail. I was dressed in a sheer sweater, a black tank top underneath, and a pair of jeans.

  “Yo,” a guy hollered and followed that with a whistle. “Hey, it’s Lanser’s bitch.”

  I gritted my teeth. Real original, asshole. I kept going. Since most the people outside were from Pedlam, I figured my allies were inside. I doubted Brian was in attendance.

  “Hey.” The guy tried to grab my elbow.

  I wrenched my arm out of his grasp. “Let me go.”

  “Whoa. Calm, bitch.”

  I didn’t know what I would do or say.

  “Whatever.” I darted past him.

  “Hey!” He tried to follow me, but I got lost in the crowd. When I headed to the back patio, I saw Mandy on that cousin’s lap, his hand under her skirt. My eyes narrowed. The fact that this had gotten past everyone’s attention mystified me, but reinforced my theory that people were dumb. She tipped her head back and laughed. I groaned. She was drunk. That wasn’t a normal Mandy laugh.

  At the same table was Tray and also…I stopped walking when I saw my lab partner? A double what the hell?

  Dylan spotted me first. “Hey, you made it.”

  “Taryn!” Mandy screeched. She stumbled over and threw her arms around me. “I love you so much, do you know that? You came. I’m so happy. I didn’t think you would.”

  I hugged and patted her on the back. “I know. Football games and dances are not my thing.”

  “They will be. If you’re my sister, they have to be, but you came. So yay!”

  “Yeah.”

  “You’re the best sister I’ve ever had.”

  I didn’t know what to say to that so I patted her on the back. Again.

  Dylan rescued me when he laughed. “Leave her alone. You’re suffocating her, Mandy.”