The Original Crowd (A Whole New Crowd 0.50)

“What kind of fun?” he asked, smirking.

“My kind of fun.” I grinned. I hadn’t felt like this in a long, long time and it was about time Brian learned once and for all we were done.

“Where to?” Tray merely asked, a faint grin on his face.

CHAPTER THREE

Staring across the road, Tray asked guardedly, “Am I going to get killed in there?”

I laughed, I couldn’t help it. He was warily eyeing the nightclub. The Seven8 was home to Jace Lanser, Brian’s older brother, and his gang. He led the Panthers, a gang that had the cops running around with their hands tied. Brian and Jace had a love/hate relationship, but Jace had something that Brian didn’t: discipline. Jace was smart, he had to be to lead the Panthers at his young age and still come out on top after the police had issued war against them. Brian was smart, but Jace was smarter and ruthless. Jace took care of me; he always had.

“Come on. You’ll be fine,” I reassured him, climbing out of the SUV. Rounding to his door, I murmured, “Just…don’t say anything.”

Tray didn’t look appeased, but he followed anyway.

Approaching the club, I saw Ben, one of the bouncers, outside, manning the door. I called out, “Ben.”

“Taryn,” he said reservedly, studying Tray intently. “He going to be a problem?”

“I’m just here to talk to Jace, then we’re out. Promise. No trouble.”

“Hmm.”

“Brian’s not in there, is he?”

“No.”

Ben had actually majored in communications. With his muscular built and tattoos circling his bald head, he could get anyone to tell him anything with the right look. He was Jace’s number three man and I think his noncommittal answers were one of the reasons why Jace trusted him.

“Is Jace in?”

“He’s in. He’s with Cammy.”

I grinned. “Those two back on again?”

“Don’t care. She’s either here or she’s not.”

“Right.” I snorted in disbelief. “You going to let us in or do I go in my way?”

Ben glared at that one. One night he refused to let me inside, Brian and I had had a huge fight and he didn’t want it to escalate. I got in anyway, from the roof. Ben didn’t like to be reminded that there was someone who existed that could get around him and I loved to remind him every chance I got.

“He’s in the back. Take the small hallway.”

Tray followed me as we circled around the front entrance, the pounding music already blaring in our ears. Catching Casey’s gaze, the front bartender nodded in greeting as we slipped behind him and trailed into the hallway that let its way around the club to the back offices.

At the closed office door, I rapped briskly and waited. . A second later, it was opened as Cammy slipped outside, sliding the strap from her halter-top onto her shoulder. Blinking in surprise, she stumbled slightly when she saw me.

“Oh! Uh…Taryn, I didn’t know—”

“Let her in, Cammy!” Jace ordered from inside.

Flushing, she rolled her eyes and slipped around us.

Inside, we were greeted with the sight of a shirtless Jace, with his pants unbuttoned, hanging low on his lean hips. Raking a hand through his tousled hair, he grinned ruefully at me, his abdominal muscles starkly highlighted against the neon lighting inside.

“Heya, Terry,” he murmured, buttoning his jeans as he moved to give me a hug.

Jace was the only one who could get away with calling me that. Brian had tried once and I’d kneed him in the balls. He’d never done it again, although he always sneered every time Jace said it, so of course it made Jace say it anytime he could.