The Original Crowd (A Whole New Crowd 0.50)

“It was good doing business with you,” Tray said clearly, pulling me around the SUV to the door.

“You can’t trust her, man. She’ll go running to Lanser. You don’t know the two of them. They’re like freaking Bonnie and Clyde.”

“I heard your first warning,” Tray said, a warning note in his voice. Opening my door, he ordered me to get in.

Walking back around, Tray got in on the driver’s side, started the car and moved back onto the highway.

I waited a whole minute before saying anything. Then I shrieked, “What kind of business deals are you doing with Gentley? And how exactly do you know Jace? What is it? Something illegal?”

Tray skimmed my figure, seeing the barely contained rage, and said lightly, “It’s not as bad as robbing banks.”

“What is it…steroids?

“How the hell—?” Tray gazed at me in surprise. “How did you know?”

“If it were drugs, you’d know Jace a lot more than the little bit he could remember you and it’s the only thing I could think Crispin dealing.”

“You’re a nightmare, you know,” he suddenly growled. “You’re in deep with both of the Lansers. You got guys like Gentley avidly hating you. And…you got me driving around and waiting like a good little lapdog for you while you’re off doing God knows what.”

I sat back in my seat, arms crossed. “I wasn’t doing anything illegal. Well, I was, but it isn’t anything that’s going to get reported, trust me.”

Tray snorted in disbelief. “The way you walk is illegal.”

“It is not. Shut up.”

“Just…be quiet,” he shot back.

I sat back, mystified. I couldn’t stop a smile from growing. I hadn’t this much fun since…since I’d broken into a car dealership with Brian. That had been fun.

As my phone rang again, I sighed. “For the love—” I mumbled, but seeing Mandy’s name I quickly answered, “Hey.”

“Devon and I broke up,” she said rushed. “I was right. He’s been sleeping with Jasmine. Jasmine of all people! God, and the way she acted tonight, like she didn’t even know who he was. I caught ‘em in one of the bedrooms. I hate that bitch!”

“Mandy, I’m so sorry.” I could sympathize. After I caught Brian cheating on me—twice—I could’ve murdered both of them.

“Oh my God…I hate her, I hate her so damn much. What am I going to do? It’s going to be all over school!”

“Fuck school. You don’t let her get away with this,” I bit out. I was feeling for my sister here.

“I know, but what can I do? I’ll get caught whatever I do and then I’ll probably get suspended. I can’t do that, Mom and Dad would be furious with me. Not to mention, I might lose my scholarship to Brown next year.”

“Mandy,” I said sharply, “are you forgetting your resident criminal newly adopted sister, here?”

“I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble. That’d be much worse than me, they might send you back to juvie or something…”

“Meet me at Tray’s, we’re almost there.”

“You’re still with Tray?”

“Yeah.”

“I hate Devon. I absolutely hate Devon. I’m going to…I’m going to key his car, that’s what I’m going to do.”

“I’m hating him for you and keying his car is juvenile. Trust me, there are much classier ways to get back on a cheating bastard. I’ve perfected ways to get back on cheating bastards.”

“Brian cheated on you?”

“Twice, but my revenge was so good I actually got paid to help other girls when their boyfriends cheated,” I said smugly.