The Original Crowd (A Whole New Crowd 0.50)

And I remembered how I’d judged him when we first met. I thought he’d had it all: money, family, looks, intelligence. I thought he was lazy, just blessed and advantaged and ready to waste that away.

I’d never been that off before.

“I told you—I know both sides. I know the cops and I know the criminals. So, I’d call up some of dad’s old buddies, the ones who lean a bit too much on the opposite side of the law—if you know what I mean—and I sent them after the drug-runners. They always ended up in the hospital. Some of ‘em were put in comas. It was a perfect deal. I could ID any drug-runner, I knew who they were working with, and I just told the guys who hated drug dealers, but knew there wasn’t anything legal they could do about ‘em.” He sighed. “Rawley’s got the rep for drug dealers to steer clear from here. Even though I don’t know some of the new crews. I know the big ones, some of the small guys are probably a lot bigger now, but…that’s the thing with drugs. There’s always someone new in the business. Lanser was small news back then, but he’s progressed to be a full partner with Galverson.”

“How do you know he’s a full partner?”

“Galverson only meets his partners in person,” Tray stated.

“When did this happen?” I asked softly, seeing the battle going on inside of him.

“When I was in the eighth grade,” he said hoarsely, his body frozen in place.

I didn’t know what to say.

“Tray—” I started, but fell silent.

“It’s not really something I want to go through again, Taryn,” he said quietly, then he left.

*

To say that I was off-kilter, was an understatement. Yeah…I knew Jace was in some heavy shit. But—like before…I often placed myself happily in the land of denial. But…holy shit—what Tray had gone through, what I knew Galverson now represented…it put some stuff in perspective.

But I still wanted to know what Jace had done, what he had arranged me. I just…wouldn’t bring it up when I’m with Tray. He probably wouldn’t ask anyway.

I sighed, a long shattering breath, when I exited the room. Leaving a few minutes after Tray. I glanced down the hallway, most of his crew was gone. He was certainly gone.

And I didn’t really want to think about the hell he had gone through…that could be…he’d talked. We’ll talk again, but later.

And to tell the truth, I don’t know how I was feeling, having all that laid on me. I mean, yeah, I’d laid my shit on him. But…not everything everything. Not like that. But then again—he wasn’t going after my demons better left in the closet.

Ugh. And then I had to acknowledge the other feelings. He’d told me…he’d…shared something that went beyond deep and secret—with me. Not anyone else.

I swear, one side of my stomach just dropped in dread…but because I wasn’t feeling regret at what he’d shared with me. The fact that he had shared with me, not about what he had shared with me. I felt some old elation mixed in there…and that’s what the dread was about.

“Taryn.”

I whirled around, grateful for a distraction.

“Molly!” I exclaimed, with a wide smile. Then I saw the two girls behind her. One was skinny, skinny, and more skinny, with pale hair. She wasn’t looking at me, but was enraptured with a one-sided conversation with the floor.

It’s a talker. Could talk your ear off.

The other girl was about the opposite in every way—she was large, large, and more large. She had jet black hair and looked a little Goth with her make-up, but on second glance I don’t think that she was going for the Goth look. I think that was just her natural coloring.

“These are my friends, Angela and Kayden.”

“Oh, hey,” I said easily. “I like the name.”

Kayden was the darker girl. Angela was the pale anorexic. Now, I know it’s not nice to label girls this skinny as anorexic, but it’s the only word that came to mind.

“Guys, this is Taryn,” Molly continued, shuffling her feet awkwardly. She was glancing between me and them.

I stuck my hand out. “Hi.”

Finally, both of them looked at me. I think they were a bit shocked that I actually wanted to meet them. And, to tell the truth, I could see why they were known as Invisibles. They made themselves invisible. I never would’ve noticed ‘em if Molly hadn’t been talking to me and to them.

Angela grinned, one quick grin, and then she was chatting with the floor again. Not really chatting, chatting, but it looked like she was trying to stare it down.