The Original Crowd (A Whole New Crowd 0.50)

“How much did she have?”

“Enough to be dealing ‘em herself,” I said swiftly. “It took me an hour just to flush ‘em all.”

“What was she on?”

“An upper.”

“Which one?”

“Vitamin R. Methyl—whatever the fuck it is. Ritalin shit,” I snapped, raking both my hands through my hair.

“Okay.” He stood up and moved to leave.

I grabbed his hand. “Oh no. You’re not doing this without me.”

“I don’t want you involved.” Tray tried to shrug me off.

“No!”

“Taryn,” he argued, walking down the stairs.

“No!” I shouted, jumping past him to block his way. “I hate drugs. You have no idea how much I hate those things. I really…really…detest them.”

“I know!” he cried out. “How do you think I feel?”

“Oh,” I yelled back, “like steroids are any different!”

Tray grew still and his body went rigid at that. I saw his jaw clench and spasm.

“You and I both know it—they’re the same thing,” I pressed, uncaring that I was crossing a line.

“They don’t have the same effects.”

“Bullshit,” I swore.

“They’re not the same.”

“Yes, they are, Tray. And you tap that market…you do it because a part of you likes to get away with it. You do it because it keeps you connected to that life,” I goaded, unheeding the warning that flashed in his eyes.

“That’s fucking bullshit,” he said slowly, dangerously.

“Then prove me wrong and stop selling them.”

“Like you’re any better,” he shot back.

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“I’m trying to stop,” I yelled. “You’re not.”

“Well, I’m stopping this Jenkins piece of shit.”

“It won’t help, not in the long run,” I reasoned.

“You don’t understand it, Taryn. You have no clue,” Tray cried out. “If Rawley doesn’t have something going on, then it’ll get flooded by something else. It’ll be designated as ‘open’ and that means we’ll have so much fucking drugs here, it’s not going to matter. So yeah, I keep the steroid business going just so that we’re viewed as vulnerable and open. Some dealers aren’t that organized, but some are. Some are! They send hunters out. Those guys’ main purpose is to find cities that can be infiltrated. I’ve avoided that so far, but I can’t do it forever. But yeah, if steroids help cover us, then fine. Sign me up.”

I didn’t want to admit it, but it did make a little sense.

“Just,” I said, the fight leaving me, “let Jenkins know that he messed up.”