Always Crew

The door was open leading to another room, and I heard more hissing.

“This is not cool. You…I’ll do this shit for you. Your brother, no way. No the fuck way.”

“Calm down.” Blaise was placating Zeke.

“I mean it, Blaise.”

“Dude. You knew this night would come. What’s your issue?”

“My issue is that this flew with the house once and you had them by the balls. This time, it ain’t the same. Nothing’s the same. You’re going to ruin this for me.”

“Harper’s ruining this for you.”

“Me or him. Choose.”

I froze, just in the bathroom.

Blaise laughed that off. “You or Harper? That’s not even a question.”

There was movement, then more movement. I heard clothes being ruffled and a low, almost panting hoarse sound from Zeke, “You know who I’m talking about. Me or your brother.”

“Don’t.”

I held still.

The argument turned serious in the other room.

My brother continued in the same tense voice, “You put that shit on me. Fuck you. You’re choosing him over me. That’s the real fight here. You knew. You knew, Zeke! I told you this night would come. You asked me about it.”

“That was a month ago.”

“Tough shit. Who cares? This guy is bad for your entire house.”

“He’s a legacy. His dad. His grandfather. His uncles. Some cousins. I can’t kick him out.”

“Then you’re choosing. Me, I have no problem doing this alone. Look the other way, Zeke. Better yet, take off. Spend the night with some chick. She can vouch for you, say you were there all night.”

I waited.

There was no response.

A floor creaked.

The door opened silently, and in the dark, I could just make out my brother’s eyes.

Zeke was behind him, his head down, his hands on his hips.

He looked up, saw me, and cursed. His entire face twisted. “Fine. Fuck. Fuuuck, man.” He was cursing, but he was being quiet about it.

“Go. I know what room he’s in.”

Another glare at me, then Zeke grabbed his keys, wallet, phone, and he shouldered past me. He slipped out exactly how we’d come in. Blaise nodded toward the door. “We need to wait a little. You think Bren can hold off the other two while we’re in here?”

Of course, he heard me.

I wasn’t even pretending otherwise by now. I nodded. “Yeah. She’ll hold them off.” I eyed him. “You’ve done this before?”

I caught a flash of his teeth in the room. “Let’s just say I really hate this guy. And I’m hoping this permanently scars him.”

Another alarm sounded through me.

My brother was one scary guy. I was starting to wonder if I was better off as his brother, or worse off? Time would tell.

“Come on.” He started for the door, but it swung open.

“Zeke? You said—” A guy walked in.

He took two steps inside, his entire face squished up in annoyance, saw Blaise, saw me, and he visibly jerked to a halt. He went white as a ghost at the same time he turned to yell, but my brother was on him. He grabbed the guy’s shoulder, thrust the meaty side of his arm into his mouth, and moved, catching the door with his foot so it wouldn’t slam shut.

That all happened in two seconds.

It took me a second to realize this was Harper.

The next second I was moving. I grabbed a towel from the hanger. Blaise took his arm out at the same time I stuffed the towel into his mouth, and then I was holding Harper against the wall. Blaise moved back, easing the door shut so it clicked softly. Then we both pushed Harper over.

He wasn’t fighting.

That registered on the third second.

His eyes never moved from Blaise, and he was trembling.

This guy? This was the dirty pervert whom Tabatha had forced herself to kiss for her dad? He looked like a terrified five-year-old. He was muscular, with blond hair that was combed back. He was wearing khaki shorts and an actual pink polo. Fucking pink. I didn’t think guys like this existed.

I looked down. Yep. Loafers. They looked like velvet, but I couldn’t be sure in the dark without feeling them. I was only working off the moonlight streaming through the window.

Blaise took one look at him, rolling his eyes. “Jesus, Harper. I thought you’d have more fight this time around.”

I took the towel out and Harper said, not even giving me the time of day, “Right. ’Cause that helped last time.”

Blaise shrugged. “Yeah. Well, this time you should be happy it was me here and not Zeke.” He bent, grabbing something from Harper’s pockets. He pulled his phone out and it was lighting up. Tabatha calling was on the screen.

He answered, “Pitts or Greenly?”

I cursed, grabbing the phone from him. “Hey.”

A moment of silence, and then Jordan was cursing. “You fucking kidding me? You took him with that piece of shit?”

Blaise smirked.

Harper’s eyes were wide again, his mouth falling down a bit.