Always Crew

My frown deepened. “Nothing wrong with my boy.”

“No. Oh my God. I know. And no, I mean—” She stopped, swallowed, and then drank the rest of her drink.

Aspen had moved back to us, a drunk smile on her face. She was swaying to any of the music hitting us from the houses. Take your pick. “Hi, guys.” She tipped her head back, her eyes closed, and kept on swaying.

Bren moved in next to her. “Aspen.”

“Hmm?”

Aspen did not stop swaying, open her eyes, or even look at Bren. The girl was in her own time zone.

Bren frowned at me. “She’s wasted.” She turned to Jade. “Where’s Blaise?”

Jade shrugged, some of the blush was fading. “This is a girls’ night. Boyfriends are not allowed.” She eyed Cross, who was keeping a look out at this point. “You’re not officially on our girls’ night.” Her eyes skirted to me. That blush was coming back. “But flirting is totally okay.”

I was remembering that Veronica girl. I was guessing flirting and fucking were okay on girls’ night?

My phone cut in again.

Sonya: Too late. Offer’s been rescinded.

Christ. Who was this girl?

Jade leaned in, yelling over the music. “I know you dated Tabatha Sweets. Everyone knows.”

I scowled, putting my phone away. “You’re offering a pity fuck?”

Her eyes bulged out. “No! No.” She eased back, starting to glare at me. “Who do you think you are?”

I snorted. “According to you, you know exactly who I am.”

Bren’s hand came to my arm. She was frowning at me, taking in the conversation.

I rolled my eyes and ducked down, saying close to her ear, “Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. Instead of fucking, I think I’m spoiling for a fight.”

Her hand tightened on my arm, and for a second, I thought it was because she wanted one, too. Bren usually did, but she didn’t reply, and she wasn’t looking at me now. Her gaze was trained past me, and her hand just tightened again.

I looked and groaned.

We had incoming.

Harper was leading the charge, with six other guys behind him. Zeke Allen was included.

In these moments, I always knew what I was going to do. Back up my crew, but I glanced at Bren and then to Cross. He was watching his girl, too. We shared a look, thinking and knowing the same thing.

Bren was the one spoiling for a fight.

Our little feral she-wolf was about to come out and play, and I was going to love it.

CROSS

Me: We have trouble incoming. Tell me your guy found Harper’s mom?

There was no answer.

They were coming. Bren was primed. Jordan was ready.

We either needed to go or we’d be able to do what we’d always done.

BREN

Tim Harper was coming toward us.

Some people noticed, stopping to watch. Some were too drunk and kept on partying. I skimmed the rest of his group, my gaze landing on Zeke. He fell to the back, and he kept glancing down. If I were to guess, he was sending the call out to Blaise. With Aspen as blitzed as she was, Harper actually seeking us out, and from the look on his face, he wanted to fight, so I was saying no matter what, we were fighting. One, Blaise would start it if it already weren’t going by the time he got here, and two, I wanted it.

I’d been sidelined for two weeks, and while I hated what I did to Harper, I couldn’t deny that it had woken something up in me. Something that’d been sleeping. The old Bren, but I knew now that I couldn’t keep suppressing her.

I needed the old me and the new me to merge. If I didn’t allow it, I didn’t want to think of the consequences, but Harper was coming right at me and the old Bren was rallying.

He was a bully. He was coming to push his weight around, show off his power, hoping to intimidate us. He was mistaken.

I lowered my head, locking it in place, and just like that, Cross and Jordan got into place beside me. I heard Jordan bend down, telling Aspen’s friend to move her back and away…far away.

“Why?”

He replied, “Just trust me. Her boyfriend will flip his shit if she’s here.”

Zeke looked up then, also noting the interaction. He watched, and then tracked Aspen as she was moved back into the crowd. Once she was clear, he seemed to take a breath and his shoulders relaxed a little bit more. He looked down, and again, I was betting money he sent off another text to reassure his boy.

But then the last of the crowd moved aside, and Harper was now standing in front of us.

I waited, expecting it.

His gaze skimmed over me, going above and over my head to Jordan. He sniffed, actually sniffed. “You’ve been banned—”

He didn’t acknowledge me.

He didn’t look at me.

He didn’t speak to me.