A Whole New Crowd(66)

I laughed. My body was solid with muscle, and no one could call me overweight. I wasn’t skinny, but I was slender, and I knew guys loved my curves. Then I stopped thinking about her and locked eyes with Brian.

It was time.

“You’re working for Jace?”

“No.” His jaw clenched. “I’m working for Galverson.”

“Same thing. Jace is your boss.”

“Jace’s boss is my boss.”

I snorted. I couldn’t believe we were having this argument. “That makes no sense.”

He shrugged. The irritation vanished and a sullen look came over him. “Does it even matter? Jace doesn’t want me there, but I am. So what? What do you care, anyway?”

“I care,” I said softly. “I care a lot.”

He flinched. “Yeah, well…” He turned his head away. He clasped his hands together, still leaning forward on his knees, his jaw clenching. “What do you want, Taryn? You’re going your way. I’m going mine.”

That was the crux of it. A sadness like I hadn’t experienced in a long time came down on me. It settled over me like a heavy blanket, wanting to pull me down to the ground. “Yeah. Looks like.”

“It is.” Anger flared in the depths of his eyes. After a moment, it was banked, and he forced himself to calm down. “I’m doing my thing. That’s what you wanted. I don’t know why you’re over here. I’m not your business anymore. Just like he,” he nodded towards where Tray was standing, “isn’t mine. Let it go, Taryn.”

“Jace never wanted this for you. I don’t understand—”

“You don’t have to. Let it go.” His eyes were cold, bearing down at me.

“I still care.”

“It doesn’t matter. We’re through. We were your family, but you got a new one.”

I grimaced. “I wouldn’t say they’re a family.”

“Whatever. A new crowd. It’s a new life. This is what you wanted. When I wouldn’t walk away, you argued for this. I’m giving it to you now.”

“Yeah, but,” I gestured to his hand, “I know what you gave that guy. You’re dealing for Jace.”

“I’m not—”

“For Jace’s boss. Same thing.”

“Stop.”

I had stepped close to him and his hands came down on mine. I glanced down and was surprised to find my hands were under his, resting on his knees. I blinked and stepped back. When had I reached for him? Then Brian’s soft murmur distracted me as he said, “I’ll be fine. Nothing will happen to me. This,” he dangled a packet with white powder inside from his hands, “will give me that security. I don’t need to be a Panther or Jace Lanser’s little brother to make a name for myself. I’ll be fine, Taryn. I will. I have it all covered.”

He didn’t. He so didn’t, and my heart hurt even more because of it. I shook my head. “You’re so stubborn. You always think you know what you’re doing.”

He sat upright, straightening his back, and a cold wall fell over his face. “I’m taking care of my own back. That’s what you’re doing, right? You got handed a brand spanking new family. Do us all a favor and pretend you don’t know us anymore.”

A harsh laugh rippled up from my throat. It was out before I realized I was even laughing. When it registered, I couldn’t stop it. A small note of hysteria mingled along with it. I couldn’t stop that either.

Brian frowned. He looked ready to say something. Concern filtered in, but then he masked that too. “Just go, Taryn.”

I jerked my head in a nod. My neck muscles were tight and I felt like I was breaking tendons as I nodded, but I tightened my jaw and forced my head up and down. I would be fine. Fuck him. He was going down the wrong path. Not me. He would be the one who got screwed in the end… I couldn’t stop it. I couldn’t protect him anymore. That had been my job for so long. I turned, but I couldn’t stop myself from murmuring, “I wasn’t given a family. They were forced to take me in.” I began walking away. I didn’t stop, even as I got to Tray, I kept going.

That was my last exchange with Brian. I knew it and it had gone horribly wrong. I didn’t stay at the party. When Tray offered to drive me back, I shook my head and asked for his keys. He wouldn’t let me drive alone so we compromised. He drove me home, but we didn’t talk the whole way. When he dropped me off, I didn’t ask if he was going back. I didn’t want to know, not at that moment. I wanted to sit and be alone. Brian was really gone from my life. I didn’t know how I knew for certain, but I did. After pulling Mandy’s suitcases down to the kitchen, I sat and waited for her. This was something I could do, someone that I could still protect.