A Whole New Crowd (A Whole New Crowd #1)(17)

They would only judge him.
A hollow ache formed in me as I dialed Jace’s number.
“Hey, Terry.” He was somber.
“I heard.” It’s all I had to say. We both knew this side of Brian. “He’s coming here?”
“Yeah. He was getting fired up again and didn’t take it too well when I told him to stay away from you.”
I closed my eyes. It had been what I wanted, but it had been the wrong person saying that to him. This was on me. “I thought you were the right person to talk to him about this. I didn’t think he would listen to anyone else.”
“He wouldn’t, except our dad, but he’s gone so what do you do?” A static sound came over the phone and he said, “Look.” He had pulled away from the phone, but came back to it, speaking clearly again. “I couldn’t come after him or I would’ve. The cops are here. You know they’re looking for any excuse with me.”
“I know. He’s coming to me. I’ll handle him.”
“Terry,” I heard the same hesitation from him as well, “Brian’s never hurt you, but he’s not handling your break-up well. Are you with people?”
“I am.” They would only see the angry and ugly Brian. “I might have to call the cops, Jace, or someone else will. Mandy has people here. You know these people; they don’t understand.”
“I know. Listen, I sent a few men. Just stall Brian until they get there. They’ll handle him. Brian wants into my organization. Remind him of that. If he acts up, if he gets pinched, he can’t get in.”
A different terror formed alongside that ache. Brian wanted in? That meant… I whispered, “Jace, no.”
“No, I know. I’m not letting him. He’s a hothead, but he’s a good kid. Don’t worry, but if you have to use something to get him to calm down, use it. If he gets pinched, you don’t know what the cops will say to him. They’ll turn him against me and if that happens…”
He didn’t finish the sentence and I didn’t want him to. I didn’t want to hear about that other world. I was trying to leave it. “I’ll take care of him. I gotta go.” Jace said something more, but I hung up and stuffed my phone into my pocket. Hurrying through the house, I went to my room and took out my locked box. I hadn’t unlocked it for months, but this was a moment I had to. Pulling a long-sleeve shirt on, I took out my Taser from the box and put the box back in its hidden spot. As I went back outside to wait, I slipped the Taser inside my sleeve. I used a strap to secure it, but it was within reach if I needed it.
Then I sat on the curb and waited.
My heart was pounding.
I didn’t have to wait long. I heard Brian’s car screech around the corner and slam to a stop right in front of mine.
Part of me wanted to hop in and tell him to go to a park. We could hash it out there, but Jace’s guys were coming to the house and wouldn’t know where we went. So I braced myself when Brian slammed his door shut and strode to me.
Oh yeah. He was in a rage.
“You bitch!” he snarled, crossing the street.
I stood up, but held firm. I would stand my ground. “Brian.”
“You told Jace to handle me? Jace!” His snarl deepened to a scowl, but I saw the hurt behind it. “Are you sleeping with him? First Evans and now him? My brother?” His top lip curved higher. He said, “You whor—”
I kneed him in the balls. “No one talks to me like that.”
He doubled over, but twisted so he could see me. “You’re a bitch.”
My sympathy was gone. “And you’re crazy.”
He flinched. The storm came back over his face and he tried to straighten. He had more to say, but then he groaned and bent back over.
“We’re over, Brian.”
His head twisted away.
I moved closer and lowered my voice, “I loved you. I did. I probably always will, but you want to go in a different direction than me.” I gestured to Mandy’s—no—to my house. “I want this. I want college. I want a good job. I don’t want to have to work four jobs to make ends meet or worse, to end up in prison. This is my way out. Let me have it.”
He shook his head. He still wouldn’t look at me.
I waited. We were still alone, but it was only a matter of time before we were seen. “Brian, please.”
He stood now, swallowing his pain down. “You love me, baby, you just want this future so desperately. I know you.”
“And I know you.”
“You do, but I know you better than you know yourself, and you won’t last. This life...” He looked past my shoulders and the sneer appeared again. “You won’t get the adrenalin fix you need. I gave you that. Your old life gave you that.”
I started shaking my head. I already knew he was wrong.
He kept going, “No one knows you. Not like me, baby.” He stiffened and an ugly laugh came from him. “Look at them.”
A new horror filled me, but I knew who he meant. Turning, I saw them standing there. Mandy was on the lawn. A hand was pressed to her mouth and her eyes were wide with fear. Her friends spread out behind her and the guys. I flinched when I saw them. Tray was leading them down the driveway. They were heading towards us. I held a hand out, stopping them.
He stopped, but he was waiting for my say-so. I shook my head. It wasn’t time.
Brian laughed and raised his voice, “You guys think you know her? Huh? Evans? I’ve heard about you and your daddy. You’re all the same.”
My heart was breaking. Brian moved as if going to them, but I lifted a hand to his chest. His heart was racing under my touch. He acted as if he didn’t know I was touching him. He lifted his arm and pointed over my shoulder. “You’re weak. You’re targets. That’s all the good you are. You have no idea who you’re messing with. No idea!”