A Whole New Crowd (A Whole New Crowd #1)(74)

I shook my head. I wasn’t accepting what they were saying. Gray was fine. He was always fine. “Why don’t I remember you?”
“Because I’m not like you. I don’t hang out with druggies and criminals.”
“You’re one of the popular crowd?” She wasn’t acting like it, but scanning the guys I recognized them as being a part of the athletes from Pedlam. Gray was popular. She could’ve been there and I wouldn’t have known her. I didn’t care enough to know people at that school. Gray and Brian. That was it.
“They’re coming back.” Frank laughed shortly. “Evans has her.”
He swung back to me. I sensed unspoken questions from him and bit out, “What?”
“Nothing. Just never would’ve pegged you as a girl that would get with Tray Evans from Rawley. He’s high-class.”
I bristled. I got the insult. “If Gray is missing, you’re going to want my help. Pissing me off is not the way to go.”
He lifted his chin. “How do you figure?”
“I know Jace Lanser and I can get places others can’t.”
“She’s right.” The third guy pulled Frank back. “We all know her reputation. Let’s just chill for a moment.”
Dee was being dragged by Tray, who had a firm grasp on her arm. As they neared us, he let her go and shoved her in front of me. She glanced around, but the guys formed a circle around her in seconds. She blinked, taken aback by how fast they moved. Then she swung her head to me, snarled, and glanced at Ro. The snarl dropped.
Ro asked first, “Why’d you run?”
“Because of this whore.” She nodded at me. “Brian’s dead because of her. Gray’s missing because of her too.”
Ro turned to me, but didn’t say anything.
A dark gleam appeared in Dee’s eyes as she added, “She probably works for Jace Lanser.”
I laughed. “This is a joke, right? I want to kill Jace Lanser.”
Ro said, “I’m starting not to believe you, Dee. You were with Brian last. You were with Gray last night too. You blamed Matthews today, but she’s here. She’s acting like she’s in the dark. That tells me one of you is lying.”
“You were with Gray last night?”
Dee became quiet, and she looked over her shoulder. The guys pressed forward, tightening their circle around her.
“Why’d you run when you saw me?”
“Because you killed Brian. You did something to Gray. You’re going to do something to me too.” She was pale and began trembling.
I repeated my question. “You were with Gray last night? Why? What happened?”
She started laughing. The sound started out like a genuine laugh, but as she kept going, it turned panicked. Bitterness and a maniacal sound mingled with it. Bending over, she whispered, “Gray didn’t believe it. He said Brian wasn’t killed in a robbery. I believed him. Maybe I shouldn’t have.”
I glanced at the other girl, Ro, and asked, “Did Gray say this to you too?”
For the first time, the loathing from her shifted and a look of pain glimmered back at me. My gut clenched. I heard the sadness in her voice when she said, “No. I wish he had, though.” It was really starting to sink in. Something happened to Gray.
My own panic was rising. No, no, no. Not again.
Tray had been watching me. He stepped close, his chest brushed against my arm, and said, “Why did Gray only tell his theory to you?”
My eyes closed and I knew what he was doing. He was reminding me he was there for me and giving me his strength. Touching him, hearing his voice so close to me, I clung to it. Gray was gone. Jace killed Brian and he was going to take Gray away too. A darkness was swirling inside of me, lashing against the pain and fear. Rage was taking over, filling every pore in my body, until it blossomed full force.
My control snapped and I lunged for Dee. Grabbing her around the throat, I lifted her until her body slammed against one of the guys. They fell back, surprised by the force from me, but then they grabbed around Dee’s waist, lifting her so I wasn’t strangling her.
Her eyes threatened to pop out of her head. She couldn’t talk. Choked gasps spilled out of her and she tried to kick at me.
My hand tightened.
“Shit, let her talk,” someone said.
My hands kept tightening.
Jace. Her. Gray. Brian. Shelly. Kevin. All of them flashed in my mind. Betrayal. Loss. Pain. Lies. Manipulation. All of it. Everything that had happened to me was coming back at me. It felt like I was being seared on the inside, like someone had plunged a hot poker through me. I wanted to hurt someone else. I was sick of being the one to get hurt. In that moment, Jace’s face merged with hers, and he was all I could see.
Then I was pulled backwards. I kicked out, trying to get back at him. He needed to pay.
“Taryn!” Tray was yelling in my ear. But I wasn’t listening. His voice sounded like a small whisper against the rage that had taken over me.
Then Ro was in front of me, between me and him. She tried to help with holding me back.
Tray grunted and readjusted his hold on me as I strained against him. I smacked Ro’s hands off me and then three other guys stepped between us.
I yelled over them, climbing up, “You killed him. You killed Brian. You were with him last. And now Gray. That’s on you!” Tray grasped me around the waist and tugged me back down.
He twisted around, his back to the rest of the group, and wrapped his arms around me. There were other guys there, all holding onto a part of me, trying to help him. He tucked his head down so his lips were on my ear and yelled, “TARYN! Calm down.”