Page 129 of Crew Princess
“We weren’t there to fight,” Cross said.
I still hadn’t said a word. This was between Cross and his brother, but I wanted to tell them we were there to see Blaise. I didn’t. I couldn’t. That was Cross’ decision, but a part of me yearned to shout it out.
Family was precious. Fuck. All the shit I gave Channing, and he was right now out there, fighting for me.
I bit back tears, knowing I had to make things right with him. All the anger from growing up, that was done. It was time to start new. Clean slate. I pressed my hand harder against Cross’ back because I wanted the same for him.
“What’s going on?”
I whirled. Z was there, and his eyes got wide seeing who was at the door. “Holy—”
I was at him in two steps. My hand clamped over his mouth. “Stop. Don’t say a word.” I looked over his shoulder, to the kitchen, but everyone was outside. My shoulders sagged in relief. If Taz came in, Cross would go nuts, and that wouldn’t be good.
I motioned behind him. “Go out there. Shut the door. Act fucking normal.”
“But—” He pointed over my shoulder.
“I know. Do what I say. Trust me.”
“Bren!”
“Trust, fucker.”
His eyes flicked upwards. “Trust, my ass.”
But he went, and he shut the door, and I saw how he rolled his shoulders back. He was trying, but I knew Jordan would see through his act.
A second later, Jordan opened that patio door, coming in, and I sighed. There was nothing I could do right now, so as Jordan came over, I let him see who was standing on our doorstep.
Unlike Z, Jordan just pressed his mouth in a firm line and moved behind me. We went back, ready to have Cross’ back if he needed us.
He needed us. I could tell. I moved behind him again, my hand on his back, moving up between his shoulder blades.
He twitched, settling back into my touch.
“I’m just saying, I was told a Roussou crew was out front, beating my best friend, and I’m hauling ass out there. Then I saw you, I really saw, and—” Blaise stopped, shaking his head. “—my world was fucking rocked.” He looked down. “People not looking for a connection, might not see it. People look similar all the time, but you? Me? Not like this. I tried ignoring it. I did. No fucking way was I related to some Roussou scum.”
“Fuck’s sakes,” Jordan muttered over my head.
Blaise glanced up. “Sorry, but that’s how I was feeling. I thought you were a cousin or something. My mom’s from here. She’s all about secrets. Maybe she had family she didn’t tell me about. Then her boyfriend was around more and more. He was moving in, and he talked about his kids. Cross. Tasmin. I clued in, asked Zeke the names of the crew he was beefing with, and that didn’t seem like a coincidence. Let’s just say my mom and I had a ‘come to Jesus’ moment one night. She spilled everything, and now here I am, learning my real dad does actually give a shit about me, I don’t have to feel guilty about hating the asshole who bankrolled me all my life, and I got siblings. Twins too. Jesus. Are you serious? Fucking twins, and they’re my age.” He shifted backward and motioned to Cross with a jerking motion. “There you go. We’re caught up.”
Zeke edged forward a step. “We heard about your arrest and came to the station to see if we could help,” he told me. “Cops here are corrupt. If anything, we wanted to let you all know that.”
Blaise motioned between him and Cross. “You and me, that changes everything on our side. I don’t want to be enemies with my half-brother.”
Cross was silent—studying, gauging.
Then, as if it were some cosmic sign, we heard Taz’s voice behind us. “Bren? What are you doing?”
We waited. A full second, two, five.
Jordan cursed and shifted aside.
I turned, knowing she’d see guilt in my eyes, so I tried not to look. But her eyes weren’t on me.
They moved past me, seeing Cross, and then went to the door and beyond.
Her eyes got big, real big.
