Page 34 of Crew Princess
He added, “Do I need to remind you that my sister isstillon probation?”
“It wasn’t even like that.”
Except it was. I turned, keeping my face forward as Cross glanced at me again. Channing wasn’t stupid. He hadn’t gotten to his position in Roussou by luck—fighting, being ruthless, and being smart were the main ingredients.
He needed to be distracted. “Mrs. McGraw-Strattan said she knew Mom.”
Channing’s gaze snapped to mine.
“Did you know that?” I added.
“Are you serious?”
I nodded. “That’s what she told me. Said she hadn’t told anyone who knew her. I’m assuming she meant you and Heather.”
Channing eased back a step, his hand coming to rub his jaw. “Yeah. I mean, no. She never told me that.”
I didn’t really care what Mrs. McGraw-Strattan had said, but I knew Channing would. It would bother him the rest of the night, and it’d be enough to spur him to drive to Fallen Crest and ask her himself. I’d been so little when our mom died that I couldn’t say what his relationship with her had been, and it was another thing on top of so much Channing didn’t talk about.
He’d been wracked with guilt—guilt at leaving me alone in that house, guilt at leaving me in general until our dad went to prison and Channing took me in, and yeah, that was the ace up my sleeve because it worked. Consider him distracted.
Channing looked down, still rubbing his jaw. “I don’t know Malinda that well, but I’ve been around enough. Heather more so. She told you and not us?”
I eased back a step, gave a small nod. “Warned us to leave the neighborhood, said someone probably called the cops the second we pulled onto their streets too.”
He grunted, a brief grin showing. “Probably. Heather’s more recognized, but man, we haven’t gone over there in a long time. I think I was only at the house a few times.” He turned to Cross. “Did you get the information you wanted?”
I eased back another step.
Cross shifted on his feet, bringing his hip in close proximity to mine, almost brushing against me. “I know about the lady, but that’s it.” His voice was tight, controlled. “I’ll figure out the rest.”
It was a nice way of telling Channing to stay in his lane. We all knew it. His guys too, and a couple chuckled.
Noting our close proximity and how I had moved away from him, Channing dropped his hand. His eyes flashed. “Okay, kid. I hear you, but the problem is you’re taking too damn long figuring it out. You’re in my house, and I understand the emotional need Bren has for you, and that’s the only reason I’m allowing it. Got it? A year earlier and you’d be forced to bunk with Jordan or Zellman, and my sister would’ve been shipped out of state—”
“Fuck you!”
He ignored me. “So if you tell me to mind my own business one more time, I’m not going to care how pissed off my sister will be. I’ll bust your head open. Got it?”
“Channing! Shut up!” I tried to move between them, but it was Cross who moved me out of the way.
He stepped up, coming eye to eye with Channing.
In that moment, I realized how similar they looked. Both tan. Both with dark blond hair. Both ripped. And both mean. Channing was more extroverted, while Cross liked to stay in the shadows unless he needed to step forward.
He was stepping forward now.
The air sizzled around us. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and I contained a shiver, reaching over my body with one hand to touch my other wrist.
“I don’t care that your guys are here.” Cross spoke low, quiet, but so clearly. He wasn’t flinching, and he wasn’t looking away. He was holding steady, staring right back at my brother. “I don’t care how much respect we owe your crew—not when you threaten my relationship with your sister and not when you get involved withmyfamily life.”
“I told you—”
Cross tipped his chin back. “I don’t care. All due respect, I’m handling my shit a lot better than you did at my age.”
That was a direct slap in Channing’s face, and he noted it, his nostrils flaring. “Really?”
Cross softened his tone. “I’m not saying that to insult you—just a reminder. You’re coming at me as if you’re going to kick me out, when we both know the real problem you have ain’t me. Bren’s birthday is coming up. She’ll be eighteen, and if she decides not to rely on you for food and shelter, there ain’t a thing you can do it about it. Except me. I’m the one holding her together.”
