Always Crew - Tijan Page 0,46

cushions, and blankets. It’s like we’ve got our own couch.”

Jordan snorted. “A couch that’s strapped down.”

“Well, yeah.”

Cross started the engine, putting the gear into reverse. “Your boss watched you almost the whole night.”

Aaaand there went my buzz.

I felt it leaving me with a big ol’ thud.

“What? Really?”

Cross nodded, his face getting all somber. “I swiped Trundle’s keys to the building.” He hit the turn signal, glancing at me before easing onto the street. “I think we should find a time no one will be there, help ourselves inside, and take a look at what they’re keeping you away from.”

My stomach did another dip, but I wasn’t sure if I was excited or nervous. But I did say, “Sounds good to me.” But, “I don’t want to wait.”

“I knew you wouldn’t.”

It was decided.

PubTown turned out to be busy, and Zellman recognized a few people, so he and Jordan were happy. After dropping them off, we headed to the house for a change of clothes, then went back to Coug r Lanes.

FROM: Cross

TO: Tazsters

SUBJECT: Bren is drunk. It’s hilarious.

—I’m always the best twin

FROM: Tazsters

TO: Cross

SUBJECT: blank on purpose

Type your message HERE.

Not in the subject line.

—The Best Twin

CROSS

Bren was drunk.

She was the type of drunk where she wasn’t registering she was still drunk, but she was. She was also damn cute about it. She kept flicking her hand over her nose. She’d scrunch up her face afterward and make a little pffting sound. She was as loud as a tiny kitten. Seriously fucking adorable.

I’d been watching her boss the whole time we were bowling. He was older twenties or younger thirties, but the way he was staring at Bren, a boyfriend would start wondering if he had a hard-on for her, too.

He didn’t. I put my arm around her and he hadn’t cared.

He was more interested in scoping out the rest of us.

Bren said he read her file and he made a call to Roussou. So it made sense he’d want to know about us. We were her crew. That shit didn’t stop in high school, not for us.

But all the other stuff she mentioned. Yeah. It was making me worried.

I scoped out a security system while we were there, so we had ski masks on, pulling them down as we left the truck, and darted to the back door. We didn’t do this. We never had, but there were times at Roussou we needed to go somewhere that we probably weren’t welcome. That was the closest we had to breaking and entering. This was a whole new graduation level, but I’d been watching Bren’s boss all night. I’d been scanning the entire building, and I knew we needed more than just Trundle’s key to get in.

Once he sobered up, he would report it missing the next day.

Brock was smart. I saw that, so he’d change everything as soon as possible, not wanting to risk anyone getting in to see whatever they were working on. That meant we had to move fast. We needed to get in and out even before they thought someone would get in and out, and that Brock guy would be watching Bren. We were the last people seen with Trundle. They were hiding something from Bren. We’d be on the short list of who took Trundle’s keys.

So yeah, tonight was our only night as far as I was concerned, but Bren, I had to make sure she didn’t touch anything. I moved into her, my lips to her ears. “We can’t talk in there.”

She nodded, knowing they could have recordings or video rolling.

I pulled her back one last time. “Go to the office door and wait for me. Follow my lead.”

Another nod. Her eyes were wide and staring at me, but she flinched, her hand flicking her nose.

I suppressed a smile, remembering the mask hid my mouth and smiled anyway.

I loved my girl. A seriously cute drunk.

Then we were in.

The back door opened easy enough, but it was the second door I was worried about.

Bren headed for it, waiting to the side as I darted behind the front desk. I watched. Brock used a code to get in so I plugged that in. And I also remembered when he took his papers to the back.

I lifted up the tray and there was a key inside.

I took it, hurrying to the office doors, and inserted it.

It turned.

Now, inside I wasn’t sure what we were walking into, but Bren did.

She bypassed me, going to an alarm system. She coded in