Always Crew - Tijan Page 0,75

to me because I would say what I needed to. “I called him. Channing—”

“No.” Channing looked my way. His eyes were burning, blazing. “I knew you would, Bren. He knew you would because that’s who you are. You handle things eventually, but I told him.” He swung back to Derrick. “I told you to call me before even thinking of heading her way. I told you.”

“I know.”

Channing tipped his chin up, his anger radiating off of him in waves. “Then why are you here?”

Derrick held his hand in the air, then he blinked a few times. The side of his mouth flattened, and he swallowed again. “I’m—she called me, Channing. My daughter called me. You’ll understand one day, too. I came. I didn’t want to give you the chance to stop me. I—” He swung his hand toward me in an almost helpless gesture. “She called me. It’s been years since I’ve seen her, and she called me. Me, dammit.”

He was whispering by the end, pain filling his gaze, and he hung his head.

Channing drew in a sharp breath, seeing it all.

He looked at me. “You want this?”

He was trying to protect me.

“I—” I closed my mouth because what could I say here? He was finally being my brother, something he’d fought to achieve for so long, and I was letting him. I needed it now, welcomed it, but … He was our dad, both of ours.

Channing’s next words were stricken, cutting to the bone. “You got so dark, Bren. So dark. I thought we were going to lose you one day.”

Derrick closed his eyes, as if physically struck. Then he held firm, standing still.

He was doing what I used to do, standing so still that I thought I could disappear.

I was so like him.

I hadn’t realized it until now.

“I have to talk to him, and it’s time. Things are happening. His world is mixing with mine, so I made a call.”

Channing’s gaze held mine, weighing my words, and he dipped his head down. “Fine.” His hands went to his hips. He cursed. “I should put a shirt on.” He eyed Cross. “That’s what you sleep in? When you sleep next to my sister?”

Cross let out a sharp, but strangled laugh. “Fuck you.”

Derrick had opened his eyes, hearing the new exchange, and he looked from Channing to Cross with an almost awed expression.

Channing rolled his eyes. “Where are the other two dwarves?” He swung his head toward Derrick, a hardness biting his tone. “Bren’s decided, so you’re about to meet her three dwarves. Sleepy, Dopey, and Grumpy.”

A creak came from the top of the stairs…it was Zellman and Jordan. Of course, they were staying in the shadows, listening until they needed to be made known. They moved out so they were in view now. Both still shirtless, and Jordan glared at Channing. “I echo Cross’ sentiment. Fuck you.”

A hard smile crossed my brother’s face. “Here’s the Wolf Crew, Derrick. You want your daughter back in your life, they come as a package.” His gaze passed over me, softening. “Moose said he was going to take a shower. That bathroom is small downstairs. I should make sure he didn’t literally get stuck just trying to enter the room.”

He shot our dad another look before heading to the basement. Going down, we heard him holler, “Moose, you alive down there?” There was a thump, followed by a pounding of footsteps, and we could hear Moose’s deep voice responding, though his words were muffled.

Zellman and Jordan came down the stairs, hesitant as they looked from me to my dad.

Right.

Introductions.

That was my job.

Cross beat me to it. “Derrick, I’m Cross Shaw.” He touched the small of my back, nodding behind me to the others. “This is Zellman and Jordan. Like Channing said, we’re a package deal with your daughter.”

I leaned into Cross, his hand sweeping up and down my back. I needed that touch, yearning for more.

My dad saw it, noting my reaction, and he nodded slowly. “I heard, but now I’m seeing it for myself.” He gave me a timid smile. “You’re glowing, Bren. Damned glowing. Makes a dad proud to see that.”

Glowing.

Huh.

Never had that term used to describe me before, but fine. I’d take it.

Zellman yawned. “Okay. Now that it seems like knives aren’t going to be drawn, can you all move it to the kitchen? I’ve got a chick I need to move out of here.”

CROSS

We were sitting outside for a late lunch.

Bren was out there, conversing with her dad. Zellman