Cross was shaking his head, trying not to laugh.

“Shut it.” I smacked his chest with the back of my hand.

He caught it, and I laced my fingers with his.

“God.” He pulled me to him, dropping a kiss to my neck, running his free hand down my back. “You have no idea how hard it is to stay away sometimes.”

The girlfriend in me melted. The best friend couldn’t help but tease. “Weak sauce.”

He barked a laugh, his lips nipping my shoulder, and his hands slipped inside my jeans. When they kept going, I moved to him, bringing us into perfect alignment. I lifted my mouth, and there he was.

His lips covered mine, opening and taking control.

A shiver ran down my spine, making my entire body tremble.

He grabbed a fistful of my ass before slipping around to the front. He pushed his hand in, not caring that my jeans weren’t unbuckled, and I had a second’s notice before he thrust two fingers inside of me.

“Fuck.” I moaned.

Cross let go of my hand and banded his arm around my back. He pulled me off the trail, but we weren’t far enough from the party. We could still hear their laughter, so groaning, he stepped away and tugged me ahead.

We moved farther off the path. Once we stopped hearing them, he pressed me up against a tree.

It was like we’d never touched each other. It was like he hadn’t been moving inside me just this morning, but it didn’t matter.

Fuck. This guy.

I would always hunger for him, now that I’d gotten a taste.

“I want you. Now.” He panted against my mouth, unbuckling my jeans. His fingers pushed my underwear aside and were back in me, rotating, rolling, thrusting.

I fell back against the tree, my neck exposed, and his mouth latched there.

He was licking, tasting, taking what was his.

Everything in me shuddered. Pleasure coursed through me, electrifying me all the way to my toes.

He pulled out a condom, and then he was sliding inside of me.

I clamped onto him, winding my legs around his waist, and I moved my hips in rhythm.

It was hard, fast, and rough. It was a quickie snack, a fucking appetizer because when we were done, there was a rush inside of me. I knew this had been the foreplay for a long night before us.

“You’re going to kill me one day.” Cross groaned as he pulled out, his mouth dropping to mine.

I ran a hand down his back, savoring how he trembled under my touch. Even now. Even after we were done.

“I love you.”

He pressed a hard kiss to my mouth. “I love you too.”

He held me, standing against me as I lowered my legs to the ground. Still holding on with one hand, we adjusted our clothing back into place. I caught a whiff of hand sanitizer, and I didn’t ask what he’d done with the condom.

After we were both breathing evenly again, we started back.

Cross put his arm around my shoulder, tucking me next to him. I held his hand in mine, and for a moment, we were lost in each other.

That lasted until we drew closer, near enough to hear someone calling, “Where are Bren and Cross?”

I stopped, my feet gluing in place.

No.

I recognized that voice, but it couldn’t be right.

Cross’ arm fell from my shoulder. He stepped forward. “Is that…?” He looked back at me.

He saw it was. It was written all over my face.

He swore, raking a hand through his hair. “You didn’t know?”

“How would I?”

He wasn’t the only one reeling. I was sucker-punched in the diaphragm.

I didn’t want him here. Ever. But especially not now, not after I was with Cross, not after we’d just had a moment. I didn’t want any of that shattered, and if I knew this guy, he’d sniff it out like a bloodhound.

“—until they get back. I have an announcement to make.”

We had to go. I wasn’t going to hide from this, whatever it was.

Jordan and Zellman were positioned just down our path, a few yards past the larger group. They knew we’d gone this way. They knew we’d return this way. As if sensing us, Jordan looked back. Z too.

Each of them wore a blank expression, but I could see their surprise. They were as shocked as us, just guarded.

“I know the Ryerson crew has only had a leader who’s in high school—”

The crowd shifted.

When people saw us, they moved, opening an entire section of the ring so we had front row seats to the person standing in front. His arms were up, as if he were holding court or giving a sermon.

With his back to a truck’s headlights, his crew lined up behind him like a backdrop, stood a Ryerson I hoped I’d never see again.

Drake Ryerson.

Alex’s brother, and my ex. The same guy who’d quit, lived with Race for a summer, and talked all about how he hated the crew system. The same guy who’d wanted to mess with us by telling Race to push for a friendship with us. The same guy who knew we wouldn’t take to that.

He still looked like Race, with the same round face, but he seemed to have aged. His face was scruffy, and he was more built, as if he’d been lifting weights in his time away. Dark hair. Dark eyes. A sneer I used to think was attractive, mixed with a twinkle in his eye, and a dimple in his cheek that he used as a weapon.

He was an asinine fucker. That’s what he was.

He turned, mid-speech, and his eyes locked on mine. “I was approached earlier in the year by a member of Monroe’s crew, and I thought long and hard about it. After finding out what my little brother had been up to, and how my cousin was now here but not joining, I decided to make an executive decision.” He paused, a grin pulling at the corner of his lip. He finished as if he were speaking just to me. “I’m coming back, and I’m taking my old position. I’m taking over the Ryerson crew again. They’re no longer without a leader.”

Half the group was watching me instead of him.

He knew it, adding after a beat, “Hey, Bren.”

He stepped toward us, but faltered when Jordan and Zellman closed ranks so they were standing in front of me.

Chuckling, he walked over.

The show was over. It was like he’d dropped an invisible cue, and everyone began talking at once. Or most did. The few who had eyes on us and were within hearing distance, tried to edge closer. A couple girls strained their necks. Some of the guy Normals were watching too, sipping their beers as if they weren’t gawking like the rest.

He stopped right in front of Jordan and Z. “I’m not just here for her, you know. I’m here for all of you.”

Jordan folded his arms over his chest. Z dropped his head lower, ready to fight.

“Cross.”

Cross ignored that greeting from Drake, watching me instead. His hand touched mine, and he lowered his voice. “What do you want to do?”

“I come in peace,” Drake said. “I have a gift for your crew. Your entire crew.”

I hated it, but we had to hear him out.

Cross cleared his throat.

Jordan and Zellman shifted, presenting Cross to my ex.

Drake latched onto that movement, his gaze jumping from Cross to me and back again, then dropping and lingering on the hand that still brushed against mine. I felt singed, but Cross didn’t move.

“What do you want, Drake?” Cross asked.

Drake flicked his eyes to Jordan, noting the change, but nodded. “Okay. Things have changed around here.” Before anyone could respond—or growl in my case—he smiled the most fake smile I’d ever seen on his face. Then it was gone, along with any polite pretense. He stepped closer, right between Jordan and Z, and all amusement left his tone.

“I’m back for my crew, and to take care of my family.” He looked over at me. “I don’t need to tell any of you that, but I am, as a sign of good faith. I know my brother messed things up, and as a further sign of good faith, I left a present for you at the top of that cliff you guys love so much. It’s there just for you, just to show you things will be different under my leadership. I hope you all appreciate it.”

He looked at each of us in turn. He was wrapping this in a nice shiny paper, as if he truly meant what he was saying.