Page 28 of Barker

Once I have the first aid kits, I climb onto the bed with Talon. “Do you know what you’re doing?”

I nod. “Yes, for the most part. I’m in my last year of nursing school and I’ve passed every class with an A so far. If I notice anything abnormal, we’re taking him to the emergency room.” She nods and steps aside so I can work.

It takes me a while to get him cleaned up, but thank goodness for Landrey. She runs back and forth to the bathroom to wet rags for me. Then we had to wrap Talon’s ribs because they were so bruised. I could almost bet money a few are broken, but the only thing I can do is wrap them so maybe he won’t be in too much pain. Talon is in and out of it throughout the entire process, but I just continue to work. Once I’ve finished cleaning and doctoring everything I can find, I sit the first aid kits on the nightstand and leave out of the room with Landrey behind me. She’s kind of like a puppy.

Once we reach the kitchen, I grab a well-earnedMountain Dew. “Would you like something to drink?” I ask her.

“Some water would be great, thank you.”

I grab a bottle of water and hand it to her.I notice the distraught look in her eyes. “Do you need to see a doctor?” I ask her. She mentioned that Talon saved her from Jerick, Cam, and another one of Jerick’s goonies, but I don’t know what exactly he saved her from. She shakes her head. “Are you sure? I mean, I don’t know what happened, but with those guys I can imagine, and you know it’s important to be tested if something… did happen.”

“Nothing happened. I mean, I think it was going to, but Talon showed up and he stopped it from happening. Is he going to be okay?” she asks quickly.

I nod. “He should be. He’s going to be really sore and it’ll take time for him to heal obviously, but nothing seems broken except for maybe a few ribs.” Landrey stands there and the awkward silence falls between us. She looks at the time on the clock behind me and I watch her eyes widen. “Do you need to get home?”

“Well,” she hesitates.

“I can call a friend of mine and Talon’s and he can follow you, if that will make you feel better,” I offer.

“Okay,” she says quietly. I dial Barker and explain what happened. I can hear the anger in his voice, but he doesn’t hesitate to make sure that Landrey makes it home safely. When I walk back into the kitchen, Landrey is trying to pat her hair back down. “I must look like such a pig’s pen right now.”

“Not at all, but you can go into the bathroom and clean up before Barker gets here.” Landrey nods before she disappears into the bathroom. Shortly after, there’s a knock on the door and when I open it up, I’m shocked to see Barker, Wilder, and a younger looking kid.

“Is Talon okay?” Wilder asks.

“What about Landrey?” the kid asks.

I nod my head. “Yes, they’re both okay. Talon is just pretty beaten up and probably has a few broken ribs. Landrey is shaken up I’m sure, but otherwise she seems okay.”

Barker runs his hands through his hair. “Those son of a bitches. They can’t keep doing shit like this and getting away with it.”

“I know, but we’ll talk to Drake, Zayde, and Stryker and come up with something together,” Wilder says, as he pats Barker’s shoulder.

Landrey comes into the living room. “Landrey, this is Barker and Wilder, they’re with Sons of Sin and…” I turn to the younger kid whose name I don’t know.

“Gunner,” Landrey adds for me.

“Oh good, you know each other. They are going to make sure you get home safely,” I tell her.

“Thank you,” she says, as she grabs her purse off the chair. As they head out the door Barker hangs back.

“I’m glad you called. I’ll be back here as soon as we get her home,” Barker tells me, as he pulls me into him.

“Barker, I’m fine.”

“No, I’m not taking any chances. Who knows what Jerick is capable of,” he says, before pressing a kiss to the top of my head. I watch as he leaves with the thought running through my head.I used to know what he was capable of because he’s my brother, but you don’t know that.What happens when Barker finds out that Jerick is my brother? I shut the door and lock it, then get busy cleaning the blood off the floor while praying that Barker and I can survive my connection to Jerick.

Twenty-Five

Barker

I had been with Wilder and Gunner when Annistyn called. When I saw her name on my screen, I can’t describe the feeling or even why, but it’s like I knew something was wrong before I ever answered it. I’d never had that type of connection with anyone before. Annistyn gave me a quick rundown of what had happened and instantly my blood began to boil. I couldn’t even see straight as we got on our bikes and headed to her place.

Chuck, the former leader of Deviant Devils, was horrible, but Jerick is worse. He is younger, egotistical, and cocky. He acts like he has something to prove or a reputation to live up to or outdo, and he is hell-bent on getting there. The fact that Jerick and his goons had gone after Landrey Collins, the damn preacher’s daughter, proved he didn’t care about anything. He was heartless. Landrey had always been the sweetest person and she always minded her own business, so why you would mess with her is beyond me. Why you would mess with any woman is beyond me. I mean, seriously you have to be a low-life in order to mess with any woman like that.

Landrey didn’t go into the details, but no matter what they did, it wasn’t okay in my book and I intended to make them pay in one way or another. As much as I hated that happened to someone as sweet as Landrey, I couldn’t help but think ‘what if it had been Annistyn?’ That thought alone sends my heart into a frantic state.

I pull up into the parking lot and park next to Annistyn’s car. I can’t go home and I can’t drive around because I’ll end up pulling a Zayde. Months ago, when Chuck and his gang had burned down Sinner’s Den, he had only seen red. He ran to Chuck’s bar and started a fight that ended him up in jail. If I drive around, I’ll end up in the same boat. So, I do the only thing I can. I go to Annistyn.

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