Page 29 of Barker

I knock on the door and when she opens it up, she takes my breath away. She’s dressed for bed in her red shorts and a black tank top with red polka dots on it. Her hair is pulled up with a few loose strands hanging here and there. Her face is clear of makeup, but her eyes are red. I know she’s been crying. She’s had an emotional day. I can imagine seeing her dad in his shape isn’t easy. The rising cost of his medical bills has to be weighing on her and now Talon. They are like family to one another, so I’m sure seeing him in this condition on top of everything else is overwhelming.

I step inside and pull her into my chest. Kicking my foot behind me, I shut the door. Annistyn sobs and it breaks my heart. I tighten my arms around her, trying to let her know she’s not alone. We stand like that for a while until she finally stops crying. I feel her shake her head against my chest. “I’m sorry.”

I pull away slightly and use a finger to tip her head back so she can see into my eyes. “Don’t ever apologize for taking a moment to collect yourself or emotions. Today has been rough I’m sure. I’m here for you. You aren’t alone.”

She nods her head and bites down on her bottom lip. I have to bite back the groan as my body reacts to that. She drives me insane with that one simple gesture, and I don’t even know why. Before I realize it, she’s pulling my mouth to hers and I happily oblige. The kiss changes quickly and we become a mess of heated passion and roaming hands. I fall back against the door, pulling her with me. My hands slip down to the back of her thighs. I lift her so that she wraps her legs around my waist and I carry her to the bedroom.

****

I wake up in the middle of the night. Annistyn’s head is lying on my chest. I trace lazy circles around her bare back and shoulders. A feeling of contentment washes over me. I’ve never felt like this before. I’ve never felt the need to be with someone, to protect them, to love them.

That word causes me to untangle myself from Annistyn. I stand up and slip on my boxer briefs before I make my way to her window. The moon is full and bright and the stars are shining brightly. I take a deep breath. All of this is so foreign to me. I don’t know what to make of it. I sigh and turn around to look at her as she sleeps. I may not understand any of this, but I love her. What I have with Annistyn is so much more than what I ever had with Giselle.

Giselle was a mixture of like and lust, but with Annistyn it’s love. I get it now. I get what Drake has with Zoey. I understand what Wilder feels for Bryar. I know that pull that Stryker feels toward Arbor. I understand it all now because it’s what I have with Annistyn. I stretch my muscles and climb back into bed. Wrapping my arm around Annistyn’s waist, I pull her back into me. Having her in my arms is like coming home and I never want to leave.

****

The next morning, I wake up to Annistyn leaving a trail of kisses across my shoulder. I chuckle. “Good morning, darlin’.”

She smirks. “Good morning sleepy head.” She leans up and presses her lips against mine, but we get interrupted by both Talon and Augustus. “Talon sounds awake.”

“I’ll get Augustus,” I tell her, as I press a quick kiss to her lips. As soon as we get dressed, I grab Augustus and head outside to let him take care of his business. As I’m walking around waiting on Augustus, I notice something on the side of Annistyn’s car. “Slut” is carved into the paint on the passenger side door. My rage is all-consuming. I grab my phone and dial Gunner. He can fix this so Annistyn doesn’t know.

“Hey, man,” Gunner answers.

“Gunner, I need you at Annistyn’s place. Jerick and his goons tagged her car. I don’t want her to know. I’m going to get her keys. You take it to the shop and repaint the whole damn thing. I’ll make it a surprise for her. Add it to my bill. I’ll pay for it,” I tell him.

“Shit! I’m on my way.” I rush back upstairs with Augustus in my arms. I slip Annistyn’s key off her ring then rush back down in time to toss it at Gunner. Jerick has gone too damn far in the last twenty-four hours. It’s time to teach him a lesson.

Twenty-Six

Annistyn

I head into Talon’s room. He’s trying to sit up, but he’s in pain and can barely move. I rush forward and help him sit. He grimaces, which doesn’t really help considering the condition of his face. “How do you feel?” As soon as I say it I realize just how dumb it sounds. He can’t feel good.

“You can’t tell, but I totally rolled my eyes at you,” he mumbles sarcastically.

I laugh. “Well, if you didn’t look like a human version of a punching bag, I’d totally hit you right now.”

“I’m pretty sure if you did I wouldn’t know the difference. I’m sorry I missed time with your dad yesterday.”

I wave my hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about that. It worked out okay on that end of things. He and Barker really hit it off.”

“He likes Barker?” Talon asks.

I nod. “It seems like it.”

“That’s good. I’m happy for you, Annistyn.”

I study him, but it’s hard to read someone’s expression when their face is bruised and swollen. “Thanks. So, you want to tell me what happened?”

“Sure, but first I need to go to the bathroom and I’m starving,” Talon says, as he tries to stand. His balance is off and he’s still weak. Luckily, Barker enters just in time.

“Hey, you’re alive!” Barker rushes over and takes Talon’s arm over his shoulders. “I’ve got him.” I nod and let Barker help Talon to the bathroom. I head into the kitchen and try to figure out what to make for breakfast. I decide that all we really have is bacon and eggs, so I’ll make that work. Barker and Talon slowly make their way to the kitchen island. “I didn’t know you could cook,” Barker says behind me, sounding shocked.

I laugh. “Well, I can. I mean, I’m not going to run off and be a chef or anything, but I can manage on most days.”

Once I serve up the plates, we sit in silence while we eat. The only sound is the forks hitting the plates. Barker is the first to break the silence. “So, Talon, man, you want to tell me what happened?”

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