Page 33 of Barker

Jerick glares at him. “Don’t tell me what to do, Talon.”

“What are you going to do about it?” Talon taunts him.

Jerick closes in on Talon. He pushes his finger into his chest. “That’s my family, not yours, so stay the hell out of it. Why are you even here?”

Cam laughs. “Isn’t it obvious? Poor pathetic Talon is still sniffing around because he wants your sister, but she’s never going to see him that way.” Cam makes a pouty face.

“Some of us can have friends that we don’t sleep with. Not that you’d understand that concept, considering you sleep with anything that walks,” Talon throws back at him. I’m so confused right now.

“You’re just mad because Annistyn picked me and not you, even when you came in like her knight in shining armor saving her from the big bad wolf and taking her off to some castle. But guess what? She still picked some badass biker over you, ain’t that right Sons of Sin?” Cam asks, with a nod of his head in my direction.

I step forward because my blood is boiling. Why the hell are they here? Why is Cam talking about Annistyn? I glare at him as my fists form at my sides. Jerick cuts his eyes at me. “Wait, you and my sister?”

“You mean, your parents thought it was a good idea to have more kids after they released you into the world? Damn, I don’t know if that’s brave or dumb,” I tell him with a smirk. “But no, I’m not with your sister, that’s for damn sure.”

Cam gives me a curious look. “So, that wasn’t you with Annistyn dancing at the drive-in?”

His words start to sink in. The questions and discussions. The way that Talon and Jerick seem to know each other. Gabe, Annistyn’s dad, talking about Annistyn’s brother, but her never mentioning him. “What are you talking about?” I ask. I hear footsteps behind me and when I look over my shoulder, I see Annistyn standing there with a wild look in her eye.

“Damn, Annistyn, you look good,” Cam says with a wink. The little green monster rears its ugly head.

“Go to hell, Cam,” she bites out.

Jerick steps around Talon and toward Annistyn. “Is it true?”

Annistyn nods. “Yeah.”

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” he asks, and I can hear the hurt in his voice, but my anger is at an all-time high.

“Why would I try? You cut us out of your life for Chuck and the criminal life of the Deviant Devils. You haven’t been around us. You haven’t come to see him while he was dying. You haven’t taken care of him or helped pay for his treatments. I have! I have done it all! Mostly by myself, but I did have some help from Talon, Vienna, and Barker, but where were you, Jerick? You were supposed to be my brother and you left me to deal with everything on my own. You knew you were all I had and you didn’t care. So, no I didn’t call. Maybe, instead of getting in Talon’s face, the guy who was the only true friend you ever had, you should be thanking him for reaching out to you,” Annistyn says. Her cheeks are red with anger and her arms are crossed, but I can see the tears in her eyes.

Jerick looks like he’s been slapped in the face. He steps forward to try and hug Annistyn. She steps away from him. “Annistyn, please.”

She shakes her head. “No, it’s long overdue for a hug and I don’t need it, nor do I want it now. If you want to see him, I suggest you go inside, but Cam isn’t going with you and neither is he,” she says, motioning to Patrick.

Jerick nods his head slowly then walks away toward the entrance of the hospital. Annistyn sighs and I watch as Cam starts to walk toward her. I don’t know what comes over me, but before I can stop myself I cut him off, my fist flying to meet his jaw.

Twenty-Nine

Annistyn

I knew what Talon was doing and I didn’t stop him. Jerick had a right to know that dad wasn’t expected to make it through the night, but I didn’t have the heart to call him. He had left me alone. If it hadn’t been for Talon and Vienna, and most recently Barker, I don’t know if I would have survived all of this. We were sitting there just waiting for the inevitable. My dad had congestive heart failure and there was nothing any doctor could do for him. He’d been treated for that and kidney disease for the past few years, and now it was at the end of the line.

When Talon jumped up and took off outside, I knew what he was doing. I didn’t follow him though. I couldn’t. I couldn’t leave my dad right now. The longer I sat there listening to the machines beeping, the more I wanted an escape. Then I remembered Barker was outside. My heart slammed in my chest. He didn’t know that Jerick was my brother, my twin brother, but he was about to find out.

I jumped up and rushed outside, but I could tell I was already too late. He was already piecing things together. Of course, Jerick had brought Cam. My skin crawled as he raked his eyes over my body. What did I ever see in him?

Once Jerick got a piece of my mind, he went to head inside, and then Cam started to come toward me. I didn’t have time to even think before Barker stepped into his path and swung his fist at Cam’s jaw. I hear it hit, the sickening crack as bone hits bone and I watch as Cam stumbles back and then onto the ground. Cam turns his head and spits blood onto the ground. “You need to leave. Annistyn made it clear that you aren’t welcome here.”

“Screw you man!”

Barker steps forward and the look in his eye tells me he’s about to lose his temper, so I rush forward putting myself between Cam and Barker. I’ve never seen Barker truly lose his temper but something tells me I don’t want to. Barker looks at me, but the look in his eyes is different than before. He shakes his head before stalking off. I sigh and close my eyes. Everything is ruined now. Talon pulls me into him. “Go talk to him.”

I nod and follow after Barker. I find him leaning against the building with his head thrown back, looking at the stars. “Barker,” I start, but then fall silent because I don't know what to say.

“Is it true? Is Jerick your brother?” he asks quietly, as if he’s afraid asking the question will make the answer real.

I swallow past the lump in my throat. “Yes, he’s my twin brother actually.”

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