Page 29 of Talon
Talon took a deep breath and let it out in a rush.“I was hoping to avoid introducing her to you all at once.That’s why we ate in Gillette instead of making it in time for dinner.”He turned to her.“Sorry about this, little warrior.Guess you get to meet them all at once any way.”
He started naming names and each of the men lifted a hand or nodded as his name was given.Ghost, Malice, Steele, and more.She quickly lost track of who was who and what the names even were.The only saving grace was each of them seemed to be wearing a leather vest much like the one Talon had been wearing when she’d met him but theirs all had their names on one shoulder.Or most of them did.Talon and a couple of others were missing them.She wondered why, but now wasn’t the time to ask.
When he’d finished with the men’s names, he moved on to the women.There were only two of them, and they were easier to keep track of.Partly because they didn’t have the weird names like the men.Bonnie and Heather waved from where they sat, their partner’s arms across their middles.Madison wasn’t sure if it was to keep them from going anywhere or just because they liked to hold onto each other.
“Come on in and have a seat.We have a few questions we need to get answered so we can make sure we’ve got everything in place,” Lurch said from where he leaned up against the wall near one of the recliners.
Madison looked at Talon, not sure what to do.There wasn’t much seating left, only the middle seats on both sofas.She didn’t know if she wanted to be so close to not one, but two strangers, not when she felt so lost.
Talon went to the table, grabbed one of the chairs sitting at the ends and moved it into the living room, setting it along the edge, with the other seating, rather than in the middle.She didn’t know if he knew being in the middle of the room, where it was obvious everyone’s attention was on her, would make her even more self-conscious or not, but she was glad he hadn’t put the chair there.
She shot him a grateful smile as she went to sit.Once she was seated, Talon stood behind her, his hands on her shoulders.She worried that it looked like he was trying to hold her in the chair, but he wasn’t putting any pressure on her, just resting his hands on her.She liked it.It reminded her that he was there.That he’d promised to have her back.She just hoped his friends, no, he insisted they were brothers, would feel the same.
She glanced around the room and found everyone’s eyes on her.Nerves fluttered in her stomach like butterflies.
“Talon has told us everything as it’s been happening, but I have a few questions myself,” Lurch said from where he still leaned against the wall.
“Okay.”Madison looked up and met his gaze.Choosing one person to focus on was easier than watching everyone.She reminded herself that she trusted Talon.He wouldn’t bring her anywhere people would come at her when she wasn’t looking.And even if they did, he had her back.Literally.He stood at her back, his hands on her shoulders reminding her he was there.
“First is there anything we need to know about this guy before we get involved?Anything that might be dangerous to us?”
Madison let her gaze drop for a moment as she tried to decide how to put what she needed to say.When she looked up to meet Lurch’s gaze again, she found he was still watching, waiting for her answer.
“I don’t know.”She took a deep breath and continued.“Up until a few days ago I would have told you he is a decent gardener, an average marksman and a better than average mechanic.He was kind of a jack of all trades.He knew a little about nearly everything that needed doing.But over the last couple of days I’ve learned things I never had any clue about and now I feel like I never knew him.I feel like Dad never knew the real him and that’s more than a little disconcerting.”
“Understandable,” Lurch said.“But that’s not what I mean.We can find all that online and through our other resources.”
“What do you mean then?”Madison couldn’t help but frown.
“We need to know what kind of weapons he owns.If he has any explosives or if you know of him ever making improvised explosives,” another man asked, drawing her attention.
Her frown deepened to a scowl as she turned to look at the guy who had spoken.He wasn’t one of the guys with a woman on his lap.
“Yes, he has several weapons, or at least he did when I left a little over a year ago.I never heard them talk about explosives, so I’m not sure if he has anything that would qualify or if he would know how to make any.”
“What kind of weapons?”the same man asked.
“I’m sorry.I don’t recall your name.”She shook her head trying to get people straight as she gave them what they wanted to know.
“Ghost,” came Talon’s voice behind her.
“Thanks,” she said over her shoulder before turning her attention back to Ghost.What kind of name was Ghost anyway?She dismissed it because this wasn’t the time.“Last I knew he had several rifles as well as at least three pistols, but he could have traded those or gotten new ones since.Like I said, I moved a little over a year ago and I’m not sure what he might have acquired since.”She could see why knowing what weapons someone had might be a concern, especially if they planned to confront him to get him to leave her alone or if they thought he might actually come after her.A shudder passed through her at the idea that he might come after her.
“You’re safe here.We’ve got your back,” Talon said from behind her.
“What kind of rifles?Do you remember?”another man asked.This one had a woman in his lap, Bonnie she thought but she wasn’t sure.
“That’s Malice,” Talon said without her having to ask.She reached up and covered one hand on her shoulder, squeezing it in thanks before speaking again.
“He had an AR-15, an AK-47, at least one 30-06, a .308, and a .458 Winchester, last I knew.”
Malice blinked at her.She wasn’t sure if he hadn’t expected her to know what Billy had, that she wouldn’t remember or what.
“Fuck.What’s he doing with an elephant gun in the US?Is he a big game hunter?”
“Only for meat or self defense as far as I know.But he and dad took the .458 when they got a bison tag.”
“Did they get one?”the question came from someone she didn’t know the name of.
