Page 45 of Barrett

“I was bored,” Sheldon replied calmly. I’d been around him long enough where his easygoing demeanor didn’t bother me. I also loved it when he riled Jordan’s son up by doing nothing more than speaking in an even tone.

Jordan growled, “You can drive separately.”

Sheldon looked down at his phone and tapped on the screen. “I’m taking someone with me then.”

There was no response from Jordan. Not when the elevator stopped at the lobby, and Vincent got on. Not when we exited in the parking garage, and Jordan stormed toward the Maserati Quattroporte Albert was standing next to, holding the door open for him.

Once he was inside, I slid into the front passenger seat in time to hear Jordan click his seat belt into place. Before Ava, he wouldn’t have worn one. Albert had been after him for years to put it on. One request from Ava, a girl who lost her mother in a car accident, and Jordan didn’t leave in any vehicle unless he was belted in.

Jordan fired off an address to Albert, who buckled himself in and tore out of the garage. I quickly texted it to Vincent, so they’d know where we were heading in case we got separated in traffic.

I’d learned a long time ago I didn’t ask Jordan where we were going. Wherever it was, I had to be ready for anything and everything. My muscles were drawn tight the closer we got to the far edge of the city, where there were more abandoned warehouses and run-down buildings than residences and thriving businesses.

Albert turned down a side street with overflowing dumpsters on one side, as if they hadn’t been emptied in a year or more. The stone buildings on the other side were worn from weather and lack of care, pieces of the bricks broken off. What remained was discolored, long lost the original vibrance.

When Albert rounded the corner, my breath froze in my lungs. Only for a second though. Any longer, and Jordan would notice. He’d told me when I was with him or his men, they were the priority. My feelings for Barrett had to be pushed to the side.

Scenarios rushed through my mind of who Barrett caught and brought here for Jordan. He wasn’t in his police SUV and didn’t have his badge around his neck. Whoever he had was someone doing bad shit in the wrong city. This kept the blood on Jordan’s hands and the scum off the streets.

Barrett leaned against his car, arms crossed, a smirk on his lips. This could have been any other day for him. His mask was firmly in place, not slipping even once he saw me exit the vehicle, walking just behind Jordan. I hated and loved it in equal measure. His mask protected him in situations like this, protected what we had. For that, I was grateful. I also hated the fucking thing because this wasn’t the real Barrett. This wasn’t the man I was in bed with for hours, who’d mapped my body while I did the same to him. Who made the prettiest sounds against my lips as I touched him.

For that reason, a growl slipped past my lips along with, “Bear.”

“Oh good, the gang’s all here,” Barrett said.

“How many?” Jordan asked, ignoring Barrett’s smart-ass comment.

“One. I was walking down the street when I heard a noise.” His eyes darkened, the smile fading. “Here this asshole was raping a woman. She was half naked, her mouth taped shut. He had her pushed up against the wall. He probably thought no one would see them. They were tucked away behind a big stack of boxes, but I heard them. The closer I got I realized she had blood running down her thigh. The moment she was free, she cried out and ran. It was either go after her or him. The asshole tried to flee too but didn’t get far with his pants around his thighs. Hopefully, she ends up at a hospital. We can deal with him, so he doesn’t do it again. Oh, and I found meth on him. Enough that he had the intention to sell.”

“Where?” Jordan bit out.

“Inside. He’s strung up with his mouth taped and blood running down his thigh.” I could tell by the way Barrett’s hands flexed that he wanted to be the one delivering justice, but he did in his own way. He brought this scum to Jordan to handle. Jordan didn’t like anyone committing crimes in his city, especially when they attacked others and dealt drugs.

Jordan stormed past Barrett toward the building. Albert stayed outside with Vincent while Sheldon followed us in. I fell into step beside Barrett, our arms brushing, nothing more. We were very aware of each other but wouldn’t do a thing about it.

With his knife already open in his hand, Jordan walked right up to the man who hadn’t been able to pull his pants up. There was a gash on the inside of his thigh and a bloody knife on the ground I was sure Barrett found on him and used to deliver a small amount of pain. It was a precursor to what Jordan would do.

The tip of Jordan’s knife pressed beneath the man’s chin. “You…” he seethed and then ripped off the tape. “You were raping a woman and dealing in my fucking city.”

The man started to cry big fucking tears.

Sheldon circled them, coming to a stop by the man. “What’s your name?” he asked calmly.

“What?” the man gasped as he tried to suck in air.

“Your name?”

“Ted.”

“And how long have you been dealing in East Dremest?”

“I wasn’t, I swear. I was going to the other side of the city. I had to meet a friend.” Tears still ran down his cheeks. Snot bubbled at his nose. “Please. Don’t hurt me.”

“Name.”

“What?”

Sheldon walked in front of him, standing beside Jordan. “I want the name of your friend.”

---