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As soon as Jessie left the room, Lincoln closed the door and came over to me. “I need to look at your ribs, baby.” I squeezed my eyes shut. I didn’t want him to see. Fuck, I wanted Jessie. “I know it’s going to hurt, but I need to check if they’re broken.”
I pushed myself into a sitting position, clenching my teeth against the pain. Lincoln gently helped me remove my shirt, and I sucked in a sharp breath when my shirt brushed over my cigarette burn. Lincoln looked at my wrist, his hand tightening on my arm momentarily as he looked at the burn mark. Without a word, he ran his eyes over my upper body, taking in the bruises. He finally moved his eyes to my ribs, muttering a fuck under his breath. “Pretty sure you’ve got some broken ribs,” he informed me. “I need you to lay back down and turn on your good side.”
With his help, I laid back down and turned onto my side, clenching my fists at the pain. Lincoln gently ran his fingers over my ribs, grunting softly a moment later. “I counted three broken ones,” he informed me. “I’m going to have to take you to a doctor, so you’ll have a legitimate excuse to miss school for the next few days.”
Jessie knocked and stepped into the room, his eyes landing on my bruised side instantly. “Fuck!” Jessie roared, his temper instantly flying through the roof.
I silently held my hand out to him, needing him calm and with me. With a clenched jaw, Jessie sat beside me on the bed and grabbed my hand in his, using my touch to keep him grounded.
“Who did this?” Lincoln asked me, his eyes flickering to mine and Jessie’s hands but not saying anything on the matter. I was pretty sure Jessie might have decked his friend if he’d opened his mouth.
I kept my lips firmly closed. Lincoln gently gripped my chin, forcing my eyes to meet his. “Don’t make me ask again, West,” he warned me softly.
“Jayden’s little brother and two girls I’ve never seen before in my life, but that I apparently go to school with.”
“If Luke goes to fucking school with you, then his brother isn’t far from this fucking town,” Jessie noted. “And when I get my fucking hands on him, the cops won’t be able to identify him.”
“Not now,” Lincoln grumbled. Jessie glared at his best friend. I gently squeezed his hand, drawing his eyes back to me. “You need to ice your side and take these pain relievers, West. They’ll reduce your swelling and pain at least somewhat until I can get you to the doctor tomorrow and get you stronger medication prescribed.”
Jessie dropped my hand. I frowned up at him. He just sighed, his eyes softening for a moment. Then, he left the room, pulling his phone from his pocket as he did so, most likely to make me a doctor’s appointment. I stared after him, wishing he hadn’t left my side. Lincoln wrapped the ice bag in a towel and then placed it on my ribs before helping me swallow down some pain relievers. “You need to get some rest,” he softly spoke, reaching up to gently run his hands over my hair.
Jessie stepped back into the room and sat back down beside me on the bed. Lincoln looked at him, arching a brow. Jessie grunted. “Go. I’ve got her,” Jessie told him quietly.
I didn’t even know what they were talking about, nor did I care. I slid closer to Jessie and closed my eyes, seeking his strength and security. Without a word, Jessie draped his arm over me, allowing me to fall into a peaceful sleep.
Lincoln
When I got to the track, the familiar sound of cars racing met my ears, the hoots and hollers of people cheering, and the loud call of numbers as bets were being placed.
It used to be a nightly thing for me to be out here when I was a teen. Jessie and I frequented this place, racing cars and fixing shit for other racers.
But we grew up and graduated, and I left to go fight for our country, while Jessie stayed behind and opened the garage.
I scanned the crowd, looking for any familiar face—someone who could point me in the direction of the person I was here for.
My eyes landed on my cousin, Drew. I strode over to him, letting an easy grin stretch my lips as he looked over at me. “Fuck, man!” Drew shouted, hugging me and clapping me on the back. “Fuck, when did you come home?” he asked.
“Few months now. Been laying kind of low,” I told him honestly, not wanting to discuss my mom, which I knew Drew understood. “Not ready for Mom to know I’m back home.”
