Folk.
His eyes were open. Then they weren’t.
Then they were and I realised he was slow blinking, trying to focus on me.
He’s alive.
That was my first thought.
My second was that despite his fluttering eyes, he didn’t fucking look it. With mud on his face and grass in his hair, he looked like he’d already been buried.
Get him away from the road.I got him up, taking his weight as his legs gave out, and half carried him back to my bike. But there was no way he could ride. He was barely fucking conscious.
I held him up, texting with my thumb.
Decoy:we have them bring the van we need help
It fired off into the council group chat and I shoved it from my mind. Bar Embry, every brother was awake. They’d be here in minutes. I knew it like I knew Folk was going to hit the deck if I didn’t put him there first.
I got him on the ground, shielding him from the rain. “Folk.Folk. Stay with me. Are you hurt?”
“Alexei.” Panic flared in Folk’s heavy eyes and he scrambled to get away from me.
It broke my fucking heart that he didn’t get far before his legs shut down again.
“Easy.” I pulled him close. “Saint has Alexei. He’s safe. So are you. The van’s coming for us, okay? We’re going home.”
For a split second, Folk relaxed. Then he wrenched away from me again and puked, his whole body heaving. I gave him space, but on the inside, I was in bits. I couldn’t see any injuries on him. No blood. No bruises. But something waswrong. I felt it as much as the love bursting out of my battered heart.
I coaxed Folk back to me and held him. In the distance, I heard the sound of approaching vehicles, and I got him behind me, ready to kill anyone who weren’t brothers.
In my peripheral, I saw Saint rise, defending another huddled figure on the ground, but tunnel vision kept the details from me.
Bikes roared up on us.
Van doors slammed open.
Boots pounded the ground and familiar voices reached me.
Cam.
Mateo.
Nash.
“Get them in the van. Let’s go.”
Nash helped me with Folk. We lay him down, then climbed in after him.
I got beneath Folk, keeping him off the harsh van floor.
Nash crouched beside him. “Dude, tell me what you need. Can we treat this on the compound, or do you need a hospital?”
A vicious shudder wracked Folk’s body. But he shook his head. “Get Alexei an IV. Warm him up.”
The van door slammed shut, cloaking us in darkness.
Nash tapped the torch on his phone. “What about you? You need an IV too? Oxygen or some shit? Cos your breathing sounds fucked.”
