Page 107 of Intertwined Souls

“I feel like we need a break from everything and to spend some time together. Is there anything anyone wants to do?” Ryker asks.

I groan, “Can we just do nothing? Cade and I watched movies half the night the other day, and it was nice to just be. I feel like I’m always running on high alert. I also don’t want to leave or go anywhere.” My voice comes out muffled through the blanket, but it’s clear enough that they hear me.

“I’m good with that. Taking over for Nerds is so much more work than I thought, and I’m still new to all the things he does, so some things take me twice as long to get done,” Grayson grumbles.

“Do you think Rage’s comment about us slowly doing more club-related things before we even become prospects has to do with the Nerds situation?” Cade asks, tilting his head in thought.

Ryker rolls me over so I am on my back, staring up at him. Pushing my messy hair out of my face, he says, “Probably, and with everything going on now, it seems kind of silly for us not to be getting involved in normal club things.”

“But it makes sense because he is trying to stick to how the club should be run. Our situation is just unique. I think that’s why he keeps us out of church meetings because not even prospects can go to church,” Gray explains with a shrug.

Thinking about how soon prospecting is coming up, I ask, “Are you guys ready to be prospects? Like, you will have to be working almost all day, every day for an entire year, right?”

Ryker scoffs, “Yeah, we will be their bitch for a year. So looking forward to that.”

“You’ll love every second of it because this is what we’ve always wanted, and you’ll get to start at the shop then too,” Cade tells him with a smirk.

“Shop?” I ask, looking up at Ryker.

“Yeah. Axe has a bike shop on Main Street, Custom Sons. They do a lot of body work but also do work on the bikes, too. I want to build bikes. I love messing with them, and I really have to focus on what I’m doing so it keeps my mind from wandering off or getting me into trouble.

“As a prospect, you get to tell them what you’re interested in long-term, and they basically give you some kind of internship for the year around prospect work to see if you’ll be a good fit,” Ryker explains.

“That’s amazing. What does Parker do?” I wonder.

Grayson’s lips curl down. “I think he’s interested in working at the club. He does most of the bar work here when he can. After all the chaos with the other prospects, he has been stuck doing so much more as the only one left now. That’s why we don’t see him as often. But his year is almost up, I think.”

“And you’ll work with Nerds to be another tech guy,” I say to Grayson before turning to Ryker. “And you’ll go work with Axe at the shop. What about you?” I ask Cade.

“I could go work with Noah as enforcer or go to his club, Dirty Sinner, and do security. But I’ve been thinking about asking about working under Stone since he is our sergeant at arms.”

“Really?” Ryker asks, surprise clear in his tone. “When have you thought about this?”

Cade shrugs. “I just knew I didn’t want to do what Noah does. And Stone does a lot of security work behind the scenes and keeps the peace when we do have events and whatnot. I would prefer to be doing that.”

“Even though you have other things you would like to do as well,” I tack on, almost regretting it when Cade looks uncomfortable because he knows Ryker will ask, but then I remember that we are a team. The four of us together have to be all in. This relationship is more than just me with each of them. Their bond has to continue to get stronger.

Ryker’s eyes jump from me to Cade. “What is she talking about?” he says slowly.

Cade frowns down at me and doesn’t answer Ryker, so I get up onto my knees and lean forward until my hands are resting on his thighs and I can lean in closer to his face.

Meeting his beautiful blue, fiery eyes with mine, I say, “I love you. I love you so much. I love you enough that I am okay with you possibly being upset with me even if I would prefer you weren’t,” I chuckle nervously. “They love you, too. Let them prove that right now. Does it make it any easier if I say I’ll kick their asses if they upset you?” I raise a brow at him.

Cade lets out a throaty laugh and pulls me against him so he can whisper in my ear, “I love you so much. When I’m with you, I’m forced to feel on a much deeper level than I’ve ever felt before, and it’s absolutely terrifying, but I will suffer every day for the rest of my life if it means I get to have you.”

“Okay,” Ryker draws out, blowing out a huff. “This is a sweet moment and all, but what the fuck is going on?”

Meeting Cade’s eyes again, I give him a reassuring smile and pull away, blinking back the tears that are threatening to fall after what he just said.

“I’ll be right back,” Cade mumbles and walks out of Ryker’s room only to return a moment later with a leatherbound notebook in his hand. He tosses it on the center of the bed and grunts, “Look.”

Ryker snatches it up and flips it open to the first page. Then he flips to the next, and the next, and keeps going.

His eyes grow wide, but he doesn’t say anything. Grayson must get tired of waiting because he stands up and walks to the head of the bed where Ryker is, glancing over his shoulder.

“Holy—moly,” Grayson stutters, his mouth gaping open. “You did these?” he asks, glancing up at Cade who didn’t sit back down, but is just leaning against the wall.

He gives a single curt nod, biting his lip.

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