Page 11 of Intertwined Souls

I shrug. “I know. But it’s hard to trust someone’s word.”

Right as I finish speaking, Bear, Cade’s great Dane, comes around the corner and spots us. Strutting up, he stops right in front of me and plops down. I reach out and pet his head, and he lays it in my lap, staring up at me with his big, dark eyes.

Bri rests her head against mine and asks, “What do you need right now, Harley?”

Sighing, I glance out at the woods that are directly across from us, everything David told me flashing before my eyes. “Your mama was my girl for years. Always did what I wanted and got rewarded with my cock every time.”

—No, no. Stop thinking about it.

Shaking my head as I shove my trembling hands in between my thighs, I say, “Tell me something good about my mom. I need to remember all the good things right now.”

“Oh boy, where do I even start?”

A while later, my chest feels lighter than it did before, and it’s a little easier to breathe. I know everything David said to me won’t just disappear overnight; honestly, it'll probably never fully go away. But for right now, I feel a little peace and comfort hearing memories about my mom and Bri and how their friendship was.

They were both the awkward, shy girls in school, and they used to get into arguments over who would walk into a room first, or who would ask a question, because neither of them ever wanted to be the one to do it.

Presley stayed with us, sharing a few stories about her time here at the club. This is where she bloomed and became who she really was and wanted to be.

She told us about bringing her son, Jayce, home to the club and how terrified these grown men were when they’d be holding him and he’d start crying. She said they all were like lost puppies and so many times they’d just kind of thrust Jayce back at Presley with a pained look on their faces.

She said Colton was the worst. He was even scared to hold Jayce in the beginning. It’s hard to imagine Colton, my large, bearded, biker uncle, scared of a tiny baby.

The sun has fully set, and it’s starting to get chilly, so we decide to head back in. Presley told me that we would be having the BBQ tomorrow as long as I was feeling up to it.

But I want to see how Cade is first. They said he is already looking better and should wake up at any point, but I can’t look forward to anything like a large family BBQ until I know for sure he’s going to be alright.

Heading back inside through the back door to the main clubhouse, I plan to head straight to see Cade in the medical room.

As I turn the corner to walk down the hall, I pause when I spot Gabriel, Noah, and Ryker all standing outside a door that is next to the medical room. Noah and Gabriel are talking quietly, and Ryker is running his hand through his hair while biting his lip.

Walking closer, I clear my throat. “Ryker? What’s going on?” As much as I try to keep a steady voice, I know my slight panic that something is wrong with Cade is leaking through.

Ryker drops his hand from his hair, his eyes softening as he steps up to me, placing a hand on my neck and slowly moving it to the back under my hair. He uses his grip to pull me against his chest, and I automatically wrap my arms around his waist.

I feel his lips touch my forehead as he says, “Grayson is in the bathroom, and we can’t get him to come out.”

Pulling back slightly to look up at him with furrowed brows, I murmur, “What? Why?”

“There is something you need to understand about Gray. When we were younger, his parents pretended he didn’t exist,” Ryker sighs. “I’m pretty sure they would’ve even denied having two sons if they were asked. They blamed him for his brother's death. Specifically, his mom—she really started to hate him. Once Cade, Gray, and I became close, we’d spend most of our time here. Gray would usually call Noah, and he would come get him and he’d stay here for the weekends.”

Ryker pauses, gnawing his lip, like he’s unsure how to continue.

Noah, who I didn’t realize had moved closer and was listening, steps up next to Ryker and puts his hand on his shoulder, giving it a light squeeze.

“About three years ago, Gray called me like normal, but things were definitely worse than before,” Noah explains. “His mom was telling him to just get out when she’d usually just ask him to leave or not say anything to him. I knew something was off, so Rage, Sugar, and I went over there that time.”

“I pulled his mom aside. She was drunk off her ass and said that her husband was on his way home, and they were going to finally get the fuck out of this town and away from Gray,” Rage growls, also having stepped up to us on Noah’s other side. “She wouldn’t listen to reason, and she said she didn’t care if he just rotted away with their house. She wanted to be away from him.”

Noah nods, his expression dark. “We had him pack everything he wanted and move here. We kept an eye on his house, but his parents up and left the following day and never came back. Even till now, they’ve not tried to contact him in any way.”

Ryker’s hold on the back of my neck tightens slightly, and I glance up at him. “Gray is, well, he can be sensitive. More so than Cade and I, at least. He had his brother growing up, and then that was ripped away, and he has always struggled knowing that his own parents hate him and just left him. Lincoln? The guy with Brielle?”

I nod, confused why he is coming up right now.

“He recognized Grayson. Last time when they were here, there was so much going on and everyone was everywhere, so we all didn’t get to properly meet. But we just did, and he knows Grayson.” Ryker frowns.

It clicks in my brain what happened, and my heart aches at what he must be feeling right now. I pull away from Ryker and walk a few feet to the bathroom door. Knocking lightly, I ask, “Gray? It’s Harley. Can you let me in please? Just me. The others can stay out here.”

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