Page 41 of Intertwined Souls

“He felt guilty. I think he still does,” Cade says, frowning slightly. “After you guys had your talk those few months back, they had church for hours the next day. Like I said before, Noah wouldn’t tell me much, but basically he wants this place as secure as it can be, and every single person in here needs to be able to protect themselves.”

Harley sighs. “I know. I know that it needs to be done this way.” She pulls away from me, taking a step back. “But we have nothing new to tell Bri and the guys. Nothing. It makes me feel like we’re failing.”

If there’s one thing I have learned about this woman that I am madly in love with, it’s that she will drag herself into her own mind and get stuck there. Overanalyzing everything, but mostly herself. Grayson, Cade, and I have been learning how to pull her out and keep her focused on the now and looking at the good things, but sometimes she still gets like this.

Harley is shutting down right in front of us. Feeling like the weight of the world is on her shoulders and like she is failing everyone. Failing her mom. Glancing at Cade, I see the same worry in his eyes that I know is in my own. I grab Harley’s hand and pull her with me out of the gym.

I head straight across the hall to the bathroom that is down here. Once we’re inside, I lock the door and start up the shower before facing Harley, who is staring at herself in the mirror, a tortured look on her face. Stepping up behind her, I wrap one arm around her waist while my other hand gently grips her chin.

Her eyes meet mine through the mirror as I whisper, “You are so fucking strong, little flame. I know things feel like we are just stuck in the same cycle, and maybe we are right now. But you know why I’m okay with that?”

She shakes her head as much as she can in my grip.

“That means we’re making sure that in the end, when Tammy is gone and we shut down their operations and hopefully get to save those they have taken, we will still be here. We will all get to see the outcome and keep moving forward, together. Everyone will be prepared so we don’t lose a single person. That is why being in this cycle right now is okay.

“A year from now, when we come out of all this, we will remember this time and know that the wait was worth it because we get to live together. Happily.”

Her eyes mist over, and she lets her eyes fall closed. My hand gripping her chin moves, and I run my finger gently over the scar on her face. From right below her eye, stopping at her lip.

Her eyes snap open and she meets my gaze.

“You’ll get your revenge, Harley,” I promise her. “But you won’t have to lose another person you care about to have it. Yourself included. We aren’t going to lose you.”

Spinning to face me, she gently cups my cheeks and searches my eyes. “I might be a little insane, but I love you, Ryker. You’ve shown me so much, and you’ve taught me how to be more open and accepting. You gave me your heart and the hearts of your two best friends, and now I don’t think I could ever live without you three. I–I can work on being patient and not letting it get in my head that I'm failing. But I want to do more.”

My face slowly splits into the biggest smile I think I have ever shown someone. My heart pounds against my chest like a drum.

Slamming my mouth against hers, I kiss her like it’s the last time our lips will ever touch. I give her everything I have. I hand my heart over to her on a silver platter, allowing her to do whatever she wants with it.

There is no me without my little flame. She burns through me, lighting me up like no one ever has.

“From the moment I saw you,” I murmur against her lips, “I knew you would be my everything. I now breathe for you. You have all of me, and you always will. I want you to consume me in the same way I want to consume you. I love you more than life itself, little flame. I live for you, I will fight for you. I will worship the ground you walk on until the gates of Hell open up and drag me away from you.”

She inhales sharply, and we crash together, stripping our clothes off each other in between kisses and stumbling into the shower. The hot water cascades over us as I explore her absolutely delectable body with my hands.

Pushing her back against the tiled wall, she gasps softly as I work my lips down her body until I drop to my knees before her. Glancing up, I find her watching me through her lashes, her chest rapidly rising and falling.

“You are fucking perfect, Harley,” I say, my voice thick with lust.

Leaning forward, I place a kiss on her center before running my tongue down her slit, carefully avoiding her clit.

“Ryker,” Harley groans, running her fingers through my hair and clenching them.

“Yes?” I ask without removing my mouth from her pussy.

“Please.” She tilts her head back down, meeting my eyes. The water cascades down her chest as she pants and stares at me with dilated pupils. My cock grows uncomfortably hard, but I want to give all my attention to her right now.

Smirking, I say, “Since you said please.”

I run two fingers along her slit before pulling the lips apart and groaning at the sight of her perfect pussy. God, this is heaven. I fuck her with my tongue and bring my other hand up to rub circles over her clit.

Keeping my eyes angled up, I never look away from her face, wanting to catch every reaction she has while receiving pleasure. I want it all burned permanently into my brain.

“Fuck, Ry.” Her eyes meet mine, and she yanks on my hair slightly, her hips rocking forward against my face.

When I pinch her clit and push two fingers into her along with my tongue, her mouth falls open, and her eyelashes flutter as she calls out my name and falls apart for me.

As Harley jolts against me, I pull my fingers out and then place a kiss on her clit before standing back up in front of her where she is still slumped against the shower wall. Gripping her chin between my fingers, she blinks up at me.

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