Page 98 of Intertwined Souls

Brielle inhales, obviously not wanting to continue giving her pills, but then she says, “Yes. Then you can have more. How old are you?”

“Twenty-three,” she answers immediately.

“Do you have any family that we can contact for you?”

Pulling out my phone, I shoot Grayson a text and ask him if he’s done with Tia or not because he should probably be here for this conversation. Or Nerds, but I have a feeling he’s out of commission right now.

Are you done talking with Tia?

Grayson: Yes. I am looking for her family right now. In tech room.

Can you come up here? Oakley is talking. Or send up Nerds.

Grayson: I’ll come. Sugar said Nerds is at Rage’s house right now.

Reading that Nerds is at Rage’s dealing with whatever is happening and not doing what he loves to do, all things tech, makes something inside of me hurt. I’m… I think I’m worried about him. I knew he went through something years ago just from what little Noah let slip, but I didn’t know it had to do with drugs. I really hope he hasn’t relapsed.

It’s quiet for a while before Oakley answers, almost defensively, “No. I don’t have any family. Or friends. Or anyone. Just me.”

Brielle rests her hand on top of Oakley’s arm, pausing the scratching. “Okay. Would you mind telling us how long you were trafficked?”

Blowing out a breath, she says, “I’ll tell you the basics because I just want to get this done.”

The door opens slowly, and Grayson steps in, not walking over to them just coming to stand by me with a tablet in hand.

“I’ve been addicted to opioids for seven years. My parents are addicts, and they got me hooked, but then my dad overdosed and ended up in the hospital. I got taken from the home because it was an unsafe environment. I was put into a group home specifically for kids who have been through traumatic events.”

Staring down at Bri’s hand on her arm, she explains, “Instead of telling them how bad my problem with pills actually were, I went to the streets to get them. I did anything and everything to get my hands on the drugs. When I was almost eighteen, my mom started visiting. She was sober and going through all the motions so she could get me back or at least have a safe home for me to go to when I turned eighteen.

“Me being the teen I was, I got angry at her for being able to pull her life together while I was struggling because of her, so I ran. I worked on the streets for a while, and then I got tricked by someone I thought was a friend and woke up one day in the hell that I have been trapped in since.”

“You aren’t trapped anymore,” Harley promises. “You’re free now, and we can help you with whatever you want. Anything. But you are free, and it’s over.”

Oakley snorts and glances up at Harley. “Don’t get me wrong, you guys helped. That warehouse holds horrors for more people than I could even count. But that’s just the holding center. There is so much more. There are sick, vile people out there who won’t stop just because this one place is gone. They will find somewhere new to get their fix. Nothing stops them. Not until they die,” she spits.

Harley grimaces. “We are aware there are more, but as for you, right now, you aren’t trapped. I promise. I would help every single person who has gone through the same hells right this second if I could, but unfortunately it’s a slow fucking process.”

“Okay, well, you don’t have to tell us anymore right now. Thank you for sharing what you have. If you ever want to talk more, any person in this club would be willing to speak with you,” Brielle says softly. “In the meantime, we need to know if we begin the process of getting rehab set up for you so you can get sober, would you go? Do you want to?”

Her face scrunches up and flushes red in embarrassment as she says, “My mind may not be as sane as it used to be after everything, but I am painfully aware that I am a slave to the drugs. You dangle them in front of me and I will do anything to get my hands on them. I do not want anyone to ever have that kind of control over me again.”

Brielle nods, and then I speak up for the first time, “Like right now? You don’t trust us, do you?”

Her dull steel blue eyes look up at me. “No, I don't. But after years of this, I know how it works. The sooner I give you what you want, the sooner I get what I think I need.”

I nod, and Grayson says, “You can, though. When you’re ready to. We will all be here. A lot of people in this club have experienced horrible things, so we understand the hesitancy when it comes to trusting people. I will work on finding a good rehab for you and we will help you.”

Oakley gives a small nod and then looks back at Brielle, who sighs sadly but gets up and grabs the bottle of pills from her bag, taking a few out and giving them to her.

“Tia wants to see you. Are you up for another visitor?” Harley asks.

Oakley nods, biting her lip. “Yes. I would like to see all of them.”

“We will bring Tia up first and then if you're feeling okay tomorrow, we will see if the twins want to visit,” Harley says as she walks towards the door.

The guys, Harley, and I step out into the hallway.

“I’m going to the tech room to work on figuring everything out for them,” Grayson says, pulling Harley into his arms and kissing her. “I love you,” he murmurs, brushing her hair behind her ear.

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