Page 47 of Intertwined Souls

Dropping my hands down to my lap, I squeeze them into tight fists and take a deep breath, not looking up at anyone.

“This is my revenge,” I continue solemnly. “This is how I redeem myself in my own eyes. This is how I prove to myself that I am strong, and I can handle this, and in the process of that save who knows how many others from going through what I did or worse.”

The room is so silent when I finish speaking that a pen dropping would sound like a bomb going off. A hand lands on my shoulder and squeezes softly. Ryker.

“We all have shit to deal with in some way. You have to still deal with your shitty father even as he rots in the ground,” he says to Gabe. “I have so much anger and violence running through my veins, and this gives me an outlet for it. Is it safe? No. But I think it’s taking what we all know how to do, what we all need to let out, and doing something good even if it’s not good in the eyes of the law.

“Don’t let your fear of losing Harley get in the way of that when you would be devastated if anything happened to any of us in this room. In this entire club. No one in this room was meant to live a normal life.”

I slowly raise my eyes and stare at Gabe. His shoulders are tense as he stares down Ryker, but the second his gaze moves to me, he relaxes and takes a breath. “Fine. I asked you to trust me, and I can work on returning that same trust.”

He leans forward, gripping my chin.

“Do not think for one second that me not wanting you involved has anything to do with me thinking you can’t handle it. You can handle this and anything life throws at you. I want you safe and sound. I never want you to experience another bad thing in your life.

“You don’t deserve it, and by protecting you, I can slowly pull the knife from my chest knowing I am making up for all the things I didn’t do for Lilian,” he finishes.

I open my mouth to say something, even if I don’t quite know what to say as tears gather in my eyes and an unfamiliar feeling sits on my chest as I stare at Gabe, my dad, in a new light. It’s almost as if a new spot in my heart opens, and Gabe just waltzes right in and makes himself at home.

He pulls back and addresses everyone in the room. “Blade, Stone, and I will go with Ryker, Grayson, and Harley. Cayden, stay here with Axe and Sugar. We can’t have too many people going.”

Cade grunts from behind us where he stands against the wall.

Everyone disperses to change into black clothing and get ready to leave. When I come back downstairs, Cade grabs my arm and pulls me down the hall to the side of the stairs that leads towards the kitchen.

“Be fucking safe,” he demands, his piercing eyes boring into mine.

I grin up at him. “Aw, you really do care, caveman,” I tease him.

His face remains serious as he gives me a harsh kiss and mumbles, “You have no fucking idea.” Before he fully walks away, he faces me again, his expression hesitant as he asks, “Stay with me tonight?”

I nod, unable to form words. He grunts and walks off.

“He’s changing,” a voice says from the opposite direction. I jump slightly and face Noah, who is leaning against the entrance to the main room. We lock eyes. “What do you have on you?”

I furrow my brows. “Weapons?” I reply, and he nods. “The knives that I got from Linc.”

“Come with me,” he says, walking back into the main room.

Hurrying to catch up to him, I ask, “What did you mean by he’s changing?”

He glances at me as we cross the room and enter the hall that leads to the stairs for the basement. “I know you are aware he didn’t talk before you were around. But I don’t know if you realize we meant never. There was the very rare occasion we could get him to say one small thing. But mostly, if he wanted to say something, he’d do it privately with Ryker and Grayson. Not even really with me.”

For the first time since I met Noah, his carefree attitude has dropped, and there is pain in his eyes. I frown as he continues.

“It’s not just him, either. Ryker was such a fucking troublemaker. I mean, we literally got to the point of putting a lock on him so he couldn’t even leave here without us letting him. He has calmed since you came around. He is more open and trusting and mostly thinks before he acts now.”

Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, Noah faces me.

“Grayson would keep his face buried in books. School or others.” He shrugs. “He distracted himself from his pain by learning and keeping his mind constantly running. He is more relaxed now and is able to handle everything coming up with Lincoln without falling apart because of you. And Cade…”

He hesitates. “You worry about him?” I ask quietly.

He jerks his head in a nod. “Yeah, I really fucking do. There’s a lot that happened between him and our father, but I have a feeling I only glimpsed the tip of the iceberg, and there is a lot under the surface I don’t know about.

“I was beginning to think for a while that I was going to lose him. I didn’t know how, but I knew he couldn’t continue on how he was, and now he is speaking more. Even if it’s just privately. He is around the club more than he’s ever been. And–and I’ve seen my baby brother smile more than I ever have since you came.”

Running a hand through his hair, he gestures down the hall and keeps walking to the locked steel door.

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