Page 65 of Fractured Souls

“Do you read?” I ask.

He looks pained before saying, “Use to. I mostly listen to audiobooks now. Let's get in there and get going, Harls.” He jumps out of the truck before I can ask more.

We get started fast and before I know it, our workout is over, and I am exhausted. Atlas always goes hard on me and kicks my ass, and today was no different.

I tell him I need a shower and head towards the bathrooms. Before the bathrooms is a hall that leads to the offices and the storage room that is locked, and that’s where the guns are. I look back and see him texting on his phone. I guess this is as good of a chance as I'll get.

I walk back to the storage room and enter the code. The door clicks when it unlocks, and I wince, hoping he didn't hear it. I go in and quickly find the gun I've used the most. A Glock 17. I make sure to grab extra bullets and then stuff the gun in the back of my leggings under my t-shirt, and the extra bullets go into the sports bra I have on. Luckily, the shirt is pretty baggy, so nothing really shows unless you look too closely. I head out and slowly shut the door.

As I am walking down the hall, a door flings open, and out steps Linc. He eyes me, and I make sure to lock down my fears and nerves as best I can and just look exhausted.

“Hey kid, what are you doing? Did you finish your workout with Atlas?”

“Yeah, I'm exhausted now and am going to shower before we head back to Bri’s.”

Before he can respond, Atlas comes down the hall. “Harls, what are you doing? Hurry it up. I don't want to wait all day. Linc, stop holding her up.”

I mumble a sorry and duck my head taking off around them to go to the bathroom before they can say anything else. I lock myself in a stall with my gym bag and stuff the gun and bullets in the bottom of the bag to hide it. I take a deep breath, then quickly shower and try to forget about it so I don't break down in front of them. Shit, this is terrifying.

Luckily, we make it home with no problems. The guys drop me off because they have plans tonight since Bri doesn't get off until 2 a.m.

It feels like everything is falling into my lap way too easily, but I'm not going to think twice about it and take it as a win and do this. I head inside and get to writing my letter to Bri.

I cry as I finish, saying a silent prayer that everything goes well and that I can come back here and move on with my life when this is over and that Bri will still love me. I gather my stuff and call for a taxi. While I wait, I check over my research I wrote down.

The taxi soon arrives, and I find out it'll cost me $150 to get to Jacksonville by taxi, so I do that instead of taking the bus again. I don't have time for that. The driver takes off, and I exhale.

Holy shit. I am doing this. I'm coming for you, you sick bastard. Today will be your last full day of breathing.

I smile out the window.I'm doing this for you, mom.

ChapterTwenty-Four

Ryker

Istrike out, hitting so hard that I hear the chain keeping the punching bag hanging rattle. I look down and see that my knuckles are split and bleeding. I grin. Fuck, I needed that. It’s been a few weeks since I was forced into solitude. It's fucking bullshit. I have barely spoken to anyone since then. My mind can’t comprehend what the point was. I know we live in a fucked-up world. Hell, I’ve lived my own fucked-up hell before I was even really around this club much. And then I turned around and lived through another hell with my fucking aunt.

I constantly find myself worrying about Harley. She consumes my mind. I wasn’t fucking kidding when I said I was enraptured by her. She has this strength that I don’t even think she can see for herself. I want to help her find it. Ineedto help her find it.

This girl can heal my brothers and I; I know she can without a doubt. And I know we can help her find that fire within her. I just have no idea how to go about things now. I feel stuck, and it's making my skin crawl. Rage made me stay down in that cell for three days. Grayson came down every day, three times a day, to bring me food and talk to me. He’d bring Cayden with him too, but he didn't say much. I think he is pissed at me.

On day three, Rage came down, bringing Nerds with him. Rage talked to me again about how I fucked up.

I get it, I really do get that I could have fucked shit up for the club in a huge way, but the other part of me just doesn’t care. Harley is mine.Ours.And that’s all that truly matters. Nerds put this weird looking black ankle bracelet on me that I can’t take off myself.Trust me, I've tried.

“This is for your safety and for the peace of mind of everyone in the club. You have a lot of trust that you need to earn again. We aren’t giving up on you. But this is a final warning. You fuck up like this again, you will not be joining the club. When you are eighteen, you will be asked to leave.” There was no loving, kind Rage showing here.

I know he is serious, and I do happen to know when to keep my mouth shut, so I had nodded and didn’t throw a bitch fit over the stupid fucking cuff that apparently tracks me anywhere I go and when I am in the compound. If I try to leave, it’ll alert everyone unless someone turns it off for me.

After I had discovered the stuff at the Wilsons, they have been keeping a closer eye on them but still nothing. We all think Harley was being kept down in that basement. I wanted to go back again and look around and take pictures, but Rage said no. That they without a doubt would have fully gotten rid of the evidence I found.

Every day it's more clear that Harley ran away. Everyone is kind of coming to the same thought and wants to just leave it be rather than risk us leading Tammy or anyone else who could be wanting to hurt Harley straight to her.

But I just know there is more to this. I know it. But I can't prove it, so instead I am pounding as hard as I can on this bag, like I have been since the day I got out of the cell.

They want me to open up and talk to them and ask for help when it comes to my anger or when I feel I don’t have enough control. But I can’t do that when I want to punch every single one of them in the face for leaving me in a goddamn cell for three days.

The door slamming into the wall breaks me from my punching and thoughts. I turn towards the doors and see Cayden coming in looking furious, as per usual. I sigh, knowing he probably is going to piss me off.

---