Page 86 of Healing Souls

He sighs when he notices Ryker and Grayson walking towards us.

“Took you guys fucking long enough. I feel like I have been waiting for years.” I am coming to realize that Ryker can be very dramatic at times.

We all chuckle, and Grayson nudges his shoulder. “He was working on being patient.”

“What were you two getting up to? Anything good?” Ryker asks with mirth shining in his dark eyes.

I open my mouth to respond with something to change the subject because I don’t think Cade wants to talk about this anymore, but he surprises me again by saying, “We talked about my father.”

He says it with a casual shrug before a tiny grin comes over his hardened features.

“Wow, Ryker stunned silent.” He chuckles and then looks at me.

I can’t help but smile back at him before looking at Ryker and Grayson, who are both staring from me to Cade with wide eyes. “He told you? Everything?” Grayson asks.

I nod, rubbing my arms uncomfortably. “Can we move on now? This is making me feel weird. Didn’t you guys say you needed to talk to me?”

Ryker blinks and clears his throat before talking. “Yeah, we do.” He looks at Grayson and Cade, who both give him small nods. “Well, since no one is around, we can just do this here. So, when you opened up to us the other day and we all promised to be honest with each other, there is one thing you need to know.”

“Okay… what's that?” I ask hesitantly, my fingers wringing together in front of me.

Ryker exhales. “Rage is bringing the three of us in on everything involving Tammy and Daniel and all that shit. The only way he would let us be in the know and be involved is if we promised to keep it from you.”

There is this movie I remember from when I was a kid… The guy turns so angry he turns beet red, and smoke shoots out of his ears. If I had to guess right now, that is how I look. Every muscle is so tense I know I will be sore later. My mind is racing with every conversation Gabriel and I have had. He wants trust but yet he does this?

“Well, if you are telling me this, I’m assuming you said no?” I ask through clenched teeth, attempting to keep myself from yelling.Keep it cool, Harley.

Grayson shakes his head. “No, we said yes. We wanted to be able to know what was happening. We want to be able to help you. I’ll admit, we weren't going to tell you at first. We thought maybe Rage had a point and was right… that we would be protecting you. But I know we were wrong. You don’t need protection. You need trust, support, and loyalty. All the things we need and get, but the difference is you're not only a girl, but Rage’s little girl.”

“So you weren’t going to tell me,” I state. My mind is reeling with everything they are saying—hear them out, Harley. Don’t let your temper get the best of you yet.

Cade sighs, “Harley, don’t let that be your only takeaway here. Wearetelling you. The second you opened up to us and wanted to learn to trust each other, we decided to tell you. We didn’t even like his decision to begin with.”

“But,” Grayson continues off where Cade stopped talking, “we understood where Rage was coming from, and I think you should try to as well. He wants to protect you. He isn’t ready for his little girl to be the Harley you are. He has to come to terms with that and see it with his own eyes. You have to try to be patient with him.”

I open my mouth, but Ryker speaks first, “I understand wanting to jump the gun, to run in there and spew every thought. Fuck, babe, just a few months ago that would have been me. I never fucking thought before I acted. But I’m trying to now. I’m trying to lean on not only these two,”—he points at Cade and Grayson—“but all of them. My family. Because they are my family. They’re yours now, too.” He points at the large building behind him.

Blinking back the tears, I give them a nod but say nothing. What do I even say to that? All I have ever wanted was a family. I dreamed of my dad. The knight in my story, swooping in to save the day. It’s what I wanted, isn’t it?

Grayson clears his throat. “For right now, Harley, you can't say anything to anyone that we told you this. I know we’re basically asking you to lie. But right now, it’s important. We’re going to help you get them to see that you aren’t some fragile flower. But in the meantime, we still need them to trust us by thinking that we haven’t said a word to you.”

“Can you do that? Can you set your anger aside for the bigger picture? I know you don’t trust Gabriel yet. I know you don’t trust most of the people in there, but I have to believe you are starting to trust us. So lean on us, okay?” Ryker says, stepping forward and wiping the stray tear that escaped down my cheek away.

I nod and stare up at his face, scanning it for… the truth? I don’t think I really know. “I do trust you, Ryker. I think… I think it’s just taking me time to not constantly jump to the worst conclusion when someone tells me something.”

Ryker nods, his lips thinning in sympathy. “I understand that.”

“Hey! Are you guys all going to stand way out there like a bunch of freaks all night or get your asses in here and eat dinner?” We all glance towards the building to see Raven standing on the porch with her hands on her hips.

Chuckling we all start walking back towards the house. Raven cocks a brow at us as we get closer, and Ryker breaks off into a sprint, running towards Raven and locking her in a headlock before rubbing his knuckles over her head.

She easily flips him over her shoulder, and we all listen as his back hits the porch with a loud thud. As impressed and surprised as I am, I can’t help but wince because that had to hurt.

“What did I tell you about touching the hair?” she questions with a raise of her brow.

He shrugs as he jumps up to stand again, dusting himself off. “Do it all the time because it’s your favorite thing?”

She sighs and glances at me before looking back at Ryker. “And here I thought you getting a girlfriend would mean you’d leave me alone.”

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