Page 95 of Healing Souls

When we all make it outside, seeing she has stopped in the yard and is bent over vomiting. When she stands back up, she is gasping and clutching her chest while tears stream down her face.

Before I can move to her, Cade is grabbing her face and demanding, “Open your eyes.”

She shakes her head and tries to back away, but Cade grips harder, and Harley lets out a whimper before trying to pull his arms away while she shakes and sobs.

I feel helpless as a few tears fall down my cheeks.

Cayden

"Cade! Stop! Let her go. She needs space, and you’re not fucking helping!" Rage snaps at me for the third and final time. I yank Harley into my chest, letting her tiny fists pound into my sides and back as she sobs. I wrap my arms tightly around her and hold on.

Peering over her head at Rage, whose anger is vibrating off of him in waves, I try to reason with him, "Gabriel."

His hard cold eyes snap to mine with the use of his name. The only person I have ever heard call him that is Harley.

"You need to walk away. Go with Sugar. Give me a moment. I'm not going to fucking hurt her, but she needs something you can't give her right now."

His eyes darken. "And you can?" he says in a low voice.

“Yes.” I’m sure of it.

Sugar steps closer to Rage, his hand moving to his shoulder. "Come on, brother. Blade is staying out here with them. Come with me."

Rage shrugs off his hand and with one last desperate, helpless glance at his daughter, he walks away with Sugar, Axe, and Stone following closely behind.

Ryker and Grayson stay right next to me where they have not moved an inch since I pulled Harley away from them. Their sweet, placating words did not give her what she needed to pull out of the turmoil she is in.

Noah stands a few feet away, a dangerous look on his face as he spins a blade in his hand. His normal cocky smirk is missing from his face. He must sense me looking at him because his eyes move from Harley to my face. He scans my eyes and nods once.

Harley continues to shake and sob in my arms, her fists weakening as she hits my back while mumbling incoherent words.

I grip her shoulders and pry her away from me. Her eyes stay focused on my chest as tears continue to track down her cheeks. I hate seeing her so broken.

I attempt the gentler approach first because I know damn well that if I immediately went at her hard, Ryker would be punching me in the face. As much as I don't mind a good fight with him, someone else needs us to keep it together. Cupping her cheeks, I tilt her head up.

Her eyes fall closed, and I let out a small growl, "Open your eyes, baby girl."

She shakes her head, her hands coming up to squeeze my wrists. With a sigh, I glance at my brother, who is watching us intently. He nods at me and moves closer, placing himself between Ryker and Harley and I.

The only reason my brother knows what I'm doing is because I was once so lost in my head, Noah had to take extreme measures to pull me out.

I drop my hands from her cheeks and rest them on her shoulders. "Last chance. Open your eyes." Her head begins to shake but stops when I wrap my hand around her throat and back her up until her back roughly hits the tree behind her.

Her beautiful hazel eyes fly open, and she grips the wrist of my arm. Pushing on her throat, I pin her to the tree with my body. "Now, keep your fucking eyes open and keep them on me. Got it?"

Her glossy eyes widen as she gives a hesitant, tiny nod with the little room she has to move. I tsk and tighten my hold on her throat. She gasps and digs her nails into my arm.

"Use your fucking words, Harley."

"I–I understand," she breathes.

"Now listen carefully. You're drowning in that brain of yours. We aren't going to let those thoughts consume you. You are stronger than ever. You can fight this."

Her watery eyes start to shut, but she snaps them open, locking them with mine when I let out a growl. She whispers, "I can't fight this anymore. It’s too much."

"You can. Do you want to know why?"

She nods, tears leaking down her cheeks. I have to hold myself back from leaning closer and licking them up.

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