Page 98 of Healing Souls

Doing as he says, I strap it on and then swing my leg over, sitting behind him the same way I did with Noah last night.

Ryker reaches back and grabs the back of my knees, yanking me closer to him so my core rests against his back. I wrap my arms around him, and he squeezes my wrists before saying, “Hold on tight.”

Starting up his bike, he revs it a few times sending vibrations through the motorcycle and straight through me, like a buzz that excites me. Ryker nods at the other two guys, and we all take off at the same time. The prospect at the gate opens it with a scowl aimed at me.

Oops? Sorry about last night, dude. I’m guessing he got in trouble for not having seen me.

They turn onto the main road, and even though I don’t know where we’re going, I let my worries fade away and enjoy the feeling of being pressed against Ryker’s warm, hard body and the wind whipping in my face.

I watch as we leave Jacksonville and end up on a two-lane road that loops around and is surrounded by trees on both sides. There are no other cars as we speed down the road going much faster than I am sure we’re supposed to.

Grinning like a madwoman, I move my hands to Ryker’s waist and then slowly raise them above my head, leaning back slightly and laughing as the wind whips against my body.

Looking to my left, I see Cade glance at me quickly with a bemused smile on his face as he shakes his head.

On the other side of us is Grayson, and he looks slightly concerned but still can’t help but smile. A wicked grin stretches over my face as an idea comes to my mind. I have never had a chance to live like a reckless teenager, so why not start now?

Grayson

Watching both Harley and the road is becoming a chore, and based on the grin that is taking over her breathtakingly beautiful face, I know she’s up to something. I signal to Ryker to slow down a little, and we all match our speeds to the speed limit, which is still moving pretty fast.

Harley grips Ryker’s shoulders and says something in his ear. His brows furrow, but then his face lights up as he nods. She scoots back on the seat a little and brings one foot up on the seat, then pushes down on Ryker’s shoulders to pull herself up to stand behind him.

My mouth drops open, and I want to scream at her to get down, but watching the carefree smile that graces her lips, I can’t bring myself to say anything. I know Ryker will be extra careful as he reaches back one hand and grips her calf. Luckily, we are on a straight stretch with no turns coming up.

Harley very slowly lets go of one of his shoulders and then the other, leaning her knees against his back. Moving slowly, she brings her arms out to her side and tilts her head back. She laughs and lets out a loud, “Woo-hoo.”

I notice Ryker tap her leg, and she slowly moves back down until she is sitting behind him again. Wrapping her arms around him, she looks from Cade to me and laughs; she is blissfully happy and looks fully alive for the first time… possibly ever.

For that reason alone, I can’t be mad at her for being reckless.

We decide to take Harley to a spot that we’ve been to a few times before. It’s an outlook at the beach, but you can get down the small cliff and have access to the sand and water.

We know from the few times Harley has mentioned being at Brielle’s that she really liked the beach. We’re hoping this will help calm her nerves and open her up to us so we can help her process everything she learned today and be the powerful woman we know she can be.

When we reach the lookout, Harley’s eyes scan our surroundings, a look of awe on her face. Ryker helps her off before slipping off the bike himself. While she is distracted looking around, he unclips her helmet and sets it on the motorcycle, Cade and I doing the same.

Harley wraps Ryker’s jacket tightly around her tiny frame and moves closer to the edge, gazing over at the ocean below us.

I stand and watch her from a distance. Her beautiful red waves are frizzy and messy, but she still looks perfect.

Ryker walks up behind her and wraps his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. From my view, I can just barely glimpse the side of Harley’s face, and I watch her lips tilt up into a soft smile as she leans back into him.

“Nice view, isn’t it?” Ry murmurs to her.

From where we are, we can see straight out into the ocean where it just goes on and on for endless miles. With the sun starting to go down, there is a nice glow that lights up the water.

We are at the top of the hill with trees that go down towards the sand. In between the trees is a small trail that leads you directly to the beach.

She nods, and Ryker explains, “We’ve come here a few times when we needed a break from life. This was the first trip we ever made together when we all learned how to ride a year ago.”

I walk up to stand next to them while Cade goes and says something to Connor, who is a few feet back. Connor nods and heads down the road a little, probably to keep watch but give us some privacy.

Then Cade comes back over and leans against his bike, watching us. Harley hears me and glances over, her small smile blooming into a large grin as she watches me, and I can feel my face flush.

Her bright hazel eyes focused on me could very easily bring me to my knees. I don’t know if she will ever realize just how much control she has over me. Over all of us.

“You like the beach right?” I ask.

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