Page 47 of Freeing Souls

“Maybe an hour,” I respond hoarsely. Turning my head towards him, I ask, “What’s the plan today?”

Rubbing his eyes, he sighs, “I don’t know. I feel like I am just spinning in a circle.”

A sudden bang on the bedroom door jolts us both up, and I run to the door, swinging it open. “We have a problem. Get downstairs now. Find Cade. Get fucking everyone,” Nerds yells before taking off back downstairs.

By the time Grayson and I throw clothes on and meet downstairs, I have called Cayden three times and dial again. He finally answers with a gruff, “What?”

“Get to the club, now.” I hang up, not waiting for his non-reply. Unfortunately, Cade has slowly sunk back into himself and barely speaks now. He is the rock when someone is falling apart, but besides checking on everyone every day, he stays out, running for miles, working out, staying with Bear, and not speaking to anyone besides single words.

Grayson and I aren’t much better off. I work out whenever I have a chance, and Grayson is always working, but we made a deal to always come together at night. Sleep for a while, lay together, talk to each other. Depend on each other to keep ourselves together. Cade has refused and started losing himself all over again.

Cade is the last person in the main room where everyone has gathered, and we all turn our eyes to Nerds, who slams a piece of paper on the table.

Grayson is the first to pick it up, and I glance over his shoulder to read it.

I have three trackers; one on my phone, one is in my necklace, and the last one is in my arm, as you all know. I have gone to my old trader. He never liked me much and only ever took me when he didn’t like other options up for trade. He will keep me for a bit and then trade me.

I can’t stand to watch you all fall apart slowly. I have never had family, but your club has shown me what family is and what it should be. I didn’t have that kind of example growing up. I knew you, Nerds, would never agree to me doing this. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I had to do something.

Find me. Wait until he moves me from his home to come get me. It will more than likely be a place like the warehouse you found me at. I can do this.

Please forgive me, Nerds.

Oakley

“Holy shit,” I murmur, glancing at Nerds, who looks enraged and sick to his stomach. As the note gets passed around so everyone can read it, Grayson goes to Nerds. “We can do this. It’s not ideal, but she is right. We have all had the trackers put intoour arms. There is no way the guy she went to will find all three. We will watch her from a distance and bring her home, hopefully with the others. She is giving us a chance to do something here.”

“And in return, she is putting herself back in danger and more than likely will relapse after she worked so fucking hard to get clean and stay clean!” he yells.

“Nerds, I know you're angry right now, and I don’t mean to sound cold, but she did it. It already happened. So now we deal with it, and afterwards, all these feelings can come forward,” Axe tells him calmly.

Presley, Raven, Carly, and Lex are all sitting together, most with tears in their eyes. Oakley had become one of them, especially over this last month as they have leaned on each other. Lex has found her spot here after everything and helps where she can, which is usually with the cooking or with Jayce.

Nerds takes off down the hall back to the tech room, and Grayson sighs. “Sugar, can I talk to you in Rage’s office?” Furrowing my brows, I nudge him, but he just shakes his head and heads down the hall after Sugar.

“What was that?” Cade asks.

“I have no idea. You good?” He nods and then walks away.

“I’m worried about him,” Noah says as he walks up to stand next to me.

“Me too,” I murmur.

“You feeling alright?”

I shrug. “No, but yes. I think if Harley hadn’t been a part of our lives and helped me get closer to the guys and learn to trust everyone around here as my family, I would be causing more problems. But having all of us depending on each other helps. I just wish Cade would too. He is so worried about everyone else, but yet he is letting himself backslide.”

“I’m proud of you, kid. We are going to figure this all out. I think Oakley did what all of us have been too afraid to do, andwe need to show her we have her back and owe her for the rest of our lives for risking her life for our people,” Noah says. “And now I get to go find my stupid brother, maybe punch him once or twice.”

Grayson

“You–you did fuckin’ what?” Sugar seethes from where he stands by the window with his arms crossed.

Fiddling with my fingers, I clear my throat, “Whether or not you will see it this way, I did the right thing. I am telling you because I think it’s time we bring them into this.”

I made the rash decision to tell Sugar about Bas and the Kings of Hearts, how they helped me and taught me while Nerds wasn’t working. I never planned on letting that out, but I think they can help us now.

I had brought it up after Rage and Harley were taken, but the ranking officers all said no because they don’t trust them. Vance and Rage have their own past, and they didn’t know if they were involved in this. I knew they weren’t, but letting out what I did when it goes against everything the club stands for wasn’t worth the risk at the time.

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