Page 55 of Freeing Souls

“We all get to heal together now, Ryker. It’s going to be okay. No matter what. It has to be,” I murmur as I hold him against my chest.

As his sobs lessen, he asks, “Did you see his face?”

“I did, but I can’t place where I know him from.”

He lets out a harsh breath. “Mr. B. My piano teacher. The one who helped me throughout high school. The one who Harley knew too.” He sits up and rubs his eyes as he laughs without humor. “How fucked up is our world that someone who is trusted to teach kids, to guide them, is a monster by night?”

Harley

Cade keeps a tight grip on me as I lead them farther into the basement. Even though his grip is bruising, I don’t comment. I relish the way his hands feel on me after craving them for the last month.

My body aches. It takes more energy than I have to keep moving forward. All I want to do is get the hell out of here and sleep for a year, maybe eat my weight in pizza too.

Get somewhere safe and then–Don’t think about falling apart. Keep it together.

As we approach the door at the end of the hallway that leads into a small office, I pause.

“Darlin’?” Colton questions quietly, and I spin around to face him and Cade. Taking a breath, I stare at them as I prepare to tell them exactly what they won’t want to hear.

“Gabe–Dad didn’t…” My words get caught in my throat as I realize I haven’t spoken them out loud. He has been gone for a month, and I have yet to process his death. I’ve done this before. It should be easy. Just spit it out.

But as I look at their faces, at Cade’s stoic frown, Colton’s hopeful, yet sad eyes, I can’t do it. I can’t be strong and tell them what they need to hear. “It’s okay, baby girl. Just show us,” Cade says softly, reading me like an open book.

Colton sucks in a breath and steps backwards away from the door as I turn back around and open it. Once inside, I go to the far wall to another door and open it.

Who installs a giant walk in freezer in their fucking basement? Fucking Killer does, apparently. Going inside first, I find the sheet covered body in the far corner and drop to my knees next to it, placing my hand on his chest without uncovering him.

He isn’t supposed to be in here. He should have been burned in a hole in the ground with any other bodies Killer had to dispose of, but I did things to make this happen, to have hope we would be found and I could lay my dad to rest peacefully.

Things I will never speak of. Things I will never tell the men I love or those closest to me. All they ever need to know is he is here, and we get to take him home with us. Because I was right to keep that tiny bit of hope. My guys found me.

This wasn’t like last time; giving up wasn’t in the cards for me. I fought and forced myself to be strong for this moment, for them.

As I take a breath, I stand back up and let Cade pull me back to the entrance of the freezer and allow Colton to step into the room alone. He approaches slowly, and I watch as his chest rises and falls. It takes him several minutes before he squats down and grabs the edge of the sheet to pull it back.

Not wanting to see this again, I spin around and bury my face in Cade’s chest. He immediately picks me up, and I wrap myself around him, breathing him in as he holds me impossibly tight.

“Fuck. Fuck,” Colton breathes. “You bastard. Fuck. I can’t–” His breathing picks up as he stands and spins away from him.

“Can we go?” I rasp quietly to Cade, needing to get the fuck out of here.

He nods and clears his throat. “Sugar, let’s head upstairs. We can find someone to–” he hesitates, “to get Rage, and we will get the fuck out of here. Let’s not make Harley stay any longer than necessary.”

Colton nods and comes over to us as I lift my head so he can rest his forehead against mine. He wraps his arms around both Cade and me. “Harley, I am so fuckin’ sorry.” His voice cracks.

I shake my head. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”

“Who?” he rasps.

Inhaling sharply, I tell him, “Colton, Killer is still alive. His dad. This is his place. He–” I pinch my lips together, not wanting to go into the details right now.

“What? No–” Colton begins shaking his head rapidly.

“He is. It’s a long story I’ll tell at home. Did you guys find anyone?”

Colton yanks his phone out and makes a call. The second they answer he begins yelling, “Vance, check every single fuckingbody there. Every single one. Killer is still alive. If he isn’t there, we have another problem.”

“Let’s go find the others, baby girl.” I nod my head, needing to have my guys close. We all head upstairs and find Grayson and Ryker outside with a few others.

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