Finally, unable to take anymore, Harlow collapses to her knees and her hands go to her head as she screams out her pain. Falling to my knees in front of her, I pull her against my chest holding her to me as she gives me every ounce of pain pouring out of her.
“I’ve got you, baby. I’ve got you. Let it go,” I mutter soothingly as I close my eyes and rest my cheek against the top of her head.
Hearing her screams of pain from all she’s endured and allowed to build inside her, I wish I could go back in time and protect her from all of what she went through. However, if I did that, she wouldn’t be the woman she is. All I can do now is make sure she knows without a doubt she’s not alone. Not anymore and that’s the way it’s going to stay until I’m not breathing anymore.
Chapter Thirteen
Raven
At the sound of Harlow’s screams, I close my eyes and squeeze them together. I hate having to hear them. But the wind told me she needed this. To release all of the pain inside her. Everything she was holding on to. If she didn’t, I knew she would go back to being the Harpy and leave once again. I also knew if she did this, none of us would find her, not this time around.
“What the fuck?” I open my eyes at the snarling question coming from Stoney as he approaches the table I was sitting at with Blaze. Shadow and everyone else were sitting silently around us. Some of them were drinking beers, others were taking shots.
My gaze goes from Stoney to the woman in his arms.
The very same woman he nearly lost.
Rachel.
All because he was buried in his own head being stubborn while hurting his ol’ lady. If measures weren’t taken they’d have lost each other completely. Now it looked to be as if everything were on track.
I try not to think what they endured during those days. I was having to go through my own terrors, something I prefer to keep blocked out of my mind, not wanting the reminder. Hell, Blaze doesn’t even like to think of it, either. We’d spoken of it once and after that we swore to never talk about it again. For us, and our boys. Matthew and Mark.
“Someone going to tell me what the hell is going on here? Why you’re all sitting here while someone is screaming like a fuckin’ banshee?” Stoney demands.
“Prez, it’s Harlow’s screams coming from the gym,” Tracker says, standing from his chair where he’d been sitting silently holding my best friend close. This has been a struggle for Victoria. She hates seeing anyone who she loves hurt. After we found out about Harlow and what she had been doing without any of us knowing, Victoria felt it. The guilt of not seeing it for what it was when Harlow pretty much cut contact with all of us.
“Again, someone want to explain.” I close my eyes and shake my head.
“Easy, little bird,” Blaze murmurs, his hand cups the back of my head and pulls me to him. Ever since the beginning, this man has been my anchor. I don’t think I could truly deal with everything the wind throws at me. Sometimes it can be intense, and Blaze is always there to keep me grounded.
“Ranger asked us to clear the gym and not to come in there no matter what we heard,” Shadow rasps.
“Fuckin’ hell,” Stoney growls and I can sense the anger rolling off him in waves. Anger on behalf of Harlow. Every last man in this room is affected by what they’re hearing right now, same as the women. Well, other than clubwhores who seem to merely be annoyed by it.
“None of us like it, but it has to be done,” Blaze mutters, speaking for me.
“This shit fuckin’ sucks.” This came from Venom.
Stoney sits in a chair and pulls Rachel into his lap wrapping himself around her. I’ve notice he does this a lot now. And even more so than ever when he’s working in his office, he has her with him there as well. It’s almost as if what they went through shook him to the point that he needs her near him as much as possible.
I can understand this, I prefer to be where Blaze is as well.
I don’t know how much time passes when Harlow’s screams of agony finally stop.
“Do you think it’s okay to go back there and check on them now?” Victoria whispers.
Taking a moment to listen to the wind, I shake my head. “No, they need this time alone. Harlow has just released every ounce of her pain to Ranger.”
“What?” Venom asks, brows furrowed in confusion. He doesn’t understand and normally thinks I’m nuts. Which I would agree with him. I am.
“Harlow has been through so much in her life, she’s never shared her pain with anyone. Not even when she was five and lost her dad. I don’t think she ever knew how to share this and in doing so built a wall within her soul that blocks every little bit of pain behind it.”
“I get that, but why doesn’t she just go see a therapist or something,” Venom suggests, earning a growling response from Stoney as Rachel winces. Beyond them, I see Cara burrow her head in Nerd’s chest.
“Brother, you know the answer to that,” Stoney mutters.
“I know that but what about someone from within that we can trust. That’s what I meant. Whip and I go to meetings once a week for PTSD why not let her join us, it might help.” I tilt my head somewhat to get a better look at Venom. He might be onto something here.
“It would be worth a shot,” Blaze mutters. “I’ll talk to Ranger, see what he says.”
“Figured it be good for her. She’s different. Going to a victim support group wouldn’t be enough for her. She needs
