Page 118 of Healed

He barked out a laugh and twisted the throttle. “I’m sure it has something to do with Dante. We’ll find out. Hold on tight, princess.”

The compound disappeared behind us, blurring into a kaleidoscope of faces and colours until eventually it made way for the open green of fields and the greys of the concrete streets.

God, I’d missed this.

I’d forgotten how different the world looked from the back of a motorbike. It had been years since I’d felt this free, this… there was no way to explain it. I was just free.

I hadn’t ridden a bike since my dad died, and this was igniting a familiar feeling in my bones, one I’d tried to smother and bury, but one that lived within me and wouldn’t be denied.

Without even realising I was doing it, I tightened my arms around Vienna, sighing deeply in contentment.

His hand immediately left the handlebars for a second to pat mine where they rested across his stomach.

He didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to. His gesture was enough to let me know he understood—just like he always did.

The roads became quieter the further we travelled, Vienna deliberately avoiding the main routes in favour of winding country lanes I’d forgotten even existed.

Until eventually I recognised a few of the twists and realised where he was taking us.

“No,” I breathed, my voice almost stolen by the wind.

The old reservoir.

All those years ago, this had been our place. Not in Rider territory or Devil’s territory. This was a hidden nirvana, nestled away where club rules and regulations didn’t matter.

And whenever life had got too much, too rough, or we needed a break, we ended up here.

Sometimes we’d talk for hours, sometimes we’d say absolutely nothing. There had been entire evenings where we’d watched the water until the sun had long since disappeared. Where cloud gazing had turned into star counting, gasping at the shooting stars and marvelling at a universe that made all our problems seem so insignificant.

Vienna slowed the Harley as we approached the familiar lay-by before pulling in, cutting the engine and allowing the sounds of nature to settle around us.

I closed my eyes and listened to it all—the water gently trickling, the wind rustling through the trees, the birds singing, and the crickets chirping.

This was a slice of heaven, a moment frozen in time, as though the last decade had never happened.

I tightened my arms around him even more and kissed between his shoulder blades.

“I can’t believe you brought me here,” I whispered, feeling ridiculously close to tears.

“I can’t believe you’re back,” he said, equally as quiet, sounding equally as close to tears.

And after that, we remained in a comforting silence, letting the years wash away and the dawn of a new beginning settle between us.

Chapter 36

Gabriella

I don’t know how long we spent at that reservoir, or what had happened in our absence, and to be honest, I didn’t care.

The day had been simplistic and perfect.

After sitting in silence for a while, we’d taken a walk in the fields, dipped our toes in the water, and eventually found ourselves on our backs, our fingers linked, watching the clouds move above us.

We’d visited the old playhouse and laughed at old memories. This was neutral ground, and the playhouse had become a challenge—which club youth division could secure it as their headquarters?

It was abandoned now, but the memories still whispered to us both, reminding us of a life spent together.

It wasn’t anything earth-shattering or overly romantic. But that wasn’t us.