Page 33 of Nitro

No messages or missed calls from Spike. Of course, I expected that. Spike wouldn't reach out, not if he could help it.

I sighed, realizing Tommy was right. I should take the first step. Tommy said he'd be fine once he fell asleep.

Thinking back to our recent conversation at the restaurant, I could tell Tommy had been insecure about himself.

It got me thinking, was I acting like Marc, too overbearing and overprotective?

Tommy was doing his best, standing on his own two feet.

Maybe I should trust him a little more and be more confident in his abilities.

I rose to my feet, scribbled Tommy a quick note, then left his apartment to go see my reckless best friend.

I rode back to the MC compound in a hurry.

My goal was simple: kick some sense into Spike's stubborn head, make him take back his challenge to Venom.

Once that was done, I'd head back to Tommy's place just in time to make him breakfast.

Scratch that last part. I'd stop by my favorite diner's drive-through and get us some waffles and bacon.

I took a deep breath, attempting to drown out the roar of laughter and clinking of beer bottles that filled the Grizzly Reapers MC clubhouse.

Normally, the noise and rough atmosphere here soothed my nerves.

Tonight however, I found myself yearning for the calm and quiet of Tommy's apartment.

The place was packed, tables filled with members from various crews, sharing jokes and stories.

It was a typical night at the clubhouse, but one thing caught my attention – the absence of Spike. Maybe I was mistaken.

I scanned the room again, my eyes searching for his familiar figure among the sea of bikers. It was odd not to find him here.

When I had called him earlier, he had assured me he was still at the clubhouse. What could he be up to tonight?

I made my way through the crowd, exchanging nods and greetings with the familiar faces.

As I approached the bar, I caught sight of Crash, the bartender for the evening. He was wiping down glasses with a scowl on his face.

"Hey, Crash," I greeted him. "Have you seen Spike around?"

Crash shot me a quick glance before returning to his task.

"Haven't seen him for a while. Last I checked, he picked a fight with Greed. Now, he's nowhere to be found,” Crash replied.

That concerned me. Spike was in a bad mood tonight. It was right of me to head back here.

I nodded my thanks to Crash. I was on the verge of continuing my search for Spike within the clubhouse.

He couldn't have ventured too far, but my attention was diverted when Greed, another bear shifter, took a seat at the bar.

His left cheek sported a blossoming bruise, and he had a packet of frozen peas pressed against it.

"Beer," Greed grumbled at Crash and then shot a glance in my direction. "Your bestie is a jerk. My mate likes me pretty, by the way."

I wasn't really concerned about Greed's condition.

Micah, his mate, was a healer, and any bruises would likely disappear in an instant under Micah's capable hands.

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