Page 36 of Nitro

Spike’s entire face drained of color. “Right. I did,” he muttered.

“Take it back, Spike. Let’s march to his office right now. You'll apologize, grovel on your knees, do whatever it takes,” I suggested.

“He wasn’t in his office. Mayhem mentioned he went back home early. It’s his kid’s birthday,” Spike mumbled, avoiding eye contact. “Mayhem warned me not to intrude on a family matter.”

So Spike tried to call off the fight, or at the very least, thought about canceling it? That was a good sign, wasn't it?

“Besides, it’s too late,” Spike said, staring blankly at the ceiling.

“Spike, please tell me this isn’t because you want the attention or…are you suicidal?” I asked, my concern spiking as I took in the dark circles under his eyes.

Spike had lost some weight too.

"Hey, Nitro, shouldn't you be with Tommy tonight? What are you doing here?" he abruptly changed the topic.

"Tommy said you might need me more, and it turned out he was right," I replied.

I couldn't afford to let Spike distract me with questions about my personal life.

Right now, my focus was on keeping him out of unnecessary trouble.

Ignoring his attempt to deflect the conversation, I continued, "We can still sort this out, Spike. It's not too late to fix things. You don't need to prove anything to anyone."

Spike's eyes flickered with a mix of emotions – shame, regret, and defeat.

“Just go back to Tommy, Nitro. You’ve done all you could.” Spike turned on his side, signalling the conversation was over.

I wanted to shake some sense into him, but knew I had done all I could for him tonight. It was time to get back to Tommy.

9

TOMMY

I dreamt I was back in that cold, dark cell again, but this time, I didn't just manage to exit the room.

I also navigated the maze of corridors. My heart raced in trepidation and excitement.

Bolting up the stairs that led to the first floor of Hicks' house, I could almost taste freedom.

The lights in the kitchen were glaringly bright, forcing me to squint as I surveyed my surroundings.

The nearby window caught my attention, and I wiped the dirt off with the sleeve of my shirt to see anything beyond.

The house had a view of the woods, and in the distance, a massive and scarred grizzly bear caught my eye.

My heart leapt in my throat, recognition flooding in.

"Nitro," I whispered and my voice held a hint of longing.

Nitro wasn't looking at the house, unaware of my presence.

"I'm here," I started to shout, waving my arms desperately, but he couldn't hear me.

Panic set in as I tried the door leading outside, only to find it locked.

When I turned my attention back to the windows, I saw bars, trapping me inside.

"You're not going anywhere, Tommy," whispered a familiar and sinister voice.

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