Page 44 of Property of Spike

Falling to my knees in front of her, I reach up, pulling her into my arms. I hold her tightly, her face pressed against my chest as she shudders with every sob. I can feel the heat of her tears soaking through my shirt, and it guts me. She’s not just crying; she’s breaking. The woman I’ve come to care about more thanI ever thought I could is falling apart in my arms, and there’s nothing I can do to fix it. Except carry it for her.

“Shh, it’s okay,” I whisper, brushing the strands of her hair away from her face as gently as I can. “We’ll get through this. I swear I’ll get Asher back. And I’m never letting either of you go.”

Her grip on my shirt tightens as though she’s trying to hold on to the last piece of herself, the last shred of something solid in a world that’s turned upside down. But she doesn’t say anything. She doesn’t need to. I know what she’s feeling. I can feel it in the way her body shakes against mine.

I can feel her fear, her sadness, her heartbreak…and I’m gonna take it all.

“Give it to me, baby,” I murmur softly, my lips grazing her ear. “Let me carry everything for you. Let me take all of it, Riley. Everything that hurts, everything that scares you, everything that breaks you, give it to me. I swear I won’t let you face it alone.”

I feel her body go still for a moment, and I know she’s holding her breath, fighting the battle between wanting to let go and not knowing if she can. But I’m not letting her keep this weight. I’m not gonna stand by and watch her destroy herself. I’ll carry it for her, even if it crushes me. I’d do anything to take her pain away.

Slowly, she lets out a long breath, the tension in her body easing just a little as she finally, finally allows herself to lean on me completely.

I lean down, my lips barely brushing her forehead. As my lips move from her forehead to the soft skin of her temple, she closes her eyes, and I feel her tremble. This isn’t a kiss for desire. It’s not a kiss of passion. It’s the kiss of someone willing to take her grief, her heartache, her soul-crushing fear and make it their own.

I taste her tears. Salty and fresh. And I take them in, feeling the weight of her sadness seep into me. My heart aches as Iswallow her grief, and I promise, in this quiet, intimate moment, that I won’t ever let her feel this fear again.

I pull back slightly, my breath shaky. “I’ll get him back, Riley,” I whisper, my voice rough. “I swear on everything I have. I’ll make Chuck pay for what he did to you. And I’ll get our son back, no matter who I have to kill.”

Yes,ourson.

Myfucking son.

She nods, her fingers curling into my shirt as she lets the last of her sobs fade away. The weight of her pain is still there but a little lighter. Just a little. And I’ll keep taking it, piece by piece, until she doesn’t have to carry it anymore.

I’ll make sure it’s the last time she ever faces anything like this again.

Leaning down, I seal my silent promise with a barely there kiss on her lips.

Chapter Thirteen

Riley

Spike’s in a meeting, but I don’t care. I know he’s talking about Chuck and Asher, and I want to be part of it.

So, pulling my big girl panties up, I march my way to the war room. Which I’ve only just learned is an empty room with a huge round table and a wall full of security screens.

“You can’t go in there right now, miss,” a man says as he steps in front of the door. “I’m afraid there’s a meeting going on.”

“I’m fully aware of that,” I respond, my voice still a bit raspy from Chuck’s attack. The bruises on the outside are nothing compared to how I feel on the inside. It hurts to speak, but I won’t back down now. I take another step forward.

Without a second thought, the man reaches out and places his hand on my shoulder to stop me. He doesn’t hurt me, doesn’t squeeze too tightly, but instinct takes over. I rear my fist back and slam it into his throat.

He staggers back, shocked, but I can tell it wasn’t enough to seriously hurt him. He just stumbles against the door, clearly surprised by my reaction.

“What the fuck is going on?” Spike shouts as he opens the door, causing Blue Eyes to fall back.

Blue Eyes points right at me, and I square my shoulders.

“Baby, what are you doing moving around?” he says, ignoring his man and stepping over him. “You shouldn’t be walking around on your own.”

“What the fuck, Prez?” the man sputters, pushing himself up. “This fucking woman hits me, and you’re acting like she’s your goddamn prize?”

“Damnit,” Max, at least, I think that’s Max, grumbles from behind me. “I’m gonna lose all my prospects at this rate.”

“She hit you?” Spike asks him. “Why?”

“How the hell am I supposed to know?” the man stammers, his face flushed with anger. “I just told her she couldn’t go in the room.”

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