Page 18 of Property of Spike

“I fucking know,” I say through gritted teeth, dragging a hand down my face.

“We have to help her,” Bones says quietly, cutting through the tension like a blade.

The room falls silent.

“I know,” several of us admit in unison, the words heavy with inevitability.

This isn’t just about Riley anymore. It’s about who we are. Who we’ve always been. The kind of men who step into the fire, even when it burns. Especially when it burns.

“The best thing we can do right now is to keep her hidden,” I tell the room, my voice firm, brooking no argument. “As long as she stays within the walls of this compound, it shouldn’t be an issue.”

“Maybe,” Tank says, his arms crossed, his tone skeptical. “But we can’t hide her forever.”

“No,” I agree, nodding. “But we can hide her long enough to dig up dirt on Chuck. There’s no way he’s as clean as he wants people to believe.”

“I’ll look into it,” Maverick volunteers, leaning back in his chair, a calculating look in his eyes.

“Good,” I say, my tone hardening. “Bribe who you have to, extort all you want, but don’t get caught. And keep Riley’s name out of it.”

Maverick gives me a dry look, his lips quirking into a faint smirk. “Not stupid, Spike,” he says with a sigh. “I’ll get back to you when I can.”

With that, he stands, his chair scraping against the floor, and strides out of the room, already plotting his next move.

I turn my gaze back to the others. “The rest of you, continue business as usual. No slip-ups, no mistakes. We can’t afford any missteps right now.”

The room hums with tension as my brothers nod, their jaws set and their expressions grim. They know what’s at stake. And they know, just as I do, that this is the calm before the storm.

She didn’t mean to, but Riley just put everything I worked years to build on the line.

The Iron Shadows are about to go to war with the Palm Springs Police force.

Fuck.

Chapter Seven

Riley

The guest room is small but comfortable. It has a soft bed, fresh linens, and a cot for Asher. It was more than I could’ve hoped for when I ran. But even with the quiet hum of the ceiling fan and the steady rhythm of Asher’s breathing, I can’t relax. I don’t feel safe enough in this room, even though I know I am.

Something about these men, especially Spike, makes me feel safe. I don’t care if they do illegal things or not. I know deep in my heart that Spike isn’t the monster he says he is.

Voices seep through the thin walls, low and muffled but still clear enough to send a chill down my spine.

“She’s put us all at risk,” one of them says, his deep voice sharp with irritation.

“Spike should’ve said no. Now we’ve got the goddamn police commissioner breathing down our necks. For what? A woman and her kid?”

“She’s got nowhere else to go,” another replies, but there isn’t much conviction in his tone.

“Yeah, and now we might lose everything. You think she’s worth that?”

My chest tightens, my pulse thundering in my ears. I didn’t want this. I didn’t want to ruin their lives.

Asher stirs in the cot, and I go to him, brushing my fingers across his tiny hand. His warmth grounds me, even as my thoughts spin. We can’t stay here. We won’t.

Moving quickly, I shove the few things I took out of my bag, diapers, wipes, and the blanket Asher had been wrapped in at the hospital, back into it.

When I have everything packed, I tuck Asher into his carrier, slinging the strap over my shoulder. His soft coo almost shatters my resolve, but I force myself to stay strong. I can’t be the reason all of these men go to prison. I just can’t. I’ll find another place to hide. I have enough money to buy a bus ticket out of Palm Springs, but where would I go? What would I do when I got there?

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