Page 52 of Property of Spike

As we pull away, I glance one last time toward the house. And there he is - Chuck Landry, standing on his front porch, arms crossed, watching us leave like he just won this round.

Then the fucker smirks. Lifts his hand in a slow, mocking wave.

The message is clear. He let us take Asher back. Because this isn’t over. Because he’s got something else planned.

“Drive carefully. I need to take the baby out of his seat,” I tell Bones as I unbuckle Asher and lay him across my lap. “I want to check him for bugs. Chuck looks way too fucking smug for someone who just lost custody of his son.”

Once his clothes are clear, I strip him of his diaper and inspect it. Sure enough, a small tear was made on the inside, and a tracker was placed within the diaper.

“I’m gonna swing by the bus stop,” Bones says. “Shove the tracker back inside the diaper and wad it up. Maybe he’ll think she took the bus and left town.”

Not a bad idea.

Grabbing a fresh diaper from the bag that Riley had us bring, I change him and place him back in his seat.

That bastard thinks he can hurt my family?

I clench my jaw so hard it aches.

You want a fucking war, Chuck?

Fine. You got one.

Chapter Fifteen

Riley

I pace back and forth as I wait for Spike to return with my son.

“You know,” I tell Abby. “I’m not the only one with sad eyes.”

Okay, yeah, I’m pushing for a distraction. But it’s the truth. She looks like she’s been through something horrible.

“How do you think I picked up on yours so quickly?” she smiles sadly. “I see that same look every time I look in a mirror.”

“Want to talk about it?” I ask, finally sitting down beside her on the floor in front of the fireplace. There’s no fire, but it’s okay.

“No,” she says. “But it always helps when I do.”

Sighing, Abby turns and sits with her legs bent under her.

“A few years ago, I was on a trip with my friends,” she starts. “It was a graduation trip because we had all just finished college. I had finally gotten my bachelor’s degree in business administrationand already had a plan to start my own business.”

“What type of business?” I ask.

“I wanted to open a boutique store and sell my own clothing designs,” she smiles wistfully. “Bubby already bought me the building as a graduation gift, and I was going to move here and get an apartment. It was my ultimate dream. Still is.”

“What happened?” I ask softly.

Abby exhales slowly, staring into the empty fireplace like she’s seeing something far away. Something she doesn’t want to remember but can’t forget.

“We took a trip to Mexico,” she finally says. “It wasn’t supposed to be dangerous. We weren’t being reckless or anything. One of my friends had family there that was letting us crash at their place. We thought it would be a great way to experience a new culture before we all settled into our careers. Plus, it’s just around the corner. I planned to come straight to Palm Springs right after.”

I nod, encouraging her to continue.

“For the first few days, everything was perfect,” she says, her voice hollow. “The markets, the food, the people - it was exactly what we’d hoped for. But on the fourth night, we were out late, celebrating, and we made the mistake of taking a route we weren’t familiar with.”

She pauses, swallowing hard, her hands clenching into fists in her lap.

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