Page 77 of Property of Spike

I nod, but the heaviness in my chest doesn’t let up.

Asher squirms against me, and I gently adjust him, brushing a strand of hair from his forehead. It’s not enough to calm the storm inside me.

“Come on, let’s get out of here for a while,” I say, voice shaking. “We need to be somewhere safe.”

Spike hesitates, his gaze lingering on the wreckage. But when he looks at me again, something shifts in his eyes – a mix of determination and love. “We’ll stay in the bunker until we get this place back to normal.”

Nodding, I take one last look around the room.

“There’s no way this is protocol,” I voice my thoughts. “Chuck is behind this damage. I know it deep down in my soul that he’s told them to cause as much damage as possible. Might want to check for new bugs. He probably paid someone to place a few.”

Spike’s eyes widen before looking back at Bones.

“Already on it, doll,” he says.

“I’m gonna get Abby and move her back down in the bunker,” Tank says. “Skip has already made a call to a cleanup crew. Everything will be finished before we wake up in the morning. We’re paying them double their amount to work through the rest of today and overnight.”

“Good,” Spike says. “Baby, I need to go out for a few hours. I need to go and check in on my other chapters. All four of us were raided at the same time. I need to make sure everyone is safe.”

“We’ll be fine,” I tell him, even though everything in me doesn’t want him out of my line of sight. But I can’t be clingy. He has too many people depending on him.

“Order some new things for Asher,” he says, handing me a black card. “We also need a new mattress and couch. Pick whatever ones you want. Just have them delivered here tomorrow. Pay whatever shipping fee is needed to get it done. I love you, baby. Please, stay in the bunker.”

I nod, trying to steady my breathing as I hold Asher close, but the tightness in my chest lingers. Every instinct in me wants to be near Spike, to stay within arm’s reach, but I know he has to go.

I gently rock Asher in my arms, my mind racing as the chaos of the compound swirls around me. The wreckage. The broken things. It’s all a physical manifestation of the mess we’re in, and no matter how much cleaning gets done, it feels like we’re never going to fix what’s been torn apart.

“Spike, be careful,” I say, my voice cracking a little, betraying the fear I’ve been holding back. “I know you have to go, butplease be careful. You know Chuck won’t stop until he gets what he wants.”

Spike’s gaze softens as he brushes a stray lock of hair from my face, his hand lingering for just a moment too long. “I’ll be fine. I promise you.” His tone is firm, but there’s a spark of something deeper in his eyes. Something I can’t quite read, but it’s a promise that stirs something protective deep inside me. “I’ll have Bones with me. That fucker can scare the devil. He’ll have us all back together soon.”

His hand reaches out, brushing Asher’s tiny head, and for a moment, I see him – really see him – lost in the softness of the fatherhood that he’s claimed. It’s a fleeting moment, but it means everything to me.

“I love you, baby,” he says, his voice low, almost a whisper.

“I love you, too,” I reply, trying to keep my voice steady, though the words feel like they’re wrapped in a thousand unsaid things.

As he turns to leave, Tank gives me a reassuring nod. “We got this, Riley. We’ll keep everything tight until Spike gets back.”

“I know,” I say, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Just… please, be careful. Both of you.”

Spike pauses in the doorway, turning back to look at me once more. His eyes harden, then soften all at once. “We will, baby. Trust me.” And with that, he’s gone, his heavy footsteps echoing down the hall.

I take a shaky breath and turn to Tank. “Thank you.”

Tank just grins, that knowing smile of his on full display. “I wouldn’t let anything happen to either of you. You’re family.”

I smile back, but it doesn’t quite reach my eyes. All I can think about is Spike out there, in the thick of it, while I’m stuck here trying to hold things together.

But I know what I have to do. I have to keep Asher safe. I have to stay strong, even when every fiber of my being wants to collapse into Spike’s arms and never let go.

“Let’s go get Abby,” I tell my large friend. “She hates the bunker, but I think if we spend the day snacking and watching movies, it will be easier for her.”

Nodding, Tank leads me out of the room.

***

“Tank, you might want to come out here,” Mike’s voice says over the walkie. “The police are here and asking for Riley.”

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