Page 75 of Ravaged Saints

I nod, but Knox steps in. “What the fuck happened, Ryker?”

“The ammo for one of the handguns is missing,” Ryker rasps, pacing to calm himself.

“Are you sure you counted it right?” Dante asks, steadily.

“Yeah!” Ryker bites out.

“Didn’t you grab more when you went to town?” Knox kneels beside Aspen, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

“You okay, pet?” he asks gently.

“I’m fine. It just stings a bit.” She whispers, and Ryker stops pacing; his eyes roam her body, and he reaches out his hand, but she stays still, looking up at his eyes. There is fear in her face, and Ryker’s face turns softer, his eyes worried.

She reaches her hand out, and he pulls her up for a hug. “Never put yourself in the middle of a fight, love,” he whispers, and she nods into his chest.

“I didn’t want anyone to get hurt.” She whispers, and Ryker holds her closer, leaning into her, and she almost disappears.

“We’ll find the ammo,” Knox says. “It’s probably in the underground room.”

“Underground room?” Aspen asks, lifting her head from Ryker’s chest.

We exchange looks. We never thought of telling the girls about it, but they need to know where the guns are in case they ever need them.

“Come on, I’ll show you,” I say, taking her hand away from Ryker, his eyes locked on her, and then he looks at me, but I avoid him.

“I’ll talk to Ethan,” Dante says. He’s the best one for it—calm and collected. Knox would rip his head off.

“I don’t think Ethan would do anything to put us in danger,” I say more to keep the peace than anything else. The truth is, something has been nagging me about Ethan since we went to town.

“Fuck this,” Ryker mutters. “You guys deal with it. But when the shit hits the fan, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He storms out of the base, heading for the gate.

“Where the fuck are you going, Recon?” Knox demands.

“For a walk,” Ryker spits, disappearing into the trees.

I watch him disappear, and if this was before the Bryn situation, I would go after him, but now? He can deal with his shit.

I turn to Aspen, “Let’s go.” I walk to the floor door and pull it open after punching in the code.

Aspen’s eyes widen as she gasps, “I never even noticed this door!” Her surprise makes me chuckle.

“That’s the point, sweetheart.” I chuckle and hold her hand while we go down the stairs. The space below is dark, almost like a bunker, and this is where we keep the bulk of our guns, ammo, grenades, missiles, and even a couple of bazookas. There’s also the tech and everything we’d need for defense or survival.

The walls and floors are steel, giving the room a cold, sterile feel with shelves lining the space, each one packed with equipment and weapons, everything meticulously organized.

“This is where we keep our stuff, in case of an attack,” I explain, flipping on a small overhead light. Aspen’s eyes roam the room, taking in every detail, and her lips part slightly in awe.

“If we ever get attacked, you’ll know where to find something to protect yourself.”

She turns to me with a grin. “If anyone makes it past you guys, I’m pretty sure guns won’t be enough to save me.” I chuckle and feel the heat rising. I fucking love it when she’s a smart ass.

She points toward the table, her eyes narrowing. “Are those missiles?”

“Yeah, they are.” I pick one up, and her fingers tentatively trail over the surface, her eyes full of curiosity.

“I’ve only ever seen stuff like this in movies,” she murmurs, leaning closer, but her attention shifts, and she reaches out to pick up a grenade, holding it carefully in her palm.

“Don’t worry; they don’t blow up that easily.” I laugh, and her eyes widen before she puts them back like they burned her hands.

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