Chapter Fourteen
Spike
I smirk as Riley walks out of my office, holding two bags of milk ready to be frozen.
“I’m not sure how long these can be stored,” she says, a little shy. “But I wrote today’s date on them. Maybe I can buy a baby bottle, and you can feed Asher with this supply.”
I fucking love that idea.
“Maybe after a week or so,” I say, taking the bags from her. “I want him to nurse from you for a while when he gets back. You two need that bond, baby.”
She nods, chewing her lip as she watches me store the bags in the freezer.
“Maybe we should mark them,” she suggests. “What if someone grabs one by mistake? That would… make me feel weird.”
Not to mention, nobody’s taking a damn thing from my boy. That shit’s his , and that’s the end of it.
I turn toward the room and raise my voice. “Nobody fucking touches the milk in the freezer,” I announce, making sure every asshole within earshot hears me. “If a single bag comes up missing, I will find out who took it, and I will hold you in place while my woman throat-punches you. Then , I’ll take my turn.”
Maverick nods solemnly. “Best listen to him. It’s kind of her thing,” he says, rubbing his throat. “I’ve witnessed the madness firsthand. You don’t want that kind of pain.”
Riley gapes at the two of us like we’ve lost our damn minds. “You two are impossible ,” she mutters, then scans the room before landing on Skip. “You’re my favorite of the day, Skip.”
Like a fucking idiot, the bastard skips over to her, arms wide open.
“Touch her, and I’ll break your fucking arm,” I warn.
Skip freezes mid-step, pouting dramatically. “Damn it, Prez! I just wanted to give her a hug. I am her favorite of the day, after all.”
Before I can explain to my beautiful woman that I’ll always be her favorite every day, the front door swings open, and Tank walks in with my siblings.
Both of them are younger than me. Samuel by two years and Abigail by a whopping fifteen.
“I have to go,” Samuel greets quickly, already looking at his watch. “I’ve got a meeting in D.C., and if I don’t catch my flight, I’m not gonna make it.”
“Hello to you too, little brother,” I say dryly. “At least give me a damn hug before you leave.”
Shaking his head with a smirk, he steps into my waiting arms. He’s a fucking idiot for making Abby travel all this way, but I know why he did it. She wouldn’t have made the trip on her own, ever .
“This is my woman, Riley,” I say, wrapping an arm around her waist. “Next time you get a break, come stay for a while.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Riley,” he says, stepping forward to take her hand.
I shake my head once, stopping him dead in his tracks.
She asked me not to let anyone touch her, and I’ll be damned if I let that start now. Works for me. I don’t want any of these fuckers putting their hands on her.
“Bubby?”
At the small voice, I glance past Samuel and see my baby sister standing in the doorway, looking like she wants to be anywhere but here.
“I have to go, Abby,” Samuel tells her gently. “I’m sorry I can’t stay and help you settle in. But Bubby’s here, and he’s gonna take care of you. Love you, honey.”
With a quick hug and a glance back, he’s gone.
I press a kiss to Riley’s head before stepping away, sending a silent glare to the room, daring any of them to lay a single fucking finger on her, before I head toward my sister.
“Come here, squirt,” I say, pulling her into my arms.
Her little body trembles in my arms.
I tighten my hold, feeling just how thin she’s gotten. She’s lost weight. Too much weight. Fucking Sam. He was supposed to be taking care of her.
“It’s okay, Abby,” I sigh, holding her a little tighter. “You’re safe here. I promise. Nothing can touch you inside these walls.”
She lets out a shuddering breath, pressing her face against my chest. “I’ve missed you, Bubby,” she whispers. “I’m sorry that I’m so scared to be here. But, at the same time, I’m really happy.”
“And I’ve missed you,” I murmur, resting my chin on the top of Abigail’s head. “I was planning a trip out there for Christmas, but that was too damn long of a wait. You do realize you’re not leaving now, right?”
She nods against my chest, letting out a small laugh.
“I figured,” she admits. “And I’m okay with that. I love our brother, but he doesn’t make me feel as safe as you do.”
I close my eyes for half a second, exhaling slowly.
I have to remind myself that the person who hurt my baby sister is dead …by my own hands. But the thought never seems to calm me.
Because the damage was already done.
“Come,” I say, pulling back. “I want to introduce you to someone.”
Gripping her elbow, I lead her toward Riley, who’s standing quietly, watching us with soft eyes.
“Abigail, this is my ol’ lady, Riley. Baby, my little sister, Abigail.”
Abby gives Riley a warm smile, holding out her hand. “Goodness, just call me Abby. I sure hope my brother dealt with whoever did that to you.”
The reminder of the bruises on my woman reignite the fire inside of me.
“Not yet,” I growl. “But I will.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Abby,” Riley says, her voice gentle, ignoring my vow. There’s a brief hesitation, but then she reaches out and quickly shakes Abby’s hand.
“I can’t believe someone finally caught my brother’s attention,” Abby teases, grinning at Riley before shooting me a playful side-eye. “I mean, you’re so beautiful, it’s no wonder.”
Riley blushes, glancing away for a second. “I was just thinking the same thing about you. Is your hair naturally that blonde? It’s almost white. And your eyes are so blue that I can practically see the waves of the ocean in them.”
Abby laughs, running a hand through her hair. “It is my natural color. Believe it or not, I was born with dark hair. It just changed over the years. I usually keep it tied up to give it some dimension, but my head’s been killing me, so I let it down.”
“You should keep it that way,” Riley says softly. “It’s stunning.”
Abby beams at her, and for the first time in what feels like years, something in my chest eases.
Then, her expression shifts. She tilts her head slightly, brows pinching together as she studies Riley. “Why are your eyes so sad?”
Riley freezes, and I see it. The guilt . For just a moment, she’d let herself forget. Let herself enjoy a simple conversation. And now, she looks like she wants to apologize for it.
She has nothing to be sorry for.
I step in before she drowns in it. “I’m afraid you’ve come to us at a rather hard time, baby sister. Let’s go to my office, and we’ll update you…”
“My son has been taken by his father,” Riley blurts before I can take a single step.
Abby’s eyes widen, shock flickering across her face before her gaze fills with tears.
“He’s not even two weeks old,” Riley continues, her voice tight. “He’s the same reason I’m black and blue.”
Abby’s bottom lip trembles, her tears slipping free. Always so damn sensitive to other people’s pain, my baby sister.
“Can’t you get him back?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.
I tighten my arm around Riley, holding her steady as I meet Abby’s gaze.
“We’re getting him back tomorrow. ”
The words settle in the air, heavy with promise. And I’ll be damned if I let anything stop me from making it happen.
***
“You really should’ve stayed home,” Bones mutters, gripping the steering wheel tight. “Not just for your safety, but for Riley’s. You’re the face of this club, Prez. One look at you, and that bastard Chuck will know exactly where she and Asher are.”
“I get your logic,” I say, my voice steady. “I do, brother. But I needed to be here. I needed to be in this damn car when Maverick brings my son out of that house. I needed to be the one to hold him first, to take him back to his mother.” I gesture toward the windows. “Besides, these are tinted past the legal limit. No one can see me.”
Bones stays quiet, jaw tight. He knows I’m right, but that doesn’t stop him from worrying. It never does. I don’t know how many times I’ve told him he doesn’t need to be my damn bodyguard, yet here we are.
“Here he comes,” Bones says, relief bleeding into his voice.
My eyes lock past Maverick and land on Chuck, standing on his porch, arms crossed, scowling like the miserable bastard he is.
He may not be able to find my family yet, but he’s gonna try. This won’t be the last time I see Charles Landry.
Maverick yanks open the passenger door and climbs inside, slamming it shut. Before he even has a chance to hand Asher back, I reach forward, carefully taking my son into my arms.
“Hey there, son,” I murmur, my voice soft and filled with relief. “Your mommy misses you very much.”
I check him over, my fingers running gently along his tiny arms, legs, and belly. No bruises, no marks. He’s warm and breathing. Safe.
Satisfied, I press a kiss to his soft little head before securing him into his seat.
“Get us the fuck out of here, Bones,” Maverick growls. “Before I jump out and beat that bastard until he can’t fucking function.”
My blood runs cold. I snap my gaze up to Maverick. “What happened?” My voice is sharp, deadly. “Are you hurt?”
Sure, Maverick can watch out for himself. But, I’ll kill any bastard who harms any member of my family. That includes the stubborn Outlaw.
I narrow my eyes, watching Maverick shift in his seat, gripping his thighs like he’s trying to hold himself back from going feral. My patience is already hanging by a thread. I need answers.
“What happened?” I repeat, my voice cold. “Did he touch you?”
Maverick shakes his head but doesn’t meet my eyes. “Not me.” His jaw clenches tight, the muscles ticking. “But that fucker sure as hell wanted to make sure I passed along a message.”
I already know I’m not gonna like this. “Spit it out.”
Maverick exhales through his nose, looking out the window like it’ll stop the rage from swallowing him whole. “He said to tell Riley to enjoy her time playing house. That it won’t last. That he can’t wait to have her back and under him so he can teach her a lesson. Took everything in me to turn and walk away, Spike. If I didn’t have your boy in my arms, I wouldn’t have.”
The air in the car turns suffocating. That motherfucker.
Bones curses under his breath. “Knew this wasn’t over. Does he know she’s with the Shadows?”
“Not sure, but I wouldn’t doubt it,” Maverick says. “It’s not even the words he said, brother. It’s the way he said them. There was something almost wild behind his voice.”
The only thing that stops me from leaving this car so I can put a bullet in Chuck’s smug face is the tiny sound that comes from the infant seat. A small, soft noise.
Asher.
I look beside me. He’s awake now, blinking up at the ceiling, completely unaware of the war raging inside me.
I exhale sharply, running a hand down my face, forcing the red-hot fury down before I do something reckless. I can’t afford to lose my shit. Not here. Not now.
“Get us the fuck home,” I mutter.
Bones nods, pressing his foot down on the gas.
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.