17. Nitro

17

NITRO

I woke up next to Tommy, and all was perfect with the world. A small smile played on my lips as I watched him sleep peacefully.

Tommy mumbled something in his sleep, a contented sound that reassured me.

It seemed like the nightmares that had been plaguing him before were finally starting to fade.

I debated the idea of staying in bed all day, just relishing in the comfort of being with my mate.

But reality nudged me, reminding me of the tasks ahead.

Spike had recovered, and it was high time for him and me to mend things with Olaf.

I promised Venom we would and I always made good on my promises.

Besides, I knew Tommy had plans to meet Marc later that afternoon. Those two needed to catch up and settle their differences.

I gently brushed a strand of hair away from Tommy's face, planting a soft kiss on his forehead before reluctantly getting out of bed.

I decided to take a quick shower to wake me up completely.

Minutes later, the door to the bathroom creaked open, revealing Tommy.

"Morning," I greeted, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips.

Tommy looked amazing, clad in one of my oversized shirts and nothing else.

"Morning, Nitro," Tommy said, tone playful. “Is there space for one more?”

I flashed my mate a devious grin.

After our overly long shower, we made our way downstairs to the eating area o the MC clubhouse.

The familiar sounds of conversation, laughter, and the occasional roar of a motorcycle surrounded us.

I had grown accustomed to the noise over the years, but today, a new thought crossed my mind.

I glanced at Tommy, who grabbed a plate of food from the buffet table with me.

I couldn't help but ponder the idea of having our own place.

A space where we could enjoy slow, quiet mornings together without the constant hum of the clubhouse.

The notion seemed inviting, and I found myself daydreaming about sipping coffee with Tommy on our porch.

Maybe we could adopt a dog or cat. My imagination stretched even further as I pictured Tommy with a baby on his lap.

As we settled at an empty table, Tommy noticed the distant expression on my face.

"You look distracted, Nitro. What's on your mind?" he asked, his eyes searching mine.

I took a deep breath, considering how to share my thoughts.

"I was thinking about the future,” I admitted.

Tommy suddenly looked guarded all of a sudden.

I continued, “Hey, nothing bad. I was just thinking about the idea of having our own space, away from all this chaos. A place for just you and me and maybe we could add a kid or pet in the future.”

Tommy's face fell, a reaction I hadn't anticipated.

It dawned on me that maybe I had broached the topic of getting our own place too soon. Concern etched across his features.

“I don’t want to rush you or anything,” I added.

His expression softened. We had time, and I wanted to make sure we were both ready for such a significant step.

Tommy reached for my hand, a gesture that both comforted and concerned me. Taking a deep breath, he looked into my eyes.

"There's something I need to tell you," he began.

I tightened my grip on his hand, a silent encouragement for him to continue.

"I'm listening," I assured him.

“Hicks made sure I couldn’t have children,” he whispered.

Anger surged within me and all I saw was red. Tommy had endured so much. This was so unfair.

However, before my anger could consume me, Tommy squeezed my arm, grounding me in the present.

Unlike the time when I had lost control in front of my former fiancée and best friend, I felt more anchored now.

Tommy was here and he wouldn’t let me go off the rails.

As I processed the weight of his words, I realized that I had unintentionally touched on something deeply painful for him.

Guilt crept in, and I quickly apologized.

"Tommy, I'm sorry. I didn't realize..." I began, my voice trailing off.

Tommy shook his head, a faint smile on his lips, though tears lingered in his eyes.

"It happened a while back. I don't even think about it anymore," he confessed, his attempt at brushing off the pain evident.

"But," he added softly, "I'm just sad that I won't be able to give you kids."

Those words struck deep, and I felt an ache in my chest. Tommy searched my eyes, a silent question hanging between us.

"Is that... is that a dealbreaker for you?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

My heart broke at the thought that Tommy might believe this could be a reason for me to reconsider.

I leaned over and gave him a kiss on the mouth.

"Tommy, nothing about you could ever be a dealbreaker for me. I love you, and that's all that matters," I assured him, my thumb gently wiping away a tear that had escaped.

“Come here,” I added.

Tommy left his seat and perched on my lap. I held Tommy close in a reassuring hug.

"I love you so much too," he confessed.

I never got tired of hearing those words. I nodded, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of his head.

"Tommy, it's more than okay. If we both decide we want kids in the future, we can explore adoption. What matters to me is your happiness," I assured him..

"I am," Tommy said, his voice more certain. "I'm the happiest I've ever been. I just wish this whole affair is over."

I pulled back to look into his eyes.

"We'll find Dylan's attacker, Tommy. I'll put an end to this so we can focus on building our tomorrow together," I promised.

"You looked pissed," Spike remarked as I entered his room.

Micah had just finished giving him a final check-up, and the absence of bandages suggested Spike was back to his normal self.

"How is he?" I asked Micah.

"Good, but he shouldn't push it," Micah said before excusing himself.

I decided to address Spike's observation.

"I'm not pissed, just annoyed I won't be seeing my mate for a few days," I grumbled, a hint of frustration in my voice.

"Just two days," Spike reminded me.

"Who will watch Tommy's back while you're gone?" he inquired when I didn’t say anything else.

"Marc," I answered. "He'll be in Moon Burrow for the entire week."

"It's a good chance for those two to talk," Spike pointed out.

"Yeah," I said with a sigh. "Anyway, let's load the truck and get going."

As we loaded the cache of weapons into the pickup truck, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease at leaving Tommy behind.

Also, I preferred riding on my Harley instead of taking the truck, but duty called.

We needed to deliver these weapons to Olaf and his pack as an apology.

Spike wasn't my ideal road companion either. I glanced at the weapons in the back, a tangible reminder of the mess we needed to clean up.

I sighed, missing the moments with Tommy, and if given a choice, I'd never leave his side.

But Marc was there to watch over his brother, and I trusted him. Besides, I had a plan B.

I managed to convince a raven shifter, to keep a close eye on both Marc and Tommy.

If anything happened, Corey would report back to me immediately. As the familiar scenery rolled by, Spike sensed my preoccupation.

"You're still thinking about Tommy?" Spike asked, glancing at me.

We were only fifteen minutes into our long journey.

Spike took over the wheel for now but we planned to take turns driving to cover more ground efficiently.

I nodded, unable to shake the worry that lingered in the back of my mind.

"Yeah," I admitted.

"Nothing's going to happen to him, Nitro. Marc's there, and he can handle things,” Spike said.

"I sure hope so," I replied.

My mind kept returning to Dylan’s attack and that worrying note left on Tommy’s doorstep.

To ease my anxiety, I decided to share a secret with Spike. I told him about the watcher I'd assigned to keep an eye on Tommy and Marc.

Spike chuckled. "Overprotective bear,” he muttered under his breath.

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Are you going to tell Tommy about this?" I asked.

Spike scoffed. "Of course not. This will be between us,” Spike replied.

The remainder of the drive was uneventful, filled with casual banter between Spike and me.

He shared tales of his boredom during his recovery, and I updated him on the latest developments with Tommy and me.

We also traded theories on the mysterious attacker plaguing Tommy.

As we neared Blue Vale Valley, the atmosphere shifted, and the mood became more serious. This territory belonged to Olaf and his pack.

After Spike's less-than-impressive behavior during our last visit, the guards at the entrance greeted us with unfriendly looks.

However, it seemed that Olaf had informed them of our arrival because, after a thorough security check, we were granted permission to enter.

The tension in the air was palpable as we made our way further into the compound, preparing to meet Olaf and present our peace offering.

After securing a parking spot, I locked the doors of the truck and turned to Spike, preparing him for the upcoming meeting with Olaf.

“What the heck’s going on, Nitro?” Spike demanded.

“Spike, I need you to be on your best behaviour,” I reminded him. “We can’t afford to provoke Olaf again and remember, Jack, Olaf's second, will probably try to stir trouble again.”

“Olaf should change his second,” Spike grumbled.

Was he really listening to me?

“It would be better if I did the talking,” I told him.

Spike rolled his eyes and muttered a sarcastic "yes, dad" under his breath.

I gripped Spike's shoulder, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation. He sobered up, nodding in agreement.

"Let's just get this over with," Spike mumbled.

I knew he'd fall in line, at least for the time being.

I finally unlocked the truck doors, and we stepped out to be greeted by two surly werewolves.

"You two can unload the merchandise and bring it to the pack house,” one of them said.

Spike shot me a look filled with irritation. He wasn't accustomed to taking orders from anyone other than Venom.

I shared his sentiment but swallowed my pride, managing to mutter a begrudging "Fine" under my breath.

Carrying the crates with our peace offering, we made our way to the pack house.

After carefully placing the crates down, I turned to face Olaf.

Jack, with his arrogant grin, directed his mocking gaze toward Spike.

Spike let out a soft growl but I placed a hand over his chest. Spike gland at me, but he stayed put.

My jaw clenched, anticipating a challenging encounter.

It was clear that this day was going to be a struggle, and I couldn't wait to conclude this errand so I could return to Tommy.

Olaf studied the crates for a moment before his eyes flickered to me.

"Nitro," he acknowledged with a nod.

"Olaf," I responded, keeping it short.

"Peace offering?" Olaf inquired, gesturing to the crates.

I explained the situation briefly, emphasizing the apology from the MC.

Jack, however, couldn't resist interjecting. "Apology for what? The little tantrum your friend here threw last time?" Jack demanded.

I shot Spike a warning look, silently pleading for him to keep his cool. Spike merely rolled his eyes.

Ignoring Jack's provocation, I addressed Olaf.

"We hope this helps mend things between our two groups,” I said.

Olaf's expression remained unreadable, but he nodded in acceptance.

"We'll see." Then he turned his attention to Spike. "And what about you?"

Spike sighed. "I'm just here as Nitro's plus one. Not planning on causing trouble this time,” Spike said.

Jack snorted in disbelief, but Olaf shot him a warning glance.

"We've got business to discuss. Jack, you should probably sit this one out,” Olaf said and Jack looked surprised by that.

Jack muttered a curse under his breath, but eventually stomped away.

Maybe this meeting wouldn’t be so bad after all.