8. Nitro

8

NITRO

The concerned look on Tommy's face made me pause in rubbing his fingers. Silently cursing myself, I realized what I'd done.

"I didn't mean to dump all my problems on you all of a sudden," I said.

What was I thinking anyway?

Tonight had to be about us, about Tommy. I wanted to show him that I could be a reliable boyfriend. A great mate.

That I would always be there for him.

Tommy shook his head quickly. "This is good," he said.

"Good?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I mean, it's not good that Spike's in trouble," Tommy blurted. "But we're talking things out... like a real couple. It's nice."

"We are a real couple," I reminded him.

"We've just gone on our first date," Tommy pointed out.

"Tommy, it feels like I've known you forever," I said. "And my grizzly knows what he, what we want. It's you."

My mate. I refrained from saying those words out loud yet.

I took a deep breath, then added, "You're it for me, Tommy. There's no one else."

The admission hung in the air, and I couldn't help but wonder how Spike would react if he overheard those embarrassing words.

The jerk would probably laugh at my face. That was Spike for you, but he always meant well.

Tommy fell silent, and the suspense made me curious about his thoughts.

This was getting out of hand and I didn’t want to overwhelm Tommy. We could talk about this a later time.

I decided to steer the conversation back to the main topic.

"The fight's tomorrow. I was trying to convince him to back out, but he's drunk and he's made up his mind," I said.

Tommy's voice cut through the quiet, "How are his odds?"

"Not good," I replied, letting the weight of the situation sink in.

I went on to tell him about the first time Spike faced Venom. Images of Spike’s last brawl with Venom came back to me.

I overheard Mayhem, our VP, mention to Arrow that Venom had taken it easy on Spike. Taken it easy?

Spike had been bed bound for four weeks and he was a terrible and easily irritable patient.

I stuck by his side the entire time and now, Spike wanted me to go through that all over again?

Of course part of me was mad at him for choosing to go down this route again.

Venom let him off the hook then, but Spike was almost asking to be hurt?

"Venom didn't kill him after?" Tommy asked. "Hicks... Hicks was in charge of his pack, and there were some challengers. He always ended the challengers afterward."

Tommy seldom mentioned Hicks during our conversations.

It was reassuring to see him comfortable enough to open up about his past.

"You know what the Grizzly Reapers MC is, right? Venom takes in grizzly shifters who are ex-criminals, exiles, and basically rejects from other groups. For most of us, the MC is a last-chance place,” I said.

"What do you mean by that?" Tommy asked, his curiosity evident.

"It's a second chance for us to find a place to belong. Venom spared Spike's life once, but you're right. I'm not sure if he'll do it again," I muttered.

The thought of what might happen to Spike after the challenge circle weighed on me.

"Nitro, you should go to him right now," Tommy suggested.

I firmly shook my head.

"I made you a promise, and I keep my promises. Besides, Spike's a grown-ass man, and he's stubborn as hell. He won't budge."

There was a conflict brewing inside me, should I take Tommy’s advice and knock some sense into Spike, or should I stay here with him?

I eventually decided to stick around, because I knew I’d be wasting my time with Spike.

"No, I'm staying here," I said.

I didn't miss Tommy's look of relief. We watched some news, but Tommy eventually turned in.

I tucked him in, debated slipping in bed next to him, but that might discourage sleep.

"Nitro?" Tommy called, sounding half-awake.

His eyelids started to droop. He looked so tempting, I leaned over and kissed him gently on the cheek.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Once I fall asleep, I'll be fine. Go see Spike," he murmured. "Promise me?"

"Sure," I said, although I was pretty certain I had no intention of leaving.

I left Tommy's bedside and settled for the night on the living room sofa. This time, it was me who couldn't sleep.

I could hear Tommy's soft snores from here. I looked at my cell phone again.

No messages or missed calls from Spike. Of course, I expected that. Spike wouldn't reach out, not if he could help it.

I sighed, realizing Tommy was right. I should take the first step. Tommy said he'd be fine once he fell asleep.

Thinking back to our recent conversation at the restaurant, I could tell Tommy had been insecure about himself.

It got me thinking, was I acting like Marc, too overbearing and overprotective?

Tommy was doing his best, standing on his own two feet.

Maybe I should trust him a little more and be more confident in his abilities.

I rose to my feet, scribbled Tommy a quick note, then left his apartment to go see my reckless best friend.

I rode back to the MC compound in a hurry.

My goal was simple: kick some sense into Spike's stubborn head, make him take back his challenge to Venom.

Once that was done, I'd head back to Tommy's place just in time to make him breakfast.

Scratch that last part. I'd stop by my favorite diner's drive-through and get us some waffles and bacon.

I took a deep breath, attempting to drown out the roar of laughter and clinking of beer bottles that filled the Grizzly Reapers MC clubhouse.

Normally, the noise and rough atmosphere here soothed my nerves.

Tonight however, I found myself yearning for the calm and quiet of Tommy's apartment.

The place was packed, tables filled with members from various crews, sharing jokes and stories.

It was a typical night at the clubhouse, but one thing caught my attention – the absence of Spike. Maybe I was mistaken.

I scanned the room again, my eyes searching for his familiar figure among the sea of bikers. It was odd not to find him here.

When I had called him earlier, he had assured me he was still at the clubhouse. What could he be up to tonight?

I made my way through the crowd, exchanging nods and greetings with the familiar faces.

As I approached the bar, I caught sight of Crash, the bartender for the evening. He was wiping down glasses with a scowl on his face.

"Hey, Crash," I greeted him. "Have you seen Spike around?"

Crash shot me a quick glance before returning to his task.

"Haven't seen him for a while. Last I checked, he picked a fight with Greed. Now, he's nowhere to be found,” Crash replied.

That concerned me. Spike was in a bad mood tonight. It was right of me to head back here.

I nodded my thanks to Crash. I was on the verge of continuing my search for Spike within the clubhouse.

He couldn't have ventured too far, but my attention was diverted when Greed, another bear shifter, took a seat at the bar.

His left cheek sported a blossoming bruise, and he had a packet of frozen peas pressed against it.

"Beer," Greed grumbled at Crash and then shot a glance in my direction. "Your bestie is a jerk. My mate likes me pretty, by the way."

I wasn't really concerned about Greed's condition.

Micah, his mate, was a healer, and any bruises would likely disappear in an instant under Micah's capable hands.

"Greed, do you know where Spike went?" I inquired, hoping for a lead on my missing friend.

"He wandered off into the woods after our brawl," Greed replied, his tone still laced with irritation.

"Why did you two get into a disagreement?" I asked out of curiosity’s sake.

"Why? He was flirting with Micah. Micah's mine. Tell him to find his own mate," Greed gruffly explained.

I had no immediate response to that, as Spike should have known better than to provoke Greed like that.

"He didn't mean it. I don't know what sort of mood he's in right now, but I'll sort him out," I assured Greed, grateful for the information.

Leaving the MC clubhouse behind, I made my way towards the woods.

I was determined to find Spike before he got into more trouble, and get to the bottom of the situation.

It didn't take me long to find Spike, despite the ground I had to cover. I could hear Spike's loud voice from a mile away.

"Why won't you go out with me?" he slurred, his words carrying through the air.

I couldn't help but wonder how much he had to drink tonight.

Shifters usually took a while before the effects of alcohol truly kicked in, and it seemed Spike had pushed those limits.

Hastening my pace, I finally reached a forest clearing where the source of the commotion was revealed.

Spike was a disheveled mess, covered in leaves and dirt, and to my dismay, he was stark naked.

To make matters worse, he was engaged in a one-sided conversation with a rather uncomfortable-looking raven, perched on a fallen log nearby.

"Dang it, Spike," I muttered under my breath.

Insulting Greed was one thing, but now he was bothering one of the MC's raven shifter allies? T

This was not the kind of trouble we needed, especially considering the Moon Burrow Ravens were the MC’s most valuable allies.

"Spike!" I called out, trying to get his attention.

As Spike turned toward me, a lopsided grin on his face, I couldn't help but shake my head in disbelief.

This was going to be a long night.

"Nitro, don't interrupt us. Corey's about to say yes to me," Spike declared, an impish grin on his face.

Another raven shifter, larger and more imposing, descended from a nearby branch.

It was clear this one was an alpha, and he didn't seem pleased with the ongoing spectacle.

The alpha raven, glared at Spike, his feathers ruffled in irritation.

I recognized this one. Ethan and I had worked together before and he was a quiet, if not decent guy.

“Ethan, I'll be taking Spike back to the MC clubhouse with me," I said, sounding apologetic as possible. "I know his behavior is inexcusable, but please try to overlook this."

Grasping Spike by the elbow, I practically dragged him away from the situation.

The beating of wings followed, signaling Ethan’s and Corey's departure.

"What is with you today?" I demanded, struggling to contain my building frustration. "And dang it, where did you leave your clothes?"

Spike, seemingly oblivious to the chaos he had caused, chuckled.

"Clothes are overrated. Nitro, I've discovered the secret to winning over avian hearts. Feathers,” he said.

What Spike was saying made zero sense. I continued to lead him away from the forest clearing.

Thankfully, during our walk back to the MC clubhouse, I spotted Spike's discarded clothes on the forest ground, along with a couple of empty beer bottles.

I released Spike, tossing his clothes at him.

"Get dressed, unless you want everyone at the clubhouse to see your assets," I said.

Why did I always have to clean up after him?

Spike didn't argue, probably realizing that now wasn't the time to push my buttons.

He must've seen the furious expression on my face, and without a word, he mutely dressed up.

The crisp night air did nothing to cool my temper as we started our trek back to the clubhouse.

By some miracle, we returned in one piece, but I wasn't ready to let Spike off the hook just yet.

I threw the empty beer bottles into a nearby trash can. My gaze remained fixed on Spike.

"I could use a beer or two," he muttered to himself.

"No, to bed with you," I said, grabbing his arm again.

I led him upstairs, navigating the familiar halls of the clubhouse to where each bear shifter's private rooms were located.

The scent of leather, cigars, and faint traces of engine oil lingered in the air.

Spike stumbled along, his gait unsteady.

"Come on, Nitro, can't a guy enjoy a night out without being dragged to bed like a damn cub?" he grumbled, trying to free his arm from my grasp.

"Not when the night out involves you losing your damn mind and leaving a trail of chaos behind," I shot back.

We reached his room, the door slightly ajar. I pushed it open, guiding him inside.

The room was dimly lit, the glow from the bedside lamp revealing the mess of clothes and empty takeout containers scattered across the floor.

"Sleep it off, Spike. We'll talk about your lack of self-control tomorrow," I warned, leaving no room for argument.

I was about to shut the door behind me, but Spike called out to me again.

“Nitro?” Spike sounded uncertain.

“What?” I asked, eager to return to Tommy’s apartment.

“Don’t be mad at me. You’re my only friend, and you’re the only one in this MC who likes me, or at least finds me tolerable.” Spike's voice wavered, carrying a hint of desperation.

“Just get some sleep,” I said, trying to mask my impatience. “You have a long day tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

I glanced back at him. Spike looked like a downright mess, and a pang of pity stirred inside me.

“You challenged Venom, remember?” I reminded him.

Spike’s entire face drained of color. “Right. I did,” he muttered.

“Take it back, Spike. Let’s march to his office right now. You'll apologize, grovel on your knees, do whatever it takes,” I suggested.

“He wasn’t in his office. Mayhem mentioned he went back home early. It’s his kid’s birthday,” Spike mumbled, avoiding eye contact. “Mayhem warned me not to intrude on a family matter.”

So Spike tried to call off the fight, or at the very least, thought about canceling it? That was a good sign, wasn't it?

“Besides, it’s too late,” Spike said, staring blankly at the ceiling.

“Spike, please tell me this isn’t because you want the attention or…are you suicidal?” I asked, my concern spiking as I took in the dark circles under his eyes.

Spike had lost some weight too.

"Hey, Nitro, shouldn't you be with Tommy tonight? What are you doing here?" he abruptly changed the topic.

"Tommy said you might need me more, and it turned out he was right," I replied.

I couldn't afford to let Spike distract me with questions about my personal life.

Right now, my focus was on keeping him out of unnecessary trouble.

Ignoring his attempt to deflect the conversation, I continued, "We can still sort this out, Spike. It's not too late to fix things. You don't need to prove anything to anyone."

Spike's eyes flickered with a mix of emotions – shame, regret, and defeat.

“Just go back to Tommy, Nitro. You’ve done all you could.” Spike turned on his side, signalling the conversation was over.

I wanted to shake some sense into him, but knew I had done all I could for him tonight. It was time to get back to Tommy.