The world tilted at the words that Rip had seen illuminate on the screen of his phone.
Trouble at office... help
-Beth
Rip was pulling Spencer to her feet, shuffling to find clothes for the two of them to throw on as they ran out the door. Spencer followed, not sure what was going on.
"Beth's in trouble, call Kayce," Rip said, turning the truck on before the doors were even closed. "Tell Sawyer and Ryan to lay low, at least until we get this figured out."
Spencer was still a little bleary-eyed, but nodded as her exhaustion quickly faded at the sight of the gun Rip was handing her.
"Shit this is serious?"
Rip cursed, nodding as his calls to Beth remained unanswered. "Call Kayce."
Spencer scrambled for her phone, texting Spencer before letting the phone ring for Kayce. She held tightly to her phone and the handle on the door as Rip whipped the truck to the center of town.
"Spencer?"
"Beth's in trouble, Rip and I are on the way to her office. Get- get Dad, meet us there." Spencer rushed out, listening to Kayce shuffle around his room. "Kayce this could be really bad."
"She's gonna be alright Tiny, bitch is fireproof," Kayce laughed but even Spencer could hear how forced it was. "I'll see you soon Kiddo."
Spencer's panic began to set in as the truck pulled to a halt in front of the Scwhartz and Meyer building. The blacked-out SUV sitting with doors open, however, set her blood cold. She nodded once to Rip, letting him lead the way to Beth's office, forcing herself to stay a step behind despite her older sister's screams.
Rip moved quickly, shooting at the man who had Beth pinned, while Spencer shot the man standing over Beth's dead assistant. A third shot rang out, where Spencer didn't know but she threw her weight at the man, taking him to the ground as she straddled him.
"You like hitting women?" She hissed at him as she pinned him with a knee to his throat. "You're gonna fucking hate this then buddy."
She wasn't even sure what took over her, all she knew was that this man below her harmed her family, her sister, and he needed to pay. Despite her rage pulsing through her veins, Spencer felt more clear-headed than she had in weeks, a calm taking over her as she swung her fists down at the man.
"Spencer!" Kayce yelled as he pulled his sister off the man, barely hanging onto consciousness from the beating she had put on him. Spencer fought him, not realizing he was family and not another attacker. "Rip get your girl!"
Rip looked up from calming Beth, running to grab Spencer's hands. "It's me baby, it's me. Okay? It's me and Kayce. You did good Darlin' you did good."
Spencer huffed, slowing her arms long enough for Rip to wrap her up in his. She let him scan her face, her torso, every visible surface to look for that third bullet.
"Rip," Spencer's voice shook as she saw the blood pooling under his jacket. "Rip you need to sit down right now. I-I gotta get pressure on that."
Rip followed Spencer's eyeline, not even realizing he had been the one hit. Shit he was almost relieved it was him, even if Spencer looked otherwise. And so he sat, letting Spencer fuss for a minute.
"Go talk to Beth, I can handle this," Rip waved Spencer off, knowing the last thing Beth needed was male contact from Kayce of all people right now. Spencer shook her head, her tears plummeting with each shake, but Rip pushed her gently to the other Dutton.
Spencer finally took in her older sister, forcing the horrified look from her face as she pulled the woman into her arms. Neither spoke, just holding one another as Beth broke down in Spencer's arms. Spencer ripped the extra first aid kit from the vet her father brought, shooing him away to deal with Rip. And she waited in silence, cleaning Beth's wounds as best as she could, waiting for Beth to say something. Anything.
"Thank you," was all the older Dutton whispered, smiling as best as she could through the pain.
Spencer shared a sad smile, holding her sister's hand. "You always have my back, I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner to have yours."
Beth shook her head. "You came, that's what matters, Squirt."
"Always."
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For the second time that week, Spencer found herself back at Yellowstone. She knew trying to convince Rip to stay at Dan's would be impossible, but she wasn't sure she was ready to be back. But it seemed Sawyer had made up her mind for her.
Ryan and I will be there soon. I packed some clothes for you.
So now Spencer found herself sitting cross-legged on her bed, watching Rip's chest intently as each breath entered and left his body. She refused to sleep, her anxiety telling her he would leave her if she did. Her head spun to the door as a soft knock came through. John stood cautiously outside the door, waiting for Spencer to yell at him to leave. But it seemed her fight had been settled when she beat her sister's attacker to an inch of his life, only letting Kayce finish the job so they could drag them to the Beck's estate.
"How's he doin'?" John asked softly, nodding toward the sleeping Rip. He watched as Spencer turned her attention back to him, her gaze softening once again as she absentmindedly played with the ring sitting on a chain around her neck.
"He's alive, barely apparently,"Spencer spoke, not turning back to her father, letting her concentration fall back to Rip's chest. The vet said it would've been better to send him to the hospital, but given the legality of the whole ordeal, it hadn't been possible. Now they just had to wait to see if Rip would even make it through the night.
"And everything else has been handled?"
Spencer only nodded, resting her head on her knee as she did. The bed sagged next to her as John sat on the edge, in more ways than one. He reached to put his hand over hers, but stopped and pulled back.
"I know this probably isn't the best time, I-I'm not really sure there ever will be. I don't think I'll ever be able to make this up to you, but I'm sorry Spencer. I'm sorry that I pushed you away, I'm sorry I pushed him away. I don't think I'll ever be able to make it right, and I'm sorry for that too sweetie. Just know, when you're ready, it's all yours. Always has been I suppose. But it always will be."
Spencer kept her focus on Rip, holding back the tears that threatened to push to the surface. Relief flooded through her as her father spoke. She knew she wasn't ready- wasn't able- to forgive him yet. But in her twenty eight years, she couldn't remember one time he had even bothered to apologize for his actions. She felt the pat on her shoulder as he left, and let go of the breath she was holding as the door closed. Her energy felt depleted, the weight of the night finally taking its toll as she curled up into Rip's side, a hand on his chest to feel each breath. And she closed her eyes.
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Rip awoke to the blaring sun and searing pain in his side. His groan stirred Spencer next time to him, who had been sitting up against the headboard reading.
"Morning cowboy," she joked as she smiled softly at him, pressing a hand to his chest to keep him lying down. "Don't you even think about moving, those stitches damn near burst last night getting you into bed. I will drag you by the ear to the doctor if one of them rips, do you understand?"
Rip chuckled, although it quickly turned into a groan. "Yes ma'am."
"Good." Spencer nodded, her expression quickly morphing from stern to soft. "You're an absolute idiot, you know that? Who runs into a hostage situation like they're at a bar fight!"
Rip smiled, "Saw it on TV once, guy looked pretty badass."
"Asshole," Spencer scolded but her smile told another story. She leaned down, brushing his hair around off his face. Her movements halted when she felt a tug on her necklace, the one with the ring.
"Why don't you wear it?" Rip didn't sound hostile, mostly curious and a little hurt.
Spencer sat up, brushing her fingers over the piece of jewelry. "I don't understand why you gave it to me. I know how much she still means to you, it seems silly to just gift it to me."
Rip yanked on the chain, the clasp snapping on Spencer's neck. She hissed, watching as he pulled the ring off the chain, twirling it between his fingers.
"I gave it to you because it's the only piece of her I have left. It only made sense to give the one piece of my family I have to the woman who has all the pieces of me."
Rip grunted as he slowly pulled himself into a sitting position, waving off Spencer's concerns as he wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Spencer Dutton, I have loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you. You were a little spark of light in the darkest part of my life, and now I can't think of being anything else but yours. I know there's so much we have to discuss, but the one thing I know for certain is I want to be with you for the rest of my life, if you'll have me."
"Wait, are you-"
"Yes. Spencer Hope Dutton, I'm asking you to marry me. So," Rip shuffled as best as he could as he held his mother's ring out to the redhead in front of him. "Will you do the honor of letting me call you my wife?"
Spencer's tears were flowing, her head shaking violently up and down because she couldn't find the words to say it. Yes, yes, a thousand times yes, was all that rang through her head as she watched Rip slide the ring onto her left hand.