13. Creed
CREED
Morgan
Staying late today.
I crinkle my nose, hating how disappointed I feel. Her job can be demanding at times, and it makes me hate it more than my usual distaste for her colleagues.
As I start typing to reply, my phone rings and trepidation hollows my stomach as I answer.
“Dodge?”
“How close are you to the main grocery store?” His frantic tone has me turning on my bike.
“Just down the road.”
“Autumn, she’s—”
“I’m going, Brother. I got it.”
I push my bike harder, tearing into the parking lot and tailspinning right to Dodge’s car. The maniac screaming in Autumn’s face doesn’t even hear as I jump off my bike, sending it to the ground, and pull the gun from my back and shooting him in the head without hesitation.
Autumn jerks into the car, her eyes squeezed shut tight, and Dodge’s daughter’s muffled cries in the car pierce my heart. I put myself between her and the body on the ground at our feet.
“Don’t open your eyes, Autumn. Let me clean your face.” I lift my shirt, rubbing some of the blood off her so it’s not near her eyes.
“Creed?” her small voice asks hesitantly
I grunt. “Yeah. Don’t talk. This is me.” I squeeze her shoulder in what I hope is a comforting gesture.
“Alright,” she says, trying to look up at me.
I block her view as much as I can. We’ve only met a few times.
I’ve checked in with Dodge at his apartment, but even I know she’s softhearted in nature and doesn’t need that visual in her mind.
“Don’t. Grab some of Winnie’s wipes and finish cleaning your face.
Then get you and your girl to the clubhouse. ”
She nods and scurries to the other side of the car.
I look back at the man, not recognizing him. Probably some punk that thought she was an easy target.
When I glance over at Autumn, she’s just standing up from cleaning the rest of her face, and looks over at me a little lost.
“Get gone, Autumn. He would have hurt you a lot worse.”
She nods weakly and climbs back into the car.
I nod at Viper just as he’s driving up and he follows her out of the parking lot.
Pulling out my phone, I tell Cowen to wipe the cameras before I drag the man to the side of the parking lot, laying him in the ditch by the road.
Then I thumb to my thread with Morgan, knowing I can’t disappear on her without a word.
Creed
Got some business to handle the next few days. Sleep on my side of the bed to keep it warm for me.
I bite down on my lip to hide my smile. I shouldn’t be flirting after killing a man, but oh well.
Morgan
Sure
I nearly scoff at her response. She almost makes me feel clingy, and that makes me hard.
Creed
I can hear the sarcasm, babe. My spot better not be cold when I come home and fuck that tight pussy.
Morgan
Are you threatening a police officer?
My cock strains against my pants, and I have to swallow my laugh. God, I think I’m in love with her. Scratch that. I am. It’s why I want her knocked up with my baby.
Creed
Depends. What’s my punishment if I am?
I put my phone away as Fox and Reaper pull up in a cage. The latter is a brother we don’t see often since he’s usually holed up in his farm a little north of town. He occasionally visits when we go on long rides and in the rare moments he’s seeking company from one of the whores.
I raise an eyebrow. “Didn’t expect to see you.”
Reaper grunts. “Had to talk to Judge. Lucky you since you’re a dumbass shooting a man in broad daylight.”
My lips quirk. “If Dodge had seen what I saw, the man would have had it worse.”
“I’m sure. Him and Gage have always preferred the drama of a knife, unlike you, Quickshot.”
I chuckle, nodding to Fox. “When we move him, grab the bucket and dump the water.”
Reaper pulls out a stick and rag. “Use this for any hard stains. Make sure the rag goes back into the bucket.”
Fox lifts the bucket, his face paling, and he curls into himself for a second. “What the fuck is that?”
Reaper smiles. “The best damn cleaner chemistry could make.”
* * *
Reaper parks in front of the club, stubbing his joint out on the door of his truck and tucking it behind his ear.
“You know Gage will want to know why you decided to stay the night at the farm with me.” We all know Reaper doesn’t need help dismembering bodies and feeding the pigs.
He’s earned his name in more ways than one.
I nod, looking at the prospect posted up at the door. I’m sure there’s another man behind that door. None of us are going to trust our families with a member who hasn’t proved himself yet. “Yup. I’ll handle it. Thanks for letting me stay.”
He grunts, and I climb out of his truck so he can return back home.
I hesitate to go inside, but I’ve put it off long enough.
Reaper helped me drop off my bike at Dodge’s garage before finally dropping me off here.
I knew they’d be waiting for me to arrive before deciding anything.
I haven’t glanced at my phone since I heard Dodge claimed Autumn, mainly because I couldn’t stand to see the growing texts from Morgan.
Maybe I’d be able to talk to her if she didn’t have the eyes and mind of a police officer, and I could just sink into her pussy without her suspicion, but I’m always wired after an unexpected kill.
Delusional exhaustion combined with a strange thrill after violence make me unpredictable.
It’s one thing to make a plan with brothers and another to save one of our women.
It’s quiet, even from some of the more rowdy brothers. It’s been a long time since we’ve been in lockdown. They watch me as I walk toward the church doors and find the council gathered around the table.
Gage’s cold eyes don’t move from me as I reach the empty seat and sit. I look away from him, taking in the faces of the rest of the council. The only one missing is Judge, but that’s never a surprise to anyone. If Judge is at the clubhouse, then that’s a sign everything is about to get worse.
“What happened?” our prez asks.
I clear my throat, turning to Gage. “Dodge called and asked me to check on Autumn. Viper and I were closest. I took off and found them in the parking lot. The man was holding her by the shoulders, shaking her hard enough that her head was snapping against the door. She was screaming to let her go, and the man was shouting something in her face that I couldn’t make out.
He had a knife hanging from his pocket in a clip.
Decided to take him out instead of chancing him possibly using the knife on Autumn if he saw me. ”
Dodge’s fist slams into the table before he cradles his face in his hands, rubbing it roughly.
Gage glances at him and then back at me. “Find anything?”
I pull out the phone and wallet, tossing them on the table. Cowen grabs them, opening his laptop at the same time.
“Reaper was in the area, so we cleaned up the parking lot and hit the road in under five minutes. He had no tattoos on him,” I add.
Gage nods. “Hell of a coincidence that he was in town. Someone is trying to buy the farm out from underneath him.”
A grumble works throughout the room.
“We’ve used the pigs more often than I’d like for a club that was supposed to turn the tide,” our prez adds, looking over all of us.
Viper scoffs. “Running drugs and guns is one thing. Protecting our own is a given. It doesn’t make us one percenters.”
“I agree,” Razer says, shaking his head. “We worked our asses off to get all the businesses legit, and they’re booming. Someone is fucking with us, and we have every right to defend ours.”
Gage’s throat bobs. “They know our vulnerabilities. Autumn and Winnie were targeted. How long before they move to Mik? Or Amber?”
Razer bristles at the mention of his old lady. “Then we beef up security.”
“Fox and Steel have my vote to patch,” Viper says.
I nod. “Fox handled it with Reaper without a blink.”
“Steel is solid. A little immature, but he’s still a kid. If he wants to patch, I won’t oppose it,” Dodge says, his jaw still tight.
“Any other prospects?” Gage asks.
Dodge shakes his head. “Hawk, Gunnar, and Welch still need some more time to hang around the brothers.”
“Yeah,” Nash agrees, “same with Moose and Brick. They’re working hard in the restaurant, but they feel more like employees than brothers.”
Gage rubs a hand down his face. “Alright. Any suggestions on how we get closer to them? I agree we need new blood, but we grew up together. Some of us served together and have been friends for years.”
I tap my knuckle on the table. “The same way you want to include the families. You want family days? Add days for the club to party, and not just whoever is available after work. A designated day for all of us to hang out and get to know each other.”
“Have Judge check up on the permits in the club’s bedrooms so some of the brothers can move back in. The town council has yanked our chain long enough,” Cowen adds.
I raise my eyebrows. “It would be easier to protect everyone. Secure and lockdown the club versus a variety of buildings and homes.”
Gage considers it for a moment. “I’ll consider moving everyone back if the problem escalates. We’ve been looking to expand anyway.”
“Scruff’s kid should be getting out soon too.”
I grimace at Viper’s words. Scruff was part of the old guard before they hung up their cuts when Shaw stepped down. His kid got locked up at sixteen for murdering his teacher, and while none of us blame him for why he did it, we don’t know the kid anymore.
Gage seems to think the same because he works his jaw back and forth. “He’s welcome to prospect, but nothing is guaranteed just because he’s a legacy. He’s been in jail for nearly his whole adult life. We don’t know the man who’ll walk through the door.”
He dismisses church, telling us to hang around the club until the heat from the murder dies down. The cops haven’t said anything, and there’s no evidence to show for it, but we never know what the townspeople might report. Out of sight—and out of mind—is better.