Responsibility
Morgan
“The script is in a safety deposit box at the bank.” Those words kept playing out in my mind. Callie wrote a book and wanted me to have it published to pay for Addie’s needs and her debt.
“Debt falls to the estate, and since Callie and Shane have no assets and you don’t meet the criteria, I can make sure you won’t have to pay.” Brett answered. Leslie had been gone for about thirty minutes and we were about to wrap up.
“Am I wrong for presuming that if I pay it’ll settle the estate quicker?” I asked.
“Yes, you would be wrong. This won’t involve probate since there’s no estate really to speak of, and she was in total debt with no assets. Shane had no assets because everything was in Callie’s name. The son of a bitch had absolutely no debt, she took on all the burden. His father is a registered sex offender and won’t be filing for custody. It would be an idiot move, and he knows it. Leslie doesn’t really understand estate planning and unless she hires an attorney she won’t file for custody. I’m sure the threat of this size of debt will scare her from doing anything, and she’s none the wiser that she wouldn’t have to pay. I’ll file everything with the courts once the death certificates are filed and you should have Addie in your care within a week of the filing.”
“I don’t have to jump through hoops with social services?” I was confused.
“Social services come into play if there’s nobody else to take the child. You’ve been named and if the judge has questions, she or he will ask. Since both parents are deceased, and one has named you guardian, you can file for adoption immediately. That’s when the judge will ask for a home study, and you’ll start jumping through hoops.”
“How long until the death certificate is filed, and everything goes into motion?” I asked, hoping everything with the Devil’s Rejects would be over before it was filed so I could take Addie home.
“The state of Indiana requires it to be filed within fifteen days of the death, but it could be as soon as Monday.” He said.
Brett had me sign the power of attorney, and all the necessary paperwork, including the guardianship of Addie. Uncle Darren gave me a hug and a few words of encouragement before I put on my sunglasses and followed Josh to the truck. We were off to the funeral home where Leslie was waiting for me. She didn’t say a word while we waited for Mr. Rhys. We were all seated at a conference table, including Josh since he wanted to keep an eye on Leslie. That was when I was given another choice.
Mr. Rhys was quick to put one matter aside and get it out of the way. “I received a call from Shane’s father. He gave permission for me to pick up his body after the autopsy, but he wants nothing to do with the arrangements. We could ask the county trustee for help with the burial, but his father told me it was up to you since you’re paying for Callie’s.”
“You’re kidding, right?” I was disgusted.
That was when Leslie finally spoke up. “You’re adopting Addie. Don’t you think she should have a place to visit her piece of shit father? This all falls on your shoulders now, Thank God.”
I sat back in my chair and crossed my arms. “Do I have time to think about it?” I was expected to take charge of the arrangements for the man that tried to kill Addie and me?
My phone rang and it was Creed. I wasn’t about to ignore his call, I wanted him to hear what was just asked of me.
“Hello?”
“Hey, are you done with the attorney?” He asked.
“Yes, Addie was left in my care. I have to wait for the death certificate and Brett will file with the court.” I answered. “We are at the funeral home now. Can you believe Shane’s family wants me to make and pay for his arrangements?”
I thought I heard a growl. “Put me on speaker.” He ordered.
“Okay.”
I put the phone on speaker and laid it on the table.
“This is Alistair Creed. Morgan says you want her to arrange, and I presume pay for Shane Doyle’s funeral?”
Alistair? Where did I hear that name lately? It sounded so familiar.
“Yes, that does seem to be the case.” Mr. Rhys answered.
“Then we will do cremation, and I will pay for a plot at the old cemetery on 1600 North. All we will need is a plot and a headstone.” Creed said.
“Nobody has been buried out there since the 1800’s and I would need to get his father’s perm...”
Creed cut him off. “I will take care of the signatures, just make the arrangements. I don’t want his headstone in the same cemetery as Callie.” Creed ordered. “Have the paperwork ready by tomorrow and I will make sure its signed by Mr. Doyle. The only arrangements Miss Rossi will be making is for Callie, do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, I will have everything ready by tomorrow morning for Mr. Doyle to sign.” Mr. Rhys answered.
“Morgan, I will see you in a few hours.” Creed said.
“Thanks Creed.”
He hung up and didn’t even reply.
We started planning Callie’s funeral and that was when I learned Creed had ideas of his own, according to Josh. His MC would be escorting Callie to her grave, then there would be a dinner at the VFW for close family and friends only. Creed would take care of those arrangements himself.
When it was time to pick out the casket, Leslie wanted hot pink. That became an argument because of obvious reasons, and I ordered the Cherry wood finish instead. She wanted a picture of Addie printed on the silk lining of the lid, but I chose a beautiful white silk. She wanted roses, but Callie liked lilies, so I ordered the lilies. By the end of the meeting, Leslie chose one song and the remembrance card, but I chose the poem, the guest book, and the rest of the music. Father Meyer would be the officiant because he was the County Officiant and not because he was Catholic. Leslie wanted a Baptist minister, but none were available. She didn’t understand that Father Meyer would give an appropriate service to meet her nonexistent and fake Baptist beliefs. That woman probably never stepped foot in a Baptist church. Callie wasn’t even Baptist, she had never chosen a denomination. Everything with Leslie was an argument. Even down to how Callie’s hair would be styled and what color eye shadow would be applied. Instead, I called out to LA and made arrangements for Mr. Rhys to work with a well known makeup and hair artist that I worked with on set. She was also employed by several funeral homes in that area. He would make arrangements for her to fly in and take care of Callie. She had a lot of bruising, unfortunately I saw it for myself. That was when I was reminded how she died and the dress I chose for her wouldn’t work. So, I called my stylist and sent her a photo of Callie and she would have something delivered to the funeral home.
I was exhausted when we were done, but I still had errands to run. I had to drop in and see my mom at the nursing home, grab a few things the guys missed at my parent’s house, and run to the drug store for tampons. I could have sworn everything was working against me when I started my period at the funeral home. Who starts their period at a funeral home? My body was saying enough was enough.
We were once again searched at the gates and by the time I arrived at Creed’s I was exhausted and hungry. We stopped at McDonald’s in Clarity, but my stomach wasn’t too happy with a greasy hamburger. I needed something more sustainable and easier to digest. As we pulled up and Josh stopped the truck, Creed pulled up on his bike and parked it in the detached garage. I was slow moving still and by the time I was out of the truck, Creed was approaching. I felt almost too drained to notice those gorgeous eyes, or trail my eyes down that amazing body. He had his hands in his pockets, and he stopped right in front of me.
“Hey.” He gave me a very small soft smile.
“Hi.”
“Did you get everything done that you needed?” He asked as I reached in the truck for my handbag and shopping bag.
“As far as I know. Brett is going to call me as soon as he has a copy of the death certificates. He said he will file the custody paperwork as quickly as he can, but he can’t promise when that will take place. It could be as soon as Monday but could take up to fifteen days.”
Josh walked around the side of the truck and just stood there like he was waiting for something. Creed looked from him to me, then broke the silence. “Morgan, you should change into something more casual. I’d like to show you around and go over a few things with you.”
I gave him a nod then walked inside and straight upstairs. All I really wanted was to go to bed and sleep. That was the only way I knew to escape the pain I was feeling over Callie’s death. But I honestly knew Creed was right to keep me busy. My life was about to change in a big way, and I needed to avoid diving into the dark pit of depression. I couldn’t count how many times I tried to fight my tears or how many times my tears won.
I changed into a pair of white shorts, a brown belt, and an off the shoulder red striped shirt. I slipped into a pair of brown sandals then pulled my hair from its bun as I walked to my room. I had to try and work some magic with my makeup to hide the signs of my earlier tears, then used a flat iron to add waves to my hair. Instead of packing a new handbag, I put some cash and a credit card into my back pocket and put the lanyard around my neck, then went downstairs. When I walked outside, Creed was talking to Josh, but he turned and locked eyes with me. I didn’t miss the way his eyes lingered on mine, then slowly swept down my body and all the way to my feet. Josh punched Creed in the shoulder then shook his head as he laughed and walked away. He said something but I missed it.
“Are we taking your truck or bike?” I asked but Creed looked down to either my shorts or my legs again.
He ran his hand down his face then his beard. He looked very uneasy. “Are you sure that’s what you want to wear?”
I looked down to my outfit then up to him. “What’s wrong with my outfit?”
“Well…my men…they umm...Morgan, you are very outnumbered, and they might have some infatuations…you know…the shorts are short.” He looked down at my legs again and lifted his eyebrows. “Very short.”
The sinister smile on my face was the perfect indication that, despite my exhaustion and grief, I could have had some fun with him. “If your little friends won’t like it, it’s their problem. So, what are we taking for this tour? Your truck or bike?”
“Little friends?” His eyes lifted back up to mine. “These little friends are the ones you didn’t like looking at you in a certain way when we were at the general store. If you think that was bad, just wait.”
“Who said I didn’t like the way they looked at me? It wasn’t them that upset me, Creed. It was you. So, what are we driving?” I asked for the third or forth time.
“Alright, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Let’s take a side by side.” He led me to the attached garage and opened the garage door.
The thing was like a golf cart on steroids. When I was a kid we played around on quads, but that piece of machinery was playing in a whole new game. “We should take this mudding down in Old Finneytown. It would be so much fun!”
He glanced at me as he drove down his driveway. “Old Finneytown?”
I nodded. “Yep, it’s an old ghost town that can only be reached by quads or four wheel drive trucks. You have to drive through some really big creeks and there’s places to sling mud. It’s a place where a lot of teenagers find trouble without actually getting caught. We used to drink, throw parties, sling mud, and it was definitely the best of days.” A memory of Callie came to me and the smile on my face quickly fell.
He glanced at me then back to the road. “Someday you’ll look back fondly at the memories. It’s still a shock and it takes time to adjust to the rush of emotions. I lost my father in a tragic way, but I have no idea if it’s possible to prepare yourself. I’ve also lost a lot of fellow soldiers. Its hard and I get it.”
I didn’t look up at him as I played with the lanyard around my neck. “Thank you.” I glanced at him and gave him a half smile then watched so I could memorize my way to where he was taking me. We drove through a heavily wooded area on blacktop, passed a few motorcycles, then took a right at another fork. That was when I saw it and couldn’t believe my eyes. It was like a small town with several buildings. The first building was like a small grocery store and there was even gas pumps outside.
“That’s the commissary. You can get about anything from there but if they don’t have it tell someone, and they’ll get it for you.” He said.
The next building was humongous. “This is the community center.” He pulled the side by side into a parking space and shut it off. “If you get bored this is the place where you would spend the most time. There’s a lot to do to occupy your time and when Addie comes she can play with her friends here. Come on, let me show you around.”
How could any one person afford to build so much? “I’m sorry if this question is out of line, but how can you afford all this and pay people?”
He stopped walking and crossed his arms as he looked down at me. “The original headquarters was the commissary. I built that, the training center, and the original cabins out of my pocket, but our contracts pay very well, and we’ve added to the community and put additions on the training centers over time. Nothing inside here is free, and each resident pays dues to the community. Think of it like an HOA, except the people don’t own their houses. They pay one lump sum monthly. That includes their rent, utilities, Bolton and Zoey’s services, their charged meals, things from the commissary and bar, and their access to the amenities. They take care of their own yards, and have to invest in their retirements and health insurance. Nothing here is free, but we also don’t profit from what they do pay, so it’s affordable. They also cannot live outside these gates if they are operatives. It’s important I keep them and their families safe, and there’s still plenty of land left to build more family homes. I can send several teams out at one time and each mission earns us a lot of money. We also profit from the bike shop, which I’m sure you’ve guessed its just a front. All of my out of pocket expenses to build this place have already been recouped and invested elsewhere.”
Wow, he was talkative. I guess since I signed that non-disclosure agreement he didn’t have to have many secrets.
I looked around me then at him. “This is amazing, Creed.”
“It’s not just my creation, it was a lot of team work. You’ll meet the men I served with soon. I guess you’ve already met Axton, Bolton, Magnus, and Drakos. Most of them are down in the command center working right now, but you’ll get to meet them soon enough.”
“Okay, and Creed, thank you. I know you don’t have to do anything for me. Just let me know what I owe for staying here and for your help. I’ll gladly pay you and your men for helping us.”
He shook his head. “Don’t worry about that, let’s go on inside.” He opened the door and allowed me to walk through. At first it reminded me of a YMCA or something. There was a woman younger than me at the front desk. She had long brown hair worn in a ponytail and wore khaki pants and a blue polo shirt. It looked like a uniform to me. Behind her was a partial wall with water streaming down like a waterfall. At the top it had the words, “Welcome To Creed’s Lake.”
“Freya, this is Morgan. Morgan, this is Freya. She does the scheduling here at the community center. If you’d like to use things like the sauna, join a yoga class, or want to meet with a trainer, she’s the one to schedule it with and she’s here from eight in the morning until four in the afternoon.”
“I’m pleased to meet you.” I shook her hand.
“Oh wow, I’m a huge fan. I love all your movies.” Freya complimented me.
“Thanks, I appreciate that, truly.”
“Come on, let me show you everything.” Creed put his hand on the small of my back and guided me around the reception desk. I gasped when I saw what was behind the wall. It was completely open with a vaulted glass ceiling. It was beautiful with a fountain and plants everywhere. An atrium was definitely not what I was expecting. “Let me show you the mess hall first.”
We walked into what looked like a cafeteria, but he stopped in the doorway, and I saw another keypad. There were round tables and what looked like a buffet setup. I could hear people in the kitchen. They were talking and moving around pots and pans. “It might be quiet now, but the dinner crowd will be here soon. When you want to eat, just scan the card on your lanyard here, the server will be notified you arrived, then she will have you sign for the meal. You can either get the buffet or order anything on the menu. It’ll be charged to my account.”
I looked up at him. “I can pay for my own food.”
“I know you can, but that doesn’t mean you will. Come on, let me show you the bar.” He guided me down a hallway and we walked into what looked like a dance club. There were a few men sitting at the bar and they all looked at me then quickly looked away.
I giggled. “What was that about?”
A half smile formed on his face. “They’ve been given a lesson in manners. Anyway, it’s just a usual bar until around eleven. It can get a little wild after that time and I doubt you want to be here for that, so let’s move on.”
“Wait.” I stopped him and pointed at the poles on the stage. “Is that a strippers stage?”
“It appears so, lets move on.” He was quick to avoid that conversation.
“I played a stripper once and I’m serious, my pole dancing classes were really fun and a great source of exercise.” I spoke as we walked down a hallway.
“Those skills won’t be necessary.” He deadpanned as he opened another door. We stepped into a huge room with several round tables and chairs stacked up against the wall. “This is the banquet center. We’ve held everything from wedding receptions, to dances, some wedding showers, engagement parties, and a few baby showers.”
I saw another stage and pointed at it. “Do you hire a band and allow them inside the gates?”
He shook his head. “No, but we do have DJ equipment. Maybe someday we will discover some musical talent here in the community. Let’s move on.”
We walked out of the banquet hall and turned right then took another right where I saw a set of double doors with yellow and black stripes framing it. It was an elevator. “Wherever you see those yellow and black stripes is off limits. Honestly, it just leads to the command center and the weaponry room. It’s nothing exciting.” He guided me to take another right where I saw a few doors. He opened the first set, and it was a gym. Not the kind of gym where you workout on a treadmill, an actual gymnasium with basketball hoops. “This is self explanatory, but we do have basketball and volleyball teams. If you’re interested just see Freya for more information on how to join. There are locker rooms to the right that connects all the athletic areas.” He shut the door then we walked a long ways before he opened another door. I was shocked to see a boxing ring. “This isn’t really your typical boxing ring. There’s some mixed martial arts tournaments, and Felicity writes up a monthly calendar if you’re interested in attending any events held in this building. It’ll be mixed in with the mail at the commissary.” He then shut that door and went to the next which was the indoor swimming pool and the weight room. We passed several offices and another room where he explained it was where Bolton taught yoga. We then crossed the atrium that was behind Freya at the front desk, and he showed me the movie theater, daycare center, roller rink, bowling alley, the salon, and a smaller gym he said was used by the children. He led me outside and that’s when I saw the playground then another gated area for the outdoor pool.
“I’m beginning to see why people don’t leave the compound too often.” I smiled up at him as we walked to the front doors to leave. “You’ve really built something amazing.”
He nodded but didn’t reply. Once outside, we got back into the side by side and drove to another building with the words training center on it. He parked the side by side and led me inside the facility. It was large, but not as big as the community center. There were classrooms and another gym. Then outside was an obstacle course that was used to train K9 dogs. He then led me down a path and I gasped at what I saw. It looked like a small town that had seen better days. There were several buildings. Some looked like they were burned and others looked like they had been bombed. There was even a large brick building with graffiti on it. The streets had old cars that probably came from a junk yard. “We run mock missions here for training.” He said.
My jaw was still dropped. “You built it to look this way?”
“Of course, but there’s more.” He guided me down another path and showed me a shooting range, a helicopter pad, and a runway for planes.
“This is unbelievable. You’ve built so much.”
I looked up at him and the sides of his mouth were turned up into a small smile. “Thanks, now let’s go check out the beach.”
We walked back up to the side by side and he drove us to a very familiar beach. “My parents used to bring me here as a kid. It was packed every summer on the weekends with families.” My heart broke when I thought of all the hot summer days we hung out here as kids. Tristan, Tim, and Brett were lifeguards, and all the girls drooled over them.
After visiting the beach, he drove around the lake and showed me the family housing, the apartments, and finally the rustic cabins that really weren’t all that rustic. They were nice and I’d be perfectly content staying in one of them. He then drove to a dirt road where I saw some construction equipment.
“This is the future home of the medical center. Zoey will be able to treat some injuries here and Bolton will move her office here as well. There will also be an area for rehabilitation. Instead of my operatives recovering from injuries in a random rehab center, they’ll be brought here. I’ve already hired a physical therapist, and Zoey has recommended a few doctors from the hospital where she works to help us out part time. Two of the wives that live here are nurses, so once it’s finished I guess we are done building Creed’s Lake.”
My eyes studied the foundation that seemed freshly poured. I was still awestruck over everything I was seeing.