Mirror, Mirror
Morgan
Sniper was an attractive man. Maybe a little rough around the edges, but handsome to say the least, and probably only in his early thirties. I believed what he was saying, and by the way the guys acted, they believed him as well. Creed called the President of the Fallen Angel’s MC, and he agreed to sit down with Creed and Sniper to come up with a plan. I still had one more question.
“What about the Cartel? Weren’t you supposed to make one more run? Are they angry with you now?” I asked.
Sniper looked at Creed then at me. “I don’t think I want to discuss that right now. The most important thing is that you and Addie are kept safe until the three men are found. I will discuss that at a later date with the Fallen Angels MC and my own club.”
That told me that his war was nowhere close to being over. I gave Creed a nod and he allowed Sniper to walk into the parlor and say his goodbyes. I sat next to Creed in the chairs facing Callie’s casket. I was okay until I witnessed Sniper fall to his knees and cry after seeing her. I curled into Creed’s side and watched as Axton and Magnus helped Sniper off the floor. A little peace came over me, knowing that Callie did experience true love with a man that wouldn’t have harmed her.
Father Meyer started the services, and of course Leslie whaled with her cries. I wasn’t sure how much of it was real, but I just turned my head and tried ignoring her. She hurt Callie too much and didn’t care enough when she was alive. Whatever, I just let it go. She thought she would be seeing Addie soon, but a certain video I watched was the deciding factor for me. Once that day was over, she was done with Callie and Addie. I wouldn’t allow her near her granddaughter.
After the services ended, I once again had to face the paparazzi. Creed helped me into the SUV, and we followed the hearse to the cemetery. I had never seen so many motorcycles in my life. They made sure nobody that wasn’t close to Callie made it inside the cemetery gates. Patrick, dad, Uncle Darren, Tristan, Brett, and Tim were pallbearers. Sniper did not attend the funeral services at the cemetery. I wasn’t sure if that was because he was not permitted to enter or if he chose not to attend.
Once they were over, I kissed her casket and walked away with Creed. I was dreading the wake, not as much for myself as for Creed. Usually, I couldn’t wait to see Jake, but at the moment, Creed was all that mattered to me. I felt protective the moment I saw Nicole, and that didn’t end with Jake. Jake was one of the best guys out there, but a meeting with Creed’s biological family shouldn’t have been forced. I felt like Creed was being backed into a wall, all because he promised not to leave my side. I saw how happy Jake was to meet Creed, but he wasn’t the one that was abandoned.
I appreciated everything Creed ever did for me, but I didn’t expect him to deal with his family for my sake. I was close with Jake and his parents, but I felt closer to Creed by that point. When we got back into the SUV, I sat as close to Creed as possible and laid my head on his arm, then took his hand in mine. “You’ve quickly became my person.” I said.
He chuckled. “Your person?”
I spoke through my emotional exhaustion. “My number one, the person I need more than anyone.”
He squeezed my hand and kissed my head again. “Then I guess you’re my person as well.”
“When I saw Nicole I wanted to protect you. I even wanted to protect you from my friend, someone I trust. I knew Jake was excited to meet you someday, but I think it should be on your terms. I can ask him to leave you alone if that would make this easier for you.”
He lifted my chin to make me look up at him. “I have no hard feelings against Jake, he was innocent in all this, and I’m okay. Jake and Kenny aren’t bad people. Everything will be just fine.”
I studied his eyes. “You gave me all the strength I needed to survive today. I didn’t feel helpless with you near me.”
He was studying my eyes in return. “Just like I won’t feel helpless when I’m confronted by my family as long as I have you near me.”
I sat up and let go of his hand to cup his face and make him look me straight in the eyes. He chuckled. “What are you doing?”
I ran my fingers through his hair then looked back into his eyes. “Looking into my mirror image.”
“Your mirror image?” He was confused.
“When we first met, I thought you were a snobby prick, and you thought I was a snobby bitch, but nothing could have been further from the truth. We were both guarded and didn’t trust anyone to let them in close. We were fighting the same battle, but we didn’t know we should have been on the same team. Once walls came down, we started giving each other strength. So yeah, my mirror image.”
He shook his head then pulled me into a hug. Sometimes I suspected he did that just so he wouldn’t press his lips against mine.
“I’m going to miss her until my dying breath.” I broke down and he hugged me tighter. I was disappointed when the SUV slowed to pull into the VFW parking lot. I was having a moment with Creed and it just started. I wanted to stay in his arms where I was safe. The MC’s formed a circle around the VFW hall, and slowly parted to allow us to pass through. The parking lot quickly filled with all the cars that were driving behind us. Creed helped me out of the car and guided me inside the hall.
My eyes shot open when I smelled something, and I looked at Creed. “You didn’t!”
He chuckled.
I almost cried again. It may have been the nicest thing anyone did for me. “You had them make Indiana festival fried chicken?”
“Only the best for you.” He said and I reached up to hug him. “I asked them to fill a few Styrofoam coolers so we could take it back and share it with the rest of the gang.”
I pulled back. “I have to share?”
He laughed. “I can’t exactly imagine you eating two coolers of the stuff.” He tapped my nose, and I scrunched it.
“Ha! You don’t know me as well as you might think.”
He flashed me his million dollar smile and gave me a wink. “I guess we’ll just have to see about that, won’t we?”
People were filing in the doors, but the back door was open, and I saw a few of Creeds men carrying in the hundreds of arrangements from the funeral. “What are we going to do with all of them?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “Its up to you.”
An idea came to me, and I smiled up at Creed.
“You look like I might need to brace myself.” He went to touch his beard but forgot it was gone.
“Would you mind if I planted the fruit trees around your place? That way when they start to fruit I can use them for my pies. Most of the flowers are perennials, maybe I can plant them around the community? It'll be like there will be little pieces of Callie sprinkled around the best place on earth.”
His eyes softened. “That sounds perfect, but you think the community is the best place on earth?”
I nodded real big. “I made friends for the first time in forever. I jog in the mornings, and nobody bothers me. I can get groceries, go for a swim and everyone is so kind. I feel free back at the lake.”
He reached up and ran his thumb down my cheek. “Freedom looks gorgeous on you, Morgan.”
I blushed. “Thank you.”
It wasn’t long before my mother and sister pulled me aside. “Okay, so it wasn’t appropriate to say anything earlier, but holy hotness! Can you believe Creed became even more sexy?” Savannah asked.
Mom playfully slapped her arm. “Savannah.” Mom shook her head then looked at me. “Okay fine, holy hotness or what?”
All three of us laughed. “Yes, he’s definitely handsome.” I looked over at Creed and he was talking to the Hans and Franz duo.
“Okay, I’m dying to know. What’s going on between the two of you?” Savannah asked but Mom leaned forward and patiently waited for my answer.
“Nothing.”
Mom’s eyes furrowed. “What do you mean, nothing? That’s not what I saw today.”
I shrugged. “We’ve grown close, but we are not romantic. That’s all I can really say.”
A pair of warm arms wrapped around me from behind and I turned to see Jake. For some reason I broke down and cried just before he turned me toward him and wrapped me back up in his arms. “I’m so sorry about Callie. She was an awesome person.” They met when we were just kids, and they also spoke on the phone pretty often. “I tried to go back inside the funeral home, but the doors were locked.”
I sniffled into his neck. “I’m sorry about that, Jake. It was a security measure.”
“Please tell me that wasn’t because of Nicole.”
I shook my head. “No, it wasn’t.”
He pulled back and looked down at me. “I think we have a lot to talk about.” He looked over at Creed who was glaring at Jake like he was going to rip his head off. “I don’t think my cousin likes me much.”
No, it’s because you’re touching me. I didn’t say that out loud. “He’s…well Creed is Creed. Its not that he doesn’t like you.” It wasn’t like I didn’t notice how protective Creed was, but there was more to it than that. Creed did not like other men getting too close. He was obviously not the kind of man to share, and the attraction between us was intense to say the least. Axton and Magnus both told me at different times that Creed was unreadable, but I disagreed. It almost felt like Creed, and I silently communicated. Sometimes it was a look, a certain touch, and sometimes I could look in his eyes and could tell if he was feeling insecure or unsure about something, but a lot of the time I saw desire and fear. I never had that kind of connection with anyone in my life.
“Are you dating him?” Jake asked.
“That’s the million dollar question.” Savannah said.
Jake looked up and saw my mom and sister, so he smiled and offered them both a hug. Of course, Savannah was more than thrilled to receive a hug from the hunky Jake Meadows, saving me from answering his question.
It wasn’t but a second before we were joined by the men in my family and Creed.
“Alis, holy shit man. Damn, I’ve wanted to meet you for years. My dad kept me updated on your career, and holy shit he was proud. First it was the Green Berets and then Delta Force…” Jake rambled and for the first time, he was the fan and not the hunky superstar. I watched Creed as he tried to keep up with Jake. His eyes would grow, then he would tilt his head and slowly I watched a smile form on his face. Internally, I was clapping and giddy with joy. Maybe, just maybe, something positive would happen on such a dark day. Creed would have family of his own.
“She was the best girl, and damn, you should have seen my face when Morgan walked into the room, and I saw her for the first time…” Jake went on and on. “Then she became my closest friend but then your mom and step dad…” Yep, Jake needed to settle down. I got bored and decided to hunt down a few chicken wings and a closet to hide in for a few minutes when it looked like Leslie was looking for me.
I thought I was in the home stretch when Leslie caught my arm. “What now?” I didn’t have the patience for her.
“The services were lovely, but I’m just curious what kind of characters you plan to bring into my granddaughter’s life? Why so many motorcycle gang members? I mean, Shane was in one of those gangs and look where it landed my daughter.”
I glared at her. The woman that allowed her daughter to suffer physical and sexual abuse was asking me that question. “You know what, Leslie? Fuck off!”
She gasped. I didn’t care, and stormed off toward Axton. “Please escort that woman out.”
He gave me a nod. “Yes ma’am.”
I stormed into the kitchen, dove in between two auxiliary members, stole two pieces of chicken, then found a closet. I was so angry with Leslie, it was unreal. I ate those two pieces, avoided more drama, and calmed my nerves before I cracked the door open and peeked out. That was when I saw them. Creed stood with his arms crossed and on each side of him was my brother and Jake, who tried to mimic their hero.
“Yeah, I’m not doing this right now.” I went to go back into the closet, but Creed grabbed the door.
“What did that woman say to you?” He opened the door the rest of the way.
I hid the chicken bones behind my back. “Umm…nothing really.”
“What do you have behind your back?” Creed asked.
“Nothing.”
He was fighting a smile. “Why were you in a dark closet?” He tried to reach behind me and take what I had. He grabbed the bones and looked down at them. He chuckled. “Look what we have here, boys. I believe these are the remains of two fried chicken wings.”
I shrugged. “Nobody has to know about this, Creed.”
Patrick snorted. “Yeah, just like nobody had to know about the cousin finger fucking?”
Jake turned his head and looked at Patrick. “What the hell, man?”
Patrick didn’t even look at Jake. “Family shit. Top secret.”
Creed tried to fight a laugh and held up a bone. “Who did you have to hurt to get this?”
“Nobody, I swear.”
He shook his head, tossed the bones in a garbage then walked over to me and pulled me into him. “You are too damn cute for your own good.” He kissed the top of my head. “What exactly led to you hiding in the closet? I saw you talking to Leslie and then Axton. You went to the kitchen and then the closet.”
I shrugged. “Well, at first I was heading there because I got bored with Jake’s rambling. Then Leslie tried to be a drama queen, so I thought my initial idea was a win, win for everyone. I got to enjoy my chicken and avoid unnecessary drama.”
Jake scoffed. “I don’t ramble.”
I rolled my eyes. “That was pretty much it. I trust Axton escorted Leslie out?”
“She’s gone, but what did she say to you?” Creed asked.
“She said the services were lovely, but she wanted to know why there were so many bikers. She said bikers are why Callie was killed, and they shouldn’t be around her granddaughter. She was just trying to start drama.”
Creed pulled back and looked at me then laughed. “Your lips are still greasy.”
I licked them. “Better?”