Page 31 of Creed

“So why can’t people enter your compound?”

I rolled my eyes. “This shit again?” I couldn’t exactly tell her that Company E were all undercover. Their identities and just their faces alone weren’t known for obvious reasons. They went undercover as gang members, or drug dealers, mostly posing as American bikers. They joined motorcycle gangs here in the US and went on runs with them to gather information for various government agencies. They spent a great deal of time in Mexico. When they were home at Creed’s Lake, they did not go out into public. They relaxed and enjoyed the amenities our community offered. They could walk around freely without worrying about their identities being exposed to the wrong people.

We stopped in front of a restored classic Indian. It was one of my favorite bikes. “Because it’s what makes us feel safe after a life of special ops missions. We’ve done and seen a lot of shit, so falling asleep in a secure location helps us relax. Most of my men want to live secluded lives where they can just build bikes and relax.” It wasn’t a total lie. Some of us lived through hell and were still fighting demons.

She finally let it go, and we finished our tour. I had to leave her with Victor and Garrison, but damn she left me in a bad way. After parking my bike in front of the community center, I pulled out my phone and called Dahlia. I needed a quick trip to Louisville.

Friends Forever

Morgan

Victor was a super chill guy. He offered me a brownie that looked amazing, but I turned it down. I figured he was chill for a reason, and I didn’t want to be that chill. I met a young woman named Fiona that was a mechanic, but she lived in the compound. Then I met Bella, Jade, Santana, and Emberly. They answered phones, scheduled maintenance for people who bought their bikes from Creed, and did some book keeping. It seemed to be a legit business, but it was all still as suspicious as hell. Not the shop, but the compound. I left his shop in my replacement rental, which was a Range Rover, with more questions than answers.

When I returned home, I got the third degree from my dad until I told him I was with Creed. I had no idea what it was about Creed, but my dad respected him. I laid in bed that night after spending a great deal of time brushing out knots in my hair, and thought about Creed. He was a pain in my ass, but being so close to him did something to me. Of course, the fact that he was gorgeous was obvious, but he stirred stuff inside me and made me feel weird. I spent my life around beautiful men, but none of them stirred things inside me the way Creed did. I was tempted to Google him, but unlike a lot of people, I respectedone’s privacy and what I’d read wouldn’t matter. Nothing about people on the internet was ever true. I’d respect him the way I hoped people would respect me.

My phone rang, so I reached for it and a smile formed on my face. “Hey there.” I answered.

“How’s my girl tonight?” Jake asked.

I sighed. “I still haven’t seen Callie or Addie. I’m so scared, Jake.”

“Do you want me to come? I’m free and my grandpa is due for a visit anyway.”

I shrugged although he couldn’t see it. I knew he wasn’t all that thrilled about visiting Indiana. “That’s up to you. I’m fine and my dad and uncle are helping so don’t come here just for me.” I had my suspicions that Jake didn’t like visiting Indiana as much as he did as a kid.

“Have you heard anything from Nicole or Jonathan?” He asked.

“Nope, and if they did call I’d never answer. I have no plans to ever work with them again.”

He was quiet for just a moment. “My dad is buying the farm from my grandpa. My parents can’t be there all the time, but they’ll be close starting next week for about a month if you need them. Shit between dad and Jonathan is even worse now. Nicole is throwing a fit about dad buying it and of course starting her drama. She hasn’t been home to visit my grandpa as long as I’ve been alive, so she really doesn’t care about it. She just wants to start stuff to make it hard on everyone. Just be aware she might get a wild hair up her crazy ass and visit her dad. If she visits with Jonathan, don’t be surprised if they show up on yourdoorstep. Mom and dad are building a place on the farm so they can be closer as my grandparents grow older.”

I rolled my eyes even though he couldn’t see me. “Let me guess, Jonathan and Nicole will bring your cousins and dangle a relationship with them in front of your grandpa to get their way.”

He gave a sarcastic laugh. “Oh yeah, and Nicole knows grandpa has missed her oldest son, Alis. He tried to reach out to him, his dad died so that number didn’t work, so he had no luck in finding him. My dad told him it was too late, the damage was done, and grandpa still uses a rotary phone. The internet would probably give him a stroke.”

I giggled. “A guy is named Alice?”

“Its Alistair, so its not even spelled the same. Nicole abandoned him and my parents saw him several years ago, but he doesn’t want anything to do with us. I can’t say I blame him. Imagine Nicole being your mom.”

I rolled my eyes again. “No thank you.”

He was quiet for a moment then sighed. “Okay, so I’m used to you being away, so why I am I worried this is permanent? God, LA sucks so much without you.”

“Then come out here and visit me and your grandpa. You don’t start shooting for another month, do you?”

“Yeah, that’s if production gets their shit together. Who knows at this point. I’ll let you know when I can come. You’re coming home for the wrap up interview in a few weeks, right? Oh shit, you also have a premier coming up. I almost forgot about Saints and Sinners.”

I groaned. “Do I have to?”

He chuckled. “Its in the contract.”

I sighed. “I could live the rest of my life without hearing the word contract and be very happy. I’m so over it, Jake.”

“Well, you have to do what you have to do for your own happiness, but damn life will suck out here without you.”

I laughed just a little. “You could always move here and become a dairy farmer like your grandpa.”

My phone beeped, alerting me of another incoming call. I wondered who would call me so late, so I looked and saw Callie’s name on the screen. “Jake, I have to go, Callie is calling, and I can’t miss it. Love you and we’ll talk later.” I didn’t give him a chance to reply and switched over to Callie. “Callie, where are you?”

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