Page 50 of Creed

“What are you waiting for, prospect? Stop daydreaming over her and get these loaded. Take them to my place and we'll meet you there in a few.”

I looked up at Creed and I wasn’t too happy with him. It was obvious the young man had been injured and he deserved more respect. My God, he had probably seen hell, and he was so young. Handsome too, despite the scars. They actually may have added to his looks. Who didn’t adore a brave young man like him?

“Come on, let’s go.” Creed put his hand on my back, and I stepped away from him. I lost some respect for him after the way he spoke to that guy.

Once in the side by side I looked over at Creed. “Why did you talk to him like he’s beneath you? He fought for this country and deserves respect.”

Creed sighed. “He’s a prospect, meaning he’s new back to civilian life. He needs and wants to be treated like everyone else. I don’t do it because I’m an asshole, it’s what he needs. My rank is above him and if I treated him any differently I wouldn’t be doing him any favors. He's a prospect and he needs to be treated as one.”

“So, you can’t talk to him like a normal person?” I still wasn’t happy.

“He is here because he still needs the military structure he once had, and eventually he will go on missions. He wouldn’t be here if he couldn’t handle earning rank. A prospect is like being a private in the army. He has to make rank before he can go on missions. I need him in top mental and physical health. Kissing his ass because he has injuries will make him weak and that could cost him his life. His injuries ended his military career, but we have a use for him. He has a skill we need, so we stick with earning what’s like a military rank and use the time he has as a prospect for training and therapy. They cannot make rank if Bolton doesn’t think they are mentally capable. Gunter is learning that his injuries don’t make him less of a soldier. They don’t make him less of a man either. The process of earning rank is good for his mental health.”

I crossed my arms. “So, you treat him like a lap dog?”

“I study each prospects mental health plan, then treat them according to their individual needs. Gunter needs a confidence boost and that’s what I’m giving him. He’s earning rank fast and someday soon he will ship out and be the man and operative he wants to be, so don’t feel sorry for him. If he didn’t want this, he wouldn’t be here. If I took it easy on him, he would know, and he won’t have a chance to see his potential despite the injuries. Each jump in rank is a confidence boost.”

“What will he do on missions? I noticed he was limping when he walked away.” I was curious.

“He is still recovering from his wounds. He will adjust and eventually be able to do anything the other operatives can do. He sees a physical therapist and works hard to overcome his injuries. I meet with each prospect monthly, and we reviewtheir progress and their strengths. I will give him choices as he earns rank. For example, I may suggest recon missions or undercover work to him. He will choose and work toward that goal. We get all kinds of cases. We might support the military in counterterrorism missions, rescue missions, reconnaissance, hostage recovery, covert missions and even provide protection to some important leaders and their families. It’s extremely important that you read over your non disclosure. You may see some shady looking characters that are undercover deep into gangs. They lead us to members of the cartel so we can dismantle slave farms and return the slaves to their families. Most of them are American teenagers that got caught up in things they didn’t understand. That’s why it’s important to keep the structure and discipline of the military. We have to stay in top mental and physical health at all times. Gunter may be offered a position on any of those type of missions.”

I gulped. “You still take missions?”

He glanced at me then back to the road as he drove. “Yes, we have teams for every letter of the alphabet. I’m in Company A, which means I don’t go on as many, but I have skill sets that are useful for all missions. I can’t be gone for too long because I am the President and I’m needed here, but I also have other obligations I can’t discuss.”

I was shocked he had time to spend driving me around and going grocery shopping. I previously saw him out riding around and doing charity work on top of everything he did to run the place. “How do you have time for everything you do?”

“I don’t always have this much down time. I’m sure Stephanie told you about the Originals. We worked together as a team to build this place and all of us have the highest rank. I don’t run every mission, each one of us are assignedto different kinds of missions to oversee. Each of us also have responsibilities to keep the community running. I couldn’t do all of it by myself. I take military missions, where Axton takes missions for government agencies. Mostly for the CIA and the NSA. Drakos takes private cases, and Magnus works with law enforcement agencies all around the world. I am stretched pretty far, but it's important for us to keep good relationships with the citizens around us. Summer time is the best time to build relationships with the communities around us. We go on charity rides, throw fundraisers, and whatever else we can do to gain the trust of the people around us. The last thing we need is for people to suspect us of wrong doings and pester the FBI and other government agencies about us. We serve the outside community and in return they give us the respect and privacy we need. That’s why I have some down time. None of us Originals go on missions in the summer unless something vital needs our attention. We try to keep the work light. It’s also good for Granger because his kids are out of school for the summer, and he can spend time with them.”

“Talk about work life balance, it sounds overwhelming.” I was amazed.

“Its not as bad as you might think. We have a lot of support people in place. It works well because we are all disciplined and well structured individuals. The problems we have are mostly with the prospects. They’re going through countless changes and sometimes they can get out of hand. That’s why it’s important to treat them as soldiers and expect nothing but the best from them. We have a three strike rule. They can visit bars and do whatever they want during their down time, but they can earn strikes for breaking laws which will end their careers. The prospects can need a lot of support because we never know how deep their trauma runs until they’ve beenworking with Bolton and doing their training. Sometimes they need more help than we can provide, so we find them help and services through the Veterans Administration and wish them well. We cannot risk lives by sending them on missions before they are ready. Unfortunately, some may never be ready. As far as guys like Gunter are concerned, we use rank to help them meet their goals. Think of it as an incentive to work hard and stay out of trouble.”

Everything he said made sense, so maybe his treatment of Max was for his best interest. I decided to change the subject. “I know you said I can order things for Addie, but I think I’d like to go out and hand pick a few things in Louisville. I also need to visit the salon. Do you think Josh could spare the time to take me?”

He glanced at me then to the road again. “We’re on lockdown. That means no trips to town and especially no shopping trips. You were able to go out today because it was vital to learn more about how to get Addie and for arranging the funeral. We are putting some safety measures in place for the funeral and any court hearings you may need to attend, but you can’t visit the salon in Louisville or go shopping. It’s not safe, and we don’t need the paparazzi following you back here, but there is a salon at the community center and the families do a closet swap every few months. I think there’s one coming up, so maybe you can swap a few things. Otherwise, I’m sure Stephanie can direct you to the best kids shops online.”

“Wait. Are you saying I can’t even visit my family?” I really needed my mom.

“Darren, Tanner and Patrick have clearance and can visit you any time. I can probably arrange for your mom and sister to also visit, but you cannot take any unnecessary time outside thegates. You’re here for protection. Katherine is one of the wives and she has the salon. I’m sure she can do whatever you need done.”

I wasn’t happy about it, but I understood. “Okay, thank you. I’d really like to see my mom soon though.”

“I will make the arrangements.” He gave me a quick nod as he pulled up to his garage to park the side by side.

Max helped bring the groceries inside, but I said I would put them away. I was hoping Creed would allow me to arrange the kitchen as I liked. I only had to barely glance at him and saw he had an amused smile on his face. “Make yourself at home. Arrange things how you like. I don’t use the kitchen often so have at it. I can help with whatever you need.” He offered.

“No, go do whatever you do when you’re home and I’ll happily make dinner.” I was dying to cook in his gorgeous kitchen.

We brought a lot of food home, but most of it was the staples every kitchen needed. Salt, pepper, garlic, spices, and even ketchup and mustard. I loved organizing and arranged everything according to need. If I was to bake I’d go to the baking shelf in the pantry. If I was making Italian food, I’d go to the Italian shelf. I even made a snack shelf so Creed could easily find some midnight snacks if he did that sort of thing. After I felt that everything had its perfect place I started making dinner. I was actually really hungry, but I knew my stomach couldn’t handle anything very heavy. I decided on a lemon pasta salad and added some salmon for protein. Then I popped in some garlic bread, and it was a simple quick meal. The lemon dressing was my own creation, so I hoped he liked it. I could make some heavier meals later in the week when I thought my stomach could handle it.

“Creed?” I called out for him, but he didn’t answer. That sent me on a hunt for him. I checked every room but finally found him in his library. He quickly clicked out of whatever he was looking at on his laptop. “I’m guessing that was confidential?”

The guilty smile on his face told me he was up to something.

“Sure.”

I put my hands on my hips. “Were you looking at porn or something? Shit, you weren’t looking up my lingerie photoshoot, were you?” I was teasing.

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