Page 50 of Creed

“Oh, no. Don’t you go spinning this back around to me. We’re both in this.” I met his eyes, heart in my throat. “There were reasons why it didn’t work before, and I don’t want to go through all that again.”

“I remember all too well, but some of those reasons aren’t reasons anymore.”

“No, but now there are different ones. I have kids to consider. I can’t afford to get this wrong.”

He didn’t flinch.

He looked me dead in the eye and said, “Then let me get it right.”

I blinked.

“I know the stakes, Dev. I know they’re even higher this time,” he said, his voice low, steady, and sure in a way that sent goosebumps up my arms. “I know I fucked up before by letting you go and thinking we could just walk away clean. But I’m not asking you to drop your life or forget who you are. I’m just asking for a chance to be in it. That’s it. One chance.”

He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering for just a moment as he waited for my response. There was one looming question that I was terrified to ask, because the answer could end this right here and now. But it was a question that had to be asked.

I swallowed and let out a breath before asking, “And what about the club?”

“What about it?”

“Would I forever remain a secret or…”

“Fuck no,” he answered without hesitation. “I’ll take you there right now and introduce you to every fucking one of them, including Preacher. Hell, he already knows about you. Shep and Grim, too.”

“Really?”

“No more secrets, babe.” He cocked his brow. “And that goes both ways.”

“I never tried to keep you a secret.”

“You never had kids and an ex either.”

The thought of telling the kids about Jameson wasn’t nearly as daunting as telling Brian. He knew what Jameson meant to me, and a piece of him was always jealous of it. He’d toss out snide comments whenever we argued, saying that I had my head in the clouds and no matter how much I wanted him to be, he’d never behim.

The thing was, I never wanted Brian to be Jameson.

I’m not sure what I wanted him to be, but he always seemed to fall short. Regardless, the mere mention of his name would more than likely send him over the edge. I was imagining all the vile things he would say when the sound of Jameson’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. “Where’d you go?”

“I was just thinking.”

“About?”

“How to do this right?” I saw no point in tiptoeing around it, so I told him, “I haven’t really dated since the divorce. I can count on one hand how many times I’ve been out of the house, and every time, it was either with Laura or my mother.”

“I get it. This will be an adjustment for everyone, including your ex.” Jameson shook his head. “Hell, I can only imagine how pissed he’s gonna be, especially after the run-in we had last week.”

“What run-in?”

“It was nothing.” I could tell by his expression that he wasn’t being completely forthcoming as he told me, “We had a situation at the Vault, and he came by to question us about it. Needless to say, we didn’t hit it off.”

“Did he know who you were?”

“He didn’t say, but I got the feeling he did.”

“Oh, great. I’m sure he was a complete asshole.”

“Oh, he was, but it comes with the territory.”

“I’m sorry.”