Page 53 of Creed

We got dressed and made our way outside.

As we walked to her car, she looked up at me with a contented expression. “I’ve missed mornings like this.”

“I’ve missed it, too.”

I leaned in and kissed her, slow and deep, letting her feel everything I didn’t have the words to say just yet. When I pulled back, I let my forehead rest against hers. “I’ll see you at six.”

She nodded as she opened her car door and got inside.

After a quick wave, she started backing out of the drive and was gone. Half an hour later, I was sitting in Preacher’s office, finishing off my second cup of coffee. He was going over some final numbers and seemed pleased with how well things were going.

We were discussing plans for the month when he announced, “I’ve decided to keep things cool at the Vault for a while. No product moves until we’re sure our buddies in blue don’t come sniffing around.”

“It’s a hit, but it’s a good call.”

“But that’s just it. We haven’t taken a big hit. Things have been going really well at the Vault and the casino. Money is rolling in, which is why we don’t need to take any unnecessary chances.” He took a drag from his cigarette and exhaled slowly. “I have Shep monitoring the lot, twenty-four-seven. If a cruiser so much as rolls down the block, we’ll know.”

“Good move.”

Preacher fell quiet as that watchful look slid across his face. I knew then he was done talking business but wasn’t done talking. I stayed silent, letting him get there in his own time.

After a beat, he cocked his brow and a smirk crept across his face like he already knew the answer when he asked, “So, when you gonna bring your girl by the clubhouse?”

“Planning to tonight.”

“Oh, really? Hmm.” He cocked his brow. “That didn’t take long… It’s been what? A day?”

“Preach—”

Before I could finish, there was a tap on the door, and Grim stepped in. He walked over and dropped down in the seat next to me before saying, “Hope I’m not interrupting.”

“You’re good, brother.” Preacher chuckled as he put out his cigarette. “Creed was just about to tell me how he’s gone soft over a woman.”

“No shit?” Our usually stoic and intense enforcer gave me a smirk. “Damn. Never thought I’d see the day that such a hard-ass would go limp for a chick.”

“We said the same about you, and now, a little girl is painting your toenails and braiding your hair.”

“That’s a cheap shot, brother.”

“Doesn’t make it any less true.” I cocked my brow. “We done talking about this shit?”

“For now.” Preacher’s grin faded as he told Grim, “Creed and I were just talking about things at the Vault. We’ve decided to keep playing it quiet. No product. No noise. Make sure this thing with the cops blows over.”

“Sounds good.” Grim leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees. “What’s the plan for the two in the holding room?”

We’d kept the assholes longer than we planned, but I wasn’t losing sleep over it. Shep had dug into their lives and what he found was the kind of shit that made your blood run cold. Rap sheets a mile long with everything from DV to aggravated assault, to kidnapping. One of them had taken his own goddamn sister, and she was never found.

We suspected they weren’t working alone. No one like them ever did. And that meant we couldn’t afford to let them go until we knew who they were working for or who they were planning to take next.

“There’s no way we can just let them go now,” Preach answered. “We can’t let ‘em walk without blowback to the club.”

“We can’t keep ‘em forever.”

“So, I get what I can out of ‘em,” Grim answered. “I’ll give them one last push, and when I’m done, we’ll make sure they don’t cause problems for us or anyone else again.”

His words were calm, measured, but the weight behind them wasn’t lost on any of us. Preacher gave him a nod. “Give them hell, brother.”

“You know I will.” Grim paused at the door with a grimace. “You think a chainsaw would be too much?”