Page 14 of Creed (Satan’s Fury MC- Little Rock #6)

CREED

I sat there long after she was gone.

The coffee in front of me had gone cold. I hadn’t touched it since the moment she stood up and walked out without saying yes or no to my dinner invitation. She just left like I hadn’t spent the last decade wondering if I’d ever crossed her mind.

There was no doubt about it.

The woman still had a hold on me.

I knew it the second I saw her walk out of that building. She still looked like the girl I remembered. Had the same fire in her eyes and the same quick wit that got to me in all the right ways. And that smile. Damn. It hit me right in the damn gut.

I didn’t want the moment to end. That’s why I’d asked her to dinner. I should’ve known better than to push. She’d made a new life with her kids and new job.

She had responsibilities and a reputation to protect. She didn’t need me meddling in her life, especially with the kind of life I led. But hell, if I didn’t still want to be the one she crawled into bed with every night, the one she held and kissed, and the one she leaned on when times got rough.

I was struggling to get my head right when the ring of my phone pulled me out of it. I grabbed it from my pocket, and when I saw it was Skid, I answered, “You got Creed.”

“Hey, brother. Where ya at?”

“Taking care of something. Why? What do you need?”

“Just checking to see if you’re gonna make it to your shift or we need to call in somebody else.”

“Shit.” I glanced down at my watch, and when I saw the time, I stood and started for the door. “I’m on my way.”

“You sure? It’s not a…”

“I said I’m on the way.”

“Alright. See ya when you get here.”

I ended the call and shoved the phone in my back pocket, muttering curses under my breath as I headed back to my truck.

My head was still tangled up in Devin. Those eyes, that voice, and the way she said Jameson like no one else ever could.

But I had to let that shit go, at least for the time being.

I had a job to do, and right now, it didn’t include dwelling on Devin the rest of the day.

By the time I pulled up to the casino, I’d managed to pull it together.

At least somewhat. There were only a few cars in the lot.

It was mostly regulars and a few of the high rollers who liked to show up early and drink before the lights dimmed.

I pulled around back and parked, then took the side entrance that led through security.

As I expected, the main floor wasn’t busy.

There was just a quiet hum of slot machines and the occasional clatter of chips, but the underlying energy was still there.

It was always there, ready to be snatched by the next big winner.

I continued towards the front, and it wasn’t long before I spotted Preacher, Tabitha, and Goose huddled up at one of the smaller bars, drinking a cup of coffee with Sergei and Nikolai.

Goose was talking with his hands, animated like always, and Tabitha was pressing her lips together, trying her best not to laugh. Preacher had that look on his face he got whenever he wanted to act irritated but secretly, he was entertained.

Hell, even Sergei and Nikolai were cracking grins, which was rare at best. I wasn’t in the mood for small talk, let alone jokes, but I pressed forward. I took a breath, squared my shoulders, and made my way over to them just in time to hear Goose say, “Might as well call him Ricky Bobby.”

“Ricky Bobby?”

“ Talladega Nights .” Nikolai’s brows furrowed even more, and that sent Goose over the edge. “Oh, come on. It’s only one of the best car-racing movies around. Hell, it’s a classic.”

“I don’t know if I’d go that far,” Preacher corrected.

“Look, we’re getting off track here. Speedy Gonzalas over here was just taking me to pick up a pack of smokes.

There was no rush. No emergency or time we needed to get back.

But some car cuts him off, and he has to hammer down and almost got us killed.

” Goose looked at Nikolai and shook his head.

“You’ve got yourself some major road rage. ”

Nikolai leaned back against the bar and smirked, clearly finding the conversation amusing.

He’d skipped his usual white button-down and slacks and was wearing a pair of jeans and black T-shirt, revealing more of the ink on his arms and biceps.

Preacher glanced over at him and chuckled.

“I’ve never had any problem with his driving. ”

“He took a corner so hard my soul left my body.” Goose sounded as serious as he could be as he told him, “I saw the light, Prez. The light .”

“Oh, Goose.” Tabitha gave him a playful nudge and laughed. “Surely it wasn’t that bad.”

“The hell it wasn’t!” He turned to Preacher, completely serious. “If I die ridin’ shotgun with this asshole, I want ‘ I told you so’ written on my tombstone.”

“Jesus,” I grumbled under my breath. “Is there a fucking off switch?”

“Well, look who finally showed up,” Goose called out with a cocky grin. “Was starting to think you didn’t love us anymore.”

“Just needed a little peace and quiet. Don’t get much of that around here,” I shot back.

“You can have peace and quiet when you’re dead.”

“Something to look forward to.”

“Ah, you aren’t fooling anyone. We all know you love the crazy.” He laughed and clapped me on the shoulder. “I hate to cut it short, but I’ve gotta get over to the Vault. My shift starts in ten.”

“Have a good one, brother.”

“Gonna do my best.”

Preacher gave him a nod, then turned his attention to me. “You got a minute?”

I nodded, then followed him out of the bar. We stopped midway down the hall, where the lighting was dim, and the noise was muffled. Preacher turned to face me with a look of annoyance. “What’s going on with you?”

“Nothing.”

“Bullshit.” He tilted his head, and his eyes cut right through me. “We both know something’s going on, so cut the shit and tell me what it is.”

I should’ve known that he’d call me on my bullshit. He always did. The man knew me better than anyone and had always been able to tell when something was eating at me.

I clenched my jaw, staring at the floor for a beat. He didn’t say another word. He just stood there with his arms crossed, looking at me like he could see right through me. The silence was deafening. And I could tell by looking at him that he wasn’t going anywhere until I gave him what he wanted.

So, I took a breath and said what needed to be said, “I saw Devin.”

“You talk to her?”

“I did.”

“And how’d that go?”

“Could’ve been better. Could’ve been worse.” I shrugged. “She quit the force and is teaching over at the community college. Been divorced about a year. And she looked good. Damn good.”

“I take it you still have a thing for her.”

I didn’t bother denying it.

I told him about her. It had been months after she left.

Months after I’d pushed her away because I was too much of a fucking coward to find a way to make it all work, and it still hurt like hell.

It hurt even worse when I found out she’d married that asshole Maddox.

It was like someone had ripped my fucking heart out.

I lost it.

I went to a place I had no business going to.

I let myself go numb. I didn’t ride. Didn’t eat. I just went through the motions. When Preacher had enough, he pushed me to tell him what was going on. Of course, I refused, and we went to blows. We beat the hell out of each other.

When we were both bloody as hell and too exhausted to move, I finally told him everything. He never flinched, not even when I told him she was a cop. That’s when I realized I hadn’t done a great job of keeping her a secret. He’d known about her all along.

I couldn’t believe it, so I asked him outright.

“You knew?”

“Of course, I knew. It’s my job to know what’s going on with the club.”

“And you never said anything?”

“Figured you’d come to me when you were ready. Didn’t think it would take so long.” Before I had a chance to respond, he added, “But just so we’re clear. You made the right call letting her go.”

“Doesn’t feel that way.”

“Maybe not now, but it will. One day, you’ll see that you weren’t in a place to give her what she needed. And you’d never really be able to trust her. Not with her being a cop.”

That wasn’t what I wanted to hear, but I knew he was right.

I hadn’t wanted to admit it, but deep down, I’d thought the same thing.

Now, all these years later, he was staring at me like he was seeing the whole damn picture.

Preacher stepped in a little closer, dropping his voice.

“Then, maybe it’s time you figure it out, brother.

One way or another. If she meant enough to keep you up at night all these years, you owe it to yourself to find out if you mean something to her. ”

I didn’t say anything.

All that noise in my head, the guilt, the memories, and the what-ifs all went quiet for a second. Eventually, I answered, “You’re right.”

“I usually am,” he scoffed with a smirk. “So, listen to me when I say, if there’s still something real between you, don’t waste it.”

“Don’t plan on it. But I gotta figure out how I’m gonna see her again.”

“I’m sure you’ll think of something.” He gave me a pat on the shoulder. “I’m heading out. Gonna take Tabitha for a ride before I drop her off at the house. You good here?”

“Yeah,” I said, giving him a nod. “We’re good.”

He returned my nod, and with that, he turned and made his way back to Tabitha. Moments later, they were on his bike and Tabitha had her arms wound around his waist, holding on tight as he whipped out of the lot. Seeing them together tugged at me.

It had been a long time since I had a woman on the back of my bike. It had been even longer since I’d had Devin on it.

Too damn long.

I finished my shift and took the long way home.

I needed the extra time to think. By the time I turned off the highway, it was dark, and with the washed-out driveway, it was hard to see the turn-in.

My back tires skidded slightly on the loose gravel, but not enough to slow me down.

I drove through the iron gate and started the trek up to the house.

I had just over ten acres, and all of it was lined with a wooden fence and crossbeams. My place was tucked back and difficult to see from the main road. That’s one of the things I liked most about it.

That and the fact that I’d designed it myself.

It was a two-story home with four bedrooms and an office I rarely used.

It had white siding with black trim and a white fence surrounding the entire property.

I’d had it built after one too many sleepless nights in my old, shitty apartment where the walls were thin, and there were too many ghosts lurking about.

I wanted something of my own, and I busted my ass to get it. Saved every nickel for years, and when the property came up for sale, I jumped on it. I started building as soon as the ink dried. I picked out the blueprints, bought every fixture, and chose every finish.

I had a kitchen with actual counter space, easy-to-clean concrete floors, and a massive walk-in shower that was currently calling my name. I stripped off my clothes, and when I stepped under the hot water, the tension of the day started to slip away.

I tilted my head back and closed my eyes, and my dick started to twitch the second my mind drifted to Devin and how good she looked when she stepped out of that campus building.

It was like I’d stepped back in time, and she was still the Dev I used to know.

So young and full of life. Eager. And only had eyes for me.

I reached down and took hold of my hard shaft, moving my wrist up and down. A man knows his way around his own cock, and I knew the second I touched mine I wasn’t going to get off. Not like this. Not without her.

It was that thought that had me getting out of the shower and tracking down my phone. I wasn’t sure who the fuck I was going to call. Maybe a florist or one of the brothers. Anyone who could give me a clue on what to do, but when I looked down at the screen, I realized my day had already been made.

Unknown:

Hey.

It’s me.

Me:

Me who?

Unknown:

Devin.

I called the casino and told them I hit your motorcycle and needed to talk to you about an insurance claim. It took some convincing, but one of them gave me your number.

Me:

Sounds like you pulled a fast one.

I quickly added her new number to my contacts and waited for her response.

Devin:

Not one of my proudest moments.

Me:

This mean you’re going to let me see you again?

Devin:

I don’t know if that’s a good idea.

A lot has changed.

Me:

You’re right.

I’m not the same man you left behind.

Devin:

You’re still annoyingly handsome.

Me:

So, you think I’m hot.

Devin:

You haven’t changed that much.

You’re still cocky.

Me:

I’m also older and wiser.

I made mistakes, but I’ve learned from them. I’m sure the same goes for you. So, we’ve both changed.

But the way I wanted you?

That has never changed.

Devin:

Jameson.

Me:

Tell me it didn’t change for you.

Devin:

You already know.

Me:

So what are we going to do about it?

Devin:

That’s just it.

I don’t know.

Me:

Sometimes you just have to take a chance.