Page 24 of Creed (Satan’s Fury MC- Little Rock #6)

I could tell by the expression on her face that she needed a moment to collect herself and to find the right words, so I sat back and waited.

Eventually, she said, “I was close to the end of my shift. We were maybe thirty minutes out when dispatch came over the radio. She said there were complaints about some possible prostitutes in an abandoned mattress warehouse off Fifth. It was late, and I was ready to call it a night. But Cooper answered and said we’d check it out. ”

“Cooper?”

“He was my partner at the time. He was a good one, young and eager. And he could make me laugh without even trying.” Her eyes drifted to the fire for a moment, and then, she continued, “Anyway, I didn’t complain.

I figured we’d go check it out and be on our way.

But the second we pulled up to the place, I got a bad feeling.

It was dark and most of the windows were shattered.

There were all these old mattresses leaned against the wall and scattered on the floor.

It was just a huge mess, and it seemed like no one had been there in months. ”

It was hard to stay put.

I wanted to go over and pull her into my arms and hold her.

But I knew her well enough to know that she needed the time and space to get through this on her own. So, that’s what I did, even if it damn near gutted me.

“Then, we spotted this room in the back. The door was locked from the outside, so Coop kicked it down. That’s when we found them.

There were seven or eight women lined up against the wall, and they were in bad shape.

They were drugged, and their hands and feet were bound to chains secured to the floor.

One of them could barely lift her head. The rest were pretty out of it, but this one…

She was just a kid, maybe thirteen or fourteen, and when she saw us coming towards her, tears welled up in her eyes like we were her damn salvation. ”

It was tough hearing the story. I couldn’t imagine living it. I muttered a curse under my breath as she admitted, “We were both pretty rattled by it, and without thinking, we started cutting them loose. Cooper called it in, but it was too late.”

Her voice cracked as the memory washed over her.

“There was a flash and a ringing in my ears, and the next thing I knew, Cooper hit the ground. He didn’t even get a chance to fire back. One second, he was standing right next to me, and the next he was gone.”

I could see that she was struggling to get through it, so I reached over and took her hand in mine and listened as she continued, “I tried to run, but there was no way out. They came out of the shadows...”

She tried to fight it, but the tears started to fall as she explained, “There were three of them. Maybe four. I tried to fight them, but one of them slammed the butt of a rifle against my head, and after that, everything went black. I woke up in the hospital two days later with a concussion, a couple of broken ribs, and a hell of a black eye.”

“Holy shit, Devin. You’re lucky they didn’t kill you.”

“Honestly, I don’t know why they didn’t. It doesn’t make any sense.”

“What happened to the girls?”

“I don’t know. They were gone. All of them. Just gone.”

I cursed again, louder this time. Devin looked over and I tried to remain calm as she told me, “I looked for them. Made myself sick looking for them. Deep down, I knew I was never going to find them, so I turned my badge in, and that was it. I still haven’t forgotten that girl’s face. Don’t think I ever will.”

“You did what you could.”

She didn’t answer.

She just let out a shaky breath and pulled her hand from mine, wrapping her arms around herself like she was trying to hold the pieces in place. “I made mistakes that night.”

“That’s understandable.”

“But it’s not.” She looked up at the stars and sighed.

“We should’ve done a full sweep. Should’ve cleared every floor and every room and made sure no one else was inside.

Even a rookie knows that… But the second I saw those women, my mind went blank and all I could think was I had to get them out of there. ”

“I would’ve done the same damn thing.”

“No, you wouldn’t.” She shook her head. “You would’ve never put one of your brothers in danger like that. But I did. I didn’t think. I let my guard down, and Cooper paid for it. They all did.”

I hated seeing that she was tearing herself up over this. It wasn’t her fault. There was nothing she could’ve done, and it made me want to tear the whole damn world apart for letting it happen to her.

I understood. I knew how memories could dig and not let go. I knew how they’d follow you into the dark and whisper all the things you should’ve done. I knew how it could eat at you and seeing that she was going through that gutted me.

“You should’ve seen the way they looked at me like I was hope. Like I was about to save them. They thought they were going to be okay, but…”

“You can’t keep doing this to yourself, Dev. It wasn’t your fault.”

“But it was. I know that, and I have no doubt that girl knows it, too.” She gave me a bitter smile.

“So, now, I stand in front of a classroom full of college kids, trying to teach them to follow the rules and not to make the same mistakes I did. Because I don’t want them haunted by the faces they couldn’t save. ”

She finally looked up at me, trying to find some ground beneath her feet as she told me, “So, that’s the story… That’s why I left.”

“I’m glad you shared it with me.”

“I am, too.”

She didn’t deserve to carry this weight alone, and I wanted to take it all from her.

The guilt. The memories. All of it. But I couldn’t.

This was one of those times where she would have to find her own way through it on her own.

But I would be there for her along the way, supporting her any way I could.

We sat there watching the fire for another hour or so, and when Devin yawned, I took that as my cue to get her inside. I put the lid on the fire and led her to the bedroom where I spent the better part of the night trying to help drown out the memories.

I held her a little tighter and kissed her a little longer, and she fell asleep curled up in my arms. Being careful not to wake her, I grabbed my phone and pulled up the file Shep had sent me weeks ago.

I flipped to the back, and it was all there.

The newspaper articles, the police reports, the pictures of her wounds.

Those motherfuckers did a real number on her, and seeing the images made my blood boil.

I hated that she’d been hurt. I hated it even more that I hadn’t been there when it happened.

I could only imagine how hard it had been on her.

Hell, it was still hard on her. I could see it in her eyes and hear it in voice.

Something broke in her that night, and I feared it would remain broken until she found that girl. It was a thought that I couldn’t shake.

Hell, I didn’t sleep a wink, but I couldn’t let that slow me down. We had a full day ahead, and I planned on making the best of it. It was just after seven when I leaned over her and brushed a strand of hair off Devin’s face. “Morning, beautiful.”

“No,” she groaned, turning her head into the pillow like a grumpy toddler.

“Come on, babe.” I gave her a nudge. “We gotta get up.”

“Mm-mm. No, we don’t.” Her voice was muffled, half-asleep, stubborn as ever. “It’s too early.”

“You’re not gonna want to miss out on this.”

“Hmm?” She cracked one eye open. “Miss out on what?”

“The run.” I got out of bed and started pulling on my jeans as I told her, “We’re riding over to the state park, remember? You promised Tessa and Jenna that you’d come.”

“Why do y’all do everything so damn early?”

“We’re not leaving until eight. That’s late.”

“You need therapy.”

She groaned again as she pulled the blanket over her head. I chuckled as I told her, “Dress for the ride, but pack your suit.”

“I know. I know.” She knew I wasn’t going to let her go back to sleep, so she flopped back onto the bed with a defeated sigh. “Shorts or jeans?”

“Jeans. You know that.”

“But it’s so hot.”

“You’ve got beautiful legs. I’d hate to see them torn up with road rash.”

“Okay. Okay. Jeans it is.”

“Atta girl.”

I left her there and headed to the kitchen, flipping on the coffee pot before putting the last few dishes into the dishwasher. The thoughts of last night’s conversation were still weighing on me. It gutted me the way her voice cracked when she talked about that girl.

I hoped today would help. Riding was always the best therapy for me. There was no better way to clear the head. Wind in the hair. The road stretching out for miles. The promise of clear skies and good company. It was just what she needed, even if it was just for the day.

I was lost in that thought when I heard boots on the floor behind me.

I turned, and my breath caught for a second.

She was standing in the doorway wearing a black bikini top under a loose plaid button-down that was tied at her waist, jeans that hugged her just right, and those old cowboy boots she loved.

Her hair was braided into pigtails, and damn if she didn’t look smoking hot.

“What the hell, woman?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “You trying to end me?”

“What?” She tried to look innocent, but that smile gave her away. “You said to dress for the ride.”

“Yeah, I did, but that kind of outfit is putting your life at risk cause there’s no way in hell I’m gonna be able to keep my focus on the road when you’re sitting behind me in that.”

She laughed, that soft, real laugh that made me feel like I’d just won the fucking lottery. We took a moment to have our coffee and some toast before heading out to the bike. I put her bikini bottoms and my trunks in the saddle bag with a towel and some sunblock, and then we were on our way.