Page 14 of Creep (Vulture Hollow MC #2)
Angel
“So you started the MC at such a young age? Wow, that’s so impressive,” I say as wind blows into the cab of the pickup truck, combing through my hair.
I was surprised when Prophet, the big boss of Vulture Hollow, offered to help me move my belongings to my new home, but I figured he might want to know me better.
That, or he’s another closet case drawn to my very obvious vibes .
I suppose we’ll find out once we arrive.
He is very handsome, and nice, I’ll give him that. He’s tall, strong, confident in the way he carries himself, and seems comfortable with the gun in the holster under his arm, so I feel safe in his presence.
Still, maintaining a pleasant conversation is irrationally difficult, because my thoughts keep oscillating around the way Creep leapt out of the bushes after avoiding me for days, and attempted to chase off a guy who was trying to make me laugh.
Ridiculous. It would have been funny if it wasn’t so tragic.
But nothing pisses me off more than the fact that I wish he was here.
I think those two days in the cave fucked me up. Whenever I’m surrounded by darkness, including when I close my eyes at night, I remember how safe I felt when he found me in the tunnels, how at ease my whole nervous system became when he slept under my bed.
I should feel the opposite, relief at the monstrous guy being gone, but my inquisitive nature draws me to Creep.
He’s like no one I’ve ever met?strangely gentle, yet deadly.
I want to unravel the mystery that he is.
Why does he sleep under his own bed? Why in a cave?
What’s with the freaky picture of angels and a wolf?
Just like I’m curious about the secrets of the universe, the more I know about him, the more voracious I become.
Prophet chuckles. “Thanks, but I had more courage than brains back then. It did work out in the end though. Brigid’s been the backbone of our success, providing us with contacts and lots of useful information.”
“You seem to be doing all right,” I tell him, and it’s not even an exaggeration designed to stroke his ego. After three days in the settlement, I can confidently say that it’s a thriving, self-sustaining community.
And, best of all, the Hell’s Butchers won’t be visiting Vulture Hollow anytime soon.
Now I just need to make sure that if Domino happens to ride down the same road, I duck in time, and he doesn’t see me.
Prophet might be a nice guy, but I don’t know him well enough, so I have no idea if he wouldn’t hand me over if Domino claimed me as his .
“I think my greatest talent is in recruiting the right people,” Prophet tells me as we cut through the forest, heading for my home. “Creep was a total wild card when he showed up, but he’s such a productive member of the club.”
Ah, so he’s not trying to get into my pants. He wants to nudge me back to his buddy.
A mixture of shame and dismay twists my guts when I remember our confrontation earlier. Have I overdone it? He did ignore me for a long time, so wasn’t it only natural that I lost my shit when he appeared the way he did?
I wish I wasn’t attracted to the wide shoulders, the trim waist, and most of all, the intensity in his black eyes.
And he’s not even classically handsome. Half his face hides under greasy black hair, his lips are dry, and he bites his nails.
Yet there’s something about his aura that draws me in as if I were his moon.
“How did you meet him?” I ask despite myself, because I want to know everything .
Prophet laughs. “I almost didn’t. The man is like a cat.
It was only by accident that I found him stealing from us, and that’s how we…
got acquainted. It’s all good now, he just needed to prove his worth.
He keeps to himself a lot, but I think deep down, he’d like company. Even if his attempt was misguided.”
“You mean the abduction?” I ask but smile to let Prophet know I’m no longer angry about that.
He snorts. “Yeah. He probably saw you and thought ‘wow, I need a piece of that’, and since he’s not that great of a flirt, things got off the rails a little?
I can’t go into detail, but he’s not had the easiest time growing up, and then ended up in juvie.
He’s got a good heart but struggles with people. Maybe you can cut him some slack, hm?”
Remorse twitches deep inside me, because maybe I was too harsh on Creep. Maybe I should have stayed and listened to him instead of flying off the handle and walking off. What if he doesn’t want to see me again?
“I could, but I don’t know where he’s hiding. When he approached Rooster and me, it’s been three days since I last saw him.”
Prophet looks thoughtful as he taps the steering wheel. “I think the obvious thing to do is just go see Brigid. She’ll consult the cards with you. And listen, Creep can be hard to find, but I’ve got his number. If nothing else works, then come to me, and I’ll make it happen.”
I smile and wrap my sweater around me as I remember the mystical hut roofed with a dense thatch.
The lady living inside has her home stocked full of items I could only dream of owning, and the way she spoke about my ascendant was compelling.
I could really sense power in her presence.
Speaking to her once gave me a new insight into the configuration of stars at my birth, so maybe she could help me decide what direction to take next?
“Do you think he’s angry at me?”
Prophet chuckles and rubs the back of my head. “I think he likes you so much he’s losing his mind.”
The air I’m breathing suddenly feels hot and humid, and I twist the hem of my sweater in both hands as we pass the intersection close to my home.
Of course he does, otherwise he wouldn’t get so angry over Rooster trying to impress me. I should have been gentler, more forgiving. After all, at that point I already knew he’s not like the guys who previously vied for my attention.
I remember how his tar-black gaze lingered on me when he slid under the bed, so full of longing it set my skin on fire.
I’ve been with so many guys, but none of them looked at me the way Creep does. As if I was something special. A revelation. A precious thing he’s so very afraid to lose… As if sucking my fingers in the dark could sustain his affection for a lifetime.
Fortunately, I don’t have to continue this conversation, because we’ve arrived at the old house I still call my own, so I point it out before Prophet passes the driveway.
As soon as we’re parked in front of the unimpressive building with dirty siding, Prophet grabs one of the empty boxes from the back of the pickup.
“I’ll grab everything I can find in the kitchen, but I’m guessing you’d like to pick up all the personal essentials.
You know best what you need. Let’s get this done,” he says with a smile and…
holds up his hand for a high five I meet with my own.
I wonder if he’s always so friendly or just tries to build rapport because I’m a witness to his friend’s crime.
In any case, we get to work, and soon enough the back of the pickup starts to fill.
I even reluctantly pack some of the clothes Domino likes, in case I do need to start seeing him again.
I pull out the box at the bottom of the closet and quickly wrap its contents in a towel, so Prophet doesn’t walk in on me packing lace underwear.
The landlord did not clean out all his things, so I might as well leave some of my own unwanted stuff, but there are things in the garage I’ll need, so when Prophet walks off to make a call, I grab another box and go behind the building, through the garden full of weeds.
I never lock the back door of the garage, because most of the stuff I keep inside isn’t particularly valuable, so I walk right in, hitting the light switch as the odor of gas and motor oil hits my nose.
But the single lamp wasn’t necessary, because the front of the garage is wide open.
Johnny looks up at me from where he was fiddling with the handle of my car’s door. His black hair is slicked back, his white shirt ironed to the edge of its life, and his elegant shoes are so polished they reflect light.
“The pickup outside doesn’t scream you , but it seems my instincts were correct,” he says and squints at me. “Since you decided to finally grace me with your presence, I think you owe me an explanation?”
I stop breathing, because while I didn’t find any signs of struggle in the bedroom, maybe he saw something I missed? A broken glass? Bloodstains?
“I’m here with a friend,” I say, pointing to the general direction of where Prophet has walked off in the worst possible moment.
“And I’m here for my car, since you seem to think obligations are only suggestions. I didn’t drive all the way over here two days ago for nothing! Is this a joke to you?”
Fucker. Always so high-strung, as if not being able to get his dick sucked right on schedule was a matter of life and death. Still, I take a step back when he closes in, because he is bigger, and you never know what a man might do when angry, whether the Rolex on his wrist is real or fake.
“It was a gift! You can’t just take it!” I hiss.
He offers me a mean smirk. “I’m only letting you drive it. You didn’t even bother to let me know you can’t see me. And you couldn’t meet up last week either,” Johnny points out.
I hardly stop myself from rolling my eyes. “I had an accident, okay?”
“No, not okay. Now give me the keys,” he says, and my heart speeds up, because what the fuck am I going to do without a car, especially living in the remote settlement of Vulture Hollow!
“That’s not what we agreed on. Wonder what your wife would say about this kind of behavior.”
Is it a shitty move? Oh yeah, but he is pushing me. That piece of junk is probably worth less than his watch, but I need it! I can’t rely on the good people of Vulture Hollow driving me around. Especially not if something goes wrong and I need to make an emergency exit.
Johnny’s face flushes, and he approaches me so fast I don’t see the slap coming. By the time he hits me in the face, it’s too late, and I cry out.
“You wanna keep the car?” Johnny raises his voice. “Bend over and pay for it!”
His words hurt way more than the slap had, and I shove at him, but it does exactly nothing.
I’m torn between letting him take my wheels or calling Prophet for help. Johnny might be armed, and when his ego is at stake, he’s a loose cannon.
Before I can make my decision, a figure in black steps inside the open garage behind Johnny. I may have been pissed off that Creep stalked me around Vulture Hollow, but now my shoulders relax at the sight of him. So he hasn’t given up on me.
Johnny will eat his fucking words now that my attack dog is here.