Page 54 of Creep (Vulture Hollow MC #2)

The darkness around me pulses with promises of violence as I enter the room and turn toward the next one, where I can spot artificial light.

The reality around me feels fake, as if I’m a character in a computer game, but the shadow of a beast cast on the wall in front of me beckons me closer as the thirst for blood rises deep within me.

I don’t even try to hide and step inside, faced with the view of Domino’s naked back. He’s stretched above Angel’s prone form, one knee between his thighs, fingers digging into his cheeks as Angel whimpers.

My blood boils with the need to grab his head from behind and push my fingers into Domino’s eye sockets so he can never look at Angel again. But it won’t matter. He’s not leaving here alive.

I spot the gun holster in the pile of Domino’s clothes far away from the mattress on the floor. It’s all happening in slow motion, but remembering how my knife got stuck last time I fought a guy his size, I pull out the garotte instead, and go straight for his throat from behind.

Angel’s face flashes from beyond the bulk of Domino’s shoulders, and his eyes widen, but there will be time for comforting him.

Right now it’s time to send Domino where he belongs—to hell.

Wary of dragging my boy into the fight, I tighten the wire, then pull on it, dragging the monster away from Angel’s naked form.

Most men would have rolled, attempted to get their fingers under the wire, and get trapped as a result, but not Domino.

He manages to avoid falling and shoots up so rapidly I end up jumping on his back so the garotte doesn’t slip from my hands.

He turns left then right, trying to reach me as he gurgles, thick neck tense.

Maybe this is what bull riding feels like?

The stray thought is gone the moment Domino backs away, and my shoulders slam into a wall.

Normally, I would have ignored the pain and just born it until he was out of breath, but the jolt in the shoulder I dislocated is so sudden it goes all the way down my arm, and I can’t even hold the garotte in that hand.

I let go, fall to the floor, and Domino stumbles to the side. I grab his leg to topple him, but by the time I realize what he’s really doing, it’s too late.

He’s grabbing his gun.

I reach for mine.

Domino glares my way and points his iron at Angel who freezes behind me with a dull sob.

“Don’t even think about it,” Domino growls through bloodied teeth. “Slide the gun over here, or the little bitch is dead.”

I clench my jaw, but what choice do I have? I still have the knife he doesn’t know about, but I do as he says.

His boot rests on my firearm, and he grins.

“I knew you wouldn’t risk him. He’s got your patches after all.

It’s so pathetic. You thought that would protect him?

He made a deal with me, and his ass is mine until I’m done with him.

But you’re gonna rot for coming here. I’ll bury you so deep no one will ever find you. ”

Angel’s voice trembles as he speaks, covering his naked form with the threadbare blanket resting on the floor next to the mattress.

“How do you think he found us, huh? I’ve got a tracker under my skin.

His whole club will be here soon.” He swallows, wiping away fresh tears as confidence in this bluff settles in.

“You could kill both of us and you’re still dead, but you can make a deal.

Leave us alone for good. Go nomad and leave so we don’t have to see your face again. ”

My heart breaks along with his voice when his shoulders tremble, and while I itch to feel Domino’s blood on my hands for the black eye he gave Angel, and all the distress he caused, I can lie too.

“Just think about it. I fucking hate you, but the last thing I want is another war. Unless you fuck off, we will both be dead by the end of this, so give up already and go. You can even keep your fucking secret,” I add, because the last thing Domino would want is for word to get out that he fucks men.

Domino’s jaw tightens, and I can almost see his two brain cells trying to find each other as he thinks. It’s the hum of several motorcycles outside that finally helps him process. Angel may have bluffed about the tracker, but I do have one.

Domino lowers his gun, looks at me and opens his mouth to speak, but I’m having none of it. As soon as his weapon is down, I make my move, swift like an axe thrown his way. I hit his hand from below making his gun aim up his jaw, and push on his finger so he pulls the trigger.

His features crumble right before my eyes, eyes bulging as one of them pops beyond his eyelid. The top of his forehead opens in an explosion of brain and bone, some of it landing on my face as I shove him away.

I thought the moments after the murder of my aunt had been terrifying, but nothing can compare to the dread of knowing Angel was not yet safe.

I attempt to keep him away from the dirt Domino left on me, but it’s no use, because he’s already straddling me, cheek pressed to mine, as if there was nothing revolting about the gore covering my face.

“You came… I knew you would,” he whimpers, curling up on top of me.

I grab hold of him despite the ache in my shoulder, and squeeze him. I want to crawl inside his ribcage and sleep there for two days. His nakedness only makes me more protective. He seems so fragile and breakable. I hate every new bruise on his body.

But he says he trusted me. It fills my heart with so much love not even the pool of blood growing on the floor can stain it.

“Of course I did. Too late. He hurt you. I heard you scream.” I have to bite my cheek to stop the tears forming under my eyelids.

His arms tighten around me, and I count his vertebrae with my fingers to remind myself that he really is safe now. “He just roughed me up a bit. Earlier he… well, he dragged me here, but then they called him over and he left. It’s just bruises, Creed, I swear,” he whispers straight in my ear.

I'm so happy I might just cry after all, because my sweetheart deserves all the best. I’m so happy Angel is in my arms, alive and more or less fine. To think that it was the call from the Butchers that saved Angel from even more suffering? I don’t regret making a scene in front of Prophet.

I kiss his temple. “We need to go tell the others what happened. I’m… I’m so glad you’re okay, baby. You’re my whole life, you know that?”

He leans back, so very fragile in this dirty basement, but he has so much inner strength and wipes the bits of brain off my face before leaning in for a kiss that feels ceremonial.

He is the love of my life, and I will make sure no harm ever comes to him.

“Of course. We will always take care of each other.”

I nod and give him one more kiss when I hear banging on the locked door. “We’re fine!” I yell out to whoever might be listening at the window I slid in through.

Angel reluctantly rises off my lap, but as soon as I see that he’s barefoot, I pick him up and put him down by the door so he doesn’t risk stepping into gore. I grab his clothes, which are fortunately only stained with a few specks of blood.

He dresses without a word while I fish keys out of Domino’s pocket, and we walk through the basement in silence.

I know he’s also wondering what could have happened here if I didn’t know about his past, but each time I let my mind wander, terror and grief rip me apart, so I open the door, eager to be back out in fresh air.

Yeti is busy tugging on Rooster’s legs a bit farther down the wall, and he lodges the kid free the moment Prophet pulls both me and Angel against him.

“Thank fuck! So he really had you? In this old sawmill?” he asks, letting me go so he can focus on the bruises turning Angel’s face into a patchwork of color.

“Thank you for… coming,” Angel says softly, but his body jerks in response to the friendly pats given by my brothers, and I need to intervene.

“You’re family now,” Road says to him, but winks at me .

I’m not sure what it’s supposed to mean, but I was never very good at reading social cues.

Prophet leads us to a large fallen tree we can sit on, and I’m glad, because I’m aching all over, especially in the damn shoulder. “I’m guessing Domino’s not walking out of there?” He sighs and hands me a cigarette.

“He deserved it,” Angel says, resting his head on my healthy shoulder. He lacks his usual energy, drained by the horrid experience of the past few hours, but he’s here with me. Nobody will ever hurt him again.

Prophet’s brows go up as his gaze meets mine, but before he can speak, Angel bursts out laughing and squeezes my hand. “My man did a fantastic job.”

Prophet hums as he lights both mine and his cigarettes. “You know what this means though. We need to cover it up somehow. The Butchers don’t all sing “Kumbaya” together, but they’ll be looking for him, they’ll have suspicions. They might know of this place.”

I shake my head. “They probably don’t. He wouldn’t have brought Angel here if they did.”

Road steps closer, rubbing his hand over his buzz cut. “And if they find out Creep killed him, they won’t believe us what happened.”

Rooster rushes over, red in the face, followed by his father. “Well, maybe he shouldn’t have made his villain monologue then.”

When I frown, unsure what he’s talking about, Rooster pulls out his phone and plays back the moment when Domino announced he knew about Angel being my property and promising me death. Even with the pain in my shoulder, I smile. He fucked himself over.

“Rooster strikes again!” Prophet laughs and pulls him in for a hug while Rooster’s dad messes up his mohawk with his hand.

“That’s my boy! I knew you were cut out for this!”

With the shadow of danger gone, the men celebrate, and Rooster even flies up a couple of times, but Angel remains stiff at my side. “Will this be enough?”

Clyde captures his gaze and places his hand on Angel’s shoulder, giving it a mild squeeze.

“I used to be one of them. With you being a man… it is unusual, but nobody should mess with a man’s property, and you’ve got the patches to prove it.

And believe me, they don’t want anyone to know that their road captain got offed because he went after a boy he shouldn’t have chased. ”

Road nods at me, pulling his man away, because Angel is clearly in need of space.

“What if they still think he’s worth avenging?” Angel asks, meeting my gaze.

I was never that well-versed in the intricacies of club politics, but Prophet is there to speak for me.

“Then we go to war. I know Creep would do the same for us.”

Warmth tickles my chest, but Angel straightens his back and frowns at my prez. “It’s Creed.”

Prophet strokes his dark beard and cocks his head. “Huh?”

“He has a name. So don’t call him Creep. And… I think he might need to see a doctor,” Angel adds, gently pressing on my shoulder, but even that’s enough to make me flinch.

Prophet snorts and raises his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. Let’s go, Creed . Let’s get you to a hospital.”

As Angel gets up, he’s no longer trembling. I stroke his hand. “But you’re coming with me?”

The stern glare he had for Prophet a second ago is gone as he leans in to kiss me. “Of course I’ll go with you. You’re never getting rid of me.”

It’s almost as sweet as his declarations of love, and I stare back at him, breathless until Prophet makes a disgusted noise. “Ew, you two will give me tooth decay. Let’s move.”

I chuckle, unable to make myself look away from the most beautiful face I’ve ever seen.