Page 18 of He is… Creed: Part Two

Addie

With nerves destroying me, I stand at the front desk of the hotel while an elderly man argues over every penny of his bill, with two other people in front of me. A full twenty minutes ago, I managed to arrive safely to my room, but my key did not, and I cannot believe my stupidity which I’ve had plenty of time to consider while waiting my turn to see the clerk.

It's going to be okay, I tell myself, my hand reaching inside my purse, yet again, for the weapon that is not there, my gaze discreetly scanning for trouble. Finally, another representative steps behind the counter and soon, I’m holding a new key and forcing myself to walk calmly toward the elevator, when I wish I could run. I was foolish tonight. My fear of trusting Creed again drove me to act on my own rather than reaching out to him and to what end? At any moment, Brock could stand in my path, with the intent of killing me. Information, I remind myself, I know only because I followed Brock.

I chide myself as justifying stupidity seems to be something I do well tonight.

I reach the elevator and punch the call button, thankful when the car opens and it’s empty. Hurrying inside I hold my breath as I’m sealed inside, collapsing against the wall. I’m almost back to the room. I just need to be in my room. An uneasy feeling rushes over me and I straighten.

Creed.

In utter defiance of the hate I’ve told myself I feel for Creed, a deep, intense fear for his safety overtakes me. He’s in trouble. I know it in every part of me. I don’t know how I know, but I know. I feel it in every inch of my body, practically taste it in every laden breath I take.

The elevator halts and dings, and I fight the urge to dart, forcing myself to wait for what waits on me on the other side. The doors part and when there is no one on the other side, air gushes from my lungs, and I rush into the hallway. The sense of Creed being hurt, being near, comes to me with clarity and I double step.

He's in my room.

Seconds pass like hours and when I’m finally at my door, I swipe for entry, only to hear the door next to mine open, and I swear, chills race down my spine. Before I can escape, I hear, “I wondered where you were, I was worried. I’ve been knocking for a while now.”

Brock.

I’m trapped like a rat.

And a while, my ass. It’s a miracle he’d beat me back here. I grit my teeth and school my features before glancing his direction. “And here I thought only my father worried.” There’s distinct and well-intended sarcasm in my voice. “And if you must know, I tried to find a twenty-four-hour pharmacy with no success. Looks like I’ll be paying an arm and a leg for a toothbrush at the airport in the morning.” I cringe at the horrible excuse when I could have called room service, but it’s already out, and on a positive note, it’s nothing I believe he can offer me from his room.

At this point, I’m forced to rotate to face him, but I keep my shoulder tight to the door. It’s still a mistake. It’s like an invitation to a predator like Brock. He saunters, his bulky body heading in my direction and he doesn’t stop until he’s close. Way, way too close considering I could choke on his pungent cologne and it smells like death.

My death, as he is my would-be killer.

It’s all I can do not to confront him, but that would be an emotional response that leads to no place good, especially with Creed injured and inside my room.

“It’s late to go out alone,” he comments dryly, suspicion in the depths of his eyes.

“I’m a general’s daughter,” I remind him, and then in an effort to avoid suspicion of my outing I quickly quip, “We’ll risk life and limb for a toothbrush.”

There’s a flicker of distrust in his eyes swiftly replaced with a lusty look that makes me actually want to close the space between us just so I can plant my knee in the place that would most hurt him. Disgusting man really plans to bed me before he kills me, and it doesn’t get much sicker than that.

“We’re both awake,” he drawls, leaning against the doorjamb. “Why not share a little nightcap?”

My fingers curl around the metal knob in my palm a bit more firmly, ready to dart for a quick escape, but somehow, I paint on a smile, and stand my ground. “I’m exhausted, and we leave early. We said tomorrow night, if we aren’t too tired. Let’s leave it at that.”

His heavy-lidded inspection follows, along with a thick silence that all but suffocates me before he straightens and says, “Lobby at straight one thousand hours, then?”

Relief washes over me in literal waves, but I school my features and my tone to unaffected. “I’ll see you then. Night,” I don’t wait for a reply. I shove open the door, and quickly close it firmly behind me, locking up and flipping that steel brace into place.

“I’m going to really enjoy killing that sonofabitch.”

My heart skips a beat and I whirl around to find Creed sitting on the edge of the bed, facing me. His long dark hair is as wild as the man, only half in the tie at his nape, and most notably, he’s struggling to hold a soaked, bloody red towel pressed to his side.

Chapter Eighteen

He’s bleeding too much, even for a GTECH.

This thought has me tossing my purse to the ground and rushing toward Creed, closing the space between us lightning fast, and settling on my knees in front of him. “God, Creed. You’re not good. And I knew you were hurt, I could feel it, but I couldn’t get him to leave.”

“What’s tomorrow night, Addie?”

My eyes jerk to his and I can feel the connection between us ignite some deep part of me and he must read the question I have not spoken because he says, “Yes, I heard.”

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