Page 106 of Creed

I glance down the hall and see that Collins has busied herself with picking out clothes for tomorrow while she’s got her new cellphone pressed to her ear and laughs at something that whoever she’s talking to said. My guess is that it’s either Asher, her coworker, Cozy, or Jett, the bouncer I know she’d bonded with while working at Viper. I let it go and let her enjoy her conversation. For now.

I look back at Riley who now has a huge glass of milk in one hand and a sub sandwich in the other. He’s already eaten nearly half of it in two bites. He and Collins are similar in that fashion. They eat everything and I have yet to see where the hell it all goes once they swallow it because they’re both so damn slender.

I stifle a laugh and focus on what I need to ask Riley. I nod toward the door that leads out of the bus. “Talk with me for a minute?”

“Yeah,” he says, still sounding nervous. But he sets his sandwich and drink down to follow me outside. It doesn’t escape my attention that he had also set a similar drink and sandwich out for Collins, as well.

See? He’s perfect for you, too, Stardust.

As soon as the door shuts Riley’s mouth starts running with apologies and it wasn’t what it looked like’ comments but I quickly silence him with a series of odd shushes and a finger over his lips. I shake my head, “I’m not worried about you and Collins, Ri.”

His shoulders slump in relief again and I want to punch something that isn’t his perfectly freckled face.

“Then what did you?—”

“Have you checked Collins’ old phone since you got back to the bus?”

He stops and stands still for a moment. “No, I didn’t get a chance to look yet. Should I?”

I nod, sweeping a hand through my hair and lean back against the bus. “Yeah. I know shit isn’t good, but I don’t think I could check it again without going batshit crazy. But I want to know right away what it says.”

“Okay,” He says quickly, turning to get back on the bus, but I catch him by the back of his shirt and yank him back.

“Not now,” I hiss. I feel like shit for snapping so I take a breath and try again. Riley doesn’t deserve crazy Creed. “Check it once I get Collins out of here.”

“Wait, what?” He asks, his dark eyes swimming in confusion. “Where are you going?”

“I think the better question is, where do you think you’re going, Ri?”

His brow furrows further before realization hits him. He knows that I know what he sent to Bear. Good. But I plow on before he can try and justify himself. “I’m taking her to a hotel for the night. My goal is to give her some luxury maybe once or twice a week while we travel. I know the bus can get stuffy and I don’t want her to feel suffocated.”

I also plan to fuck her into oblivion and hopefully turn this twosome into a threesome. In the best way, but still. I digress.

“Oh, o-okay.” He says softly, then the rest of the implication of tonight sinks in. “That make’s sense. She needs?—”

“Us.”

“What?”

“What?”

“You said?—”

“Meet us at the Emerald Palace Hotel at midnight. I’ll have the front desk leave a key for you.”

Riley is looking more confused by the second and I can tell that I’m starting to slip from sanity with how deep the need to fix this entire situation is. Riley’s shoulders shrug at the same time his hands fan out, palms up, and his voice bordering on panic mode. “Creed, what the hell are you talking about? I’m not barging in on you and Collins tonight. Fuck that.”

“It’s not barging if I just invited you, Ri.”

“She’s not gonna want me there.” He rasps, his face looking so defeated.

I just grin at him and his head tilts slightly in confusion. I lean in like I’m in on this big secret—which I am—and quietly say, “Says who?”

He rears back as if I’d slapped him right in his pretty face with a heavy dose of insanity. In one swift move I reach around Ri and yank the bus door open. “Stardust?” I call out.

“Just give me like, five minutes, please?” She calls back, her husky voice on the verge of cracking from trying to yell. Fuck, she’s so cute.

“Take your time, baby.” I quickly shut the door and turn to face Riley. He must read the crazy on my face because he’s refusing to fully look at me. It’s like the world’s most skeptical side-eye and it makes me want to laugh. But I don’t. I’m a man on a mission and I’ve got, like, five minutes to lay out the cards for Ri.

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