Page 124 of Creed

Guilt and self-loathing start warring for dominance in my brain because it’s yet another damning example of how I’ve horribly failed to protect my sweet girl.

Before I can spiral too deep into my own thoughts, my phone vibrates in my pocket. I pull it out to see Callan lit upon the screen. Jones catches it and walks off with a nod, exiting the bus. Bear tells me he’s going to talk to him some more to get details on what the fuck happens next but will be back. I nod and swipe to answer.

“Hello?”

“Mr. St. James.”

I roll my eyes, hating the formality but I guess that’s how these underground bosses do things. I would tell him to just call me Creed, but I have a feeling that request would be ignored, so I just scrap it.

“What can I do for you, Mr. McTavish?” I really don’t want to be talking to anyone right now. I’d rather be on my way back to my people who are probably all blissed out on orgasms and snuggling in bed.

I really need some fucking snuggles, too, after this shit show.

Callan’s accent doesn’t seem as strong as his brother’s, but he does sound like he just rolled out of bed, just as annoyed to be making this call as I am taking it. But he gets straight to the point, which I can appreciate. “Steve and Tony will be taken to one of our remote warehouses and held there until you decide what will become of them.”

Uh, what? “What will become of them?” I ask curiously.

“That’s what you decide.” My question was meant to parrot his, a request for elaborating, but I guess that went over his head. It’s nearly 2:30 in the morning.

“But why would I decide? Are there some multiple choice answers you could give me or something because I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He sighs, the sound followed by rustling sounds and a distant, “Go back to sleep, Mo’ Dhia.” It’s quiet for a minute before he speaks again. “In my world, men like those we took tonight don’t commit the acts they committed and fucking walk away unpunished. Not only are these men now my prisoners, but they committed crimes against my family. That must be punished.”

His voice sounds downright lethal, but my brain snags on something he said. “We’re not?—”

“Asher is family, Mr. St. James,” he explains. “By extension, his family is my family. And we protect at all costs. My brother would usually be the one who takes care of situations like this, but seeing as Miss Weston is your woman, it’s up to you to decide their fates. The same will be for when her stalker is caught.”

Decide their fates? What, like kill them?

I almost laugh at the thought. I mean, yeah, I just told Lachlan that I wanted Guy six feet under once he’s found, but actually deciding if Tony and Steve live or die? For some reason that feels like too much responsibility on my shoulders.

“Precisely. The decision is yours.” He drawls like it’s no big deal, when I realize I must have said that out loud.

“Ah—Can I think on that and get back to you? I need to process some shit and get some sleep before I give an answer that I can actually live with.” I rake a hand through my hair and huff out a laugh with no humor behind it, pacing the floor. “Right now, I’d say kill the fuckers, but I think that’s the adrenaline and sleep deprivation talking.”

He’s quiet for a moment. “Take your time. Like I said, we’ll hold them until you decide what to do with them. We’ll give them just enough food and water to get by, but they’re now considered prisoners. It will be no life of luxury for them.”

“Good.” I snap without hesitation.

He goes over some security details and how he’ll be rearranging to send Asher to join the team and my heart does a little flip. It’ll feel good to have my family all in one place again. I hate the circumstances that led to getting him here, but we’ll all be together. It’s one more person that loves and will protect Collins with his life. He says it’ll be a few weeks before that happens, as he needs to train someone new to take over his position guarding his sister in-law. It sucks to have to wait but by then we’ll be done with the tour, and hopefully Guy will be caught and hauled off to the warehouse where he can rot with the rest of those who hurt my girl and probably so many other girls.

I should leave it up to the victims to decide what the fuck to do with them. But I would never make them face their aggressors, so I’ll take one for the team and decide whether to allow three murders to take place or not.

“Go get some rest tonight. Riley and Collins are still safe.” He says softly, but it makes me pause. He chuckles before he explains, “I’ve got eyes everywhere. It’s my job to keep my family safe and to know where they are at all times.”

I almost want to tell him to not be a creep about it, but in all honesty, I appreciate the protection, because it’s also somehow kept the paparazzi at bay, too.

I’m anxious to get back to my girl so I opt for a “Thank you, sir.” And hang up after asking him to keep me updated on finding Guy.

I hate that we have to keep her a secret and sort of force her into the shadows when all I want to do is show her off as mine and Riley’s.

Thoughts of the two of them riding each other to multiple orgasms and snuggling up together in a warm bath with their favorite ice cream has my dick rock hard. It’s not even the thought of them fucking, it’s their genuine happiness and peace that they find in one another that has me losing my mind in the best way.

With that thought, I’m off the bus and sprinting toward my rental car when I hear Bear calling out my name. I so badly want to pretend I didn’t hear him just so I can get back to my people sooner, but after he stood up for Collins earlier I pause and wait for him to catch up to me. Plus, I know we have shit to talk about for the rest of the tour.

“I’m sorry,” he starts when he’s standing just a few feet away, his hands tucked into his pockets. “I shouldn’t have assumed what I did earlier about Tony touching Collins.”

The mention of it has my body tensing and anger rising within me all over again. But I tamp it down and nod at him. “No need to apologize for sticking up for my girl. She needs more people in her corner. The more to protect her, the better.”

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