Page 7 of Creed

He’s here.

I shouldn’t be surprised that he still hangs with the same crew or that they belong to a motorcycle club. I shift my attention back to Tonya as she shakes her head back and forth. “What’s wrong?”

“My ex. That’s what.”

“Husband?” My eyes nearly bug out of my head as I look back at the guy they call Rage. I’ve only ever glimpsed him in old pictures from Tonya’s Facebook page. The guy is huge and totally ripped.

“Do you want to leave?”

“Why do you look like someone just kicked your puppy?” Ghoul asks, wrapping an arm around her waist, kissing her neck.

“Fighting out of the red corner. Welcome to the arena, Creed!” The deep voice booms over the microphone.

I gulp and watch my past and present collide. Seth Creed’s arms are thicker and more inked than I remember. His murderous expression is focused on the man in the gray shorts who is staring at Ghoul like he wants to pound him into hamburger.

Tonya squeezes my arm, digging her nails into my skin in crescent-shaped grooves.

“What the fuck?” Ghoul mumbles as Rage charges straight for us, yelling, “You whore!”

I yank Tonya out of her ex’s path as his fist connects with Ghoul’s jaw.

All hell breaks loose. Everyone around us is screaming and throwing punches. I lose hold of Tonya as she lurches herself forward and climbs on Rage’s back like a flying monkey of chaos.

“Fuck you, Mateo. Fuck you.” She cries and hits him on the back of the head.

Another biker gets hold of Tonya as I’m shoved to the ground in the mayhem.

I’m down on all fours, hoping my ass and breasts aren’t hanging out of this teeny dress and that I’m not about to be trampled.

“Are you okay?” A deep voice sends shivers throughout me as I stare up into a pair of green eyes I could never forget.

My words refuse to leave my tongue as we continue to gaze at each other.

Time seems to stop and all the noise and fighting blurs into the background.

I can scarcely breathe as Seth Creed stares at me like he wants to devour me.

My body and my heart remember all too well what that feels like.

His taste. Cinnamon toothpaste and sin. His touch. Rough and greedy.

“Do I know you?” His lips curve into an intrigued smile.

Not this version of me, I want to tell him yet refrain. He doesn’t recognize me. My heart cracks in two and I do my best to mask my disappointment.

I don’t respond but accept his offered hand. “Thanks,” I answer, praying he didn’t notice the way my knees wobbled on my way up.

“Name’s Creed.” He waits a beat for me to reply. “And you are?” he presses.

“Sorry, I’ve gotta go. Tonya?” I step around him as the crowd further separates me from my friend.

Seth smiles bigger as he blocks my path once more.

“Don’t you have a fight to get back to? Faces to punch or something?”

“Nah. That dumbass just forfeited his part of the purse.” He licks his bottom lip. “Want to get out of here?”

“Not with you.”

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