Creed’s Honor by Simone Nicholls

Two Years Later

Doctor rounds were exhausting some days—especially when I hadn’t had enough coffee. I was about to walk into my flow-up case when a nurse buzzed me, telling me there was someone at the nurses’ station for me.

Working in the emergency department wasn’t easy. You always had to be switched on, and sleep was non-existent.

I was juggling my patients’ files as I rounded the corner. Seeing my brother, Kobra, standing there, a sigh of relief escaped my lips when I saw the coffee in his hand. I dumped the files on the desk and grabbed the coffee, not saying a word to him, taking a large mouthful. Then the liquor of the gods flooded my tastebuds.

“That was mine,” Kobra said as I took another gulp.

“Sure it was. That’s why it’s the exact way I drink it and slightly cooled so I can gulp it.” I then flashed him a big grin. “You’re the best brother ever.”

Kobra shook his head but had a small smile on his face as we turned and walked down to the only private waiting room in the emergency department.

“Everything okay?” I asked while walking beside him. I flashed him a look of concern. “Or has something happened?”

“Calm down, little sis. Dad was getting concerned when you hadn’t come home for over a week.” Kobra gave me a pointed look before holding the door open for me. “Started to think you were avoiding us, or someone…”

My eyebrows knitted together. “Who?”

“Creed’s chapter is in town,” Kobra said it slowly like he thought I might possibly explode into tears or something.

“Oh,” was all I could say. Then he looked at me for more. “I didn’t know.” I wasn’t even lying about it. “You guys hadn’t mentioned it.” Or had they forgotten that they hadn’t told me?

“We thought he would reach out to you, seeing as it is his first visit to the Mother Chapter since he left.”

I shrugged. “Well, he hasn’t.” I wasn’t sure what else to say as Kobra’s intense eyes were still staring at me. “So is the family good? Sorry, I’ve been stuck here with extra workloads.”

“All good. Ivy’s out of town, working on a high-profile case or something. I suggest if you are attached to breathing you, don’t forget to give her a call this week.”

“Our sister, the lawyer. Who would have thought?” I said, bringing the coffee to my lips.

“Makes me wonder what Ollie will end up being,” Kobra said, sitting down beside me.

Olenna, my nearly two-year-old sister, had the sass of us girls but the confidence of our dad. She was a walking strong-headed troublemaker. You would think Dad would have wanted a boy, but when he saw Ollie, well, she had us all wrapped around her finger. Including my tough anti-baby brother, who stayed up for endless hours looking after Ollie when she couldn’t sleep.

“We both know she’s the bad egg.” I smirked at Kobra, to which he grinned. “So, you have come to summon me home for the weekend?” I was assuming he came here with a purpose.

“Just saying your family misses ya.” He nudged my shoulder before giving me a wink and got up to leave. “Try to get some food in, would ya. Starting to think you have an eating problem,” he said before walking out.

I flashed him a smile and nodded my head.

But only one thought was running through my head. Creed was in town. I didn’t know what annoyed me more—that he was in town for days and hadn’t reached out or that he was in town, to begin with. Then again, we were history. I gulped the coffee, finishing it, and got up. I refused to let my mind focus on a man who walked so easily away from me.

* * *

“You need something reliable, Holly,” Trey said as he indicated into the club lot. It was the middle of summer, and every biker and their woman were outside. Also, the lot was more filled because of the bikes from visiting chapters. Trey’s eyes shot to me. “Party on this weekend, hey?”

I unclipped my seat belt. “Something like that, but we both know I’m tired.”

He scoffed, unclipping his seat belt and getting out too. Trey wasn’t my boyfriend, but he wasn’t just a friend, either—we had benefits. I suppose, when it came down to it, Trey was the guy trying to get me to let my shields down again. But I knew better. Yet he didn’t give up.

Dad was at one of the bonfires and was talking to someone intently when his eyes flashed up.

“Well, if it isn’t my long-lost daughter!” Dad shouted at us. “Started to think you bought ya own house with all that money and moved out without telling me,” Dad said as he pulled me into his side for a hug.

“I’ve missed you too, Dad,” I said while seeing Dad’s eyes going to Trey.

“Doctor Trey!” Dad said, extending a hand. “You the one to convince my daughter to come home?”

Trey grinned. “Nah, Hades, can’t take the credit for that. Her American muscle, which she refuses to trade in, broke down on her again,” he said while shaking Dad’s hand. “Was just telling her to get something reliable.”

I rolled my eyes. “He wants me to get a Japanese sports car.”

“You do need something reliable though, Holly, with the hours you work. Can’t have you broken down on the side of the road in the middle of the night.” Dad went into protective mode. “Thanks for picking her up, Trey.” But the real thanks was in Dad’s tone as he said thank you to Trey.

“Holly’s problem is also one of my problems.” Trey’s eyes flashed to mine. “Which is why we need to go car shopping.”

“I like my car!” I defended it. It was a known fact I was attached to it, regardless of its previous owner.

Kobra appeared, and he handed Trey a beer, which he declined. “Can’t drink, mate. I’m on call.” He gestured his head at me. “This one isn’t, so, by all means, give her the beer.”

Kobra’s face lit up. “About time you came to a club party, Doc.”

I swiped the beer from him. “Miss me, Kobra?” I taunted him, but I watched Kobra’s eyes dart to the person next to Dad. Following his eye line, I froze—with one word flashing through my head. Run.

Creed’s gaze was glued to me, with his cold, calculating stare. I watched him take a sip of his beer, his eyes not breaking from me. He didn’t say a word, and a tightness drifted in the air behind us. I couldn’t stop myself from thinking he was just as fucking handsome as I remembered. Only his head had a number one buzz cut all over, muscles slightly more defined and on display in that tank top, with his vest over it. I felt myself being pulled back to a time I would have liked to forget when a screaming little blonde came running at me, causing me to break our eye contact.

“Ollie!” A full-blown smile spread across my face as she launched at me. I caught her just in time and lifted her, her legs wrapping around me, her little hands cupping my face.

“Missed you,” Ollie got out, and her two words just wrapped around my emotions. She couldn’t hide her feelings like adults could. What she felt was what we heard.

“I’m sorry.” I honestly meant it, and my heart tightened.

“Sick people better?” Her words were strangled with exhaustion.

I tucked her blonde hair behind her ear. “Trey is going to care for them for a bit, so I get to stay home with you!” My words lit her tired eyes up. “Now, should you be in bed?” My eyes flashed to Mum, who was standing on the other side of Creed. It was hard to avoid looking at him while he stood in between my parents.

I held Ollie up, who crossed her arms with a stubborn expression.

“I wanna be with you and Kob.” She was just listing our names cause we were in standing range.

I leaned my forehead against hers. “Then that’s where you shall be.” I smiled at her. She smiled with relief and dropped her head on my shoulder. Dad went to take her from me, and I moved away from him. He wasn’t the only one who loved to hold Ollie while she slept.

Kobra went to get the camper chairs. It wasn’t uncommon for us to sit by a bonfire in camper chairs when she was even younger.

“Kobra,” Dad shouted at my brother as he spun around mid-walk. “Get one of the armchairs from the lounge! Don’t want them on a fucking fold-out chair for the night.”

Kobra just nodded his head and redirected his steps towards the clubhouse.

“Dad, we would have been fine on a fold-out.” I knew there was no point fighting it. When Dad made up his mind, that was it.

Ollie was nearly asleep on my shoulder, and I was rocking her while saying bye to Trey. He was really doing me a favour taking over my hours for the next few days to give me a break. Kobra was back with an armchair, which he lifted like it weighed nothing.

The music was still loud, but I knew when I was little, it was comforting to go to sleep listening to it. It reminded me Dad was close, and I was safe because you’d always hear his tone when he spoke, no matter how loud the music was.

Sitting in the armchair, Ollie curled into me, asleep. Kobra also grabbed a blanket, not that she needed it in this weather and with the heat from the nearby bonfire. It was more for comfort.

My gaze was on the burning bonfire as I ran my fingers through Ollie's hair. I tuned everything out, my exhaustion catching up with me, and took a sip of my beer. I didn’t know how long I was tuned out, but Kobra offering me a relief broke my trance.

“First check-in to the Mother Chapter as president, and you did well, brother.” I heard Dad talking to Creed, and my heart pulsated nerves through my blood.

“Got through it,” Creed replied. Hearing his voice pulled me back to a time that I didn’t want to be in because, while the good times were amazing, the pain from his leaving was unimaginable.

I could feel his eyes on me, but I didn’t look at him. Ollie was in a deep sleep, and I wanted nothing more than to get a solid night’s sleep in my own bed, and not in a hospital bunk bed.

But it was the song playing that sparked my need to leave. Bon Jovi’s “Born to be My Baby.” It was my kryptonite.

“I’m calling it a night,” I said and got up while holding Ollie, though my arm was dead. “I’ll put Ollie to bed,” I added when Mum went to get up. “Night, guys.” I didn’t even brush Creed as I held Ollie and walked past him. No, I made sure not to touch him.

Walking through the lot, I swear I heard Kobra or Dad say which one of them was going, which made no sense.

Finally getting free of the lot, I was walking up the dirt path when I felt someone behind me.

* * *