Creed’s Honor by Simone Nicholls

Kobra had left my bags at my front door, and I couldn’t lie that I didn’t have other motives when I sent Kobra to Opal’s. I had hoped they would talk. But from the one-word answers I was getting from Opal, I doubted they had.

After what I had said to Dad, I wanted to put in an appearance at the club. So that was the reason I was here. And I had to keep reminding myself of that every time I felt his eyes on me. Club party was different from a family club party. The club girls wore less and didn’t care if they made it to a bedroom or not. All they cared about was the members’ dicks.

The reason I was making this clear was that Creed could have his choice of women tonight. Instead, I kept feeling his eyes on me, and it was driving me insane.

He was still president of the North until he appointed another. I heard he was riding back soon to handle the finer details of him leaving. Knowing he was coming back was one thing, but actually hearing he was doing the requirements to patch back scared the shit out of.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out. Seeing a private number, which had been calling me lately, I ignored it. I wasn’t sure if it was Trey or not, but I wasn’t answering. They also never left a message—so I just assumed it wasn’t important.

Just as I rejected the call, someone pulled the stool out beside me. I glanced up and saw the last person I expected to see here at the club.

Slater Winston.

Creed’s brother.

And the enemy of my father.

“Are you lost?” I said, slightly shocked he had even managed to make it into the club without being shot by my father.

His lips twitched up. And the scar on his chin showed more in this light. I knew stories of Slater, stories that left a lot of information out.

“Need a word with Creed,” he said, and he slowly looked me up and down. “You’ve got two options, sweetheart. Tell Creed to come outside to see me, or I go up to the table and get their attention.” His eyes and mine went to the table Creed was sitting at with my father.

I looked back at him. “I’ll get Creed. You get the hell out of my dad’s clubhouse before he loses his shit. Or you lose a body part.”

He chuckled slightly, nodding his head and turning to leave.

Knowing Slater was on club property set my skin on fire. I hadn’t wanted to speak to Creed tonight, yet it looked like I was going to have to do it. Throwing back my whiskey, I walked to their table.

My dad’s eyes were on his cards. He always took poker seriously. Mum was glued to his lap since Ollie was with Ivy.

Mum and Dad were the power couple that people in the underworld warned you about. There was no doubt that the relationship they had was what every club woman here wanted with their biker.

Pausing at the table, I noticed Kobra had a foul look on his face and a cut lip.

“Creed,” I said loudly, and every pair of eyes went off the game and to me. Even Vin, the dealer, looked at me. I gestured my head to the door. “I need you outside.”

With that said, I turned and walked. I wasn’t having a confrontation with my family. I could guarantee that Dad would be disappointed, and Kobra would think I was about to fight with Creed.

I pushed open the clubhouse door. Luckily for us, the lot was bare apart from the armoured Hummer parked, with Slater leaning against it.

The clubhouse door opened behind me, and I glanced back, seeing Creed. He had a puzzled look on his face until his eyes found Slater—who was standing behind me, looking cocky like normal.

“Creed, brother,” Slater said, and I saw Creed’s whole body go tense. “We need to talk.”

I knew Creed and I weren’t a couple. Creed and I weren’t anything but a drama-filled mess. But I wasn’t leaving him to face the man he hated.

Creed came from a family built on blood money and was run by sin. How was that different from a club? Well, our club had standards. We never did human trafficking. Creed’s family was known for it.

Creed turned his back on his blood—not because the club expected him to. No, he joined the club because he didn’t want the life they had, the life he was brought up having. Being a street kid was one thing; being a street kid associated with the Winston monarchy was another. He was a walking target.

“You can go, sweetheart,” Slater said, and he had the stomach to whack my ass.

I swiped his hand away and turned to face him—looking him dead in the eyes.

“No.” I crossed my arms.

Slater’s lips twitched up. “Standing by him in the good and the bad, geez.” His eyes went to Creed. “Can we share her?”

“What the fuck you want, Slater?” Creed asked, now standing by me. I was surprised he hadn’t forced me back inside.

Slater’s eyes lifted from Creed to me, and then he tilted his head. “Is she worth the blood?” He then slowly looked at Creed. “We dealt with you when you dabbled with the Satan’s Bastards, but Mother and Father want you back where you belong now.”

Silence.

“We dealt with your little anarchy phase, but we heard you are about to patch to the table as VP.” Slater looked at Creed, arching his eyebrows. “You know we can’t let that happen.” Slater fixed a cufflink on his wrist. “Family is family, and you are family. So we are giving you time to reconsider.”

“Family?” Creed scoffed, and I heard the grip on his temper slipping. “We aren’t family.”

“Oh, and your little club brothers are?” Slater said mockingly. “Family, blood, loyalty, trust for the Winston name runs through your blood.”

Creed stayed silent.

Slater sighed. “Fine, don’t come willingly. If you wish to stand by Hades as he burns to the ground—then so be it.”

“You threatening the club?” Creed said with a hiss. “’Cos you didn’t exactly win when it came to a war last time.”

Slater smirked. “Let’s say the devil is reaping, and I heard Hades name was on the list.” With that said, Slater took two steps back. “You’ll be back at our table before you wear a VP for this brotherhood. I promise you that, my brother.”

Creed didn’t say anything. We both remained quiet as Slater got in the Hummer and left.

My heart was racing because the last time the club went to war, we lost our grandfather and grandmother. Because Kincaids believe you stand by the club until you take your last breath.

Creed glanced me up and down before turning and heading back to the clubhouse door.

“What! Are you not going to say anything!” I yelled at his back, but Creed being the alpha male he was just ignored me. I watched in anger as he opened the clubhouse door, and it slammed behind him.

I was stunned for a moment—until I heard the club music die.

Opening the door just in time, I heard as Creed barked the party was over. Dad looked confused before he met Creed’s eyes. I don’t know how, but they silently had a conversation, and Dad called for every patch member to church.

I saw the panic in my mother’s eyes, and I felt the terrifying unknown smother me. I was frozen as I watched the men pried their way off the girls and headed into church.

I didn’t know what was coming. It felt like everything had changed in a matter of minutes. As I watched the boardroom doors close, it felt like the doors on the life we had closed too.