“You know, I’ve looked into you, got all the information I could. I went through Carol’s shit until I found pictures, then I started saving my money until I could hire a PI to track you down. Nobody knew he gave me basic information, basically ripped me off, but it was enough for me to have a place to start looking for you.”
“You remember me sitting at your commendation? I sat there all dressed up in a thrift store dress looking like a proud sister I was, and you know what? You walked right by me. At first, I thought you didn’t see me, and I was just getting up to go when Caine came in, taking me out of there. You didn’t stop to talk to me, but you called Caine to make me leave. You didn’t want me spoiling your night. Remember that?”
“Tessa I couldn’t. There are things you can’t and won’t understand about my life.”
“Oh, I got them, Tuck, I got them when shortly after that you let Carol change my last name, taking the last thing I had of my parents away from me. You didn’t want to be associated with me, but just when I thought you were going to stop totally, the dictates started. You couldn’t help yourself, could you? You had to grind that knife in a little further.
“What I don’t get is why? You weren’t that man before you left, what changed? Did you even care that I was a fucking kid, I spent two weeks in the ICU, and my entire family was gone? How the hell do you think I am supposed to react to your sorry. You did that, my brother the one I looked up to. You never even let me say goodbye, and you left me with her. Do you know what she did to me? I was her slave. You get that, right? If I didn’t have the house cleaned just the way she wanted, or her dinner cooked just so, Carol would make me ‘repent.’ Do you want to know what her version of repenting was?
“I had to kneel on a broomstick while reading bible verses until she was satisfied I had enough. She never once laid a hand on me which, hey, that was a bonus, but she made me pay. You got off easy/ How much has she bilked you out of over the years for all her words of wisdom of the type of person I became?
“Fuck! Dad and I had a huge fight before I left for boot camp, he told me to never come back. That you and Caine were better off without my influence. I told him to fuck off that I wasn’t going to be saddled with his mistakes. Those were the last words I ever said to him, do you get that?”
“What!?!”
“Shit, I’m fucking this up. You were too young, you didn’t know the things that Dad did. He was a bastard to Caine and me; you were the princess who never did anything wrong. I just, shit. He was a drunk and a cheater. Your mom knew it and hid it; she was just as bad. I hated her, okay? I hated you.”
Tessa stumbled over to the bed and sat down. The words felt like she had been physically hit. She knew them, but hearing Tuck say them somehow hurt worse.
“Fuck, Tessa, I blamed you,” Tuck said coming over to her and sitting next to her on the bed. “You didn’t deserve it, but after a while, it just got easier to believe what Carol said, to accept that you were a bad person. I just, fuck, I’m sorry, I was wrong, I shouldn’t have listened, and I sure as shit should have come and checked on you myself.”
“Stop!” Tessa got up and moved away from Tuck. He was saying the right things, but it would take a lot more than that for her to forgive him. It had been too many years and way too much hurt. “You know what? I can’t listen to this now. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to listen to this. What do you want here, forgiveness? You have it, I forgive you, Tucker Masterson. You no longer have to feel anything for me, okay!”
Tuck got up and walked to the door, saying over his shoulder, “I get it this is going to take some time to fix Tessa, but I will fix it. I don’t know how, but I will. You have my word. I just wanted you to know that I’m sorry, okay?” Tuck walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. She had waited years for that apology, but somehow it seemed hollow.
She hadn’t won anything here, and she knew she never would. Tuck would try. She knew that when it came to everyone else in his life, he was an honorable man. But she just didn’t know if she wanted to know she wanted that connection with him anymore. There were too many hurts. Six months ago, she would have jumped at the chance, but having him here, even if he eventually apologized, he still said things. Hurtful things.
Tessa heard the creak again and almost groaned. She couldn’t go through any more of this shit. When the doorknob turned, and Creed’s face peeked around the corner, she almost yelled at him to get out, but they needed to have this moment, too.
“Don’t you dare say you're sorry like he just did because I don’t want to hear it.”
“Tess.”
“No, I mean it, Creed, I don’t want to hear it. We both know what you were planning to do. I asked you for one night of fantasy after three months of me falling in love with you, knowing that any minute you were going to walk out of that door and leave. I accepted that and never once gave you any shit. Now you can give me what I want.”
“Tess, come here.”
Tessa didn’t move when Creed picked her up and moved her to the bed, forcing her to straddle him. Tessa just glared, then looked down. She didn’t want to see his face, she didn’t want to see the truth in his eyes. There was too much hurt tonight, she couldn’t handle anymore.
“Babe, look at me.” Tessa shook her head and kept her eyes shut. “Okay,” Creed said, pulling her close until she was leaning up against his chest and started to rub her back, “then just listen. It seems like we both have been keeping some pretty big secrets. The only question is can we get beyond them?”
That shocked her, she hadn’t expected those words at all. Looking up at him, she had to ask, “Do you want to?”
“Yeah, babe, I might be shit for you, but I can’t seem to let you go, or I would have done it that first night. The question stands, what about you, can you get beyond this?”
“You mean you being a member of my brother’s club who was sent here to spy on me?”
“Tess, I didn’t have the first clue on who you were until tonight. I just thought you were some random chick I picked up in a bar. Hell, I didn’t even know Tuck had family beyond the RBMC.”
“Yeah, he isn’t very proud of us, isn’t he?”
“I don’t think your brother is proud of anything, right now. But you still haven’t answered my question. Can we get beyond this shit?”
Tessa was backpedaling because, damn, she wanted to, but she also wanted to finish school, and if she told Creed her plans, he wouldn’t let her go. Oh, what a tangled web, Tessa thought. She knew she needed to give him an answer and get him out of her room.
“Yes, I think we can get beyond it, but it will take some time on both our parts. We don’t even know each other, Creed,” Tessa said running her finger down his face. He still took her breath away every time she looked at him.
“Babe, we know the best parts of each other, the parts that no one else gets to see. Like how you can’t resist eating the entire bag of those potato chips or how you dance with the mop when you’re cleaning the floor. Or how you take my cock into…”
“Okay, I get it,” Tess said laughing, batting her eyelashes, “you like me, you really like me.”
“Yeah, babe, I think I more than like you,” Creed said, kissing her deeply, then smacking her on the ass hard. Tessa yelped and reached back to rub the sting away.
“What was that for!” Tess screeched.
“That was for not telling me what the hell was going on with you and the Vultures. Damn, babe, I can take that you have two brothers in MCs, but the fact that another Club has put a claim on you, that shit is bad.”
“Argh, I didn’t know, but it doesn’t change anything. Creed, I need to go to school tomorrow, I have to finish this.
“Babe, that can’t happen, not now. I can’t watch out for you, and your brothers aren’t going to let you leave this house until they decide where they’re taking you. I wish there were another way but…”
Tuck was yelling out Creed’s name, the moment was lost, a
nd Creed got up, kissed her on the nose, and said he would be back.
“Creed,” Tess said before he could get all the way out the door, “I just want you to know that this, what we’ve had between us has always been real for me. I love you, and I hope you’ll be able to forgive me.” Tuck bellowed again, and Tessa laughed. “Go and appease my brother.”
When the door was closed once again, Tessa made her move, going for the window. She hoped like hell Creed would understand and forgive her, but she needed to do this.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Tessa was practically shaking from the adrenaline that was coursing through her body. The last twelve plus hours had started to take its toll. Her head was pounding, and she knew that if she didn’t get some sleep soon, she would crash hard. She had made it, had her completion certificate in her bag. Her nursing supervisor had even taken pity on her and let Tessa leave a little early with no repercussions.
It was a good thing too because working in the Psychiatric ward, being afraid and jumping at your own shadow every few seconds wasn’t doing anyone any good. At least it had been a mild day. None of the patients required anything more than basic medical care. There was one slight moment when Tessa considered admitting herself. She would be safe there, and she wouldn’t have to deal with her brothers or Creed, but she wasn’t a coward, and she didn’t know the meaning of quitting.
Just thinking about her great escape caused nausea to well up in her gut. Tessa had run through the woods to get to the road, and Micky had been waiting for her. Tessa had met all of Cin’s brothers, but this one was the oldest and coldest of the five of them. She had hoped that Juan would have been the one to pick them up.
He had never been mean to her, but there was this underlying dislike between the two of them. He was Caine and Tuck's age and had that big brother contempt down. He believed Cin wasn’t doing what she was supposed to with her life. Some of his points Tessa agreed with, but she also knew Cin had her reasons, and it wasn’t her place to say anything. That wasn’t Mickey’s idea, he told Cin every chance he got. Hurt her just like Tuck and Caine had done to Tessa over and over again.
It was probably one of the reasons the two of them had bonded so closely over the years. Cinny knew exactly what Tessa had been going through with her family because she lived it. Tessa swiped her ID badge through the reader and smiled at the guard at the desk. Harold was an older man in his sixties and Tessa had chatted with him several times. He was a good guy. He always greeted her kindly and asked about her day the two of them had even shared coffee a time or two. When he stood up and handed her a small Tupperware container, Tessa was puzzled.
Holding it, she asked, “What’s this?”
Harold blushed but said, “It’s to celebrate your last day. You did it, and I thought you should have something to celebrate with.” Tessa was floored. This kind old man who she had talked to only a few times had brought her a cupcake and congratulated her. He had given her more thought than her family or her supposed boyfriend. It was so sweet. She could feel the tears welling in her eyes. But Harold didn’t do well with girly emotions as he had told her in the past. He sat back down at his desk and started to shuffle the papers around.
“Thank you, Harold, you will never know how much this means to me,” Tessa said, holding the plastic container to her chest.
Harold didn’t look up and said, “I’m going to miss seeing you around here, girly.
Placing her hand on his shoulder and giving it a squeeze, she said, her voice cracking, “I’m going to miss you too Harold. Keep those grandkids in line, and maybe we’ll see each other again soon.” Tessa didn’t stay or wait for Harold to say anything, she didn’t want to lie to the man. She knew damn well once Tuck and Caine got a hold of her, she wouldn’t be seeing Harold or anyone at the hospital again.
Tessa heard the buzz of the security door and didn’t waste any more time walking through. Cinny was supposed to be waiting for her in the parking garage with her brother. She just hoped they had either stayed or gotten there early. She was ready for all of this to be over with.
Tessa hadn’t even made it past the first pillion in the garage before a big hand went over her mouth and an arm went around her waist, lifting her off the ground. She started to struggle, but whoever it was had a vise grip on her. The panic was starting to fill her when she heard a very familiar voice after landing a solid hit of her heel against the guy's leg.
“Damn it, Tess, stop!” Creed whispered through gritted teeth.
Frozen, Tessa let him pull her until they were behind a big SUV with blacked out windows. When he released her only to spin her around to face him, she could see how angry he was.
“You know what? I defended your ass to your brothers, then you turned around and fucking proved them right. Putting everyone in danger, just to go ahead and do what you wanted. After you said you loved me. That’s bullshit, Tess and when I get you are out of here and someplace safe, I’m going to smack that ass until you realize what you’ve done.”
Tessa was angry, scared, and beyond caring at the moment. “Stop it,” she said, pulling away. “I had to finish, you know that. If I had missed today, it would have been another six months before I could get those four hours in. It mattered to me, and I was safe. No one even tried to talk to me, Creed.”
Creed pulled her further into the shadows and covered her mouth again. She was going to bite him, but for the first time, she saw exactly what he was moving her away from. Grinder was standing at the opposite door she had just walked through, talking on his phone. Two more men wearing Vultures cuts had just walked up to him.
Creed started to whisper in her ear, “There is your no one, Tess. Grinder has twenty of his men stationed throughout the hospital, waiting to grab you. I need to get your ass out of here without any of them seeing, or a bloodbath will break out right here. Do you want to be responsible for a bunch of innocent people being dragged into this mess, Tess?” Tessa just shook her head, what else could she say? “You're going to do exactly what I say, no matter what. I’m going to create a distraction. I want to you to jump in that SUV and gun it. You have two floors to get through before you reach the exit. Don’t wait for anyone, and if you see a man with a cut on, run his ass over. Caine and Tuck have guys stationed around the hospital, but they aren’t wearing their cuts, only these fuckers. Do you understand?”
“What about you?”
“Don’t worry about me, Tess, I said I was going to get you out of here, and I am. You’re right, I was leaving, there isn’t anything more between us than a few sweaty nights between the sheets. You were right about all of it. I told you I wasn’t a good guy, and I’m not. Tess save your own ass. Get to your brothers and forget about me.”
Creed pushed her toward the SUV and stood up. Tessa did what he asked, for now, but no way was she leaving this garage without him. Forget about him? Screw that. Regardless of what happened, she would always remember Creed, and she would make damn sure she wasn’t remembering a dead man.
Tess got into the SUV without a problem. She even started it up, using the keys that were still in the ignition. But when she looked through the windshield, she saw Creed stand up from where they’d been hiding, yelling at Grinder and his boys. She knew things were going to go from bad to worse. When Grinder didn’t hesitate to pull out a gun, Tessa threw the SUV in gear and slammed on the gas. Putting the vehicle between Grinder and Creed.
When Creed glared at her and tried to move around the SUV, Tessa pulled up further blocking him. Rolling down the window she said, “Either get in or I’m going to end this once and for all.” Tessa revved the engine the SUV. She only needed to crank the wheel, and she would be driving right at Grinder. She figured she couldn’t be a dead man's property. The idea sticking in her head, she could end this now for all of them. Taking her foot off the brake, figuring what the hell, Tessa was just about to give it some gas when the door was thrown open, and Creed was pushing her to the other side.
“Shit
, I didn’t know you were a crazy bitch with a fucking death wish. Get on the floor!”
Tessa didn’t listen, she was done listening to assholes. She started searching the SUV for something she could use, finding a 45 in the glove compartment. Tessa checked to make sure it was loaded, clicked off the safety, and rolled down her window. She didn’t even think, taking aim at Grinder and pulled the trigger. Several bullets hit the side of the SUV, but Creed gunned it yelling, “What the fuck?” Tessa sat back and said, “Just drive.”
Several more guys wearing Vulture cuts came out of various places. If Creed couldn’t move them out of the way with the SUV, Tessa did by firing at them. Every pull of the trigger was like ending the Tessa she wanted to be, had tried to be. There wouldn’t be any nursing career and happily ever after; no, Tessa would be spending the next ten to fifteen years behind bars. Because the hospital had surveillance cameras everywhere. It also didn’t matter that these people were the ones trying to get her, hurt her, she had fired first. Damn it.
Once they hit the road outside and the daylight Tessa, leaned back in the seat, resting her head, just thinking about everything. She was well and truly fucked, and it didn’t feel all that good. Creed was silent, just driving. Tessa was surprised that not a single siren or flashing red light could be heard or moved in their path. She just let the miles and minutes go, just waiting for it to happen and her life to end as she had always known it. She had some regrets. Creed would be taken with her. Maybe Tuck had been right, she was selfish, not thinking before acting and getting people hurt in the process. Maybe it had just taken some time, but she had proved him right once and for all.
Creed: Ruthless Bastards (RBMC Book 5) Page 13
