Page 60 of Creed

I stumble a step, catching myself on the desk. Warner moves to grab me, but stops when I steady myself. I clear my throat. “Are they—how hurt is everyone?”

“Chief was taken to the hospital?—”

I gasp, moving to sit on my desk instead. Warner moves closer, his fingers brushing my shoulder. When I look up at him, he uses the opportunity to lift my glasses just for a second before putting them back.

“Concussion?”

“No. Creed?”

“In the cell, and before you ask, no, I won't take you to see him.”

My chin quivers, and I take a few seconds to gather myself. “T-tell him I’ll press charges if he does.”

Warner nods, needing no explanation of what I mean. “Take care of yourself, Morgan.”

* * *

“The club won’t let anything happen to Creed,” Autumn says.

Dodge grunts. “We won’t, but it’d help if our women didn’t try to run off without telling anyone.”

She blushes, reaching over to hold his hand. “Sorry.”

I clear my throat. “I apologize. I thought it would be quick in and out.” I grab my backpack from the floor and hold up a file. “I also grabbed this.”

Dodge looks at it and then me in the rearview mirror. “What is it?”

“I didn’t have a chance to look into it deeply, but it’s connected to the string of break-ins and some investment properties within the county.”

His knuckles tighten on the steering wheel. “Alright. When we get to the club, we’ll hand it over to Gage.”

I nod, shoving it back into my bag.

“Morgan?”

I catch his gaze again.

“I don’t know what it is yet, but I know it will mean a lot to the brothers that you grabbed something to help the club.”

If it didn’t hurt to smile, I would. Instead I nod again. “I hope it does help. All I’ve ever wanted to do was help people, but I can’t seem to get away from the never-ending corruption that is somehow always involved.”

Autumn turns to stare at me pityingly. “I see it in education and social work too. I wanted to be involved so badly, but the more I was around the professionals, the more rare it seemed to find those who had compassion to help.”

I look at her, curious. “Social work?”

She smiles. “Probably a teacher. I don’t know if I have the steel heart to work within the system.”

Dodge lets out a laugh. “She’d want to take home all the strays as if they’re free puppies.”

Autumn sighs in a loving way. “I would. I want a large family. How about you, Morgan?”

I swallow roughly. “I never really thought about it. Marriage, kids. I never really thought it was in the cards for me.”

“Why?” Her eyebrows knit together.

I shrug. “Too focused on school and then my job. I didn’t date much. Honestly the one night I decided to let loose, it put me in Creed’s crosshairs.”

Autumn smiles. “Sometimes fate has a funny way of working. I came into town for school, stumbled into a bar, and got my nanny job. Now I’m with the love of my life. Weird how that works, huh?”