Breaking Creed

58

Creed found Andy stopped in the middle of her training session with Chance. He was bringing her a glass of iced tea. She had messaged him earlier to come see the progress she had made.

The big German shepherd stared at him but stayed seated without Andy telling him to. The fact that the dog didn’t want to rip out Creed’s throat was impressive in itself, and he was surprised to see him so quiet.

“He’s calm.”

As soon as Andy turned to face him, he could see that she was not. Her eyes and nose were red. She’d been crying and was still holding her cell phone at arm’s length. Creed guessed it was the source of her upset.

Before he could ask, she said, “There’s been an accident. Actually, I don’t even know if it was an accident.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Hannah and Amanda. Someone ran them off the road.”

Creed squeezed the glass of iced tea so hard it burst in his hand. Shards flew. Several stabbed into his flesh. Chance jumped up and barked.

“Chance, sit!” Andy told him, and immediately he complied, though now he panted, anxious and watching. “Creed, you’re bleeding.”

“What happened? Are they…?”

“No, they’re not dead. But both are in critical condition. Some guy in a black SUV rammed into them. Witnesses said he didn’t even stop.”

They stared at each other, neither one needing to say what they both knew may have happened.

Against Creed’s better judgment, Hannah had insisted they tell their senior employees about Amanda and how she had come to them. Hannah said they deserved to know, and it would help to have them watching for anything out of the ordinary happening on the property. Now Creed was grateful that he didn’t need to explain his deepest fear, because Andy already knew.

“I can hold down the fort until you get back.”

He nodded.

“You want me to wrap that for you?”

Only now did he look down and stare at his hand as if it belonged to someone else. Two chunks of glass were embedded in the palm. He shook his head as he pulled them out. He made a fist and held his hand up against his chest.

“I’m okay,” he said as blood dripped down his arm.

“Call me as soon as you know something.”

He nodded again, though he honestly didn’t hear the rest of what she said over the throbbing in his head. With every step, he felt the anger brewing. In all his plans, in all his stupid strategy to protect and defend, he never thought they’d attack somewhere else. Or someone else.

Now he understood. They’d done their homework. They knew that to torture and hurt him would be too easy. And they knew that terrorizing and hurting those he loved — including his dogs — would be exactly what would rip his heart out. What would truly destroy him.