Read Online Unfinished Hero 02 Creed by Kristen Ashley - Free Book Online

with them when he needed a woman. I liked him, respected him and his team. They took pretty much any job that came along as long as the client could pay the hefty invoice which meant the lawfulness of their activities was a bit vague. That said, they had close ties with law enforcement so it was a helluva lot less vague than Knight’s.
    Cabe “Hawk” Delgado, on the other hand, was a badass commando with a team of badasses to back him up. His jobs were usually more covert, intense and often out of town. I’d done one job with him and his team in town and that shit was extreme. It was kickass fun but it was extreme. Since most of his work was out of town, I didn’t have a lock on the looseness of his morals.
    In movie terms, Lee Nightingale was James Bond except more kickass and super cool. He didn’t bother messing with gadgets when he could just shoot someone. He was also a Broncos fan and, I had a feeling, when he had the time, James Bond watched rugby.
    Hawk Delgado was John Rambo without exceptions notwithstanding the headband.
    What I knew about both of them was, regardless of what they thought about his business, they were smart enough not to make an enemy of Knight Sebring and he returned the favor. There was mutual respect but no discussion about Knight’s operations. I never asked how they felt but then again, even if I did, they’d never tell.
    My brows stayed up. “Hawk Delgado knows Creed?”
    Knight nodded.
    “You know their connection?” I asked.
    “Worked jobs together.”
    “Those would be?” I pushed.
    “They would be for you to ask Creed, Sylvie,” he stated. “You got it in you to put that shit behind you, you gotta get to know your partner. I’ll tell you this, it’s fucked how shit works but he’s you except male and maybe a little scarier. The shingle says PI. The word says his resume has a lot of blank spots and his skill set is varied. He doesn’t take the job if he doesn’t believe in the mission and like or respect who he’s workin’ for.” Knight grinned. “But he charges a fuckuva lot more than you do.”
    My eyes went back to the window to take in the empty club and I muttered, “He’s got kids to support.”
    Knight was silent.
    I let this stretch then threw him a grin and started toward the door, saying, “Got shit to do.”
    I had my hand on the handle when Knight called my name and I turned back.
    “You need to bail, do it,” he stated. “You’re still mine, I’m still yours. Nothin’, woman, not this shit, not you needin’ to protect yourself from history in your face, not anything comes between you and me.”
    That meant the world but he knew it so I didn’t have to say it.
    I jerked up my chin but assured him again, “I’m looking forward. It’s cool, Knight, trust me.”
    “You may be lookin’ forward, babe, but that direction right now means most of what you see is history. You can’t deal, you can’t. Understood and it’s all good.”
    Seriously, I fucking loved this guy.
    Still, I griped, “Jeez, man, it was sixteen years ago. I’m totally over it.”
    “Anya left me or I lost her, I’d never get over it so don’t bullshit me,” he shot back. “There’s only one, we both know it, and Tucker Creed was your one. So you aren’t over it. That doesn’t mean you can’t cope. But you won’t cope if you deny that somewhere inside you can’t.”
    It kinda sucked he was hot, rich, cool and smart.
    “Heartfelt, badass lecture over?” I asked and his lips twitched.
    “Yeah.”
    “Terrific. Got shit to do,” I muttered and threw open the door.
    “Sylvie,” he called and I whirled on a snapped, “ What? ”
    “Bottom of my soul,” he whispered across the room, eyes locked to mine.
    I sucked in breath through my nose before I whispered back, “Bottom of mine.”
    Then, before he could really get to me, I took off.
     
     

Chapter Four
    Orange Sherbet Push-Ups
     
    A cold, dark night in the hills of Kentucky, twenty-eight years