"No," I tell him, refusing to be swayed by his stance. It's not a lie because I didn't ask her to marry me. I put my ring on her finger and told her she was going to marry me when she was ready. There wasn't a question involved. I wasn't even about to give her a chance to shoot me down. Not that I think she would or anything, but still…I wasn't taking a chance with that shit.
"You put a ring on her finger," he says, still not turning to face me.
"You've known since we were kids that I love her. Don't know why you're suddenly surprised I put a ring on her finger," I mutter, crossing my arms and leaning back against the door frame. It kills me that things between us have reached this point where the only time we talk is to take swipes at each other.
I'm still mad as hell that he's running around with Kaleo. The only reason I've kept that secret for him is to protect January, but part of me resents him for forcing me to lie to her every goddamn day. Except to omit the fact that I'm a millionaire, I've never lied to her.
"Fuck," Titan huffs and then sighs. "I don't want to fight with you, man. I'm glad she chose you. You'll take care of her, give her the kind of life she deserves. I'm not mad about it."
"Then what do you want, Titan?" I ask, staring holes in his back. "Because it's her birthday and I'd rather be in there putting a smile on her face than freezing out here with your moody ass."
He jerks like my words wounded him, but I doubt that. What I think stopped mattering to him a long damn time ago. Well before I ever even realized that, as much as I wanted him in my life, he didn't want me in his. I resent him for that too. Maybe my fuck-up was the excuse he used when he went running to Kaleo, but I think he was just looking for a reason all along. He grasped onto the first one he could find, regardless of what anyone else thought.
"Fuck this," I mutter and turn to go back inside to January when he doesn't say anything. I'm not spending her big day out here with him. He already ruined the day she got accepted to UCLA. I'll be damned if I let him ruin this one for her too.
"Wait," he says when my hand lands on the doorknob.
I lift my gaze to find him watching me this time. Regret shines in his eyes and sorrow clings to him. He appears wrecked as he pushes his hand through his hair, fucking up those perfectly tailored spikes he's worn for as long as I've known him. He doesn't seem to care. He props himself up on the porch railing and studies me.
"I lied to you," he mumbles.
I snort, not surprised by that.
"I didn't start dealing for Kaleo because of you. I did it because January didn't get her financial aid."
"What are you talking about? Of course she got financial aid."
"Not all of it," he says and crosses his arms over his chest. He kicks at a loose nail in the porch railing. "Not enough to cover her expenses. Mom found out a couple weeks after Tony attacked her that she made too much because of all the hours she worked. They weren't going to give January all the financial aid she needed to attend a school like UCLA. I found Mom sitting in the living room, bawling because she couldn't send her little girl to the only school she's ever wanted to attend."
"Shit," I mutter and release the doorknob. I press my forehead to the door. We both know January wanted to go to UCLA because of me. That's the only reason she picked such an expensive school.
"It's a good school," Titan says like he knows where my head is at. "I never blamed you for her wanting to go there. Didn't blame you for the choices I made to make sure she got to go, either."
He might not blame me, but he doesn't know about the millions still sitting in a trust fund. No one knows because I haven't said a word to anyone since I found out. Had he come to me and told me about January though, I would have emptied that damn account to get her to UCLA. But he never said anything. Not a word.
"Why didn't you tell me?" I ask, looking up at him.
He shrugs. "You had enough to deal with. I didn't want you worrying about this too. I knew you'd go to Kaleo if you knew and I didn't want you throwing away your life just to make sure she got what she wanted. She needs you. After Tony attacked her, you were the only one who could calm her down. I realized then that you'll always be the one she needs when she's hurting. You love her the way she deserves. She's happy with you, and I know you'll always fight to keep her safe. She'll never have to go through shit alone so long as she has you. It was easier for me to be the sacrificial lamb. I had nothing to lose by going to him. You did."
"I wouldn't have gone to him," I mumble and shake my head. "I'm a millionaire."
Titan laughs like he thinks I'm messing with him. He sobers when I don't laugh too. He cocks his head to the side, his amusement dying. "You're serious, aren't you?"
I nod. "Found out the day Ma Rose died. My mom's parents were rich. Her dad owned a bunch of wineries or distilleries or something. They left everything to her. When she died, it passed to me."
"Jesus Christ," Titan breathes, shock written all over his face.
"So I wouldn't have gone to Kaleo to get her to UCLA. I wouldn't have had to go to him."
"You never said anything."
"Didn't want it to change us," I say, and it's my turn to shrug. "My mom and Ma Rose didn't need the money to make a life for themselves. I didn't think I needed it either. I'd rather live on this block for the rest of my life than lose you and January over money I never asked for and never wanted. But I would have emptied that fucking account for her if you'd come to me."
"Does she know?"
I shake my head. "No one does."
"Jesus," he says and then shakes his head regretfully. "Her scholarship came through right after she got her acceptance letter. She's got enough to cover her tuition and living expenses. She won't need your money. She won't have to touch the money I put aside for her either."
"But you kept on dealing for him. Why?"
"At first I did it because I was pissed off at you," he admits. His brow furrows like he's thinking real hard about his answer. "You threw down a gauntlet and I'm an asshole who couldn't resist picking the damn thing up. I wanted you to hate me. Figured it'd be easier that way. You'd get January out of here and never look back."
"You are an asshole, but I never hated you, Titan."
"I know. Saw that shit every time you looked at me like you were disappointed in me. Despite being pissed, you didn't rat me out to January. You kept my secret."
"You think I want to break her heart like that?" I demand, shoving my hands into my pockets because I kind of want to hit him, but I promised January that I wouldn't. "I didn't keep your secret for you. I kept it because knowing what you've been up to would have devastated her. She idolizes you, but you're too fucking blind to see it. That girl has worshipped the ground you walk on since she was a baby."
"I know," he whispers. Contrition flows through his expression as if he actually regrets the shit he's done that would break her heart if she knew. The shit that would have her looking at him like something less than the hero she's always thought he was.
No matter how pissed I am at him, I'd never do that to her. Hell, I'd never do it to him either. Because as much as he likes to pretend otherwise, we both know he thinks his little sister hung the moon. That's one thing we've always agreed on. I'd never take that away from him or weaponize it by using it against him.
"I'm not going to tell her," I mutter to him. "If that's what you're worried about, I'll keep your secret."
"That's not what I'm worried about. I know you won't tell her. Even if I don't deserve it, you'd never tell her something that would hurt us both." He glances up and sighs. "I fucked up. Like majorly fucked up."
"What happened?" I ask, unable to stop myself. He dug his own grave, and I should let him lie in it, but I won't. Because no matter how far we've drifted apart, no matter how pissed I am at him, he's still like a brother to me. I still love him and I'll still do whatever I can to help him.
"I started dealing to help get January out of here, but then I got hooked."
"You're t
aking the shit you're dealing?" I take a step toward him.
"No. Hell no, I'm not that goddamn stupid," he says, holding his hands up and shooting me a "what the fuck" glare. "I got hooked on the money it brought in. Mom's working fewer hours. Things around the house are getting fixed. My car isn't falling apart every time I drive the son of a bitch. It was nice, being able to take care of my family without killing myself working twelve-hour days on the job site."
His mom has been working fewer hours. I just chalked it up to the fact that their bills were less now that Titan's rarely around. Without him home to eat through a grocery store each month, she had to be saving some serious cash. Maybe I should have been paying more attention though.
"A few weeks ago, Kaleo decided we were going to start dealing on Crip turf," he continues. "I told him it was a bad idea, but he told me I could either do what I was told to do, or our deal was off and he'd come for you. He's gotten into some hard shit over the last year, man. Real hard shit. I didn't want him bringing that around here, so I did what he told me to do."
"Fuck me," I mutter. Kaleo has wanted more profitable turf for years, but never had the balls to go after Crip territory. He knew they'd squash him like a bug if he tried. So he used Titan to do his dirty work instead.
"They caught me dealing on their turf a couple days ago," Titan mumbles. "I told them it was Kaleo's idea, but they didn't give a shit. Told me that I either pay them 50g's in restitution, or I'm the one they're coming after."
"Motherfucker," I swear, fighting not to put my fist through the door. "You tell Kaleo?"
Titan nods. "Said it wasn't his problem and that it sounded like I'd better get rich quick if I wanted to keep them from killing me."
Of course he did.
Kaleo will deny having anything to do with Titan being on Crip territory until he can't deny it anymore. There's no way he's going to take responsibility when he can pass the buck to Titan. That's what he does.
He uses until he can't use anymore, and when things go south, he washes his hands and pretends not to see the mess he created. That's exactly why we fought so hard to keep ourselves out of his clutches. We didn't want to end up like any of the other boys he fucked over.
"I offered them intel on Kaleo if they'd let it ride, but they refused. Said they don't give a shit what he's up to because he's not worth their time. I have until tomorrow to come up with the money, or they're coming after me."
"Jesus Christ, Titan," I curse and shake my head. "Why the fuck didn't you say something sooner?"
"It was my problem," he whispers. "I thought I could find a way out of it by myself." His eyes fill with tears. He puts his fists against them and rubs like he used to do when he was a kid and something made him tear up. Even then, he hated to be vulnerable. He's still just a fucking kid, in way over his head.
Had he just come to me before he went to Kaleo, I could have fixed all of this. We would have found another way to keep Kaleo off our backs. I would have paid for January to go to school.
I should have told them both about the money when I found out about it. Maybe then none of this would have happened. It's too late for that now though. All I can do is try to repair the damage I've caused.
"I'll pay them," I tell Titan. "Whatever they want, I'll pay."
"That's not your responsibility," he says. "That's not why I came to you."
"You think I don't know that? You didn't even know I could pay it until fifteen minutes ago."
"I have a plan," he says, ignoring me. "I haven't just been Kaleo's little soldier boy for the last two years. I've been gathering information on him. I know all his dirty secrets. He's pimping out girls. A couple of them are underage. I have proof. I recorded videos, took photos. I even screenshotted a bunch of his texts one day when he left his phone unlocked. It's all in my room."
"Jesus Christ," I whisper, my stomach turning at the thought of that son of a bitch whoring out teenagers. I knew he was a piece of shit, but I didn't think he'd ever stoop that low. I thought he at least had the decency not to pimp girls, but I should have known better. At the rate he uses up teenage boys as his dealers, it shouldn't come as a surprise that he's also found a way to use their female peers to his advantage.
"I plan on going to the cops tonight and turning over what I have in exchange for their protection."
"And risk going to jail right alongside him?" I ask. "You've been working with him for two years, Titan. You're dealing for him. You know he's pimping out girls. You honestly believe they're just going to let you go with a clean slate?"
"It's worth a shot," he mutters, but I know not even he believes what he's saying. He's just hoping his Hail Mary pass pays off in the end and things work in his favor. I'm not stupid enough to believe it will though. Even if his suicidal plan does work and he doesn't go to jail, the Crips aren't going to stop coming for him just because he's got LAPD protection. They don't operate that way and we both know it.
"It's suicide," I snap.
"I know, but I don't know what else to do. I don't want to die, man," he whispers. The tears he's fought so hard to contain spill down his cheeks. His broad shoulders shake as he cries quietly.
"I'm not letting you die for this shit," I growl and pace toward him, tears burning in the back of my throat too. I've never seen Titan cry and it kills me. I'll be damned if I let him die for Curtis Kaleo. I clasp the back of his head and bump my forehead to his. "You hear me, you dumb son of a bitch? You aren't dying over this bullshit. I'll pay them off and deal with Kaleo. But you're out of this right now."
"I'm sorry," he whispers, tears still slipping down his cheeks. "I'm so fucking sorry for everything, Cade."
He's never called me Cade before. Hearing him say it now breaks a piece of my heart even while mending another.
"I am too." I wish like hell that he'd told me the truth a long time ago. Or that I'd told him the truth about the money. Maybe then we wouldn't be where we are right now, but that shit ends now.
It's time to stop trying to control how January and Titan see me and start fixing what we've broken. I'm telling January about the money and then I'm getting her brother out of this mess. Kaleo will let him go or we'll go to the cops with whatever evidence Titan has amassed against him.
"I love you," Titan tells me, taking a shaky breath. "I know I haven't said that in a long time, but you're still my brother. I fucking miss you and I'm sorry I let it get to this point. I just want to get back to how we were before I started feeling sorry for myself."
"We'll get there," I promise him. I don't know how or when, but we'll get back to where we were before all this shit came between us. He's still my family. He always will be. Nothing will ever change that. "Let's just get through January's party and then we'll deal with all this in the morning."
"Are you going to tell her?" He actually sounds a little afraid of facing his baby sister. Hell, he should be afraid. She'll rip his balls off if she ever finds out what he's been doing.
"Nah," I murmur, deciding there's one secret I'll keep to myself. To save their relationship, I think I have to keep it. Because January will never forgive him for working with Kaleo if she finds out, not when Kaleo's already ruined so many things in her life. "We'll fix this shit and she'll never have to know about it."
Titan is quiet throughout dinner, but he's more engaged with January than he has been in a long time. Her happiness hangs in the air around her, exactly as if that tiny body is too small to contain the emotion. Titan notices it too.
He eats his food with a smile on his face, one I haven't seen in a long time. It gives me hope that maybe we can find our way back to what we had before shit got complicated and the bond that held the three of us together for so long began to fray.
After dinner, Jana brings out a triple chocolate cake and sets it in front of January. She bounces in her seat as the three of us sing a horribly off-key rendition of the birthday song, which has her in a fit of laughter by the end. Truth is, she's the only one of us who ca
n sing worth a damn, but we give it our all anyway, just to see her smile.
"Be right back," Titan mutters and pushes away from the table while January and her mom cut the cake.
They whisper back and forth as they work. I know they're talking about the ring on January's finger. I also know her mom isn't surprised to see it there. Before I ever bought it, I told Jana I was getting it. I also promised I would love her daughter and take care of her for the rest of our lives. She told me that she's known since January and I were little that we would end up together, and that there was no one more deserving of her daughter than me.
I'm not sure how Jana's going to feel when she finds out I'm worth millions. I hope she's not too pissed at me for keeping it quiet for so long. Part of me wonders if she already knows and that's part of the reason she's never really worried about me and January being together, but I'm not sure. It's possible Ma Rose told her. I never got to ask Ma Rose who else knew. She died two hours after telling me the money existed.
"You okay?" January asks, stopping beside my chair to brush my hair back from my forehead.
"Perfect," I say, trying to ease the worry in her eyes. She shouldn't be stressing about anything today. It's her day to be spoiled and pampered.
"Are things with you and Titan okay?" she asks.
"We're good," I promise and then pull her down for a kiss before she can ask me anything else. I don't want to lie to her, and if she asks, I'll have to do exactly that. She tastes like chocolate, which makes me hard. I swear, I could kiss this girl for days and still not be satisfied. I lick at her lips, loving how much sweeter she tastes with her favorite flavor all over her.
"Dude, stop dry humping my sister in front of my mom," Titan says from behind me. He sounds more amused than pissed though, so I flip him off discreetly and then dip January backward to kiss the shit out of her once more.
She squeals and then laughs, clinging to me. Jana's laughing too, so I figure she's not too messed up about me making out with her daughter in the middle of their kitchen.
Fight for You: A Second Chance Romance (A Warrior for Her Book 1) Page 21