I knew what he was really asking. “Vincent will be there. Jax will be too.”
Brett’s expression slowly fell, the disappointment sinking into his bones.
“You should come, Brett.”
He masked his discomfort by taking a drink of his beer. “I don’t know, man.”
I’d never told him I’d buried the hatchet with my father. I hadn’t seen him lately, and there simply wasn’t time. “I told him I wanted to start over. I don’t necessarily accept everything he did to both of us, but I don’t hate him anymore. He seems like a different person now, as am I. The last time I saw him cry was at Mom’s funeral. And when I let him back into my life…he had a few tears.”
Brett’s expression remained just as hard as ever, but out of principal.
“I can’t tell you what to do, Brett. But I genuinely think he’s sorry.”
His fingers wrapped around his glass, and he stared at the amber liquid.
“And remember, Jax is your brother too. We should all see each other.”
“Yeah…”
“I don’t want there to be this divide between us. I want to celebrate with him and with you. I don’t want to keep you guys separate for the rest of my life.”
He rested his arm over the back of the booth, his eyes still on his beer.
I knew I couldn’t force him to make a decision, and I couldn’t force him to do what I wanted. All I could do was give him a nudge and hope he went in the right direction. “We’re meeting at seven. Hope I see you there.”
14
Titan
One meeting ran much later than I anticipated, so I was stuck in my office wrapping up other projects I hadn’t had a chance to complete. Work used to be my life, but now it took second place to the man I adored. Money used to mean more to me because it represented power and independence. But now all the money in the world meant nothing in comparison to Diesel. As long as we were together, I didn’t care if we were broke.
I’d rather be in bed, my fiancé’s lips all over me.
My phone vibrated on the white desk, and his name appeared on the screen.
I answered immediately. “Hey.”
“Hey, baby. When are you coming home?”
I liked the way he referred to my penthouse as home. We hadn’t decided where we would live, but that didn’t seem to matter. Whether it was his place or mine, it would feel right. “I got caught up at the office, unfortunately.”
He didn’t give me a hard time about it, knowing exactly how dedicated I was. “I just got out of the shower, and I was about to head out. You want to meet at the restaurant?”
“That’s fine.” I would stop by my place and change, but that would only take a few minutes. “I’ll see you in about thirty minutes or so. Is Brett coming?”
Diesel gave a long pause before he answered. “I doubt it. We talked about it at lunch today, but he didn’t seem thrilled by the idea. Said he would think about it.”
It was a complicated situation, and I knew it couldn’t be rushed. “I hope he’ll be there.”
His masculine voice was full of sorrow. “Yeah…me too.”
Another pause ensued, but it only happened because we wanted to be on the phone together a little longer. We would see each other in less than an hour, but it seemed like a lifetime. I missed this man whenever we weren’t together, even if that break only lasted a few hours.
He spoke first. “I can’t wait to see you.”
“Me too.”
“Love you.”
Now he said it every time he got off the phone, and he was always the first one to say it. It’d become a routine between us, and I hoped that routine would never change. “I love you too.”
We hung up and I got back to work, speeding up because I wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. I didn’t stay late at the office very often anymore, usually because I wasn’t as motivated. But if I didn’t take care of these orders, it would haunt me tomorrow.
My phone rang again. This time, it was Vincent.
I put him on speakerphone so I could keep working. “Hey, Vincent.”
His tone was lighter than Diesel’s, but his words contained the same intensity that seemed to be shared among the Hunt men. “You know, I’m not going to be able to call you Titan much longer.” There was a hint of happiness in his voice. I hadn’t spoken to him about the news yet. It had just happened last night, so I really hadn’t had the chance to talk to anyone about it.
“You can call me Tatum.” I wasn’t planning on changing my last name, but it would be strange for my father-in-law to refer to me by my maiden name.
“Beautiful name.”
“Thanks.”
He paused over the line, drawing out the silence just as he would if we were sitting in my office. Diesel must have gotten that from his father without even realizing it. “My son couldn’t have chosen a better woman to spend his life with. My wife would be thrilled, and I’m very thrilled.”
I hadn’t been expecting an emotional conversation, but anytime his late wife was mentioned, I was overcome with emotion. I never knew my mother. Did she ever have regrets about what she did? Would she be proud of me? What if Diesel’s mother were still around? Would she be the mother I never had? She sounded incredible. “Thank you, Vincent. But I consider myself to be the lucky one. Your son is a wonderful man. I know he’ll spend his life making me happy.”
“I have no doubt of that either. I can’t take all the credit for his character, but I’m proud of who he is nonetheless. And I’m proud of his good taste. When I say he couldn’t have chosen anyone better, I truly mean that.”
Vincent had slowly wormed his way into my heart, and now I didn’t just see him as Diesel’s father. I saw him as something much more, a shadow of my own father. He made me feel the way my own father did, that I was special—that I was loved. I hadn’t felt that way in a long time. “Thank you…”
“I’ll see you tonight. Jax is looking forward to meeting you.”
“I’m looking forward to it too.”
“And Tatum?”
“Yes?”
“You wear that ring well.”
* * *
I stepped into my penthouse and immediately raided my closet. The black dress I had on was nice, but it was too stiff for a fun evening out. I pulled out a tight purple dress with matching pumps along with a diamond necklace. I quickly changed my wardrobe then touched up my makeup in the bathroom. Anytime I looked in the mirror, the brilliance of the ring always distracted me.
I had been able to afford to buy my own jewelry for nearly a decade. Anytime I wanted something beautiful, I could buy it myself. I never needed a man for anything, and I prided myself for that. But Diesel’s diamond meant more to me than anything else I could buy—because it was priceless.
I was about to walk out the door when Thorn called me.
“Hey, I’m about to leave right now,” I said as I grabbed my clutch from the dresser.
“Want me to pick you up?”
“My driver is out front. Besides, I’m closer anyway.”
“Alright. I’ll see you soon.”
“Bye.” I hung up and got into the elevator. After I hit the button, it slowly sank to the bottom floor. The ring felt heavy on my left hand, the weight noticeable on my slender finger. My neck was always decorated with diamonds, as was my wrist. But I rarely wore rings because it didn’t seem natural. The weight distracted me when I typed, and when I handled a pen, the metal band always tapped against the metal.
But now I couldn’t picture myself without the ring. It was already a part of me.
It was all of me.
The doors opened, and I walked across the empty lobby. It was decorated luxuriously, with fine couches and tables, a coffee station, and the large boxes where tenants received their mail. The glass door opened as a man walked inside, and after a few steps, he looked up to meet my gaze.
I’d recognize him anymore.
Bruce Carol looked me r
ight in the eye, silent hostility written all over his expression. In a thick black coat with black gloves, he looked like a man who had just walked through a storm. I felt ice-cold the second he looked at me, feeling dread form in the pit of my stomach. Instinct kicked in, and a spike of adrenaline circulated in my blood. Terror gripped my heart.
A warning screamed in my mind.
He pulled his hand out of his pocket, and in his grasp was a black gun. He raised it and pointed directly at my chest.
I halted, my heels no longer tapping against the tile floor. There wasn’t time to feel afraid, not when death was looking at me right in the face. All I could think about was survival, how I would get out of this lethal situation. The doorman outside the building was facing the opposite way. There was no one else in the space. The elevators weren’t lit up because no one was descending to the lobby.
It was only him and me.
He took another step toward me, pointing the gun right at my face.
Now wasn’t the time to be stubborn, but I refused to raise my hands in the air. I refused to let my fear appear on my face. I refused to do anything but stare at him with the same ferocity. “If you can only beat me with a gun, then you’ll never win.”
His blue eyes didn’t blink as they remained trained on me. His hand didn’t shake as he aimed the barrel right at my heart. My words didn’t seem to leave a mark. It was like he hadn’t heard them at all.
I didn’t have any way of defending myself. There wasn’t a table nearby, even a lamp. All I had was the clutch in my hand. I could throw it as his face, but he would fire first. All I had were my words. There were cameras in the corners of the lobby, but I suspected no one was watching because someone would have been down here by now. “You still have your children. If you do this, you’ll lose them too.”
“I lost them because of you.” His finger moved over the trigger.
I wasn’t ashamed to admit I was afraid, but if this was how I lost my life, I would maintain as much dignity as I could. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of begging or apologizing. I would give him absolutely nothing until I gave my last breath.
And my last thought would be of Diesel.
The silence intensified. I could hear my breathing, and I could hear his too. I waited for something to happen, for someone to walk through the doors and disrupt the nightmare. I waited for him to lower the gun and come to his senses. “Money doesn’t mean anything. You have so much more to live for.”
“Money doesn’t mean anything to you because you have it.” He stepped forward farther. “But now you won’t.”
And then he shot me.
It was painless.
All I felt was the jolt of momentum as my body was flung to the floor. I collapsed onto the tile, hitting the back of my head hard. The ground was cold, but my blood warmed the surface of my skin as it dripped everywhere.
My heart beat faster, compensating for the lack of blood.
I immediately felt weak with shock.
I stared at the fluorescent lights up above, my beautiful dress ruined with my own death. My clutch had fallen to the ground at some point. Life was fading from my eyes, and Diesel came into my mind. He wouldn’t survive without me. He would never know happiness again. I had to survive, but I didn’t know how.
Bruce stepped over me, the gun pointed down at me. It was aimed right at my face, the black barrel still smoking from the previous bullet. His rage hadn’t been satisfied with the first shot. He obviously needed more to complete his vendetta.
He wanted to finish me off, destroy my face so I wouldn’t even have an open coffin funeral. He couldn’t handle the way I’d gracefully destroyed him, the way Diesel sided with me in making our deal. Bruce was a sexist pig that only knew how to play dirty. He solved this problem with the same disgust he handled all of his issues.
I couldn’t let that happen.
His finger moved over the trigger.
The second I moved, I would rush my speed of death. But I’d rather die bleeding out all over the floor than let this bastard shoot me in the face. And I’d rather die with his cold body beside me, so Diesel wouldn’t have to suffer through the trial that would drag out for years on end.
I’d rather take Bruce with me.
Before he could pull the trigger, I kicked him in the knee and knocked his hand out of the way at the same time.
The gun went off, shooting the elevator door.
I kicked him again even though I was bleeding even more. My life was draining away; I was getting weaker by the second. I only had minutes left, maybe not even that.
Bruce stumbled forward and dropped the gun.
I snatched it, cocked it, and pointed it right at his face. “Looks like I win again.” I pulled the trigger.
Bang.
He fell to the floor, his body immediately idle.
I pointed the gun at him again, aiming for his neck.
I shot him again. Bang.
With the gun still hot, I set it on the tile beside me. Then I lay there, feeling the darkness cover me. Dying was exactly the same was falling asleep. All I had to do was close my eyes and wait for it to pass. The pain would end. The suffering would be over. I’d made my mark on the world, and I would still be remembered after I was gone.
I only wished I could stay.
I had more life to live.
I had a man I loved.
I didn’t have my children.
Voices erupted around me, ambulance lights flashed through the windows, and then a man appeared over me. It must have been a paramedic because he shouted medical terminology. I was placed on a gurney and then rolled toward the ambulance.
I couldn’t hold on any longer.
I looked at the man above me, a paramedic in his forties. “Do you know who I am?”
“Yes. We’re getting you to the hospital, Ms. Titan.” He was professionally calm despite the blood dripping across the sidewalk and road.
“Do something for me.”
He helped the men place me in the back of the ambulance. The wheels were locked, the doors were shut, and then we were speeding through New York City. “If I can, I will.”
I was slipping away. I couldn’t feel my hands anymore. The sensation in my legs had disappeared a long time ago. I could barely feel my engagement ring on my finger. “Tell Diesel Hunt I love him.”
15
Hunt
I was the first one there, and Thorn arrived a moment later.
Thorn walked up to me and shook my hand. “First ones here, huh?”
“Yep. Titan had to work late tonight.”
“Yeah, I called her on the way over here. She should be here any minute. She was walking out when I called her.”
“Good.” I didn’t want to wait longer than I had to. I wanted to stare at her beautiful face, kiss her on the lips, and wrap my arm around her waist. I wanted to pull her close to me, to tell the world that this former playboy had settled down for the right woman—and I wouldn’t have settled for anyone else. “I miss her.”
He rolled his eyes. “Don’t make me throw up, alright?”
I smiled. “I’ll try.”
“So, Jax, huh?”
“Yeah.” I wasn’t sure what I would say to my brother. It’d been a long decade of silence. The last time I’d spoken to him, he’d warned me about our father. He obviously still had some kind of connection to me.
“I’ve never met him.” He moved his hands into his pockets. “I hope he’s more like Brett than he is like Vincent.”
“Vincent’s not so bad…” I found myself defending my father when I would normally tear him down. It had become apparent how similar we were throughout the past few months. From our appearance to our mannerisms to our opinions, we were a lot alike. I just hoped I could learn from his mistakes before I made them myself.
Thorn nodded. “I’m glad you guys made up. I knew it was important to Titan that you reconnect.”
“Yeah, she knows what’s best for me.”
>
“Then, good thing you’re marrying her,” he teased. “Because you’re going to be getting a lot more than that.”
I thought of our past, of everything we’ve been through. “I don’t mind having her boss me around from time to time…”
Thorn must have known my true meaning because he grinned. “TMI, man.”
My father strode through the door with Jax by his side. He located us a moment later, and they walked across the restaurant as they headed our way.
Jax was exactly as I remembered him, built and strong. He wore jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, olive green with a slim fit. He had the same eyes I did, and his resemblance to our father was striking. It was obvious to anyone who met us that we were brothers. Brett and I had a lot of similarities, but people could mistake Jax and me for twins.
My father stopped in front of me and didn’t extend his hand. This time, he wrapped his arms around me and gave me a hug.
I hugged him back.
He patted me on the back as he pulled away, staring at me with happiness in his eyes. He didn’t smile, but he didn’t need to. The joy was in his eyes, just the way it was whenever he used to look at my mother.
He turned to Thorn next and shook his hand. “Nice to see you, Thorn.”
“You too, Vincent,” Thorn responded.
Vincent stepped away then turned to Jax. “I’m sorry that I’ve kept the two of you apart for so long. It shouldn’t have happened. I can’t erase the past, but maybe we can make up for lost time.”
Looking at Jax wasn’t full of bitterness the way it was with my father. I didn’t have a single negative feeling toward him. It was a difficult situation, and I didn’t judge him for siding with my father. There was no clear answer, and he’d never personally done anything to me. I still saw him as my brother—and that would never change. “How about we skip the handshake and just do the hug?” It was a cheesy icebreaker, but it was better than nothing.
He gave me a smile that was similar to mine. “That’s fine—just this once.”
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