33. Aimee
Aimee
“Handing myself over to the enemy isn’t much smarter than the stunts Soul pulls,” I say to Chaos, who is leaning against the brick wall beside me, waiting for Titan. “Maybe I’m the one with a death wish.”
“You’re not handing yourself over to him.” Chaos doesn’t so much as flinch, and he doesn’t take his eyes off the street. “And you’re sure as fuck not dying today.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing.” My back tenses, but when Chaos finally cuts his gaze to me at my comment, I clarify. “There are things worse than death.”
He hums. “You’re not wrong about that.”
If Levi were here, he might try to find some way to comfort me. To reassure me that today won’t end poorly. That this plan is solid and that I can trust him.
Chaos doesn’t offer that same comfort.
He watches the road, eerily still .
And it’s not that I don’t trust him to protect me with everything he has— everything he is . But he doesn’t waste words trying to make me feel better. We both know what we’ve walked into. There are only two of us against however many Iron Sinners are about to show.
Titan included if his arrogance is still holding strong.
We agreed to a simple meeting, a discussion, nothing else. Still, I have no doubt Titan has other plans.
At least that doesn’t rattle me anymore. I’m not here under the illusion that all will be fine. I knew this was a big play the second I suggested it, so all I can do now is follow through. As long as Levi gets my father to safety, I’ll deal with Titan.
I’ve done it before.
My stomach spins at the thought, and I plant my palm over it.
Only then does Chaos spare me another glance. His eyes move to my hand, and I immediately drop it.
“Did anyone tell you about the time Havoc entered one of those motorcycle stunt shows the casinos put on?” Chaos asks, scanning the street and clearly trying to distract me.
“Levi?”
“Yes Levi.” A smile ticks in the corner of Chaos’s mouth.
“It was pretty soon after he got out of the military. He hadn’t even officially patched in yet.
I barely knew him then. I’d met him when he was on leave, but we didn’t really hang out until he returned.
That show was the first time we really spoke to each other. He was a wild dude.”
“That doesn’t sound like him. ”
Not that Levi is particularly cautious. But I’ve never known him to participate in ridiculous stunts that threaten to test the bounds of his mortality.
Chaos shrugs. “Now that I know him better, I agree with you. But I think he was still working through shit at the time.”
It doesn’t take clarification to know what shit Chaos is referring to.
“The signs have been there longer than any of us realized.” Chaos swipes his palm down his face. “Havoc’s always been unhappy, and none of us wanted to see it. I didn’t understand what messed him up so bad until I saw him with you.”
I dip my chin, kicking a penny across the concrete. “I left him pretty miserable.”
“Wasn’t your fault. He knows that now.” Chaos nudges my arm.
“What I’m trying to say is, Havoc won’t let anything happen to you.
You’re his entire fucking world. I’ve seen him broken, and I’ve seen him reckless.
But he’s none of those things with you. He’ll keep you safe no matter the cost. And even if things went to shit, the club’s got you. ”
He doesn’t look at me when he says it, but I hear the emotion straining his words.
After spending so long with a club that does nothing but rot and ruin anyone who comes in the vicinity of them, I’m still wrapping my mind around how the Twisted Kings protect their own.
How they’ve latched on and protected me simply because Levi cares.
It’s that loyalty that has Chaos here, willing to lay his life on the line if it comes down to it.
I’ll do everything in my power to make sure that’s not necessary.
Chaos lifts off the wall, and he pulls his hands from his pockets. The air around us shifts, and I feel Titan before I see him.
Whispers travel down the street until a horde of bodies cuts through the crowd. Titan is at the center, with at least five of his men on either side of him. There are too many of them when there are only two of us. It makes me wish Chaos hadn’t offered to put himself in the middle of this mess.
Titan won’t hurt me here and now. He still wants too much from me to kill me that easily. But he doesn’t need anything from Chaos.
What was I thinking, asking Levi to agree to this?
I should have come alone.
Titan’s eyes lock on me, and I reach for my finger to soothe myself. But the ring Levi gave me isn’t there. It’s just one more missing piece, while the man responsible for the rest of them walks toward me.
He’s a few feet away when he grins, but there’s no kindness in it. Titan has always been a predator, and for too long, I acted like his prey. Which is why I shove my chin up and face off with him, refusing to let him see my glare so much as falter.
In the decade I’ve known him, he hasn’t changed much besides the fact that his jet-black hair is now constantly shaved to show off the tattoos on the side of his head. He still reeks of cigarettes, spilled beer, and sin.
“Beautiful as ever, baby.” He reaches for my hand, but I pull away.
Chaos shoves closer to my side, moving a step between us. “Keep your hands off her.”
Titan grins. “Interesting choice of a guard dog today, Aimee. Havoc tired of you already?”
“Where’s my father?” I ignore Titan’s taunts and cut to the chase.
It’s probably not smart to piss him off when I’m supposed to be stalling as long as possible while the Twisted Kings get into position, but Titan sets me on edge.
“We can talk about your father after you’ve agreed to my terms.” Titan glances at his men. “Give us room.”
They all back up instantly. The sweep of movement is more obedience than loyalty. The Iron Sinners are nothing like the Twisted Kings. While Steel’s men follow him out of respect, Titan’s serve him for entirely different reasons.
Either because they’re as sick as he is or because he has the right leverage over them.
“You too.” Titan narrows his gaze on Chaos.
Chaos shifts farther in front of me. “Not happening.”
Titan smirks, glancing at me. “Tell him to stand down if you know what’s good for dear old Dad.”
My throat thickens as I rest a hand on Chaos’s arm. “It’s fine. I’ll be right here. Just give me a minute to talk to him.”
Chaos’s hands are in fists at his sides. He refuses to let his gaze wander off Titan, but he does step aside. The moment he moves, Titan takes a few steps to his right, dragging me farther from the group.
The number of eyes on us has the hair on the back of my neck prickling. Titan’s men stare us down, and Chaos looks ready to pull a gun any second. But Titan’s shoulders are as relaxed as ever.
He leans against the brick wall, boxing me out of view from everyone else.
“That little stunt you pulled cost me.” Titan’s glare sweeps my body in a way that has bile rising in my throat. “Your dad paid for it. I’m assuming you got my present.”
“If you kill him—”
“That’s up to you,” Titan cuts me off. “It’s always been up to you, Aimee. When are you going to realize that? Anderson was fine until you ran. But now…” He scrubs his hand over his face. “What am I going to do with you now?”
“That’s not your decision.”
“Isn’t it?” He leans closer, twisting a strand of my hair around his finger. “You made me a promise. You’d be good, and I’d let him live. You’re lucky I didn’t put a bullet in your father’s head the second you left with them. You owe me now.”
“I don’t owe you anything.”
He continues twisting a strand of my hair. So close I’m breathing him in. But it would be weakness to back up. To drop my chin. To so much as blink. So I keep my spine straight and don’t break gazes with Titan .
“You’ll change your mind on that.” Titan’s smile is filled with malice. “Even if I have to chain you to a table in the middle of the room and let every one of my men fuck you until you’ve finally got no more fight left. I will break you, Aimee. You know I can.”
My stomach rolls over. Fire burns behind my eyes.
“That’s enough.” Chaos steps around Titan, and the Iron Sinners start to close in.
The rage vibrating off Chaos hums in the air, but all I hear is Titan’s threat on repeat. I have no doubt he’d make good on it. It takes everything in me to regain my composure as Chaos steps closer.
“Where is my father?” I ask Titan again.
“Don’t you already know the answer to that?” His gaze slips to Chaos. “That’s why I’m here, right? Aimee is the bait to distract me while her boyfriend raids the safe house I’ve been keeping Anderson.”
I swallow hard as Titan sees straight through our plan. He’s always five steps ahead. No matter how horrible he is, he’s smart when it comes to protecting himself.
Chaos’s phone dings, and Titan grins.
“Might want to get that. I assume it’s your club calling to tell you they found nothing.
No Anderson. No guns. No drugs. Steel always thinks he can stay a step ahead of me, and yet, he continues falling into my traps.
” Titan turns to me now. “I told you the price for your father, Aimee. You can either pay it, or I can make one call, and Epic will put a bullet in his head. It’s up to you. ”
“I’ll never go with you. ”
Titan’s smile turns wicked. It sends ice shooting through my veins.
“Have it your way.” Titan steps back, and the scene shifts so quickly that I barely have time to process what’s happening.
The once busy street has emptied of anyone but Iron Sinners. A move they must have been working on while I was distracted talking to Titan. There are no witnesses. No protection from the general public.
And as Iron Sinners close in around us, there’s no time to so much as scream before I meet Chaos’s gaze, and a gun swings at the back of his head. He drops to the ground, knocked out.
“As much as I’d like to properly thank him for ruining our run a couple of years ago, I’d rather your boyfriend have to hear this story so he knows exactly how I’m going to make you pay for your disobedience.”
Disobedience.
Like I’m a dog. A pet.
I’m nothing to him.
Titan backs up, and I barely make it a step before two of his men grab my arms. Another shoves a black hood over my head, and that quickly, I’m back where I started.