Chapter 10 Bonnie
BONNIE
I’m running through the woods again.
Branches tear at my dress. My feet bleed with every step. Behind me, Marcus laughs—that cold, empty sound that turns my blood to ice. He’s gaining on me.
“You can’t escape.” His voice echoes through the trees. “You’re mine, Bonnie. You’ll always be mine.”
I try to scream, but nothing comes out. My legs won’t move fast enough. The trees close in, trap me, hold me in place while he gets closer and closer—
I jolt awake with a gasp.
Sunlight streams through my bedroom window. My heart hammers against my ribs. For a moment, I can’t remember where I am, if I’m safe, if any of it was real.
The door opens, and Jamie walks in carrying fresh bandages.
“Morning,” she says gently. “Heard you moving around. How are you feeling?”
My hands shake as I push hair out of my face. “Fine. Just a dream.”
“Nightmares are normal after trauma.” She sets the supplies on my nightstand and sits on the edge of the bed. “Your body’s processing what happened.”
I nod.
“Let me check your wounds,” she says. “Then we’ll get you cleaned up and fed.”
She unwraps the gauze from my feet first. The cuts look better than yesterday—still angry and red, but no signs of infection. Each touch makes me wince, but I bite my tongue.
“Healing nicely,” Jamie says. “You were lucky. Could have been much worse.”
Lucky. Right.
She moves to my arms next, checking the cuts from the fence. Most are shallow enough that they’ll heal without scars. The deeper ones on my back she examines with gentle fingers.
“Stitches are holding. Try not to stretch too much for the next few days.”
“I’ll do my best.”
She helps me to the bathroom and waits outside while I shower. The hot water stings every cut and scrape, but I don’t care. I need to wash away the memories of yesterday.
When I emerge wrapped in a towel, Jamie has laid out clean clothes—a soft cotton shirt, loose sweatpants, and thick socks to protect my bandaged feet.
“Titan sent these up,” she says. “He said you’d probably want comfortable over stylish right now.”
The thoughtfulness puts a smile on my face. “He was right.”
I dress slowly, careful not to pull stitches. Everything hurts, but it’s a dull ache now instead of sharp agony.
Jamie rebandages my feet with fresh gauze. “You need to eat before you take your medicine. I’ll have someone bring breakfast up—”
“No.” I stand carefully, testing my weight. “I’m going downstairs.”
“Bonnie—”
I take a tentative step, and pain shoots through my feet, but it’s bearable. “I need to see what’s happening.”
Jamie looks like she wants to argue, but she doesn’t. “At least let me walk with you.”
We make our way down the stairs together.
The main floor is quieter than usual. A few brothers nod as we pass, but most are either out on business or catching sleep after pulling guard duty all night.
Jamie guides me to the kitchen where Titan stands at the stove, spatula in hand.
“Well, look who’s up,” he says without turning around.
“Disappointed?”
“Relieved.” He glances over his shoulder and grins. “Made you breakfast. Sit.”
I lower myself into a chair at the kitchen table. Jamie checks my bandages one more time and then excuses herself to tend to other matters.
Titan sets a plate in front of me—scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and orange juice. More food than I’ve seen in days.
“Eat,” he orders. “All of it. You’re running on fumes and stubbornness.”
“The stubbornness is keeping me alive.”
“The stubbornness is going to get you killed if you don’t fuel it properly.” He sits across from me with his own plate. “Now eat before I force-feed you like a baby bird.”
Despite everything, I smile. “You’re annoying.”
“You love it.”
I do. I love that he can make me smile when everything feels like it’s falling apart. Love that he cares enough to cook for me, to make sure I’m taken care of.
I eat slowly. Each bite settles in my stomach like a small victory. Titan watches me between bites of his own food, making sure I finish everything.
“Where is everyone?” I ask.
“Meeting. Been at it since dawn.” He drains his orange juice. “Savage Legion hit three of our businesses last night. Marcus is pissed you got away.”
“Anyone hurt?”
“Property damage mostly. Broken windows, spray paint, the usual intimidation tactics. But it’s escalating.” His jaw tightens. “War’s coming.”
I finish eating in silence. When my plate is empty, Titan produces two pill bottles from his pocket. “Jamie said you need these. Antibiotics and pain meds.”
I swallow the pills with the last of my juice. The pain in my feet has already started to dull at the edges.
“Thanks,” I say. “For breakfast. For the clothes. For everything.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” He stands and collects our plates. “You’re still stuck with me.”
“Could be worse.”
“Could be better too, but you’re not complaining, so I’ll take it.”
I push back from the table carefully. “I want to hear what they’re saying. In the meeting.”
“Bonnie—”
“I’m not sitting in my room while everyone makes decisions about my life.” I take a step, and pain shoots through my foot, but I don’t let it show. “I’m going.”
Titan studies me for a long moment. Then he nods. “Stubborn as hell. Ghost was right about that.”
“Ghost talks about me?”
“Ghost talks about nothing but you when you’re not around.” He moves to my side and offers his arm. “Come on. Let’s go crash their strategy session.”
I take his arm and we make our way slowly toward the meeting room. Voices carry through the closed door—Ash’s authoritative tone, Ghost’s quiet input, other brothers I recognize.
Titan opens the door without knocking.
The conversation stops. Everyone turns to look at us.
Ghost stands by the window—the same position he always takes.
Ash sits at the head of the table, papers spread in front of him. His jaw is tight, and dark circles under his eyes suggest he hasn’t slept.
“Bonnie,” he says. “You should be resting.”
“I’m done resting.” I move to an empty chair and lower myself into it. “What’s happening?”
The brothers exchange glances. Ash looks like he’s about to argue, but Ghost speaks first. “Let her stay,” he says quietly. “She has a right to know.”
Ash’s jaw works, but he nods. “Fine. But if you need to leave—”
“I’ll leave.” I look at the maps and papers spread across the table. “Now catch me up.”
They walk me through the situation. Savage Legion hit three businesses under our protection last night: a bar, a garage, and a pawn shop. No serious injuries, but the message is clear—they want revenge for the failed wedding.
Marcus is demanding that I be turned over. He’s calling me stolen property, claiming breach of contract, threatening all-out war if I’m not returned.
“He can go to hell,” I say when Ash finishes explaining. “I’m not his property, and there was no contract. Just my father’s word, and he’s not here to enforce it.”
“Agreed,” Ash says. “But that doesn’t stop Marcus from using it as an excuse to escalate.”
“So what’s the plan?” I lean forward despite the pull of stitches in my back. “We can’t just wait for them to keep hitting us.”
“We’re fortifying defenses,” Ghost says. “Extra guards on all our businesses. Patrols in pairs. No one goes anywhere alone.”
“That’s defensive,” I point out. “What about offense?”
“Working on it,” Ash says. His eyes meet mine across the table. “But we need more intel first. Can’t strike blindly.”
I think about Marcus, about his compound, about the layout I saw during my brief time there. “I can help with that. I was inside. I saw their setup.”
“Bonnie—”
“I’m not useless just because I’m injured.” Frustration bleeds into my voice. “I learned from Dad and Jackal. I know strategy, I know how clubs operate. Let me help.”
Ash studies me for a long moment. Then he nods. “Fine. Tell us what you remember.”
I walk them through everything I saw—the compound layout, the security cameras, the number of guards, the way they patrol. It’s not much, but it’s more than they had before.
When the meeting finally breaks up, the brothers file out to handle their assignments. Ghost pauses by my chair. “You did well,” he says quietly.
“I barely did anything.”
“You stayed.” His hand touches my shoulder briefly. “That’s more than nothing.” He leaves before I can respond.
Titan helps me stand. “Need help getting back upstairs?” he asks.
“I’ve got her,” Ash says from across the room.
Titan looks between us, grins, and heads for the door. “Right. I’ll just…go patrol something.”
The door closes, and it’s just me and Ash in the meeting room. He gathers papers, stacks them neatly, and takes his time. I stay quiet, watching him work.
“You should have stayed in bed,” he finally says.
I shift my weight, and pain shoots up my legs, but I don’t let it show. “I’m not helpless, Ash.”
“I know.” He sets down the papers and looks at me. “I should have protected you better.”
“You couldn’t have known—”
“I should have stopped your father from arranging that marriage in the first place.” His hands curl into fists. “Instead, I let you walk into hell and then had to pull you out covered in blood.”
“That wasn’t your responsibility.”
“Yes, it was.” He moves closer. “You’re part of this club. That makes you my responsibility. Especially now.”
“Especially now?”
He stops in front of me, close enough that I have to tilt my head back to meet his eyes.
“Marry me,” he says.
I laugh. Can’t help it. The absurdity of the statement after everything that’s happened—
But he doesn’t laugh. His expression stays dead serious.
“Wait.” My laughter dies. “You’re actually serious?”
“Completely.”
“Ash, I just ran away from one wedding—”
“This is different.” He takes my hand. “Your father’s in jail. That makes you vulnerable. Marcus is claiming you as stolen property. But if you’re my wife, you’re untouchable. No one can take you without starting a war with me personally.”
My heart does something complicated in my chest. “So this is strategic.”
“This is practical.” His thumb traces circles on my palm. “You need protection. I can give it to you.”
Part of me wants to cry. I’ve had a crush on this man since I was fifteen years old. Dreamed about him noticing me, wanting me, choosing me. And now he’s proposing marriage like it’s a business transaction.
“What do I get out of it?” I ask, hating how my voice shakes.
“Safety. Security. The full protection of the Ruthless Devils.” He pauses. “And when this is over, when Savage Legion is eliminated, I’ll buy you your own tattoo shop. Set you up however you want.”
The offer catches me off guard. “My apprenticeship—”
“You can continue it. I’m not trying to cage you, Bonnie. I’m trying to keep you alive.”
I look down at our joined hands. His grip is gentle but firm, like he’s afraid I’ll bolt if he lets go.
This is not how I imagined my life going. Not how I pictured the man I’ve wanted for years finally proposing. But it’s better than marrying Marcus. Better than running forever.
And maybe—just maybe—strategic can become something more.
“Okay,” I whisper.
“Okay?”
“I’ll marry you.” I look up and meet his eyes. “But I have conditions.”
A smile tugs at his lips. “Of course you do.”
“I keep my apprenticeship. I get to be involved in club decisions that affect me. And when you buy me that shop, it’s in my name. Not yours, not the club’s. Mine.”
“Deal.” He pulls me closer, careful of my injuries. “Anything else?”
“Yeah.” I reach up and touch his face. “Try to fall in love with me eventually. I’d prefer if this wasn’t just a business arrangement forever.”
His hand comes up to cover mine.
“Bonnie,” he says softly. “Falling for you was never the problem. Admitting it is the hard part.”