Chapter 14 Titan
TITAN
Iwake up at six AM with a headache and regrets.
The headache is from too much whiskey at the wedding reception. The regrets are harder to pin down, but they’re there, sitting in my chest like a rock.
I roll out of bed and head downstairs in search of coffee and maybe some food to soak up the lingering alcohol in my system. I’m halfway to the kitchen when I see them.
Bonnie sits on Ash’s lap at one of the common room tables. Her arms loop around his neck, his hands rest on her hips, and they’re kissing like they’ve got all the time in the world.
I stop dead.
It’s not like I didn’t know they got married yesterday. I was there. Stood beside Ash when he said his vows, watched him kiss her after they were pronounced husband and wife.
But seeing them now, alone in the morning light, Bonnie wearing his T-shirt and nothing else…something twists in my gut.
Jealousy. That’s what this is. Pure, unexpected, unwanted jealousy.
I back away before they notice me. Head out the side door into the cool morning air and just breathe.
What the hell is wrong with me? I should be happy for them. I am happy for them.
But I’m also pissed off, and I don’t know what to do with that feeling.
The night at the cabin comes back to me. Bonnie on the bed, her skin against mine. I thought that was a one-time thing, a goodbye before she got married to Marcus.
Except she didn’t marry Marcus. She married Ash.
And now what? I just pretend that night never happened? Watch her be someone else’s wife and act like I don’t want her too?
Fuck that.
I need to hit something.
I head to the garage and grab my vest. Check my gun, make sure my knife is strapped to my belt. If I’m going hunting for trouble, might as well be prepared.
Ghost appears in the doorway. “Where you going?”
“Out.”
“Out where?”
“Patrol. Thought I’d check the east side businesses, make sure Savage Legion didn’t hit anything overnight.”
He studies me with those dark eyes that see too much. “You okay?”
“Fine.”
“You look like you want to kill someone.”
“Maybe I do.” I swing onto my Road King. “That a problem?”
“Only if you get yourself killed doing something stupid.” He crosses his arms. “Want company?”
“Nope.”
“Titan—”
“I’m fine, Ghost. Just need some air.” I fire up the engine. “I’ll be back in a few hours.”
I pull out before he can argue.
The morning streets are empty. I ride east, toward the businesses we protect, but I’m not really looking at them. I’m looking for Savage Legion colors. Looking for a fight.
Takes me twenty minutes to find one.
Three bikes are parked outside a diner we don’t protect. Savage Legion patches are clear as day. They’re sitting at a table visible through the window, eating breakfast like they don’t have a care in the world.
Like they didn’t spend the last two weeks terrorizing us in our own territory.
I park across the street and walk in.
The bell above the door chimes, and all three of them look up. Recognition flashes across their faces.
“Morning, boys,” I say. “Nice day for breakfast.”
The biggest one stands. “You lost, Ruthless Devil?”
“Nope. Found exactly what I was looking for.” I crack my knuckles. “You assholes have been hitting our businesses. Thought it was time someone returned the favor.”
“There are three of us and one of you,” another one points out.
“I like those odds.” I grin. “Makes it fair.”
The first punch comes from the guy on my left. I dodge, drive my fist into his stomach, and hear the air whoosh out of him. He doubles over, and I bring my knee up into his face.
One down.
The big one rushes me. We crash into a table, sending plates and coffee flying. He gets a solid hit to my ribs, but I return it with interest. My knuckles split on his teeth, but I don’t care.
The third guy tries to pull a knife. Bad choice. I grab his wrist, twist until bones crack, take the knife, and toss it across the room.
They fight dirty. So do I.
By the time it’s over, all three are on the ground, groaning. I’ve got split knuckles, a gash on my forearm from where one of them got lucky with broken glass, and my ribs are going to be bruised as hell tomorrow.
Worth it.
The diner owner—an older woman with gray hair—stares at me from behind the counter.
“Sorry about the mess,” I tell her. “Send the bill to the Ruthless Devils. We’ll cover it.”
She just nods, too shocked to speak.
I walk out, climb on my bike, and head home. The adrenaline starts to wear off, and everything hurts, but my head feels clearer.
I’m still jealous. Still frustrated. But at least I worked some of it out on people who deserved it.
When I get back to the clubhouse, Bonnie’s in the common room talking to Jamie. She spots me immediately, and her eyes go wide. “Titan, what happened?”
“Nothing. Just a disagreement with some Savage Legion members.”
“A disagreement.” She crosses to me and grabs my arm, examining the gash. “This needs stitches.”
“It’s fine—”
“It’s not fine.” She looks at Jamie. “Can I borrow your kit?”
“Go ahead.” Jamie hands over her medical bag. “Try not to let him bleed on the furniture.”
Bonnie takes my uninjured arm and steers me toward the stairs. “Come on. My room has better light.”
“Your room or Ash’s room?” The words come out more bitter than I intended.
She pauses on the stairs and looks back at me. “Mine.”
We climb to the second floor, and she leads me to her childhood bedroom. It’s smaller than Ash’s room, with posters on the walls, her sketchbook on the desk, and the smell of vanilla candles.
“Sit,” she orders, pointing to her bed.
I sit, watching as she washes her hands at the small sink in the corner, then comes back with Jamie’s medical kit.
“This is going to hurt,” she warns.
“Everything hurts. What’s a little more pain?”
She cleans the gash on my arm with antiseptic. I hiss through my teeth but don’t pull away.
“What were you thinking?” she asks as she threads a needle. “Taking on three guys by yourself?”
“Wasn’t thinking. Just needed to hit something.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m stupid.”
“That’s not an answer.” She starts stitching. Her hands are steady, gentle despite the pain she’s causing. “Talk to me, Titan.”
“It’s nothing.”
“It’s not nothing if it sent you hunting for a fight.” She ties off one stitch, starts another. “Is this about the wedding?”
I don’t answer. Don’t know how to explain that seeing her on Ash’s lap this morning made me want to punch walls.
“Titan.” She pauses, looks at me. “Talk to me.”
“I saw you this morning,” I admit. “You and Ash. In the common room.”
Understanding dawns on her face. “Oh.”
“Yeah. Oh.” I look away. “I’m happy for you guys. Really. Ash is a good man, and you deserve someone who’ll treat you right.”
“But?”
“But I can’t stop thinking about the cabin.” The confession spills out. “About that night with you. How good it felt, how right. And now you’re married and I’m supposed to just…what? Pretend it never happened?”
She finishes the stitches in silence. Ties them off, cuts the thread, bandages the wound. Then she looks at me. “I haven’t forgotten,” she says quietly. “That night meant something to me too.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” She moves to my split knuckles and cleans them carefully. “But I’m married now. To Ash. And I have to figure out what that means.”
“What if it means you don’t have to choose?”
She pauses. “What?”
“What if you could have both?” I pull her closer, settle her on my lap. “What if being Ash’s wife on paper doesn’t mean you have to forget about the rest of us?”
Her breath catches. “Titan—”
“I know it’s crazy.” My hands rest on her hips. “I know it’s not how things usually work. But nothing about this situation is usual. And I really, really hope you won’t forget about me now that you’re legally hitched.”
She opens her mouth to respond, but her eyes catch on something over my shoulder.
I turn to find Ash leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
Shit.
But then he smiles. “Guess we need to figure out an arrangement between the four of us.”
I blink. “You’re not pissed?”
“Why would I be pissed?” He pushes off the doorframe and walks into the room. “I married her to protect her, yeah. But I’m not stupid enough to think one wedding erases what happened at the cabin.”
“So…” Bonnie looks between us. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying we’re all adults.” Ash stops beside the bed. “And we’re all clearly interested in the same woman. So instead of fighting about it, maybe we figure out how to make it work.”
“You want to share your wife?” I ask.
“I want Bonnie to be happy.” He looks at her. “And if that means sharing her with my two best friends, I can live with that. As long as they understand you’re mine first.”
“The hell I do.” I glare at him, keeping Bonnie secure in my arms. “We all claimed her that night at the cabin. Doesn’t matter whose name is on the marriage license.”
“You want to fight about this?” Ash’s smile turns challenging.
“If I have to.” I grin back. “Because I’m not giving her up without a fight.”
“Boys,” Bonnie cuts in. “Nobody’s fighting anyone.”
“Shame,” I say. “I was looking forward to it.”
“You already fought three people this morning,” she points out. “Isn’t that enough?”
“Depends. Did it get me what I want?”
“What do you want?”
I look down at her, this woman who’s gotten under my skin in ways I didn’t expect. “You. Even if I have to share you with these idiots.”
“Hey,” Ash protests. “Only one of us is an idiot, and it’s definitely you.”
“Takes one to know one.”
Bonnie laughs, the sound bright and unexpected. “You’re both idiots.”
“Probably,” I agree. “But we’re your idiots now.” I kiss her forehead. “So what do you say? Think you can handle three men who all want you?”
“I don’t know,” she says. But the heat in her eyes tells a different story.
“We should probably find Ghost and let him know about this arrangement,” Ash says, approaching us. “Let’s see what he has to say.”
He leans down, cups her face in his hands while she’s still sitting on my lap, and kisses her. Not gentle. Not tentative. A claiming kiss that makes it clear exactly who she married.
Then Ash says, “Stay here. I’m finding him. We’re settling this now, all four of us, before anyone gets the wrong idea about what this arrangement looks like.”
He walks out, leaving me holding Bonnie while she stares at the empty doorway with wide eyes. “Did that just happen?” she whispers.
“Yeah.” I tighten my arms around her. “And I have a feeling things are about to get very interesting.”