A knock sounded on the open door. “Can I come in?” My father stood in black jeans and a long-sleeve dark blue shirt. It was a Tuesday, so he’d obviously skipped the office that afternoon.
Titan sat up higher in bed and smiled. “Please.”
I’d asked my family to stay away so Titan wouldn’t be overwhelmed. They’d done as I asked, but they couldn’t do it forever.
My father walked into the room and stopped at her bedside. “You look good, Tatum.”
“Thanks, Vincent.”
He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.
If he’d done that a month ago, I would have punched him in the face. But I knew he saw her as a daughter, and she saw him as a father.
He rested his hand on hers. “How are you feeling?”
“Good,” Titan answered. “With every passing day, I feel a little stronger. The doctors said my tests are looking good, and I’m on my way to a full recovery. It’ll just take me some time to get there.”
“Knowing you, you’ll do it in half the time.” He squeezed her hand as he gave her a smile.
She smiled back. “I hope so.”
He pulled his hand away and placed it in his pocket. He turned his gaze to me. “You look tired, son.”
He called me that every chance he got. It was starting to become a habit I was getting used to remarkably fast. We went from not speaking for a decade to finding a relationship almost instantly. It was strange how normal it felt. “I’m fine.”
Titan shook her hand. “I’ve asked him to go home and get some sleep, but he’s very stubborn.”
My father chuckled. “He’s definitely the most stubborn son of the three.”
I liked how he referred to Brett as one of us.
“I could have told you that,” Titan said. “He hasn’t eaten or showered.”
“I’m fine,” I repeated, annoyed that this was still a conversation.
Titan rolled her eyes at my father.
“I saw that,” I said threateningly.
“Well, I made it pretty obvious,” Titan countered.
My father chuckled at our banter. “Diesel, go home and get some sleep. I’ll stay with Titan until you come back.”
I stared at my father, unsure what to say.
He slid his hands into his pockets. “I’ll watch her like a guard dog. I promise.”
“Go, Diesel,” Titan said. “I’m in good hands.”
I rose from the couch and stood over Titan, my eyes on my father. “You would do that?”
“Of course.” He wore a soft expression, but he still looked powerful in the way he held his thick frame.
“I know you’re busy, Dad,” I said. “You’ve got more important things to do.”
He shook his head. “Nothing is more important than family, Diesel. I’d love to spend time with my future daughter-in-law.”
My father was one of the most powerful men in this city—and the world. He could make anything happen with the snap of his fingers. He was frighteningly intelligent and built like an ox. No one would cross him—so they wouldn’t cross her. There was no better company she could have. The only other person I would leave her with was Thorn, but he was catching up on missed sleep. I turned back to Titan. “Are you okay with that, baby?”
“Yes,” she said irritably. “Now, go. I’ll see you later.”
“I’ll be back in a few hours.” I leaned down and kissed her.
She kissed me back longer than I expected, her kiss slightly sensual. “You’d better not be back in less than twelve hours. Otherwise, I won’t let you through the door.” She kissed the corner of my mouth before she let me pull away.
I rested my hand on hers, my thumb touching her ring. “Then I’ll be back in twelve hours and one minute.”
“And not a second sooner.” She gave me that look of love I adored, the one that said I was the only man in the world that mattered. I’d never seen her look at anyone that way. Even when she was engaged to Thorn and putting on a show, she never gave him that expression. Only me. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” I’d never appreciated that exchange more. I had been afraid I would never get the chance to tell her those three little words again. Now I got to say them, and I had the rest of our lives to say them. “Call me if you need anything.”
“Okay.”
I walked around the bed then stopped in front of my father. “Don’t leave her side, alright?”
He could have made a joke about my ridiculous protectiveness, but he didn’t. Bruce was gone and she had no other enemies out there, but that didn’t mean she was safe. I wanted someone to watch her at all times until she was healthy enough to look after herself again. “You have my word, son.”
4
Titan
The TV played on the wall, but I didn’t spend any time watching it. I wanted to ask someone to retrieve my laptop so I could get some work done, but I knew if Diesel found out, he would flip. He’d been through a lot, and I didn’t want to push him.
Vincent sat on the couch next to my bedside, his arm resting over the back of it. His eyes were on the TV most of the time, and the comfortable silence stretched between us just the way it did between Thorn and me.
Diesel had been gone for about five hours, and I knew he’d fallen asleep the second his head hit the pillow. He hid exhaustion from me well, but I knew he was slowly falling apart. He hadn’t eaten or showered since I’d been admitted to the hospital four days ago. He slept on and off when I slept during the night, but that would make even the strongest man buckle under the stress.
I was glad he finally took some time for himself.
“Need anything, Tatum?” Vincent asked.
“No, thank you. I’m fine.” I was still propped up in bed, a large window to my right. I could see the whole
