I cried more now than I did when my father died.

Just when I finally got a grip on reality, I saw that picture that destroyed my already broken heart.

Hunt with a woman on each arm, getting into the back seat of his Mercedes.

I didn’t see it coming, so it was so much worse.

He’d told me that’s what he would do, but I was naïve enough to assume he would wait a while…at least a month. But he jumped right back into his old ways, picking up beautiful women in short dresses.

And fucking them in the bed I used to sleep in.

I couldn’t lie—it really hurt.

The elevator doors opened, and Thorn walked inside with two bags of groceries. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

He headed into the kitchen and put everything away. He’d been stuck to me like glue since Hunt and I went our separate ways. He had a closet stuffed with clothes, and he’d been sleeping here every night as well as leaving for work with me in the morning. He’d basically turned into a roommate.

When he finished, he walked into the living room and looked into my eyes, checking to see if I’d just been crying.

Thankfully, I stopped a few hours ago. “I appreciate all you’re doing for me, Thorn. But you really don’t need to stay here. I know you have your own life and need your own privacy.”

“You are my life.” He took a seat beside and crossed his legs. “Don’t worry about it.”

I hated the look of pity he gave me. I felt weak and pathetic, not the strong woman I’d spent my whole life building. “You’re sweet…but I mean it.”

He patted my thigh. “I know you do. And seriously, don’t worry about it. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be than here with you.” He gave me an emotional expression, one full of sincerity and love.

Losing Hunt was agonizing, but I was grateful I still had Thorn. “Thanks.”

He pulled his hand away then grabbed the remote. “Want to watch the game?”

“Sure.” Sports were safe. Nothing romantic about them.

He turned it on and rested his arm over the back of the couch. “I called Hunt and gave him a piece of my mind.” His eyes remained on the TV, speaking casually even though there was nothing casual about what he said.

“What?”

“I told him off and said he was an asshole.”

I covered my face in embarrassment even though Hunt couldn’t see me. “What were you thinking? Why would you do that?”

“He was a dick, and I had to call him out on it. He’s a piece of shit.”

I didn’t want Hunt to know how much it hurt me, and Thorn obviously told him. “Ugh…”

“He said he did it on purpose to hurt you, but then couldn’t go through with it and took them home.”

My heart immediately lightened with ease. The last time I saw him, I knew he was angry with me. I could see the rage in his eyes, the frightening aggression. It was difficult for him just to shake my hand. It seemed plausible, and after how close we’d been, I found it hard to believe he would screw someone else so soon.

Thorn turned to me and spotted the relief on my face. “You actually believe him?”

“Yes…is that stupid?”

He shook his head, but he didn’t insult me for my words. “It’s not stupid. It’s just…I don’t see why you believe him.”

“We really had something. I find it hard to believe he would sleep with someone else that quickly.”

“But he went out and picked them up in the first place.”

“And he didn’t go through with it.”

Thorn turned his gaze back to the TV. “I guess it doesn’t matter now. I still felt better for telling him off.”

“Did he say anything else?” The hardest part about breaking up was moving forward. My heart wanted to stay stationary, to reminisce about our time together. I remembered the heat and passion like it just happened yesterday. A part of me kept hoping for something more, but there was no reason to hope. There was nothing Hunt could do to change our situation. If I wanted something to change, I needed to do it myself. But I couldn’t.

“Said he’s as miserable as you are.”

That shouldn’t make me happy, but it did. It made me feel less alone.

Thorn turned back to me, pity in his eyes. “There’s no harm in believing him if it makes you feel better. But I hope it doesn’t hold you back from moving on.”

I couldn’t imagine another man in my bed. I couldn’t imagine making an arrangement with someone new. I didn’t want to kiss anyone, touch anyone, or let anyone touch me. Maybe I would never move on. Maybe I would only have Thorn—and that was it.

---

I was in my office when Thorn called me.

“Did you see the article about Megaland?” There was no introduction at all. He got right to the point.

“No.” As I spoke to him, I turned to my computer and typed Megaland into the search engine. “What’s going on?”

“Apparently, Vincent Hunt acquired it discreetly a few weeks back.”

The page popped up, but I didn’t read the story. My mind was too focused on what he said. “What?”

“I couldn’t believe it either.”

I clicked on the article and started to read while Thorn stayed on the phone.

It’s been confirmed that the up-and-coming electronics company Megaland has been quietly acquired by a new owner. Vincent Hunt is now the new CEO of the company, sharing rights with three original creators. Diesel Hunt wasn’t available for comment, and it’s unclear what sparked this transaction. According to our sources, Vincent and Diesel Hunt despise each other as much as ever. So why would Diesel Hunt sell a company he so recently purchased?

When I finished reading the article, I skimmed through it again. “Hmm…”

“We’re missing something here. Why would Hunt sell his company to his father? Even if the company weren’t doing well, he still wouldn’t do business with him.”

“I agree.”

“And Hunt believed in that company. He mentioned it to me a few times.”

“It was his baby,” I said quietly, still thinking quickly.

“Then what’s your take?”

I considered the possibilities in my mind while still staring at the screen. “It happened a few weeks before Vincent blackmailed him. Makes me wonder if Vincent blackmailed him again.”

“For what?” Thorn asked.

“I have no idea. But whatever it was, it must have been really important to Hunt. He wouldn’t have sold that company to his father unless he absolutely had to.”

“True. I wonder if it has anything to do with you.”

I suspected it did. “I have to go, Thorn.”

“Are you going to talk to Hunt about it?”

I remembered the last thing Hunt ever said to me. He mentioned he’d lost another company. When I pressed him on it, he didn’t give me an answer. This must have been what he was referring to. “Yes. But a different Hunt.”

---

Vincent Hunt’s office was sleek and white. Every wall was white, and every desk was the same plain color. It was open, airy, and modern. It was rigid and sleek, hinting of the future rather than preserving the perks of the past.

His taste strongly differed from his son’s.

I checked in with the assistant and patiently waited for permission to enter his office. Vincent Hunt wouldn’t turn me away, not when I was so well connected to his son. Or maybe he assumed I would be pissed about the photographs so he would avoid me. But that was the cowardly thing to do, so I doubted it. I learned that the Hunt men weren’t afraid of anything.

Finally, the assistant gave me permission to step inside.

I strutted into that office like a woman on a mission.

It was like the rest of the building, sleek and white. He had a corner office, so half of the room was made of enormous walls of glass. Skyscrapers shone under the light of the sun in the distance. It looked like a throne overlooking the hill.

Vincent Hunt sat behind his desk, atop a gray leather chair. He stared at me with a slightly amused expression, clearly surprised to see me but not put off by it. He held a pen between his fingertips, jet black and shiny. Documents were spread across his desk like he’d just been signing them before I paid him a visit.

He set the pen down and rose to his full height, standing well over six feet like his son. “Tatum Titan. To what do I owe the pleasure?” He didn’t walk around his desk but leaned forward to shake my hand.

I disregarded the gesture. “This won’t be pleasurable, Mr. Hunt. But I’m sure you already knew that.” I straightened the back of my dress before I sat down and crossed my legs. I hadn’t been intimidated by this man before, and I wasn’t intimidated now. He had pictures of me and his son somewhere in that desk. Kissing, touching, possibly naked. I should be embarrassed, but I wasn’t.

A smile stretched his lips, the same handsome one his son possessed. “Even when you intend to be rude, I enjoy your presence. It’s refreshing. You’re graceful and elegant, but you spit fire at the same time. Doesn’t surprise me that my son is in love with you. I’m sure a lot of men are.”

I understood people well, but I didn’t understand Vincent Hunt. He seemed to respect me, but yet, he wanted to destroy me. All to get vengeance against his son, a man who just wanted his father to be kind to his stepbrother. “I don’t enjoy your presence at all. It’s difficult for me to be around someone as vile as you.” I wasn’t afraid of this man, so I wasn’t afraid to issue any insult I wanted.

His smile slowly faded away. “I understand you’re upset about the photographs. Anyone would be.”

“I’m not here to talk about the photographs. Couldn’t care less about them.”

It was hard to catch Vincent Hunt off guard, but he arched an eyebrow in confusion. He rested his elbows on the arms of his chair and brought his joined hands toward his chest. “Then what’s the reason for your visit.”

“Your son.”

Vincent immediately turned cold, his facial expression callous. “What about him?”

“Your son is a wonderful man. He’s kind, compassionate, and I love him with everything that I have. He doesn’t deserve to be treated so coldly by his own flesh and blood.”

His eyes narrowed, his anger rising a notch. “You shouldn’t talk about family affairs that you don’t understand.”

“But I do understand, Vincent. Diesel can barely speak of you without turning hostile. And it’s not because you make him so angry—it’s because you hurt him so much.”

He stared at me with the same brown eyes.

“And I know you’re acting this way because he hurt you. Both of you don’t know how to process pain, so you don’t know what else to do. He dragged your name through the mud when he did that interview. I can only imagine how much that hurt you.”

He didn’t react.

“He told me about your last conversation. That you’re angry with him because you lost your son. Vincent, you haven’t lost him.”

When he spoke, he was so quiet I could barely hear him. “I have lost him.”

“He’s not dead. You always have a chance to make things right as long as you’re both alive.”

He shook his head slightly. “We can’t make it right now. Not now. Not ever.”

“Why?”

He massaged his knuckles absentmindedly. “We just can’t.”

“So your response is to destroy his life?”

“I didn’t destroy his life. He shouldn’t be sleeping with a woman engaged to another man.”

“You don’t know anything about my relationship with Diesel or Thorn, so don’t pretend that you do.” I held my finger. “That’s the first lesson I’m going to teach you today. Here’s the second. By acting this way, you’re only pushing him further away. If you have any hope of reconciling with him, you need to end this war. Call a truce.”

His eyes shifted away from me. It was the first time he’d looked away when we’d had a conversation. Most of his power was in his natural style of intimidation. But he dropped those tricks.

“I know you love your son.”

After a long pause, he turned his eyes back to me.

“You both need to forgive each other and move past this.”

“You really came down here today to talk about this?” he asked incredulously.

“Yes.”

“Doesn’t add up.”

“I love your son. I want the best for him.”

“I know you went your separate ways. Or the two of you are the best actors I’ve ever seen.”

“Just because we’re no longer together doesn’t mean I don’t love him. Just like the two of you are no longer speaking, it doesn’t change the fact that you love him and miss him.”

Vincent held my gaze but stopped massaging his knuckles.

“You need to make the first move.”

“Why?”

“Because you started this whole thing by turning your back on Brett.”

He released a loud sigh, his eyebrows furrowing. “Now it’s your turn to stop pretending to know something you don’t understand.”

“Okay, maybe I don’t understand,” I said simply. “But I know you lost the past ten years with Diesel. Do you need to lose another ten?”

His hard features softened slightly.

“I’d give anything to have another ten years with my father. He left way too soon, and it hurts me to see the two of you alive and well but with no contact. Whatever your problems are, settle them.”

“I don’t think we can.”

“Well, you have to. Because you’re his father, and he’s your son. Diesel tells me you’re a man that can make anything happen. So make this happen.”

He shifted his chair slightly as he sat up and rested his hands on the desk. “Not so simple, Titan. But I appreciate your effort.”

I felt like I’d made a small dent in his exterior. It was nearly insignificant, but it was something. Perhaps Vincent would take my words to heart and reconsider his approach with Diesel. “Did you blackmail him for Megaland?”

His coldness returned once business was back on the table. “Why don’t you ask Diesel?”

“Because I want to hear it from you.” I couldn’t go to Diesel and ask this question now. When I pressured him about it before, he wouldn’t talk about it. Now that we weren’t seeing each other anymore, I didn’t have the luxury of calling him whenever I felt like it.

Vincent brought his fingertips together and regarded me with that comely but cold expression. Age hadn’t affected him the way it did others. His features were still sharp and his complexion was vibrant. He must have committed himself to a healthy lifestyle of diet and exercise. I knew Diesel would look the same in twenty years. “Yes.”

I needed more than that. “Why?”

“Megaland should have been mine. It was my find, but he took it before I could even have my meeting with the creators.”

“Sounds like he was the better businessman,” I said coldly. “Shouldn’t take it so personally.”

He smiled again. “And where do you think he learned it all?”

“The apprentice always becomes better than the master.”

“I wouldn’t take it that far…”

“And how did you blackmail him?’

His smile faded away. “The same as last time. I told him I would send all those photos to the newspapers if he didn’t cooperate.” He opened his drawer and pulled out the folder. He tossed it on his desk, and they slid toward me.

I didn’t look at them. All I cared about was what he said. My eyes focused on his face, seeing the coldness Diesel sometimes wore. Now I knew what Diesel had sacrificed to protect me. He gave away his company, which was worth a fortune, just to protect my reputation. He never told me about it, and that was probably because he knew what my reaction would be.

I would have told him not to do it.

I would have taken the hit rather than let him be manipulated by his father.

I rose to my feet without thinking about it, my feet having a mind of their own. “Thank you for your time, Vincent.”

“Anything else you wish to discuss?”

I headed to the door, not bothering to look at him.

“You know, the two of us could do big business together.”

I turned around in the entryway. “Vincent, when you die, you can’t take that money with you.”

His arrogant smile slowly faded away.

“But you can take your son’s love.”

---

I walked up to Natalie’s desk, feeling weak for the first time in heels. I wanted to kick them off and just be barefoot. My first instinct was to march into Hunt’s office, but I realized that would be totally inappropriate. “I need to see him.”

“Mr. Hunt is in a meeting right now.”

“Oh…” I was so anxious that I couldn’t wait. But I was sure he was working on something important, far more important than anything I had to say.

“But you can wait here until he’s finished.”

“Sure…how long will it be?”

“I’m not sure. Mr. Hunt just made a big acquisition, and he’s working with a team right now.”

It could be hours, then. But I couldn’t go back to work, not when I was this anxious. I’d get nothing done anyway. “I’ll wait, then.”

“Okay. Take a seat.”

I took a seat in one of the armchairs and tried to steady my racing heart. It was beating a million miles a minute. My palms were sweaty and my clothes felt too tight. My heels were killing my feet when they normally felt comfortable.

The large doorway behind his assistants led to the rest of the lobby. There were other offices and departments all over the building. He could be on a completely different floor. I stared at the glass doorway and saw a man in a suit head in this direction. He had the same build, and the suit fit him so perfectly.

He walked up to the doorway while scrolling through his phone. His eyebrows were narrowed like he was deep in thought. The stark lines of his face showed the masculine structure of his jawline.

It was definitely him.

He finally put his phone away and opened the door. “Natalie, I need you to find everything I have on the—” He stopped talking when his eyes settled on me. Dark brown and intense, he immediately stared at me like I was the only person in the room. It was the same way he used to look at me. But then it abruptly changed, like he realized what he was doing and deliberately altered his expression. “Titan.” He moved around the desks and walked toward me. “You need something?”

I got to my feet, unable to stand tall and perfect like usual. My heart was still beating out of control. “I need to talk to you…but I can wait until your meeting is over.”

He stared at my face, examining me with prying detail. He grazed over my anxious eyes, the tightness of my mouth, and the difference in my posture. “Everything alright?”

“Yeah. It can wait.”

Hunt must have known that was a lie because he turned to Natalie. “Tell them I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

“Hunt, it’s fine—”

“Come on.” He moved his hand to my lower back and escorted me into his office. He shut the door, giving us privacy so we could speak freely. He tossed the folder he’d been holding on his desk and turned his full attention on me. “I know there’s something wrong. Talk to me.” He didn’t put feet between us like he did last time. Now it felt the way it used to, when there was intimacy…and more.

My fingertips almost touched his chest, but I reminded myself he didn’t belong to me anymore. “I just saw your father.”

His eyes narrowed the way they did when he felt threatened. His dark eyes suddenly seemed sterner.

“I asked him about Megaland. He told me everything.”

Hunt didn’t change his expression, and he seemed angry by the revelation. “I would have told you, but it wouldn’t have made a difference. If I told you as it was happening, you would have told me not to do it.”

“You’re right. I would have.”

He moved his hands into his pockets. “Then why are you upset right now? I’ve sacrificed a lot for you in the past. This isn’t any different. That company meant a lot to me, but you…you’ve always meant more to me than all the money in the world.”

My chest tightened just the way it did right before I cried. I could feel the burn in my throat as well as my heart.

His eyes shifted back and forth as he looked at me, seeing the emotion play out right in front of him. “You always speak your mind. But right now, I can’t read you. Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“What I’m thinking… I’m scared.”

“That can’t be right,” he whispered. “Because you aren’t scared of anything.”

“Things change.”

He stepped closer to me, as if I weren’t speaking loud enough for him to hear. He cocked his head slightly, the intensity returning to his gaze.

“I’ll probably never truly know what happened months ago. I’ll never get a suitable explanation for the papers in your drawer. I’ll never really know if you went home with that woman from the club. I’ll never know if you were the one who leaked my story to the papers, but…”

Hunt held his breath, his jaw clenching.

“But I don’t care anymore. I believe you, Diesel. You may not be able to prove it to me, but I trust you. I’ll take a leap of faith for you. If I end up regretting it, so be it. But I’m willing to take that risk to find out.”

He obviously hadn’t been expecting me to say that, because his eyes softened in a way they never had before. His jaw lost its tightness, and his shoulders relaxed and became straighter. The sigh he released was mingled with a soft moan. He pulled his hands out of his pockets and hung his arms by his sides. Both of his hands tightened into fists, but not out of anger.

“I’m scared that I’m too late. I’m scared that I—”

“Never too late.” He closed the gap between us and slid his hands across my cheeks. He cupped my face and pressed his forehead against mine. His chest expanded against mine with the deep breaths he took, and the intensity was evident in the gentle tremor of his hands. “I knew you would believe me if I didn’t give up.”

“When your father told me you gave up Megaland for me…it didn’t surprise me. You’ve done so much for me, Hunt. That made me realize I couldn’t let this slip away. It made me realize I do trust you. I don’t know who was really behind those attacks, and I’ll probably never find out…but I know it wasn’t you.”

“Baby…that means the world to me.” He leaned into me and kissed me softly, an embrace full of tender love and adoration. “You have no idea.”

“I’m sorry that—”

“Don’t apologize to me. I understand. I knew this would take time, but I told myself you were worth it. I told myself you would realize the truth on your own. And you have…that’s exactly what I wanted.”

My arms circled his neck, and I brought him closer to me, feeling my hands and legs shake at the exact same time. “I just had to tell you that. I’m sorry I interrupted your meeting—”

“Nothing is more important than you.” He cupped my cheek as he looked into my face. “Nothing.”

I kissed the corner of his mouth. “I love you.”

“I love you too, baby. So damn much.” He rubbed his nose against mine before he pulled away.

“I’ll let you get back to your meeting. I just had to tell you that so…you wouldn’t make plans with someone else.” I didn’t want to say those words out loud, but that I needed to get them out. He went out the other night, and I didn’t want him to do the same again.

“I kissed them. That was it.”

The idea of him kissing another woman made me sick to my stomach, but it wouldn’t have happened if I’d believed him sooner. And I knew he wasn’t hiding anything from me. If he said that was all he did, that was all he did. He didn’t sleep with them. “Okay.”

“I’ll come over as soon as I’m finished.” He kissed my forehead before he stepped away.

“Actually, we can’t…”

The love in his eyes died away, immediately replaced by annoyance. “Why?”

“Your father is watching us, remember?”

“You’d better not tell me we’re going to be a secret again,” he hissed. “Because I’m not putting up with that anymore.”

“We do need to be a secret…for a little while.”

His arms rested by his sides, thick and tense. He gave me a terrifying expression, his eyes looking like cold dirt. “You’d better have a good reason.”

“I have to figure it out with Thorn. I can’t throw him under the bus, Hunt.”

His anger slowly faded away.

“If your dad releases those pictures, I look bad. But Thorn looks even worse. I can’t let that happen.”

He finally nodded. “You’re right.”

“So let me figure that out first.”

“Alright,” he said with a sigh. “I’ll call you when I get home, then.”

“Okay.”

He gave me a final look before he walked out, and I immediately recognized it.

It was intense, powerful, and full of love.

---

I was lighter than I air, I felt like I could breathe again. The hole that was left inside my chest had finally healed over. My tears were long gone, replaced by my smile. I was taking a major risk by committing to Hunt, especially when there were so many unknowns, but I couldn’t keep living apart like this.

I’d rather give it everything and hope for the best.

If he betrayed me again, it would ruin me. I wouldn’t be able to get back on my feet after my gut led me in the wrong direction.

But I couldn’t stand on my own two feet as it was.

Hopefully, I was right about this.

I sat on my couch in my penthouse and slipped off my heels. There was a kink in the back of my neck, and I absentmindedly rubbed it with my palm. The weight had been lifted off my shoulders, but now I had a new burden to carry.

Thorn.

How would this work?

I’d made a commitment to him, and I didn’t see it as anything less than a betrayal for calling it off. He would be upset. I knew he would. I wanted to believe we would still be the close friends we were now, but I really had no idea.

We’d never been in a situation like this before.

My phone rang, and Hunt’s name flashed on the screen.

Thorn was immediately forgotten as I took the call. “Hey.”

“Hey, baby.”

I melted at his endearment. Once upon a time, I told him not to call me that. But now, I loved the affectionate nickname. I loved the way he said it when we were in bed together. It was simple and unoriginal, but it made me feel thoroughly possessed. “I miss hearing you call me that…”

“And I miss calling you that.” His masculine voice drifted through the phone and wrapped around me. I could feel his muscular arms securing around my waist even though he wasn’t in the same building.

I lay back on the couch and placed my feet on the armrest, feeling my dress slide up as I bent my knees. “I’m sorry, Diesel…” I wished it hadn’t taken me so long to come to that realization. Something about Megaland made me understand that I needed to take a chance. Ever since Hunt had been accused of betraying me, he’d been nothing but loyal to me. He’d done things for me, sacrificed so much for me. I couldn’t ignore any of that.

“It’s okay, baby. Let’s forget about it.”

“I know I hurt you.”

“You have the rest of your life to make it up to me.”

I smiled as I stared at the ceiling, imagining the blow jobs in the morning, breakfast in bed, and the other nasty things he’d demand I do for him. “True. Where should I start?”

He answered immediately. “On your back. Legs around my waist. My hand in your hair.”

I closed my eyes as I felt the shiver run up my spine. It’d been nearly two weeks since the last time I had him between my legs. It felt like an eternity since the last time I’d had a climax, since the last time I’d had a beautiful man on top of me. “I wish you were here.”

“Me too. When this is over, I’m never leaving.”

“That sounds nice.”

It turned quiet, the two of us silently thinking about the same thing. My desire for him wasn’t just physical, and his need for me was exactly the same. I could sit on the phone with him all night, getting off to the sound of his masculine breathing. I could feel his testosterone through the phone, picturing the way his hands formed fists in irritated restraint.

Time passed, and before I knew it, it’d been ten minutes. I wanted to show up at his penthouse and not care about the pictures his father leaked to the press. I didn’t care what anyone thought of me, even if I was a two-timing heartbreaker.

But I could never do that to my best friend.

So I stayed in place.

Hunt spoke after a long, heated silence. “When are you going to tell Thorn?”

Now I was committed to Hunt, but I had to break off my engagement before I could do anything about it. It was a conversation I dreaded, something I wanted to avoid at all costs. The fact that I couldn’t have Hunt until it was finished was the only reason I wouldn’t procrastinate. “I guess tomorrow…”

Hunt picked up on my sadness. “It’ll be alright, Tatum.”

It was endearing because no one ever said my first name. Even Thorn never referred to me that way. “I’m not so sure…”

“He loves you. He’ll forgive you.”

“It’s different this time.”

“He doesn’t like me, but he’s not the kind of man to stand in the way. He’ll bow out. He’s a good guy.”

I appreciated the fact that Hunt still respected Thorn despite their differences. “And he would have bowed out. But I made a commitment to him. The entire world thinks this relationship is real. His family adores me. His mother gets tears in her eyes every time we talk about the wedding. It would have been different if I’d called it off sooner, but now it’s going to be messy and complicated. Not to mention, I’m going to make Thorn look like a fool.”

Hunt didn’t brush it off just to get what he wanted. “You’re right. It won’t be easy.”

“It won’t be easy at all. I’m so scared I’m going to lose him…”

“It’ll definitely be difficult. It’ll be painful. But you could never lose him, Titan.”

“I’m not so sure. He asked me several times if I was sure I wanted to go through with the engagement…”

“But you didn’t know this was going to happen. It wasn’t intentional.”

“Doesn’t matter. He’s always been there for me. He’s never betrayed me. I don’t know how I’m going to hurt someone I love so much…”

Hunt was quiet again, his breathing remaining the same over the phone. “If it were anything else, you would honor that commitment. But since this is the rest of your life, you can’t stay just because you promised to. And honestly, you really think Thorn would want that? You think he’d want you to marry him knowing you’d rather be with me?”

The answer was so obvious I didn’t need to say it out loud.

“Of course, he wouldn’t.”

“You’re right.”

“I’m not going to lie to you and say this is going to be easy. I know it won’t be. I can be there with you if it helps.”

“No,” I said quickly. “It has to be just the two of us. But I’m still scared I’m going to lose him. He truly means the world to me. I wouldn’t be who I am without him. He’s the one person I can always count on.”

“And you can count on him now,” he said gently. “And remember, now you have two people you can always count on.”

---

I’d never been so scared to do anything in my life.

Even in the face of adversity, I prevailed. When the world was against me, that was the time I really came alive. The more people challenged me, the stronger I became. I prided myself on my fearlessness, on my innate power no one could ever take away from me.

But strength didn’t help me now.

This wasn’t a business meeting. This wasn’t a lawsuit.

This was about one of the two people who meant the most to me.

I couldn’t live without him.

He was my family.

I texted him when I got off work, my fingers shaking as I typed my message on the screen. My driver was prepared to take me wherever I wanted to go. All I had to do was give him the order. Can I come by?

Sure. Just got out of the shower.

I told my driver where I was headed, and I arrived there ten minutes later. A part of me hoped Thorn would say he was busy, that he had a woman over for the night. But the longer I avoided this conversation, the longer I couldn’t be with Hunt. With men trailing us everywhere we went, I couldn’t even stop by his office without arousing suspicion. I was stuck communicating with him through a phone when I’d rather be talking through kisses and touches.

I rode the elevator to Thorn’s floor and stepped into his living room, feeling weak as if I hadn’t eaten all day. Come to think of it, all I had was a piece of toast because I’d been so busy making up for all the time I missed.

Thorn’s hair was flat because he hadn’t styled it after he got out of the shower. He was just in his black sweatpants, and they hung low on his hips. Chiseled as if his body had been carved out of marble, he was in his prime. His fitness was comparable to Hunt’s, who was slightly bigger with more veins on his arms.

Thorn was exceptionally handsome, known for his sexy smile as well as his built shoulders. He could have any woman he wanted. We’d been out together, and women didn’t seem to care that I was there. They looked at him like they couldn’t wait to sink their claws into him.

I seemed to be the only woman on the planet who didn’t want him in my bed. The only explanation I could give was the basis of our relationship. He helped me without expecting anything in return, and as a result, he quickly became a brother to me. I’d never shaken off the feeling of family. The idea of being intimate with him didn’t bother me because he was a beautiful man. But it would just be physical.

It would never mean anything.

But now, that didn’t matter because I wanted to spend my life with Hunt, for better or worse. Thorn wouldn’t like the risk I was taking, but he would accept it. But he might never accept this.

“Hey.” He approached me at the elevator and gave me a one-armed hug along with a smile. He’d been affectionate with me lately since I’d been so miserable over Hunt. We usually only greeted each other with words and nothing else.

“Hey.”

He didn’t ask what was wrong because he assumed I was just depressed over Hunt. “Want anything to drink?”

“No, I’m okay.” I took off my jacket and hung it up by the door.

“How about some dinner? I can whip up something decent.”

“No thanks.” I sat on the couch and eyed his cold beer. I’d been doing a tremendous job of steering clear of alcohol. I was proud of myself, honestly.

He sat beside me, facing the TV because the game was on. “How was your day?”

“It was okay. Yours?”

“Same old shit, you know.” He rested his arm over the back of the couch and ran his fingers through his hair.

I wanted to sit like this forever, to enjoy the quiet companionship between us. We could say nothing at all, and it wouldn’t feel awkward. We could enjoy the silence between us, not unnerved by it like most people were.

Thorn watched the game, having no idea what I’d come there to say.

I felt like shit when I hadn’t even said a single word yet.

Fifteen minutes came and went, and then a commercial aired. “It’s like they’re are throwing the game on purpose…” He shook his head and turned to me, a slight grimace on his face. “I want to buy the team and whip them into shape.”

“Sounds like a lot of work.”

He shrugged. “It would be a good investment, though. Sports are economy-proof.”

“True.” Now was my opening to talk to him. The game didn’t seem important, and he was making conversation with me just for the hell of it. “Thorn, there’s something I want to talk about…” I could barely get the sentence out without my voice shaking.

He focused his eyes on my expression, turning serious the second he picked up on my tone. “What’s up?”

It was painful to look into those blue eyes and see only concern for me. I was about to betray him, to give him back the ring I had sitting on my finger. “This isn’t easy for me to say. I want you to know that I feel terrible before I even say anything.”

He stiffened noticeably then leaned forward to grab the remote. He turned off the TV with a tap of the button then leaned back against the cushions. His muscled torso pivoted toward me, and he gave me that hardened expression he reserved for his enemies. “Give it to me straight, Titan.”

My hands came together, and my heart started to race. “I know I made a commitment to you, but I have to break it. I’ve decided I want to be with Hunt, that I want to give it a real chance. I know the evidence is still against him, but I choose to believe him. Maybe it’ll bite me in the ass later in life…but I’m prepared to take that risk.”

Instead of getting angry, he just stared. He didn’t blink once, and there was no sign of hostility anywhere else. It didn’t even seem like he was breathing. Finally, he looked away and dragged his hand across his chin.

The silence was worse than his screams. “I know you’re going to be angry with me, but I want you to know I hate this. I wish I didn’t have to do this. I wish there were some other way…”

“You know what we could have done.” He stared at the blank TV screen, his jaw rigid. He didn’t raise his voice. If anything, it was much quieter. “We could have not gotten engaged in the first place.”

He was beyond pissed.

He turned back to me, his eyes burning bright with hostility. “I asked you if you were sure—twice.”

“I know—”

“I don’t give a damn if you want to be with Hunt, even if I don’t trust him. It’s your life, Titan. Do whatever the fuck you want. But the fact that you’re throwing me under the bus for some guy…” He stood up and shook his head.

“It’s not like that.” I got to my feet next, feeling my heart race with terror.

“It is like that,” he snapped. “Now I’m going to look like a goddamn moron. I lost my woman to Diesel Hunt. That’s gonna haunt me for the rest of my life. People are gonna think I’m some kind of dumbass who doesn’t know my own girl is sleeping around right under my nose.”

“That’s not how it’s going to look. We’ll spin it in a different way.”

“In what way?” He crossed his arms over his chest, threatening me with his powerful stance. His arms shook slightly because he couldn’t contain all his rage. “There’s no possible option that makes me look even remotely good.”

“We’ll tell the press that we had a mutual split.”

“A month after I proposed to you?” he asked incredulously.

“People break up every day. Most marriages end in divorce. It’s not that weird.”

“No, it is pretty fucking weird.” He grabbed a magazine off the coffee table and held it up for me to see. It was a picture of him in a black suit, a close-up of his face. “I just did an interview with one of the biggest fashion magazines in the world. And I went on and on about you and how much I love you…” He ripped the entire magazine in half and threw it on the floor. “This just came out. Now I’m going to release another statement to the world that we’re splitting amicably? Then what happens when Vincent Hunt releases all those photos of you and Diesel? People aren’t stupid, Titan. They’re going to assume you dumped me because you were sneaking around with Hunt behind my back.” He marched off, gripping his skull as he released a quiet scream. He headed to the windows near the dining room, looking across the city so he wouldn’t have to look at me.

“Thorn…I’m so sorry.” This conversation was going much worse than I had anticipated. It was a nightmare. “I hate this as much as you.”

He rested his hands on his hips as he looked outside.

“I understand you’re angry and have every right to be…but you have to believe me. I would never hurt you on purpose.”

He turned back around, still just as angry as he was a few minutes ago. “I do believe you.”

I sighed in relief.

“But that doesn’t mean I forgive you.”

My heart plummeted into my stomach.

“You forget that I was the one who believed in you first.” He slammed his thumb into his chest. “I was the one who helped your first business take off. I’ve always stood by your side and looked after you. I fucking killed someone for you. You trust me more than anyone else because you know I would never betray you. And now you’re destroying everything I worked so hard to build. You’re dragging my name through the mud, tarnishing the pristine reputation I’ve spent my life shaping. Now I’ll be seen as a chew toy for Tatum Titan. I’ll be seen as a man that some woman didn’t want. The world will see that Diesel Hunt is preferable to me. You get to run off and be happy, and I look like the idiot you left behind.”

Tears welled in my eyes.

“I would never do that to you.” His voice cracked when he spoke, not from tears, but from heartbreak. “Ever.”

“I know…”

“You’re hurting my parents. You’re hurting my family. You’re hurting me.”

The tears spilled over.

“Be with Hunt. We’ll announce our split, and you can have what you want. But you don’t get to keep me.”

“Thorn—”

“You chose him over me.”

“That’s not how it is—”

“It is,” he hissed. “When you told me you wanted to be with him, I supported you completely. I wanted you to be happy. I wanted Diesel to become part of our weird little family. But now, everything is different. You’ve been back and forth with him this entire time, and now I’m the one who has to pay for your stupidity.”

The sobs started.

As if he couldn’t watch me cry, he turned around. “Get out, Titan.”

“Thorn…”

He crossed his arms over his chest and stared out the window. His rigid back rose and fell with his deep breaths. He didn’t shake, but his aggression filled the air in the room. “I said, get out.”