Two weeks had come and gone.

No word from Thorn.

It was the longest we’d ever gone not speaking to each other.

The love of my life was back, and my world felt more complete—but there was something missing. Thorn was the only family I had in the world, and it didn’t feel right not sharing my life with him.

I missed him.

I wondered how often he thought about me.

I wondered if he missed me too.

My mind drifted away to the last conversation I had with him in his office. He’d turned to his computer and silently dismissed me, like I meant nothing to him. Just weeks before that, he stopped looking at other women in my presence because he wanted to be committed to our relationship. I thought about those things as I entered the coffee shop and searched the sea of tables.

Brett waved at me from the corner. He wore a smile that reminded me of Diesel’s. Their features weren’t as similar as those Diesel shared with his father, but there was still an obvious likeness.

I reached his table and sat down. He already had a coffee waiting for me.

“You seem like someone who takes your coffee black.”

“I do, actually.”

He tapped his fingers against his temple. “I read people pretty well. So what’s up? Are you interested in my new lines of cars?”

“Yes. But that’s not why I asked you to coffee.”

“Then, why?” he asked. “You want some advice about my brother?”

I was certain Diesel had already told him we were back together, so I didn’t bother explaining it. “No. I have no trouble handling him.”

He grinned. “You’re all woman. That’s why.”

“I actually wanted to talk to you about something else…and you aren’t going to like it.”

“I doubt it,” he said. “The only two things I hate to discuss are war and Vincent Hunt. As long as you steer clear of those two subjects, my mind is wide open.” He sipped his coffee, wearing a leather jacket with an olive t-shirt underneath.

I gave him an awkward smile back. “Well…”

His eyes narrowed as he cocked his head to the side. “What is it, Titan?”

“It’s Vincent Hunt that I want to discuss.”

Every sign of happiness instantly dropped from his face, replaced by a stone-cold expression. The steam from his coffee wafted toward the ceiling, hot and ready to be enjoyed. He kept his fingers around the sleeve but didn’t take a drink. “He’s still pulling his usual bullshit?”

“No. Actually, he’s called a truce.”

Brett scoffed before he took a sip. “A temporary one.”

Now I knew how this conversation was going to go. “I’ve been spending some time with him lately.”

“In court?” he jabbed.

“No. We had lunch together last week.”

He cocked an eyebrow when he realized how this conversation was going. “You’re serious?”

“Yeah. He told me he wants to make amends with both you and Diesel.”

“Amends?” He said the word like he didn’t know what it meant. “Why?”

“Because you are family.”

“I’m not,” he said. “Never have been and never will be. But I’m okay with that. If he and Diesel can work things out, good for them. Based on the things Diesel’s told me, it doesn’t seem likely. But you never know.”

“Jax is your brother too.”

“We’ve drifted apart.”

“You’re still brothers.”

He shrugged.

“And Vincent would like to have a relationship with you…if you’re willing.”

He released a laugh like I’d made some ridiculous joke. “Cut the shit, Titan.”

I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to help Vincent. He might have done too much damage. Brett could hardly take me seriously. “No bullshit, Brett. He said those words to me.”

“Why? He never liked me.”

“That’s not true.”

“No offense, Titan, but you weren’t there. Trust me, I know how he felt about me.”

“And he feels bad about that now. He wants to start over.”

“I’m not his son, so I don’t see why.”

“But you’re his wife’s son…and he wants to be involved in your life.”

He shook his head. “I have my own life. I don’t need some old man pretending to care about me. I’m not a child anymore.”

“He’s not trying to be a father to you. He just wants to be part of your life.”

Brett drank from his cup, silently dismissing the conversation.

“Would you be willing to meet with him? Get a drink?”

“No.” He gave his answer before I even finished speaking. He wiped it off the table, shut down the possibility altogether.

“Brett—”

“I don’t owe him anything. He doesn’t owe me anything.”

“He wants to make things right with Diesel. In order to do that, he has to work on your relationship first.”

“So he’s just using me?” he demanded.

“No. But it’s the first step. You should at least sit down with him and talk to him.”

“Why?” he demanded. “The second I turned eighteen, he kicked me out. I went to public school, while my brothers were given everything they wanted. We didn’t even celebrate my birthday.”

How could Vincent stoop so low? “He has an explanation for that. I think you should listen to him.”

“Why are you doing this, Titan?” he countered. “After what he’s done to you, this doesn’t make sense.”

“This isn’t about me. This is about you and Diesel. I know what it’s like not to have a family, and if there’s any chance that all of you could reunite, we have to try. Vincent is sorry and would like the opportunity to tell you that to your face. Give him the chance.”

Brett looked down at the table and rubbed the back of his head. He’d always been friendly and sweet with me, treating me like a lady but respecting me like a male at the same time. He had a big heart. I could see it in his smile. Despite what he went through, he still shone with a beacon of hope. “No.”

“Brett, come on—”

“I said no.” He drank from his cup again, taking a large gulp despite how hot it was. “And I don’t want to talk about this anymore. I don’t ask about your private life or your issues with family…so let’s drop it.”

“Did Diesel tell you about my family?”

He lifted his gaze and looked at me. “No.”

“My mother left after I was born. Overcome with the responsibility of the title, she couldn’t handle it and took off.”

His eyes softened in sympathy.

“My dad died of cancer before I turned eighteen. Not a single relative shares this planet with me. I’m entirely alone, and it’s very difficult sometimes.”

He stared at the table, unable to meet my gaze.

“I don’t want that for you and Diesel.”

“We have each other,” he mumbled.

“But you could have more.”

He fingered the sleeve around his coffee cup, his eyes directed on what he was doing. “Can I ask you something?”’

Since we were talking about something so personal to him, I should reciprocate. “Of course.”

“If your mom showed up on your doorstep and apologized, would you forgive her?”

No one had ever asked me that before, and I’d never even considered the possibility. I could have tracked her down because I had her name, but I’d never wanted to. She chose to leave, to remain anonymous. Tracking her down wouldn’t change the past, and it wouldn’t change the present either.

Brett lifted his gaze and looked at me, his eyes scanning back and forth as he stared into my eyes. He waited for an answer, wondering what I would say.

I wanted to lie and say what he wanted to hear to accomplish my objective, but I couldn’t lie about something like that. “I don’t know what I would do, Brett. I’ve never considered the possibility before. But the situations aren’t the same. Vincent could have placed you in foster care, but he never did. He still took care of you…he didn’t abandon you the way my mother abandoned me.”

---

The media was scrutinizing Thorn even more, making me look like the heartbroken angel. My plan wasn’t to come out on top, to use this publicity stunt to my advantage, but unfortunately, it seemed it was going that way.

Thorn was looking worse with every passing day.

Manwhore.

Heartbreaker.

Cheater.

Liar.

A bunch of things that didn’t exemplify his character at all…except the manwhore one.

I couldn’t take it anymore.

I was sitting at my desk when I called him.

Ring.

Please answer.

Ring.

Come on.

Ring.

He’s not going to answer…

Voice mail.

I hung up without leaving a message and ran my fingers through my hair. The stress of the situation was weighing me down, making me feel like I was sinking directly into the earth. The dirt was rising, and soon I would be buried six feet under.

I wished I could fix this.

Jessica spoke through the intercom. “I have Mr. Vincent Hunt on line one.”

“Thank you, Jessica.” I spoke with my eyes closed, swallowing the pain down my dry throat. I didn’t want to know what Vincent wanted, probably just an update on what was going on with his son and Brett. I need to shake off this horrible feeling, so I took the call. “Hello, Vincent.”

Vincent didn’t know me very well, but he was incredibly observant. He must have read my tone, listened to my painful silence. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” I immediately changed my tone, forcing myself to sound casual and authoritative at the same time. “What can I do for you?”

He let his silence stretch on for nearly thirty seconds.

If it were anyone else, I’d wonder if we became disconnected. But with Vincent, silence was his main form of conversation.

“You can talk to me, Titan.”

Something about his deep voice was reassuring to me. Maybe it was because it reminded me of Diesel. Or maybe there was something fatherly about his tone. It reminded me of my own father, something he would have said to me if he were still alive. “I’m just going through a hard time right now…”

“I hope this doesn’t have anything to do with Diesel.”

“No.”

“I’m listening.”

“I’m sure you’re busy, Vincent.”

“I’m never too busy for you, Titan.”

I thought of my father again, feeling like I was stepping back in time. “When I broke things off with Thorn, he was really upset about it. Publicly, there wasn’t a good way to end things. I thought you were going to leak those photos of me, so we decided to have Thorn leave me. Now the world hates him…”

“I’ve noticed.”

“And it breaks my heart because it’s my fault. I told him I wanted to be with Diesel. He said he couldn’t forgive me for that.” I looked out the window, seeing the sunshine and the cloudless sky. “He’s the closest thing I’ve ever had to family. It’s been hard losing him…I feel like I lost a piece of myself.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” he said quietly.

“I’ve called him a few times, but he doesn’t answer. I’ve already apologized as many times as I can…but it doesn’t matter to him. Honestly, I can’t blame him for being so angry. But if I went back in time, I would have made the same decision anyway…”

“I can talk to him.”

I’d never expected him to make an offer like that, to get involved in my life when he had more important things to do. “I appreciate that, but I don’t think it would matter. Diesel has already tried, but nothing worked.”

“I see…”

I sat on the phone with him, letting the silence linger. It was something I did with Diesel and no one else. It surprised me how comfortable I became with Vincent when he’d been my enemy just a few months ago. He’d hurt the man I loved, but now I saw him as a confidant.

“You want my advice?”

“Sure.”

“Thorn is in a difficult situation. His reputation has been ruined. He’s lost the one person he can count on. The world is against him…” He paused into the phone. “When your story was hot in the press, Diesel dragged our family problems into the mix. He did it to spare you, even though he humiliated me in the process. He made a sacrifice that launched a war with a dictator. His actions were admirable but also risky. I suggest you do the same for Thorn.”

I stared at my desk as I considered what he’d said. It wasn’t bad advice. Honestly, I wondered why I hadn’t thought of it before. “So I should go to a press with a story that will distract the media?”

“Yes. But if you want to prove how much your friendship means to you, you need to incriminate yourself. Protect his reputation and ruin your own. It may not work. Maybe too much damage has been done. But it might be enough.”

“What story should I reveal?”

“How about you and Diesel? You can tell the world that you fell in love with someone else. Thorn was hurt and left. He did what anyone else would do and turned to booze and women. If you spin it right, you can make this romantic, that you loved Thorn but found your soul mate. It’ll probably make you look bad, but at least it’ll make Thorn look good.”

“That’s not a terrible idea…”

“You’re a very powerful woman, Titan. Your image means a lot to women everywhere. It’s because of you that women are standing up to domestic abuse more than ever before. It’s because of you that women feel empowered enough to do anything. It’s because of you that more women are entering the workforce than staying at home. You’re a symbol for independence and feminism. You would be tarnishing that reputation. You would be destroying something you worked so hard for. You would make the world believe in a lie that doesn’t reflect who you really are. It’s a terrible sacrifice, a very painful one. So you’re the only one who can decide if your friendship with Thorn is worth it.”

I knew the answer within a heartbeat. “Yes. He’s worth it.”

“Then you have your answer, Titan.”

---

Brett wasn’t as thrilled to see me as he usually was. He wore a faint scowl, and his invisible walls were erected high. He had agreed to lunch with me, but he did it hesitantly. He sank into the chair across from me, wearing that guarded expression that reminded me of Diesel’s.

“Thanks for meeting me.”

“I hope you want to discuss cars this time.”

“I do like cars.” I felt bad for what I was about to do, but it seemed necessary. If I didn’t push myself into the situation, nothing would get resolved. All three of these men would repeat their behavior indefinitely.

“Good. Because that’s all I want to talk about.”

“What about women?” I teased.

He lightened up a bit. “I’m not talking about that in front of a lady.”

“Come on, I’m not a lady,” I said with a laugh.

“Yes, you are, Titan. It’s a distasteful topic.”

“You think Thorn never mentions those things?” I questioned. “Trust me, I’ve heard stories you can’t even imagine…”

A smile broke through. “That’s a good point.”

“So, what’s going on in the love department?”

“Love?” he asked with a raised eyebrow. “Absolutely nothing. There’s never anything going on in that department. Now, the women department is a totally different story…”

“Then there’s a lot of action?”

“A bit,” he said. “But I’ve never been the kind of guy to run my mouth about it.”

“That’s the gentlemanly thing to do.”

“And if you’re wondering, Diesel never runs his mouth about it either.”

I wasn’t wondering at all. I knew Diesel would never share our most intimate moments with someone else. “I know.”

“But he does talk about you…a lot.”

“I hope he says good things.”

“Only good.” He finally picked up the menu, dropping his guard.

Vincent rose from a nearby table and walked toward us. In a black suit and wearing a dark look, he disturbed the air around him. He had a heavy presence that everyone took notice of. It wasn’t just his height and strength that captured everyone’s attention. It was the natural authority he possessed. He pulled out the chair beside me and took a seat.

When Brett heard the chair move, he looked up from his menu.

And froze in place. He stared at Vincent as if he couldn’t believe what he was looking at. He continued to hold his menu, but he gripped it a little tighter like a lifeline. Brett’s approachable countenance was long gone, replaced by a guarded expression that was ten feet of solid concrete.

Vincent sat with a straight back and a rigid posture. He was naturally intimidating, which didn’t help in a situation like this. He stared at his stepson, his expression unreadable. In a crisp suit with a hundred-thousand-dollar watch on his wrist, he reeked of power and money.

The men continued to stare at each other.

I waited for someone to speak, to say what was on their minds.

But like two hostile animals locked in a cage together, they observed each other like prey.

This wasn’t how I wanted things to go, so I spoke. “I’m sorry I lied to you, Brett.”

“You didn’t lie to me,” he said coldly. “You tricked me.”

“Whichever you want to put it…I’m sorry. You’ve made your feelings for Vincent perfectly clear, and I know you aren’t interested in a reconciliation. But I think the two of you should at least have a conversation. You say Vincent doesn’t mean anything to you, but I know you must be harboring some pain from your childhood.”

“No,” Brett said coldly. “I got over it pretty quickly.” He finally grabbed his water and took a drink.

“Diesel says you’re very fond of me.”

Brett’s hostility dipped slightly.

“Which means you trust me. Or am I mistaken?”

All he gave was a slight nod.

“Well, this is important to me. Please just talk to Vincent for fifteen minutes. You never have to see him again if you don’t want to.”

“Until you trick me again.”

I gave a slight smile. “No more tricks.”

Brett rested his back against the chair then turned his head in Vincent’s direction. “I’m listening.”

Here we go.

If Vincent was nervous, he didn’t show it. His posture remained stiff like it usually was, and his breathing didn’t escalate at all. It still surprised me how similar he was to Diesel. Not only did they look alike, but their behaviors were nearly identical too. “Indifference is far more cruel than hatred. Indifference implies you don’t think about me at all. Hatred indicates you think about me often…which gives me hope. You still care, and as hard as it is to believe, I still care too.”

I listened to his deep voice, taken off guard by the philosophical beginning. Vincent Hunt continued to surprise me.

“I’m not going to make excuses for what I did, Brett. I can give you my reasons, my justifications. I can tell you that I was devastated when I lost your mother, so broken I completely lost my grip on reality. But that doesn’t change anything. I can tell you it had nothing to do with you, but that still wouldn’t make a difference. I didn’t treat you with the love and respect that you deserved, and I apologize for that. Even if you do forgive me, it won’t be enough to fix the pain in my chest. I know your mother is disappointed in me, and if I’m ever lucky enough to see her again, she won’t be thrilled to see me.”

I watched Brett stare at Vincent, focusing on his words without blinking.

“I want you to know it wasn’t you,” Vincent continued. “I’m the only one to blame for the situation. I struggled to accept the fact that there was another man in your mother’s life. Every time I looked at you, I saw her face—but I never saw mine. I’m a very jealous man when it comes to your mother. I’d never known the emotion before, never cared enough to be possessive of anyone. But knowing your mother ever loved a man besides me…never settled with me well. So every time I looked at you…I was reminded of a past I was never part of. I lost your mother at such a young age that I wished I’d had her longer, had known her sooner. This explanation isn’t an excuse or a justification. I just want you to know it had nothing to do with you.”

Brett was silent, and it didn’t seem like he was going to say anything.

“I know you’re a grown man now. You’re very successful, and you built a business from the ground up. You stood on your own two feet, and I’m very proud of you for that. I’m proud of Jax and Diesel as well, but they used my wealth to get where they are now. You had nothing but the dirt below your feet. You should be proud of that. I know I am.”

Brett gave a slight reaction, but it seemed like he was trying to fight it.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t care about having a relationship with me either. It’s been a long time, and you don’t owe me anything. There was never a bond between us. If you want to go back to pretending I don’t exist, I can’t say I blame you. But I would like to get to know you, Brett. I would like to have a relationship with you. We can’t erase the past, we can’t forget the pain I caused you, but we could have something entirely new.”

Brett finally spoke. “Why?”

“Why what?” Vincent asked.

“Why do you want a relationship with me at all?” He didn’t ask the question in a hostile way.

Vincent stared at him with his dark eyes, his shoulders broad and strong. He hadn’t moved since the moment he sat down, and he looked as immobile as a statue. “Because you’re my son. We may not be related, but we’re family. Your mother loved you with all her heart, and I still love her so much it hurts. I want to make up for the time we lost. I want to make your mother happy. I want to be a father to you—if you’ll let me.”

Brett shifted his gaze away, looking out into the restaurant with a hard expression on his face. Like Diesel, he wiped his emotions away and left nothing behind. Whether he was touched or hurt, he didn’t show it.

I was almost on the verge of tears from listening.

“I was never a good father to you, so I understand if that’s not what you want. I’m more than happy to be your friend instead. Whatever you want, Brett.”

Brett still didn’t speak.

I waited for something to happen, for some kind of movement.

Vincent was patient, silent and unmoving.

Brett thought to himself for nearly two minutes, the expression on his face hard. “You did a lot of terrible things…”

“I know,” Vincent said.

“I’m not sure if I can get over that.”

Vincent hid his disappointment. “I understand.”

I shouldn’t intervene, but I had to. “Brett, please. You can take it slow. Your relationship doesn’t need to change overnight.”

“You don’t understand, Titan,” Brett said quietly.

“I do understand,” I said. “I don’t have a father, and that hurts every single day. I want you to have everything I wish I had.”

Brett still wouldn’t look at me. “I don’t have an answer right now.”

I couldn’t let this fall apart. “Brett—”

Vincent placed his hand on my arm, gently silencing me. “Be patient. Brett has been through a lot. He can take all the time he needs. And if he wants nothing to do with me, I’ll respect his decision.”

I swallowed my disappointment, but it didn’t move far down my dry throat. We sat in silence together, Brett still refusing to look at either one of us. After a few minutes trickled by, Brett rose from his seat. “I need to be somewhere.” He walked out of the restaurant without looking back.

I sighed in defeat, disappointed even though my expectations weren’t high. “I wanted that to go differently.”

“I thought it went well, actually.”

I turned to him in surprise.

“I didn’t even expect him to listen to me. Just like his mother, he’s compassionate. Makes me feel more ashamed of what I did to him.”