bikers.”
Titan nodded. “Exactly right. And if they hurt our girl, we’ll bury them six feet under.”
“Well, this conversation got dark fast.”
“Come on.” Titan came closer, then hooked his arm around my shoulders, dragging me along with him. “We’ll finish the movie, then you can pick the next one. But if it’s one of those sappy things, you better not breathe a word to the club about me watching it. Have to maintain my image as a badass.”
“You’re still a badass,” I assured him. “You just have a mushy center you don’t let too many people see.”
“Don’t tell anyone.”
I pretended to zip my lips. “Your secret is safe with me.”
“You’re such a dork.”
“Takes one to know one.”
He froze and looked down at me. “You didn’t just say that. Are you twelve?”
“For Kraken’s sake, you better hope not.”
He groaned and reclaimed his seat on the couch. I wished Aurelia could see him like this. I didn’t know what the two of them were like when they were alone, but if she saw this sweet, funny side of Titan, I knew she’d fall for him. Any lady would be lucky to have him.
“What are we watching anyway?” I asked as I sat down again. “And what made you think I wanted to see anything that seems to involve car racing?”
“You’re no fun.” He tossed me the remote. “Go ahead. Put on that romantic shit women like. Just don’t start yelling at me if my snoring bothers you.”
I smacked his shoulder before flipping through the movies. Just because he’d taunted me, I did indeed put on a romantic comedy. Titan gave me the side-eye, but didn’t so much as grumble. Even more surprising, he didn’t fall asleep either. Although, I decided not to torture him with a second one when the first movie went off. Instead, I compromised on an old favorite -- Top Gun.
“Thought you liked the romantic movies,” he said.
“It has romance,” I pointed out. “Not to mention shirtless military men. What’s not to like?”
He pretended to gag, but grinned at me. “Don’t let Kraken catch you gawking at halfway naked men on TV or in person. I bet he’d spank your ass.”
He was most likely right. But Kraken wasn’t here right now, and I needed a distraction. I leaned against Titan and put my head on his shoulder. He tensed for the briefest of moments before putting his arm around me.
“Thanks for coming. If I’d been here alone, I probably would have worried myself to death. I know he’ll be gone like this again, but it’s the first time and…” I shrugged, not really knowing how to explain everything I felt.
“Kraken can handle himself, but I called in reinforcements. They’ll let him run the show and only step in if needed,” Titan said. “And your sister is going to live with the Devil’s Fury. Their President tends to take in stray girls. He’s got two living with him right now.”
“Stray girls?” I asked, not sure I liked the sound of that.
“Grizzly lost his wife a while back. They never had kids, so he tends to take in teen girls who have nowhere else to go. He gives them a stable home, a chance to improve their lives, and spoils the hell out of them. Two of his adopted daughters married men in his club. One is off running wild right now, and the latest two are still in high school so they’re still at home.”
“He sounds nice,” I said.
Titan shook with silent laughter. “Don’t say that to his face, but yeah. When it comes to women and kids, he’s a big softie. Wouldn’t know it to look at him.”
“I don’t know. You and Kraken look pretty badass and intimidating, but you’re both really sweet to me. My father is a preacher, an upstanding member of the community, and someone people look up to. He looks like a kind man, never has a harsh word for anyone, and look what he did to me. The way someone looks doesn’t mean anything. I will never again judge someone based off their appearance.”
“You’re pretty smart for someone so young,” Titan said.
“I learned the hard way.”
He nodded. “That you did. You also discovered you’re tough as hell and a survivor, which means the next time Kraken leaves and says he has to be gone for a day or a night, you’re not going to freak out. I know this time it’s different. He’s going after your family.”
“No. Not my family. Not anymore.”
“The point I’m trying