“Thanks,” I say. “For breakfast. For the clothes. For everything.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” He stands and collects our plates. “You’re still stuck with me.”
“Could be worse.”
“Could be better too, but you’re not complaining, so I’ll take it.”
I push back from the table carefully. “I want to hear what they’re saying. In the meeting.”
“Bonnie—”
“I’m not sitting in my room while everyone makes decisions about my life.” I take a step, and pain shoots through my foot, but I don’t let it show. “I’m going.”
Titan studies me for a long moment. Then he nods. “Stubborn as hell. Ghost was right about that.”
“Ghost talks about me?”
“Ghost talks about nothing but you when you’re not around.” He moves to my side and offers his arm. “Come on. Let’s go crash their strategy session.”
I take his arm and we make our way slowly toward the meeting room. Voices carry through the closed door—Ash’s authoritative tone, Ghost’s quiet input, other brothers I recognize.
Titan opens the door without knocking.
The conversation stops. Everyone turns to look at us.
Ghost stands by the window—the same position he always takes.
Ash sits at the head of the table, papers spread in front of him. His jaw is tight, and dark circles under his eyes suggest he hasn’t slept.
“Bonnie,” he says. “You should be resting.”
“I’m done resting.” I move to an empty chair and lower myself into it. “What’s happening?”
The brothers exchange glances. Ash looks like he’s about to argue, but Ghost speaks first. “Let her stay,” he says quietly. “She has a right to know.”
Ash’s jaw works, but he nods. “Fine. But if you need to leave?—”
“I’ll leave.” I look at the maps and papers spread across the table. “Now catch me up.”
They walk me through the situation. Savage Legion hit three businesses under our protection last night: a bar, a garage, and a pawn shop. No serious injuries, but the message is clear—they want revenge for the failed wedding.
Marcus is demanding that I be turned over. He’s calling me stolen property, claiming breach of contract, threatening all-out war if I’m not returned.
“He can go to hell,” I say when Ash finishes explaining. “I’m not his property, and there was no contract. Just my father’s word, and he’s not here to enforce it.”
“Agreed,” Ash says. “But that doesn’t stop Marcus from using it as an excuse to escalate.”
“So what’s the plan?” I lean forward despite the pull of stitches in my back. “We can’t just wait for them to keep hitting us.”
“We’re fortifying defenses,” Ghost says. “Extra guards on all our businesses. Patrols in pairs. No one goes anywhere alone.”
“That’s defensive,” I point out. “What about offense?”
“Working on it,” Ash says. His eyes meet mine across the table. “But we need more intel first. Can’t strike blindly.”
I think about Marcus, about his compound, about the layout I saw during my brief time there. “I can help with that. I was inside. I saw their setup.”
“Bonnie—”
