Jax (Titan #9)(78)

Agreements were given, not that anyone had much of a choice.

Titan would do what Titan did best—everything. Bianca and Nolan would be okay. That much, he knew. Him and Seven? He needed to talk to her, but they were low priority right now.

Jared focused on Seven. "We'll bring them home."

Jax noticed Boss Man didn't say safe, but there was only so much Jared could commit to without a current operational update.

"Thank you. I'm going upstairs," Seven said. "Call me when you need me."

Jax stepped forward. "I'll walk you up."

"No." Her hand went up. "I need to be alone."

Hawke scowled. "Seven—"

"Back off," she snapped. "There aren't threats here, and if I don't get upstairs, I'm going to lose my ever-loving mind. I'd prefer to do that in the privacy of my room."

Mayhem backed down as if that was code for something Titan didn't get. And if she were a Titan client, they would give the victim's mother privacy so long as there wasn't an active threat and they could keep tabs on the hotel and security.

The only difference was that Jax wanted to be with her—almost as much as he wanted to find Bianca and Nolan.





CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE


Seven struggled to hold her head up high as though she weren't going to come apart at the seams. Thank goodness the babysitting brigade of motorcycle gang members and military operatives knew when it was time to stand down. She didn't go to Las Vegas for the first time in her entire life to unravel, and she wasn't going to stand by and snap in public.

A few minutes of alone time, quiet with her ritual, would calm her mind while professionals took over. Because if she didn't do that, she would melt down and be of no help later.

You're a bad mother. Just like your father. Walking away.

There were other options. She could call the police, FBI, somebody other than the people who surrounded her. But didn't they call Titan?

"You doing okay, Seven?" Jax asked.

"Of course. Just leaving."

Abandoning Mayhem. Walking away from her kids. The voice in her head even sounded like her father, and her blood pressure climbed. One foot in front of the next. That simple command took more strength than she realized. She needed to get into her room to tell Cullen Blackburn to shut up!

Titan knew what they were doing, and she had to do what would help her to be the best mom possible when Bianca and Nolan came home. If that meant folding stupid blankets, so what?

"Didn't take you for the type to walk away from intel," Deacon said.

"Jesus, dude. Shut the fuck up," Sugar cut in.

"Deacon—" Jax added simultaneously.

Seven pivoted, spiraling out of control. "Are you sadistic? Do you work for them? Or what? Because you're slowing everyone down!"

Behind Deacon, Jax loomed as though he could brawl if she blinked funny. If vibes could kill and rescue, Deacon would be a dead man and she would be home with her babies. How her heart could swell when pure vengeance etched Jax's face, Seven had no clue, but at that moment, she needed him.

"Bye. Again," she said. "I'm going to go call Victoria."

"And we're taking it back into the conference room," Jared said. "Move boots."

"You can't," Deacon said without elaborating.

"Oh, for God's sake," Seven blew out. "And why can't I?"

"She's likely still at the hospital."

"What?" Her head shot toward Jax. What had they held back?

A quick look showed he didn't know—Jared or Hawke, either. Seven flew at Deacon, smashing her hands into his chest. "You… you… asshole! What happened to her?" Too many things had happened to Victoria. Both her fists slammed into Deacon's chest again. "What happened!"

An arm snaked around her waist, and Jax whispered, "Come on, princess."

Seven clawed the air to fight Deacon still.

His smugness twisted. "She hurt her wrists."

"Victoria did?" Seven stopped fighting to get away from Jax and wanted to know what Deacon knew.

"She was fine when they left her handcuffed her to the steering wheel."

"Fine? Nothing about this is fine!" Seven spun and searched Jax then Jared's faces. "How does he know this?"

Hawke stepped forward, his hand on his sidearm. "How, brother? That's some insider info about her children."

Deacon ignored Hawke but eyed Johnny. "Maybe Mayhem shouldn't have messed with the status quo."

"You're laying this at my feet?" Johnny threw up a middle finger.

Deacon lifted his chin. "You had one responsibility. One."

Seven's mind crashed. Johnny? "What does he have to do with them?"

"You son of a bitch." Sugar eased closer, her expression dripping acid. "You're calling the shots. Aren't you, Deacon?"

Seven flashbacked to one of the first times she met Sugar and listened to her accuse Mayhem of having a mole working with the feds.

"Oh my God." Seven turned from Deacon to Johnny. "Are you a…"

"A what?" Tex demanded as Ethan scowled.

"Spit it out." Hawke changed the direction of his aggression, facing Johnny.