Page 34 of Seeking Salvation

Maya conjured up a list of arguments in her head, before dismissing them all. Fighting the battles that mattered and she could win, was her priority, and this was neither of those. “Fine, but you’re on the sofa.”

His hand skimmed down her arm. “I’ve slept in worse places.”

Maya pulled away, putting some space between them. His touch was becoming something she craved and she needed it to stop. Moving into the tiny kitchen, which was really just part of the living room, she checked the fridge and realised she needed to get some food in as all she had was a jar of pickles, some peanut butter, and some out-of-date milk, and that wouldn’t do.

“Well, I need to get some food in so I’m going to head out.”

“I’m coming.”

Maya sighed. “I can manage. I’ve been shopping for myself for a while now, Ti.”

“I know, but you don’t know which brand of protein powder I like.”

Maya lifted a brow, giving him a what the fuck look. “Seriously? You think I have the budget for fancy-ass protein powder?”

Titan stepped closer, bending so he could look her in the eye. “Seriously, Maya, if you think I’d let you pay for your shopping while I’m with you, then you have a lot to learn about the kind of man I am.”

He used a mocking tone and she wanted to smack him for being such an ass, but also found it stupidly attractive to have someone want to take care of her for a change. “Fine. Let’s go get you some food before you Hulk out on me.”

Titan held the door for her as she led the way out of her flat. “I don’t Hulk out, that’s more like Hurricane.” He defended himself with a slight pout that was so like his son.

“Well, I’m assuming your son got it from someone, and it wasn’t Rose. She’d forget her head if hadn’t been screwed on, and that included food.”

Titan placed a palm on her back, shifting her to the inside of the pavement as they walked to protect her from the traffic. “He certainly likes his food.”

Maya could hear the warm smile in his voice when he spoke about Tyrique but she hadn’t had a moment to ask him how he felt about the bomb she’d dropped in his life. Yesterday he’d come back from wherever he’d stormed off to during the meeting and had been so much calmer. “How are you doing with it all? This must have been a shock.”

Unlike a lot of men she knew who would just answer immediately, Titan took the time to think over his words.

“It was a huge shock, and I’m not sure that I’ve fully recovered from it. But what has surprised me the most is the way it feels so right.”

“Why does that surprise you?”

“I never wanted kids, Maya. I’m not a good man. The things I’ve done in my life….” A shudder ran through him, his voice full of self-loathing and guilt.

“We’ve all done things we regret, Ti.”

“Not like this.”

They reached the entrance to the supermarket and he held the door for her. The next thirty minutes consisted of Titan putting more food in the trolley than she would eat in a month. He gently pushed her aside when she tried to push it and glared when she attempted to pay the bill.

“Maya.”

“I can’t expect you to pay for my food.”

“While I’m staying in your flat, I pay for the food.”

Her chest ached. “My sister’s flat.”

She had no place to call home now. Her landlord, where she’d lived and set up her own life, had kindly boxed her stuff and put it into storage for her.

Titan bagged the groceries and managed to wrangle all the handles into one hand, resting the other hand on the back of her neck as they walked home in silence with her lost in thoughts of what her future might hold.

When they reached the flat, they paused, seeing the door open. Titan put the bags down slowly and pushed her behind him, lifting his finger for her to be quiet, before pulling a gun from a holster at his back. Maya stifled a gasp at the sight of the weapon and swallowed. She wasn’t a fool and she certainly wasn’t a fighter, at least not physically. She knew these people were deadly but this she hadn’t expected.

Clutching onto his shirt, she followed Titan as she heard two male voices in her home. Her skin prickled with anger and indignation when she recognised Nico, the man who she suspected had killed Rose and his sidekick, Mal, rifling through her home.

Titan clicked the safety off the weapon. “What the fuck are you doing in my girl’s home?”

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