Page 14 of Bear
“I’m not a good guy. We both know that, Cecily. Thank you for always seeing the best in me though. It feels good to know someone doesn’t hate me or fear me.”
“Sometimes I fear you. I’ve heard you fart before. Remember?” The side of her mouth lifted in a small smile and I saw a hint of her dimples. I was getting ready to fire off an insult at her but the doorbell rang. “More of your little girlfriends?” She teased as I made my way to the door.
“You’d like that.” I tickled her sides as I walked by and she actually laughed. Good. I loved that sound.
When I opened the front doors, there stood one of the only men I’d ever consider a friend. “What’s good, Shadow?” We slapped hands and he walked in with a yawn. “You’re not usually up this way so early.”
“Yeah well, Sarah is going through sleep regression and I haven’t slept. I don’t know how you function with insomnia. Ivy is at home right now trying to keep the girl awake so she can actually sleep through the night.”
“Welcome to fatherhood and all that shit. I don’t envy you. You should have brought my niece to see me. I would have kept her awake.” I led Shadow into the kitchen where Cecily was. Her eyes ate him up. A flare ofsomethingruffled my feathers so I wedged myself between them, blocking her view.
“I would have brought her but she would’ve fallen asleep on the way here and we’re trying to keep her up. She’s only one but fuck, she’s defiant.” Shadow stopped talking long enough to notice Cecily. He glanced at me then back at her with a sly smile. “Morning,” he nodded at her.
“Good morning.” Cecily cleared her throat and played with the ends of her hair while looking at me.
“Oh, what? Was I supposed to introduce yall?” I laughed. “My bad. Shadow, this is Cecily, Luanne’s daughter. She’s like my little sister.”
“Cecily, huh? Nice to meet you, darling. You can call me Titan.” He shook her hand and she grinned so fucking hard it’s a miracle her cheeks didn’t pop.
“Titan? So which one is your real name?” She quizzed.
“Which one do you think?” Shadow tossed her question right back and I felt a scowl weighing my brows down.
“His name is Titan,” I answered quickly.
“Wow, that’s such a unique name. I’ve never heard it before.”
“Thank you. I like your name too.” He shot me another look that I promptly fucking ignored then I offered him a cup of coffee. “Nah, I’m good.” Cecily kept staring at Shadow like he’d disappear if she took her eyes off him.
“He’s married,” I blurted, sitting down with my second cup of coffee. Cecily’s gaze dropped like a dead fly and I smirked into my mug.
“Chill, Bear. You know I wasn’t looking at her.”
“I know.Shewas looking atyou.”
Cecily smacked her lips together and stood up in a huff. “You’re such an asshole, Bear,” she seethed.
“I know. You’re gonna pretend to be pissed now, right? Get dressed while you’re upstairs fake pouting, baby doll.”
When she stormed off, Shadow looked at me incredulously. “Why’d you do that to her? She’s probably embarrassed as hell.”
“She’ll be okay. How’s Ivy?”
“Good. She’s talking about opening a Honey Sugar in New Orleans and I’m thinking about opening a dispensary. We need to see where our money takes us.”
“Good. Good. Let me know if you need any help.” Shadow shot me a look and I backed off. He was like me in the sense that he didn’t ask for help and he didn’t want it offered unless it was life or death. That’s how we became friends in the first place.
He pointed out a snake in my circle. His evidence was so clear-cut that I had no choice but to believe him. He held on to a secret though. He was tight-lipped and I couldn’t figure out what it was but I knew it existed. I knew it seemed contradictory but any man that could keep a secret from me was a man I wanted in my circle and on my team.
I’d asked him a thousand times to take Wolf’s spot as my right hand but he refused. I’m sure he thought I wanted him on my team because he was a good worker, and he was, but I wanted to know what kind of willpower a man had to have to keep a secret from someone like me. Someone he knew could end his entire family.
I wanted him around because someone like him had balls. He had the potential to be as deadly as me but he chose the family man path and I had to respect it. Sometimes, I liked to imagine I could have that too…in another life. Inthislife, I had to carry out the family business and be who I was born to be.
“So what’s up with you and Cecily? I’ve heard you talk about her before but I had no idea she was so pretty or that you were so protective.”
“I told you. She’s like my little sister,” I frowned. I hated any insinuation that Cecily and I were more than friends or siblings.
“Right. Okay, Bear. I’m leaving that shit alone.”
