Page 45 of Defiant Queen (Mount Trilogy 2)
“Does it matter?”
He shrugs. “Call it curiosity. No one could believe when Brett Hyde conned his way into that family. There’s been more than one guy in the club who definitely wasn’t sad to see her come back on the market.”
I bite back the urge to tell him she’s not on the fucking market, and won’t be anytime soon. Before I have to come up with some suitable reply, a broad-shouldered man takes a stool one down from mine.
“I’ve been waiting for you to come out of your compound so I could talk you into selling me a piece of property you own in the Quarter. I don’t do all that secret handshake and password bullshit it takes to track you down, but waiting isn’t my forte either.”
I turn to see Lucas Titan push his empty glass toward Quade.
“I’ll take another, Buck.” Turning back to me, Titan says, “So, what do you say? You willing to entertain offers?”
I don’t have a damn clue what piece of property he’s talking about, but it doesn’t really matter. “Pretty sure you know I rarely sell anything I acquire.”
“I get the what’s mine, I keep mentality, but this is for my wife, so I’ll make it worth your while.”
“Which property?”
Titan accepts the refilled glass from Quade and takes a sip. “Don’t worry, it’s not part of your block. It’s a couple streets over.”
“What the hell does your wife want it for?” It’s not vitally important to know, but in my position, more information is always better than less.
Quade disappears to the other end of the bar before Titan answers.
“She doesn’t know she wants it yet. But she will. Her store’s kicking ass. She’s going to need to expand, and when she realizes she needs the space, I want it already lined up. It’ll make for a hell of a surprise gift, but I know she’d never ask for it.”
Titan’s wife sounds a lot like one particular woman I know. I dig through my memory to dredge up what I remember hearing about them when they hooked up.
“This is the wife you surprised with a wedding so she had no choice but to marry you on the spot?” I ask. The story made the rounds for months after it happened, since Titan might be the only man in this town with remotely close to as much money as me.
He takes another sip, but the grin on his face is clear. He answers when he finishes. “I did what I had to do to lock that woman down. She’s stubborn as hell, and I’ve got no regrets.”
“Clearly, it worked.” I nod at his wedding ring. “Doesn’t sound like a half-bad plan.”
Titan eyes me with new interest. “Thinking about trying it yourself?”
“She’d just as soon murder me in my sleep at this point.”
“Lachlan Mount with woman problems.” Titan leans back on his stool, looking arrogant as hell. “Never thought I’d see the day.”
“Fuck off.”
Instead of dropping the subject, he laughs. “Let me give you a piece of unsolicited advice. Check your ego at the door. It isn’t going to help you win this battle.”
“You’re right, definitely unsolicited.”
I take another sip and make a snap decision. Fuck it. It’s not like he’s gonna talk. He’s got something to lose if he pisses me off.
“Say I was having problems, and I check my ego. Then what?”
Titan gives me a nonchalant shrug. “Figure out what she wants and then give it to her.”
“Like it’s that fucking easy,” I reply with a harsh laugh.
“It is if you listen. She’s gonna tell you. Maybe not outright, but you didn’t get to where you are without being able to read between the lines.”
I consider what he says. It sounds too simple.
Listen. Figure out what she wants. Give it to her.
