Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Titan

REAPER CALLED ME into his office this morning and let me know that the mayor wanted to have a meeting with me. I have no clue why I'm the one he requested when it's never happened in the past. Usually Mayor Parker meets with Reaper and then our President lets us know what's going on and we have a vote about if we'll help the mayor or not. It all depends on the situation he wants us to help him with. But, we've never said no to the man before and I don't see that changing any time soon. Reaper can't even tell me why the mayor wants to meet with me instead of him. We've also had a call from our friend Hilton about getting the security footage from Brothers the night that Dallas took out the fucker who wasn't going to take no for an answer from her. We have no clue what the hell he needs it for. All he told Reaper was that it was about an ongoing investigation and he'd update us as soon as he could. It's not a lot to go on, but I have a feeling in my gut that it's regarding whatever the mayor needs help with this time. Though, that means that Dallas is involved and I don't like that at all. Not if the mayor is stepping in on her behalf for some reason.

Now, I'm riding across town to the mayor's office. No one's with me as I quickly get to his office and park directly in front of the house every other mayor has occupied. Mayor Parker refused the house, but shows up every day and works from the office instead of working from his personal home office. No one knows why he didn't move, but it's none of their business if you ask me. Walking up to the front door, I'm stopped by security.

"Do you have an appointment with Mayor Parker?" one of the men asks me, looking me over from head to toe.

"Yes. He requested a meetin' with me. I don't have any weapons on me, but you're more than welcome to check for yourself," I tell them, spreading my legs and arms out to let them know I'm more than willing to cooperate.

The second man pats me down for weapons and lets the first man know I'm clean. He opens the door and leads me to the mayor's office. I'm let in the room and take in the appearance before me. Everything in this office screams power and money. I don't believe it's Mayor Parker's taste at all after having spent time with him in the past. The mayor immediately stands from his desk and walks around with his hand outstretched. I shake as he greets me.

"Titan, it's good to see you. I'm sure you're wondering why I've asked for you to come to this meeting," he says, pointing to a chair in front of his desk while he moves back around his desk and retakes his seat.

"Yes, sir. It doesn't really make sense considerin' you always meet with Reaper and have never met with anyone else from the club until we've reached a deal or completed a job for you," I tell him honestly.

"I know. That has nothing to do with anyone in your club. I was just taught that you conduct business with the man in charge instead of anyone else," Mayor Parker states, a small smile on his face. "This matter is rather sensitive and I believe you'll have a personal stake in the situation that has recently taken shape in ways I didn't think."

"Okay. You have my attention. I have to say I'm very intrigued by what's goin' on that I'd have a personal stake in," I tell him, confusion filling me as he sits forward in his chair and grabs a folder before handing it over to me. "My daughter has been made the target of an attack. I need her to be protected because I know this is happening because of me. Yesterday her clinic was broken into and everything was destroyed. There was spray paint on the outside of the clinic saying vile things about her. Thankfully no one was there, including animals, when this all took place. Officer Hilton was sent out. In that folder, you'll find the pictures that were tossed all over the clinic behind the receptionist desk. She hasn't seen them and I don't ever want her to know what they are."

Opening the folder, I already know who I'm going to see. The mayor's daughter is Dallas. My Dallas. I pull out the pictures and am immediately filled with rage as I flip through each one. Whoever is targeting her has been following her for a while. They have pictures of her shopping for groceries, at the clinic as she worked to put it together, when she's at her home, inside her home when she's sleeping, and so many others. Each picture I flip through only makes the rage filling me burn hotter and hotter until I feel as if I'm going to explode.

"Has she noticed anyone followin' her around?" I ask the question through clenched teeth as I put the pictures back in the folder and close it.

"A few times. She didn't notice anyone standing out though. I just had this discussion with her on Friday because I had a letter delivered that said I had better release a certain prisoner or they'd come after my daughter. I got it less than two hours before Dallas showed up for our weekly dinner. I will do anything to protect my daughter. And, I know you and her were talking through some dating app. I don't know all the details, but I've never seen her happier than when she was talking to you. I trust your club with my most precious treasure and know you'll do everything to ensure she's safe until we catch this fucker," Mayor Parker says, shocking me that he knows about the dating app. Though Dallas did mention she's close to her dad so I really shouldn't be surprised.

"We were talkin' until somethin' happened. I feel it's nothin' more than a misunderstandin' we can fix with a conversation. I'm just not sure how Dallas feels right now because it's been a while since I've talked to her at all. But, I will take all of this information to the club and we'll put it up for a vote today. You'll have an answer within a few hours at most, Mayor Parker," I promise him, standing from my chair. "I'm gonna assume that Hilton wantin' the security footage from Brothers has to do with this case?"

"It does. She had an altercation with a man who didn't want to listen to her tell him no. My daughter has been trained to defend herself and that's what she did that night. Hilton just wants to make sure if he's the man who broke into the clinic or not," Mayor Parker answers me as he stands from his chair and walks me out to the front door. "I will do whatever the club wishes for my daughter to have the best protection available to her, Titan. Please let Reaper know that."

"I will. I'm gonna take these with me so we can get a full idea of what we're up against. It's the only way we'll be able to protect Dallas to the best of our abilities. I'll make sure Reaper calls you with our decision as soon as it's made. Will you be able to bring her to the clubhouse once we've voted?"

"I'll get her there. Please, Titan, I'm begging you with everything I have to help my daughter. She doesn't deserve this shit because of a decision I've made. The man this person wants released is a trafficker and has been found guilty of rape and so many other crimes. I will never release him for any reason. Dallas is the best person I've ever met in my life and it's not because she's my daughter. She worked so hard and financed so much of her clinic on her own, taking out loans for the money she didn't have. She doesn't believe the insurance company will pay to replace and fix everything. This has fucking crushed her," the mayor tells me as his eyes become filled with tears and my heart almost shatters in my chest at the thought of Dallas feeling so much pain.

"We'll get it taken care of. I promise you. Even if I have to go against my club, I'll make sure Dallas is protected at all costs," I state before leaving him standing in the door of the mayor's house.

Getting on my bike, I tuck the folder in one of the saddlebags before putting my bandana and helmet on and starting my engine. With a roar, I leave the mayor behind and race through town to let Reaper know what's going on. The rage continues to build inside me as I try to calm myself down enough to get through the meeting with Reaper and then church. I wasn't lying to Mayor Parker when I said I'd go against my club to protect his daughter. Dallas means something to me even if we didn't get a chance to fully explore what that is yet. And I do mean yet.

I've been pacing the common room for what feels like forever now. Reaper is pissed as fuck about what the mayor said in my meeting with him and I know he'll do everything in his power to ensure the vote goes in favor of protecting Dallas. He has also put two and two together and realizes Dallas is the girl I was talking to on the dating app. That alone is more than enough reason for him to want to vote to go in favor of helping her. Everyone knows the girl I was talking to means something to me and once they realize she's the mayor's daughter, they'll be even more on board with helping her. We've never had a problem with the mayor in the past. Hell, I can't even be mad at Dallas for not letting me know yet that he's her dad. I wouldn't announce it if I were in her position. Too many people would want to use her to gain access to him for their own agenda. Dallas deserves so much more than that shit.

"Church!" Reaper finally hollers from the end of the hallway as I swiftly turn and march toward our meeting room with the rest of the club following behind me.

Tripp is the only one brave enough to get close to me right now. They can all sense how close I am to losing control right now and are gonna keep an eye on me, but remain at a distance. Tripp won't because he knows how close I am to losing my shit. I don't know if that makes him a crazy asshole or just dumb at this point. But, I'm glad to know that he'll always have my back no matter what's going on.

No one hesitates to take their seats around the table so Reaper can call church to order.

"Church in session," he bellows, his words echoing off the walls around us. "Titan had a meetin' with Mayor Parker today. Usually I'm the one to take the meetin' with him, but he specifically requested Titan for this one. Titan, fill the guys in on what happened."

"Mayor Parker has a daughter. Someone I don't know in person, but was talkin' to and gettin' to know. Her name is Dallas," I say, needing to pause as the rage starts to boil once again. "She's been bein' followed by someone and yesterday her clinic was vandalized and broken into. I don't know the extent of the damage in the clinic yet, but she feels it's gonna be a total loss. She sank all of her own money into makin' this dream a reality as well as takin' out a loan for what she couldn't personally cover. It's all been ripped away from her because of her dad. He received a letter last Friday about releasin' an inmate that's in prison for traffickin', rape, and several other charges. The mayor refused and will not budge on this.

"I've never seen a man so broken up about somethin' as what I witnessed with the mayor today. He's truly scared for his daughter's life and is willin' to do anythin' to protect her from this fucker. Hilton is on the case of her clinic. One that she just opened this week. She hasn't even had a chance to make any appointments or anythin' to my knowledge. Pictures were left behind. I'm gonna guess these are copies Hilton got the mayor to give us so we know exactly how close this asshole has gotten to Dallas," I state, my voice wavering with the rage coursing through my veins.

Grabbing the folder, I open it up and separate the pictures into two piles. I hand one to Reaper to go around the table his way and the rest to Tripp to go around the opposite way. As the men surrounding the table look at the pictures, the tension and rage filling the room only goes up higher and higher until I feel as if I'm suffocating on it all.

"This is why Hilton wanted the footage from Brothers?" Hawk asks, handing the pictures to the man next to him.

"Yeah. He wants to see if they can identify the man she had the altercation with to see if he's the one who broke into the clinic. There were some fingerprints in there, but right now they are still workin' on determin' who they belong to. Most of them will probably belong to Dallas and her best friend Emmie who most of you have met because of Tripp. It doesn't look like anyone else is a target at this point. Just Dallas," I tell them after having called Hilton earlier to see what he could tell me. "The mayor told Hilton he was gonna call us to protect Dallas so he told me what he could without compromisin' the case."

"Who do they want let out of prison?" Savage questions, handing the pictures over to Reaper as he sits back in his chair while his leg starts bouncing.

"I have no clue. The mayor and Hilton won't say. I understand to an extent why they're keepin' that information to themselves, but it doesn't help us. Hawk could look into the fucker and see who his known associates are which could point us in the direction of who's after Dallas," I answer him while the rage boils just a fraction higher.

"Okay. I don't think we need to talk this shit to death. All for protectin' Dallas, say aye. Take into consideration we don't know who's after her and that she means somethin' to Titan," Reaper says, looking to Savage.

"Aye," he states without hesitation.

Each member of the club votes to protect Dallas without a second thought.

"What about Emmie? Should we bring her in too?" Tripp asks once the vote has passed in favor of helping the mayor and Dallas.

"Not yet. I have a feelin' she'll be around the clubhouse regardless with both you and Dallas here. If she starts feelin' off about anythin', we'll discuss it again," Reaper says. "Titan, what's the next step?"

"We gotta let the mayor know the way the vote goes and he said he can get Dallas here the second we make the call," I state, tapping my hand on the table in front of me.

"Okay. I'm gonna go make the call. I'll have Alex make up one of the spare rooms for her. She's gonna need to go to her house and pack before comin' here. Titan, you'll take Tripp, Cash, Eagle, and Rubber with you on that trip. I don't want anythin' left to chance. Surround her house and get her in and out of there," Reaper says as more anger fills me with the thought of Dallas being in the clubhouse.

"Not fuckin' happenin', Pres. Dallas will stay with me at my house," I state, letting him know I won't budge on this for any reason.

Reaper just looks at me for a minute and doesn't say a word. With a smile on his face, he finally nods in response.

"Tripp, Cash, and Eagle will be at your house. Savage, get the rest of you guys on rotation for switchin' out with them so they can sleep and shit. Tripp, you're inside the house with Titan and Dallas. I know you're the only one he's gonna let inside with Dallas there. Everyone else will remain on the perimeter of the house at all times. I want at least one Prospect up there with you guys also. Show them how shit is done," Reaper states before slamming the gavel on the table and leaving to go call Mayor Parker.

In a matter of time Dallas will be here. She'll be standing in front of me and we'll be face-to-face for the first time. That overshadows everything else going on right now as I try to calm myself down. Tripp doesn't leave my side as I remain in my seat while everyone else leaves church. He doesn't try to talk to me or anything as we sit in silence and I let all the possible scenarios fly through my head at warp speed. This shit is gonna drive me insane if I let it and don't get a handle on everything flying through my mind right now. Finally, I stand from my seat and head straight for the gym we have at the clubhouse. I have to work some of this shit off before Dallas gets here. Tripp follows me and watches as I strip down to my jeans and get started on lifting weights after a quick warm-up. Still, my best friend says nothing but joins me in a workout. This is the only thing that will help me calm down enough to sit through a meeting with the mayor and Dallas in a little bit.