Page 181 of Titus
The knock came just after Catalina had woken up and walked into the bathroom. It wasn’t a polite knock. It was the three hard knocks used to ensure they woke you up if you were asleep.
Every instinct I possessed immediately sharpened. I’d had only moments after Cat woke to fill her in on what I knew and to tell her that my head of security would be caring for her in my absence.
She only fell silent and hugged me, but the distance between us returned, as expected.
What the hell was she supposed to think? Until very recently, she saw me as a man who wouldn’t have surprised her if he’d made headlines for being arrested for some shady shit that happened within his company.
Fortunately, she seemed resolute in assuring me that she believed this was bullshit. She was solid in every aspect of her life, and she wouldn’t take this at face value. Facts would prove that I was not guilty of whatever these people wanted to put me away for.
With one more knock on the door, Catalina stepped out of the bathroom, her eyes red, not from crying but from trying not to.
The woman who rarely allowed anyone to see her fall apart had clearly spent the last several minutes locked behind that door, fighting a battle she couldn’t win.
I saw all of it in her eyes in that moment: fear, confusion, and heartbreak. All of it sat plainly across her beautiful face.
For several seconds, I couldn’t move, speak, or think. Suddenly, none of it felt real. For me, it had nothing to do with the agents, the warrants, or the accusations. Instead, it had everything to do with her.
I’d spent months earning that woman’s trust. Months proving I wasn’t another disappointment she’d survived before me. Months convincing her that loving me wasn’t a mistake.
And now, fucking agents with badges were standing outside, prepared to destroy all of that in less than five minutes. The realization hit harder than any prison cell ever could.
Her arms wrapped around her stomach, protecting herself. The sight nearly brought me to my knees because I already knew that Catalina Veléz wasn’t afraid for herself. She was afraid for me.
And somehow that made this infinitely worse.
“Titus…”
The way she said my name broke something inside me. It wasn’t because she doubted me; it was because she believed me. She believed I was innocent, and she was still terrified.
If I could have traded places with her in that moment and shouldered every ounce of that fear myself, I would’ve done it without hesitation.
The knock came again, and I opened the door to see four federal agents standing on the porch. They wore dark jackets, badges, and no expression.
The lead agent stepped forward, “Mr. Hawk?”
I held his gaze. “That depends on who’s asking.”
His expression never changed. “Special Agent Morrison,” he said, using his thumb to point to the three men standing behind him, “and these are Special Agents Roberts, Clarke, and Boyd.”
I waited as he produced their credentials. I glanced up, seeing behind him two black SUVs running and waiting at the curb.
“Mr. Hawk. We have a warrant for your arrest.”
I never looked away from the agent. “On what grounds?”
The agent opened a folder. “Conspiracy to conceal financial assets, obstruction of an ongoing federal investigation, and suspected participation in a criminal enterprise tied to offshore entities under review.”
Jesus Christ. I almost laughed, not because it was funny. It was fucking absurd. Every word in that sentence pointed to one thing and confirmed everything we already knew.
This shit was all my father. It was the fear I’d carried for years that one day the blood on his hands would become a debt I was expected to pay for him.
The difference was that I wasn’t a fucking idiot. I’d spent twenty years knowing this day would eventually find me. I just didn’t expect it to be now.
I inhaled slowly. Then exhaled.
The agent continued. “You are being taken into custody pending further investigation.”
I nodded once. No matter what evidence they’d found, I would stay calm and composed, processing and calculating.
