Page 12 of Avenging Azalea (California Made Men #2)

Chapter

Ten

TITUS

Last night had been a disaster. At least, it felt that way to me. Even Mother had asked if I was okay because it looked like I was going to be sick.

Father had certainly spared no expense officially announcing our engagement.

The photographer had spent forty-five minutes with us, taking photos all over the house.

Of course, the one the media ran was of Vera sitting on my lap in the garden with our noses touching.

It was a classic example of don’t believe everything you see.

I might have been smiling on the outside, but inside, I was dying.

I skipped going to the office today, hoping to catch Fawn, but she never came home. It had only been two weeks since I saw her last, but it seemed like a lifetime of longing. What the hell would six months, a year, or ten years look like? I didn’t have to ask…I already knew.

My parents’ arranged marriage was no surprise.

Most unions in our world furthered business interests.

What had shocked me, was who my father loved before he was forced to marry my mother.

It explained so much about their relationship and the tension that had always existed between my father and his brother, Vadin.

Father had been in love with Vadin’s wife Renata, and according to what I’d learned, she loved him back.

It was a familiar tale among the elite. Mother had always made us feel special, but there was no love between her and my father.

What had always been there was anger, resentment, and infidelity.

I could remember Christmases in my teens when Father joined us for dinner only to take off with some girl as soon as dessert was served.

I understood Nathaniel’s rage. He was closest to our mother and refused to tolerate the disrespect from our father, which led to animosity and fighting.

I didn’t want that for myself or whatever children came from my marriage to Vera.

Leaning against the window frame, I watched the dogs as they played in the backyard. In my mind, Fawn was out there with them. She ran and laughed, her thick, dark hair shining in the sun, and her green eyes glittered with happiness. I smiled as the ghostly version, conjured by my longing, waved.

My phone dinged, yanking me out of my daydream. Walking back to my desk, I picked it up, hoping it was a message from Fawn. Disappointment filled me when I saw Vera’s name.

V: Thank you for making last night so special. We got some amazing pictures. Did you see any of the social media platforms today?

T: No, I don’t use social media much.

V: OMG Titus! You need to go look. I just sent you the link.

Sighing, I opened the app. It was a post that Vera had made earlier with the official engagement photo.

T: Okay, I see it.

V: Do you see how many likes, comments, and shares? It’s gone completely viral. Everyone in the world will know about our engagement by the end of today.

I cringed, hating the entire concept of being viral for anything, least of all for marrying Vera.

T: That’s great. I’m happy it’s trending.

My stomach churned, and my throat was raw with the dry, acidic burn of regret. Why had I offered myself as tribute? The answer was obvious, but it didn’t make me feel better.

V: You don’t seem happy.

T: I’m not the type to gush over things like this, but if you’re happy about it, great.

The little bubbles came and went. I gave up waiting for Vera’s response and placed the phone aside to continue working. It was probably a long rant telling me off. The phone dinged, and I picked it up.

“What the fuck,” I swore as I stared at the photo. Vera was lying on a bed wearing see-through lingerie.

V: Do you like? It’s from my latest intimates collection.

T: Yeah, it looks good. The photographer did a great job with the lighting.

A second photo came through. This time, there was nothing left to the imagination. It was only a step away from being porn.

V: What about this one?

T: What are you trying to sell?

It was a stupid question. I knew what she was doing, and most men would’ve been game, but not me. Vera was beautiful, but my heart remained quiet, and so did my cock.

V: Seriously? That was not the response I was expecting.

If only destroying my phone could erase this entire fiasco, but there was no one to blame but myself. That was the worst part.

T: I’m working. I don’t have time for this right now.

V: Okay. I leave for London next week. When do you want to get together?

Vera was in the process of opening another division of her fashion house in the UK, specifically in London, and she was traveling to oversee the start-up. She would be gone for three weeks, which meant that I’d be free from bullshit like this happening for twenty-one whole days.

T: Unfortunately, my schedule is packed. We’ll have to wait until you return to discuss wedding plans.

V: You sure you don’t want to come? London is amazing, and there will be so many parties and social engagements to attend.

Kill me now.

T: I just told you that I’m extremely busy. How would I find time for all of that?

V: You can bring your laptop, and you’ll have lots of time to yourself during the day. We can explore and get to know one another better in the evenings.

Don’t ask a question when you don’t want an answer.

Everything Vera said sounded reasonable.

In fact, it made sense. We were two people forced to marry and spend the rest of our lives together.

Something like this would really help a relationship.

But I wasn’t in the mood to be reasonable.

I’d been the reasonable Mikhailov my entire life, and right now, all I wanted to do was get out of this fucking engagement without a war erupting between our families.

T: It does sound like fun, but I really can’t. Maybe another trip.

V: Fine. Will you always be like this?

T: What does that mean?

My back immediately bristled, but not because she was wrong. I knew that I was being difficult and didn’t want to be called out on it.

V: Never mind, I’ll reach out when I get back. Oh, and my father wants you to call him. Here is his number: 555-525-7759

T: And he asked you to be the messenger?

V: No. I offered, thinking we could have a nice conversation and get to know one another. How stupid was that?

My thumbs hovered over the keys with a million nasty things I could say back, but every single one of them made me sound like my father.

Specifically the way he treated my mother.

I hated that there was a piece of me, no matter how small, that would jump at being cruel or controlling if it suited me. That wasn’t who I wanted to be.

T: Okay, I’ll call him. Thanks for letting me know.

Vera didn’t respond, and I couldn’t blame her.

This marriage was off to a rocky start, and once more, all it took was a look in the mirror to know who was at fault.

I stared at her father’s number for a moment, and then I set the phone aside.

I wasn’t in the mood for anything else Vilanova. Not today, maybe not ever.