Page 30 of Avenging Azalea (California Made Men #2)

Chapter

Twenty-Two

TITUS

Are you fucking kidding me?

I crossed my arms and glared at Ronan.

“You really came down here to escort me off the property,” I asked as he walked into my office. Hailey and Holly were lying in their beds. I held up my finger so they knew to stay put.

“Don’t be stupid. I came to see if I could talk you into staying.”

“Not going to happen.” Grabbing the next item off my bookshelf, I put it in the box. I never saw this day happening.

“Why are you being like this,” he asked.

Putting the book in the box, I gripped the sides and stared at my older brother.

“The better question is, why aren’t you?

Father set up Nathaniel, Savannah, and their son, our nephew.

Any of them could have been killed in Italy, and then that entire situation followed them back here, and Savannah was shot.

I know you don’t give fuck about her…you’ve made that clear.

But she’s pregnant with their second child.

Your family. Your blood. Why don’t you care about that? ”

Ronan marched around my office, a mix of anger and frustration written all over his face. Swiping a bottle of whiskey from one of the boxes I had yet to tape, he cracked the lid and took a swig.

“Please, help yourself,” I drawled.

Ronan stomped across the room. It looked like I wasn’t getting an answer. Instead, he slammed the door and dropped down into one of my leather chairs. If he wasn’t such a murdering sociopath half the time, I would’ve said he looked like he was sulking.

“I do care. Nathaniel and I don’t get along, but he’s my brother. Of course, I don’t want to see him killed.”

“Do you? It doesn’t look like it from here. Hasn’t looked like it for years.”

Placing the lid on the box, I wandered over and sat down across from Ronan, but he was staring off into space.

“We used to be close as well, or have you forgotten,” I asked with a heavy sigh.

His icy blue eyes turned in my direction.

“We’re still close,” Ronan said, full of sincerity.

Laughing, I leaned forward and picked up the bottle of whiskey to take a swig.

“Why is that funny?”

I shook my head. “It just is. It’s obvious you don’t think you’ve changed, but you have.”

“Why is it always me that gets blamed for changing? Nathaniel said the same shit, but have either one of you taken your own advice and looked in a mirror?” Ronan burst from his seat and paced the room like I was caging him in here. “Four years ago, Nathaniel met that FBI agent.”

“Her name is Savannah.”

“I don’t give a fuck what her name is,” he growled and glared at me. Most would be terrified of Ronan, but to me, he was just my brother. “She came along, and Nathaniel decided he was going to do whatever he wanted and didn’t give a fuck about any of the consequences.”

Ronan grabbed a second bottle from my stash, cracked the top, and drank like it was water. After the fourth pull, I was ready to step in, but he stopped and resumed his pacing.

“Our brother had no idea if she was playing him. Nathaniel put all of us at risk, and you and Mom didn’t care. Instead, you felt bad that he lost the love of his life. Fuck off. Was what his dick wanted really worth our lives? He shouldn’t have fucked her in the first place!”

I’d seen Ronan worked up before, but this honesty was new.

He’d never truly expressed what was bothering him or why he’d pulled back from Nathaniel four years ago.

Folding my hands, I sat calmly and watched him stalk around the room.

The other bonus to knowing him our entire lives was that I knew when to interrupt and when to let him rant.

“Okay, fine…so the agent didn’t turn against him.

Great for him and us. But at the time, he had no idea.

We were just to trust him.” Ronan shook his head.

“Who do you think sat through Father’s tirades?

Day in and day out, I had to hear how stupid Nathaniel was and how she should be hunted down and killed before she could share whatever Nathaniel had told her.

And who the fuck do you think talked Father out of sending a team of soldiers to kill her? ”

He put his hands on his chest, and some of the whiskey sloshed out and down the front of his suit. Not that he seemed to notice or care.

“You?”

“Fucking right, it was me. Bet you didn’t even know Father wanted to do that. Fire after fire, I’ve smothered or talked him out of, and do you know what Nathaniel does?”

“Enlighten me,” I said, knowing very well what he did.

“He goes to Rome for her and brings her back. For fucks sake! If that wasn’t bad enough, he takes the lion’s share of legitimate businesses from Mikhailov Enterprises.

I can’t believe that Father was stupid enough to allow Nathaniel to place them in his name only.

And for what? To hurt Father? To piss him off?

Sure, it does all of that in the short term, but in reality, it hurts me. ”

He tapped his chest again, and more of the alcohol landed on the front of his suit.

“I’m the one to take over the family name and sit at the head of the table.

Do you think Nathaniel has even spent a second considering that?

No. It’s all about him and what he wants.

It always has been. He doesn’t give a fuck about this family or what his actions do to us.

But I’m the one who doesn’t stand by my family? Fuck him!”

The bottle flew across the room and smashed against the wall, glass, and whiskey sprayed in all directions. This was why I’d always played ref. There were always two sides to a story, hurt feelings that neither understood.

Hailey and Holly jumped from their beds and stood in front of me, growling at Ronan.

“ Ryadom . To your beds,” I ordered. They trotted off to the far corner and curled up but kept an eye on Ronan.

Ronan was oblivious to the danger. His head hung, and his chest heaved from the rage.

“Our brother has no idea what I’ve done to protect him,” he said, calmer now that the fury was settling in his system.

Ronan had always reminded me of a volcano. You never knew when it would go off, but when it did, it was explosive and caused chaos that sent people running before all was said and done.

He shook his head before walking over and flopping into the chair across from me once more.

“Nathaniel has no idea, and he doesn’t care.”

“You don’t know that. He’s not a mind reader.

You should tell him,” I said, picking up the bottle still on the table to take a sip and keep it away from Ronan’s wrath.

“Nathaniel isn’t pulling away to hurt you.

He’s not doing it to hurt any of us. It’s a message to Father that he’s not going to take any more of his shit.

What you need to do is work out a deal with him for yourself.

Tell him what you just told me. Tell him that you’re hurt.

It wouldn’t kill you to be honest about your feelings. ”

Ronan looked at me, and I knew what he was going to ask. I shook my head before he could.

“No, I won’t stay here.” I held up my hand before he could start in on me.

“I hear you, and I understand where you’re coming from.

You’re to inherit this business, and it will survive and eventually flourish with you in charge.

However, the only thing Father understands is his wallet. I agree with Nathaniel on that.”

Standing, I walked over to one of the packed boxes and removed the lid to take out a framed photo.

We were kids shortly after Aaron had come to live with us at the age of ten.

Nathaniel held Kaylani’s hand and had his arm around Aaron’s shoulders while Ronan and I stood shoulder to shoulder, smiling in our suits. I handed it to Ronan.

“Why are you showing me this?”

“Look at this and tell me what you see. Who of us looks the most family-oriented?”

“This is an old ass photo. Times change.”

“You’re right. They do. But Nathaniel hasn’t.

Look, you never saw it, but Father has been exceptionally cruel to Nathaniel over the years.

You were in high school, dating, and then off to college.

I’m not blaming you for not seeing it, but the separation from Mikhailov Enterprises started back then. Did Father ever lay a hand on you?”

Ronan’s face twisted in confusion.

“No? I didn’t think so. He never hit me, either. But I saw him with my own eyes beat Nathaniel over and over, claiming he was too soft, too nice, too loving, and too much of a mama’s boy.”

“You’re fucking lying.” Ronan got up and put his hands on his hips. “I would’ve known something like that.”

“Would you? What were you doing at sixteen when this first started?”

“Fuck…I don’t know. School, football, smoking, partying, having sex, I guess.”

“Exactly. You were out living your life, doing whatever you wanted, and Father didn’t care. Have you ever known me to lie to you?”

“No.”

“Then, believe me when I tell you that it happened. Father only stopped a few years later when Mom and I began stepping in, and then he turned his fists into words. I thought it was the drinking. That was when he was hitting the bottles heavily.”

“I remember that part. I’d find him passed out in odd places when I got home.”

I nodded. “Look, I get that you’re angry, but Nathaniel has his reasons, and none of it has to do with the rest of us.

I’m still leaving because I stood by and watched Father do one terrible thing after another to Mom and Nathaniel, and I can’t referee anymore in good conscience.

With that said, I’ll talk to Nathaniel and make sure that any more attacks he plans are aimed directly at Father and not Mikhailov Enterprises. ”

“You’d do that?”

Taking the photo back, I repacked it in the box.

“Yes, of course, I would, and Nathaniel will agree because I know he loves you, even when the two of you are at odds. Maybe you should try telling him that you support him, even just once,” I said, crossing my arms and leaning against my desk.

“Thank you, that means a lot.” Ronan turned to leave, but before he could walk out, I stopped him.

“Hey, you said that I’d changed too. What did you mean by that?”

He looked over his shoulder at me. “You shouldn’t marry Vera.”

I rolled my eyes.

“Not this again.” As if I wasn’t already struggling with the decision.

“I’m serious. You want to know why our relationship changed?

We used to hang out all the time, but three years ago, you brought that girl home.

” I bristled. “I don’t care if you love her or not.

Fuck her or don’t fuck her, that’s none of my business.

But that was the moment you stepped away from the family.

Whether you realize it or not, you started only showing up for mandatory family meals.

You stopped going to the clubs unless it was for work.

You dropped out of the weekly poker game, and I can’t remember the last time you came to visit. You forgot I even existed.”

I pushed away from my desk. “She was sixteen, abused, and sold to us. I couldn’t just let Fawn wander the house alone every night. She needed to feel safe.”

Ronan smirked, turned, and leaned against the door.

“It doesn’t matter why you did it. I’m telling you that you did.

You asked why we grew apart. There’s your answer.

Once I got over the initial butt-sore feelings, I stopped giving a fuck.

You were happier and less stressed, and your work got better.

But this shit with Vera will change you back.

I can already see the shadows at the corner of your eyes.

Face it, Titus, you were never cut out for this life.

You turn a blind eye but hate what we do.

Vera…she’s all in on every deal and is involved in worse shit than we are.

I’ve seen Mr. Vilanova’s portfolio, and Vera heads most of the divisions.

She may look sweet, hell she can even act it, but under her skin is a snake.

A poisonous one and she will go for your jugular the moment you say, I do.

Get out, do whatever you have to, but I know you, brother and… she will break you.”

“I can’t. I already talked to Father. He and Mr. Vilanova are somehow tied up with the Curators.

That was what he didn’t say to you at dinner last night.

If I pull out of this marriage, then it puts all of us at risk.

I saw the letter. I can’t do that. At least not without a really fucking good reason.

I’ve been going over it again and again and I can’t see a way out. ”

“Son of a bitch. That’s what he’s been dancing around for weeks. What you need is a spectacle to get out of marrying her. Something that Father and the Vilanovas can’t dispute.”

“A spectacle?” I laughed. “I love you, brother, but I’m in this now, and I’ll do what I must to protect the family.”

“Come with me to the club tonight. No girls, just us hanging out like old times.” Glancing around the office, I sighed. Pack and sit at home alone or go with Ronan. It was probably a dangerous choice, but I nodded.

“Alright, for old time’s sake, and because your ass is way too drunk to drive.”

“Like fuck I am,” Ronan said.

I pointed at the door he was leaning against. “Oh yeah, then why were you about to walk into my closet?”

“Fuck off, I wasn’t.” I laughed as he opened the door to check. “Prick, no, I wasn’t,” he said.

“Maybe not, but I made you look soooo.”

“Fine, you drive. I don’t want those dogs in my vehicle anyway. I just had it cleaned,” Ronan said as we walked out of the office, my girls right on our heels.

“Spare me. My dogs are cleaner than half the women you have sitting on those seats,” I shot back.

“Ouch…but you’re right.”

We laughed as we reached the elevator. It had been a long time since things felt this easy with Ronan.

Had it really been me all this time, creating the division between us?

Had I been blaming the wrong Mikhailov? Maybe…

maybe not, but either way, this moment gave me hope that no matter what bullshit Father pulled next, and there would be a next…

the rest of us could pull together and overcome it.

Sometimes, hope was all you ever got to hang onto in this world, and I was going to grip it with both hands.