Page 43 of Avenging Azalea (California Made Men #2)

Chapter

Thirty-Three

FAWN

My gut had churned all night after I lied to Titus. Well, not an outright lie. I’d omitted facts about the dinner just like his father had ordered me to, and it was sitting about as well as spoiled milk.

His anger pissed me off. Mostly because I had wanted to prove that I was a big shot who could take on a man like Dimitri Mikhailov.

If I could do that, then I was the adult I claimed to be, and Titus could stop trying to shield me from his world.

Instead, all I found was humiliation. Titus had been downplaying just how dangerous his family really was, or maybe I hadn’t wanted to hear it.

Either way, Titus’s concern and anger had rubbed me the wrong way.

Now, in the stark light of day, all I wanted to do was apologize and tell him exactly what happened.

My instincts told me that Titus wouldn’t allow Dimitri’s threats to reach George, and if being honest meant that he found out about my past…

so be it. I never wanted to let anyone use it against me like a weapon.

The things Dimitri told me he knew could only have come from my stepfather or the men who had assaulted me.

Both of those prospects were terrifying.

Pulling my hair up into a ponytail, I walked down the stairs, ready to face the music and Titus.

I heard his voice in the kitchen and had to suck up the instinct to take the coward’s way out by tucking tail and running.

It partially worked. I let the dogs outside while I took the extra time to calm my nerves.

As I stepped into the kitchen, Titus looked up from his tablet. My heart sputtered in my chest. This engagement to Vera was tearing a rift in our relationship so wide that it was swallowing me whole.

“Yeah, that all sounds great. I looked at the specs, and the building seems sound. The contractor and builder are not ones to cut corners. It looks like a good investment to me, but I’ll know better once I do the walk-through this morning,” Titus said.

It sounded like he was talking to Nathaniel. I poured my coffee and tried not to listen in on his conversation as my mind ran with what to say to him. Someone had gone out and picked up fresh bagels. I stole the blueberry one and popped it into the toaster.

Leaning against the counter, I pulled out my phone and waited for my breakfast to pop up.

I answered the texts from Steph before scrolling through my social media.

Bradley had sent me a half-dozen messages as well, asking me out.

He was sweet and sexy, but there was no spark.

‘ It’s not you, it’s me ’ seemed so cliché, but I needed to figure out something to say to him.

“Yeah. I’ll keep you posted,” Titus said, and put his phone down.

He stared at me with his usual calm, not speaking, which only made me feel worse.

“You seem very deep in thought,” he finally said.

Unable to put it off any longer, I looked Titus in the eyes. God, the difference was night and day from his father. At this point, I would have sworn Titus was adopted. After what Dimitri did to me last night, I couldn’t picture them sharing any DNA.

“Yeah, I’m just trying to figure out the best way to say I’m sorry. You’re right, I shouldn’t have met your father behind your back,” I said, as my bagel popped. Happy to have something to do with my hands, I set my phone down and began spreading the plain cream cheese.

“Then why did you?”

“Because I’ve been desperate to find a way to prove that you don’t have to take care of me like a stray dog anymore,” I said, stealing Vera’s analogy.

“Fawn, I’ve never seen you as a stray dog,” Titus said.

I quickly wrapped the bagel in a paper towel and turned to look at him.

“Maybe, but it’s how I feel about myself.

I don’t know, maybe part of me thought that it was my chance to prove to you and your family that I could be one of you and maybe even be liked enough that this whole thing with Vera…

” I waved my hand. “It doesn’t matter. It was a stupid thought.

You’ve made it clear what you need to do and where that leaves us. ”

“Fawn, I?—”

“No, don’t. Please don’t. I already feel stupid enough.

You were right all along. Your father obviously doesn’t like me living here, and maybe Vera said something.

I don’t know, but the only reason he wanted to meet was to make sure that I’m planning on moving out and butting out of your relationship. ” I shook my head.

“I’m just happy that’s all my father wanted.

Honestly, Fawn, you terrified the shit out of me by going anywhere with him.

My family is complicated, and I love them most of the time, but there is a danger that I’ve shielded you from.

By keeping you so separate from what we do and what my father is like, I now realize that may have been why you felt so emboldened to leave with him. ”

Breaking his stare, I looked down at my feet and tried to figure out how to tell him the rest. The last thing I wanted was a massive explosion and Titus angry with me for omitting what really happened.

“You’re right, I do think that not knowing gave me false confidence,” I said, shuffling from foot to foot. Picking up my coffee, I took a swig and wished it was stronger for some liquid courage.

“I was going to see if you wanted to go to Nathaniel and Savannah’s wedding in two weeks, but I’m not sure that’s such a good idea. I’ll happily bring you if you want to come, and Nathaniel and Savannah made it clear that you’re more than welcome, but Vera will be there.”

I shook my head.

“No, that definitely would not go well.” My mind was already conjuring the cat fight. The last thing Titus needed was for me and Vera to ruin Nathaniel’s wedding. “Wait…I thought they were already married?”

“This is the redo wedding…it’s a long story.” Titus pinched the bridge of his nose, and I knew there was something juicy behind that look.

Silence fell between us. It wasn’t uncomfortable per se, and it gave me a moment to think of the best way to tell Titus about the contract, the money, and Dimitri’s threats against George.

Titus stood and walked toward me just as my phone dinged. I swiped it off the counter. He stopped in front of me and ran his knuckles gently down my cheek. I gripped the phone tighter to keep from touching him.

“I know you know this, but I don’t want you to leave. Call me selfish, but the house won’t feel the same without you here.”

“As much as I want to…I can’t if you marry her.” I looked away, and he sighed.

“In that case.” He walked over to a folder on the island and pulled out all the listings I thought I’d lost. My mouth dropped open as he handed them to me.

“You left these down here. You can be mad all you want, but I needed to check them out and make sure they were safe and had good landlords. I tossed the ones not good enough. This is what’s left.

Last night you said you found a place, but…

just incase you really hadn’t…. Anyway, there’s one right near Small Paws, and it goes without saying that I’ll pay for it. ”

I was baffled and wanted to be angry at him for doing this, and yet…my emotions were a jumbled mess. This showed the level with which he cared, and before last night, I would’ve been livid, but now his overprotectiveness made a lot more sense.

“Thank you,” I said, taking the pile that was significantly slimmer from his hands. “And you don’t have to pay. I can take care of it myself.”

“Oh? How? I thought the clinic didn’t pay that much, because half the hours were a school placement.”

“That’s true, but um…”

This was my chance to tell him, but I looked down as my phone vibrated, and I tapped the news bulletin. My coffee cup fell from my hands and shattered on the floor.

“Oh my god, Fawn. Don’t move or you’ll slice open your feet.”

I barely felt Titus grabbing me and sitting me on the counter as he cleaned up the ceramic shards.

My mind raced with fear even as my body froze in disbelief.

I stared at the crime scene photo of a black body bag.

There were officers with yellow tape surrounding the scene, and an ambulance in the background.

But it was the picture of the girl in the corner that caused my panic.

The same girl who had stormed up to the table last night and dumped the ice water on Dimitri’s lap.

The headline read.

Twenty-Four - Year - Old Woman Found Murdered.

Crystal Woods, affectionally known as Crissy to her friends, was found murdered this morning.

Officers are looking for any eyewitnesses who could explain the brutal and senseless killing.

Preliminary reports say she was found naked with bruises covering her body, a wire wrapped around her throat, and a gunshot wound between the eyes.

Speculation is that this is a professional hit.

“Hey?” Titus gave my shoulders a little shake, and my eyes snapped up to his. “What’s going on? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” He took my phone when I didn’t answer and read the article. “Do you know her?”

My brain was finally firing again, and it felt like a sign to keep my mouth shut.

It was too much of a coincidence that just as I was about to spill everything that Dimitri had said, this news article arrived.

It felt like this dead girl was trying to warn me, or maybe Dimitri was sending a reinforcement message.

If he killed her for dumping water on him in public, what the hell would he do to my little brother if I threw his deal in his face and told Titus the truth?

All of Titus’s warnings, the red flags, and the fear I’d seen in his eyes last night threw me back in time. It felt like a lifetime ago that I needed to keep my mouth shut to stay alive, to save my family, to be the whore who got the job done, but here I was all over again.

“Fawn, you’re starting to scare me. Who is this woman?”

Titus obviously didn’t know her, so I licked my lips.

“I met her at the parties I’ve been to with Steph and the football team,” I lied. “She was always so nice. I just can’t believe this,” I said, and Titus stepped in close and wrapped his arms around me, holding my head to his heart.

“I’m so sorry,” he tried comforting me, but nothing would make me feel better.

Not even the warm embrace of the man I loved and trusted with my whole being. No matter who sent the message, I heard the universe loud and clear.

Dimitri Mikhailov was not a man to trifle with, and I was going to get everyone I cared about killed, or worse, if I spoke up. I’d never felt more alone than I did right now, and the sharks swimming in the water had just gotten a lot bigger.