Page 54 of Avenging Azalea (California Made Men #2)

Chapter

Forty-Two

FAWN

I got out of the backseat, and Naji closed the door before walking me into the office building. It was only a few feet away from the VIP parking space, but he insisted. The guards working the front desk nodded at Naji and didn’t even blink at me.

“Shouldn’t I get a badge or something?”

“You don’t need one,” Naji said, smiling at me.

“Oh…okay.”

“You’re the boss’s woman. You don’t think Titus made it known you have free access to the building?”

“I…um…I honestly hadn’t thought about it,” I said, blushing.

When the elevator arrived, he hit the button for the top floor, but then got off before the doors started to close.

“I’ll wait for you two down here,” he said.

A touch of nerves had me rubbing my palms on my dress.

The elevator slowed as it reached the top, and the doors opened to a large waiting room. I’d never been to Titus’s actual office. Not the old place or this one, so it all felt new and exciting, like I was stepping into some secret world.

The floors were dark, the walls were grey, and every accent was a rich cream or buttery yellow with the odd bold sweep of color, like the red flowers sitting in a vase and turquoise painting of the ocean.

Titus had always surrounded himself with hardwoods and warmer colors at home.

This was either the office persona, or it said a lot about Nathaniel.

With a single glance, you knew the people who worked here would eat you alive if you let them.

“Are you lost, honey?”

Startled, I turned around. The man wore a soft grey suit with a vibrant purple tie. I smiled and walked toward him.

“Hi…no, I’m not. Well, yes, I guess I am.” I looked around. “I’m supposed to be meeting Titus, but I don’t know the way to his office.”

The man crossed his arms and looked me up and down. He had the same ‘ You’ll have to go through me to get to Titus ’ look that the girls gave strangers.

“And you are?”

“Sorry, my name is Fawn,” I said, extending my hand.

His entire face changed from one blink to the next, and a smile curled up at the corner of his mouth. The only way to describe the handsome man was devious.

“Honey, why didn’t you lead with that?” He shook my hand. “I’m Levi, Titus’s assistant and all things office gossip.” Levi released me and circled as he stared. I fiddled with the shimmery dress Steph had practically ordered me to wear. “You, my dear, are prettier than I imagined.”

“Oh…you know who I am?”

“Of course I do. Titus has made it known that you have carte blanche access to all things…Titus. You go, girl. That man hasn’t ever given someone access like that.

Besides, it was time he let you come around.

I mean, it’s been over three years, and this is the first time I’m getting to meet the woman who stole Titus’s heart.

Follow me, I’ll take you to his office.”

Smiling, I walked beside Levi, instantly liking him and his upfront personality. He reminded me of Steph. She always put it out there and let the chips fall where they may.

Levi led me into a spacious corner office with windows overlooking the city and the water in the distance. This office felt like Titus. It was like stepping into a totally different building.

“Would you like a drink,” Levi asked, and I shook my head.

“No, but thank you for the offer.”

“Well…I’m off for the night. Titus will be back soon. He had to run out for a quick meeting with an investor because Nathaniel was stuck in traffic. Make yourself at home.”

“It was great meeting you, Levi,” I said, slowly wandering the perimeter of the office to look at the photos and books.

“You, too. Don’t have too much fun in here tonight,” Levi teased, and I decided that he and Steph could never be in the same room. The embarrassment I’d known would be nothing compared to anything I might see if they teamed up.

I perused the shelves, running my fingers over some very expensive-looking first editions.

I’d always known that Titus loved to read, but hadn’t realized he was a collector.

Sitting down in a comfortable leather chair, I picked up a framed family portrait from a side table.

It was easy to find Titus among the teenage boys.

They looked like any other happy family smiling for the camera.

Even Dimitri looked human, but I knew otherwise.

I looked up as someone came into the office. My brows raised as Vera backed in like she’d been sneaking around. She turned and froze when she spotted me in the chair. Our eyes locked, and I set the photo aside.

“What are you doing here,” Vera asked, no longer bothering to hide the snarky tone.

“I could ask you the same question,” I said, pushing up to my feet.

She tossed her hair over her shoulder and struck a pose like she was on a runway in Milan. It didn’t impress me or intimidate me like it would’ve a few months ago.

“I don’t need to explain why I’m here,” Vera said.

“Like hell you don’t,” I said, taking a step forward.

“Your wedding to Titus is off, and you’re not welcome here.

” She pressed her lips together. “Don’t bother trying to deny it.

You wouldn’t have been sneaking in here like a thief in the night if you were welcome. So, what the hell do you want, Vera?”

“The wedding is off when I say it’s off,” she said, stalking toward me.

I smirked.

“Pretty sure that’s not how it works when you’re caught on camera fucking your fiancé’s brother.”

Her face turned red as she stomped her foot like a toddler.

“I was tricked. Ronan tricked me,” she said.

“He tricked you onto his dick? That is quite a feat. I’m impressed. Did he tell you that he was actually a doctor and was worried about your health?”

I’d never been the type to stand up for myself or what I wanted. Hell, I’d never been able to find the perfect words when I really wanted to say them, but they were flowing now, and I was not about to stop.

Vera growled, and there was nothing sexy about it. I took a casual step toward her, making sure that she noticed the dress I was wearing.

Steph loved the small fuck you and helped me pick the most expensive and popular dress that was blowing up social media.

Coincidently, it was from Vera’s direct competition.

She said it would make me feel better to give money to Vera’s competitors.

She really had a bitch streak that I adored, and right about now, I owed her because no one could’ve planned this.

Vera certainly noticed, and she looked like she was sucking on a lemon.

Vera’s eyes roamed over the golden dress that changed colors depending on the lighting. I tapped the matching purse on the palm of my hand, enjoying this moment way too much. I was probably going to hell for it.

“No wait!” I held up my finger. “I know…Ronan told you that you had a demon from hell inside of you, and he was cleansing your soul.”

“You bitch,” Vera snarled. “I knew you weren’t as innocent as you acted.

Under that good girl exterior was a pathetic, poor little whore just waiting for her chance to pounce on my man.

You were probably licking your lips when you found out, and all too happy to console Titus by offering yourself up as tribute for his broken heart. ”

“Wrong, he would need to love you to have his heart broken,” I countered.

Vera’s mouth dropped open like a gaping fish.

“How dare you speak to me like that.”

“Vera, I can’t believe I was jealous of you.

I mean, look at you. You lost all of this when you had it in the palm of your hand.

” I held my arms out to show where we were.

“You screwed up. You ruined your marriage contract. Titus had every right to toss you to the curb. I didn’t do that to you.

Unless of course you’re blaming me for your poor decision to fuck his older brother…

in a church…on an alter…during his younger brother’s wedding?

” I smirked and then crossed my arms. “Classy.”

She looked like she was about to have a nuclear meltdown. Vera’s hands were balled up and she was shaking.

“Now here you are sneaking into his office, hoping to win him back. Sad…just sad. And I’ll tell you something else…

Titus ran to me the second he ended your engagement.

” I took another step toward her, so we were only a few feet apart.

“He begged me to give him a chance because he loves me. And now that I have him, I won’t be giving him up.

So, you can find your way back out using whatever sewage pipe you crawled up here in and never come back. ”

Vera stepped up to my face. She had a couple of inches on me, but I didn’t care and held my ground. Titus was mine, and she wasn’t getting a chance to dig her filthy claws into him again. No one with a heart as dark as hers deserved him.

“You have no idea who you’re dealing with or the lengths that I’ll go to get what I want.”

“You still don’t get it. You could kill me right here and still never get what you want. Titus will never love you. He will never choose you, and hurting me will only put a target on your back. Titus will come for you, and he will kill you.”

I couldn’t say if Titus had ever killed anyone, and yet I knew he would for me. I certainly wouldn’t want to be the one in his way.

“She’s right, I would,” Titus said.

Vera jumped away from me and turned around to face Titus.

He stood just inside the office door, his face dark and eyes murderous under the otherwise calm expression. God made me wrong because I suddenly needed a fan to cool off. Damn, that look was hot. Titus prowled into the room like a predator on a hunt, going in for the kill.

“Would you mind explaining what you’re doing here, Vera? Or better yet, how you got into the building?”

Titus never took his eyes off Vera, but there was nothing sexual about the look he gave her as he walked over to me and slipped his hand around my waist. Vera’s eyes followed the action, but she didn’t say anything.