Page 94 of Avenging Azalea

Vera stood and stepped toward me. Reaching out, she ran my hair through her gloved fingers. I clenched my teeth to hold firm and not back down.

“If you don’t, then I’ll make it extremely uncomfortable for you here.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“No…just stating a fact. I don’t think either of us wants you to hear Titus making me scream his name all night. It’s best that you go and not continue to come between me and what I want. I always get what I want, and I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty. Can you say the same?”

I didn’t respond. Steph would. Steph would take immense pleasure in playing tit for tat with Vera, but it wasn’t in me to be a raging bitch all the time. I’d lived a hard enough life without spending years stressed and on edge because of a battle that I’d already lost.

“Vera, you’re the one with your name on a marriage contract, but if you continue to treat me like an enemy, you’ll need to worry about Titus.” She narrowed her eyes. “That’s not a threat, just facts. Let’s go back to your stray dog comment. Titus sees me as one of his favorite strays and will kill to keep me safe, just like he will for any of his girls. We are his family. So, maybe don’t go looking for trouble where there isn’t any. You won’t like the outcome if you try to force a choice.”

“I see. I’m a little surprised you embraced the dog analogy.”

I smiled wide.

“That’s because you don’t understand Titus the way I do. If you did, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Now, if you’ll kindly show yourself out, I have a dinner date.”

Vera grabbed her small purse. “Fine, I’ll go. But remember, the clock is ticking. There are only four months and two weeks left until our big day.”

“Oh, trust me, I know.”

Holding my hand out toward the door, I stood my ground. Vera glanced around like she might argue, but then marched out of the kitchen and left. I locked the front door behind her just to be safe, then leaned back and closed my eyes.

I hadn’t noticed how fast my heart was beating. God, I hated this. Was it better or worse that she was a horrible person?

Titus didn’t deserve to end up with someone cruel. Vera had just shown me the dark, dried-out, and cracked parts of her soul. I might not have her money or looks, but I was a hell of a lot nicer. That had to count for something.

Sheba and Winston were staring at me when I opened my eyes.

“Yeah, I don’t like her either. But killing her isn’t really my style,” I said, shaking my head. “I guess it’s time to get serious about finding us a new home. It’s obvious we’re no longer welcome here.”

Chapter

Twenty-Nine

FAWN

Steph sat there staring at me. I really hated when she gave me that ‘What the fuck did you just say?’ look. It didn’t help that the overhead light in the restaurant accentuated her disapproval.

“Stop staring at me like that,” I scolded.

Steph blotted her mouth with her napkin, and I knew I was in trouble. When she took a sip of her wine and swished it around her mouth before swallowing, I prepared myself for the berating.

“Okay, let me just make sure I have this all straight.” She set the glass down with a clink. “Doc Hottie asked you out, and you said yes. Then that same night, the Mikhailov you’re obsessed with told you he loved you and held you all night because you had a nightmare. And now your grand plan is to give up and leave?”

“Did you not hear the part where I said his fiancée showed up and all but threw me out?”

Steph growled something nasty under her breath.

“She’s a hoe. That is the nicest thing I can say. And I don’t care how big her empire is, how beautiful she is, or who her daddy is. If Vera came to the house when she knew Titus wasn’t there to ‘get to know you,’ then she feels threatened. She basically told you to get out because you’ll ruin everything.”

Steph rolled her shoulders.

“You need to own that shit and not back down.” I shook my head, but she lifted a finger, silencing me. “No, don’t start that negative self-hate shit with me. Trust me, I’ve lived this game my entire life. I’ve seen it up close and personal with family, friends, and heck, even my parents’ business associates. This is how women like her work when they are scared. And I’ll tell you something else, I’ll never buy another thing from her clothing line, and I’m starting a nasty rumor about her just for fun.”

“Steph…”

“No.” She grabbed my hand. “You’re too damn nice, Fawn. You need to stand up for yourself. That is your home. Titus told you to always think of it that way, and unless you’re holding back on me, he hasn’t told you to go. In fact, I think he would’ve jumped you last night if you’d said yes. He’s cracking at the thought of losing you. The man is more than just in love with you. This is ‘I’ll kill for her’ obsessed.” Steph hmphed and then tapped her chin, and I could see the devious wheels spinning in her head. “Maybe you should give him a reason to kill her. That would solve the issue.”