Page 96 of Avenging Azalea

I signaled for the waiter as she walked away and ordered the molten lava chocolate cake. He’d no sooner left the table when my phone rang with an unknown number. Not this again.

“You better not just breathe in my ear again. It’s weird,” I said firmly.

“Well, I’ll be honest, I hadn’t planned on it,” a man said, and I gasped as the voice clicked.

“Mr. Mikhailov, I’m so sorry. I had a prank call earlier and…anyway, my apologies.”

This was so humiliating. Titus’s father had never called me before. I’d only ever seen him in person twice, but he had a distinctive huskiness, with a slight Russian accent that I would know anywhere.

“How can I help you?”

“There is an important matter that I need to speak to you about,” he said, and I cringed.

Had Vera run to Dimitri to tattle like a child? No…maybe.

“Oh…um…I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be rude, but we’ve never really spoken. Can you tell me what this is about?”

“An opportunity. One that could prove quite lucrative. I know that you’re an animal person, like Titus, and he mentioned you’re studying to be a veterinarian. Very ambitious, I like that.”

“Oh…” I said, even more stunned than before. “Thank you. What is the opportunity?”

“It’s late and I’m heading out to dinner, but why don’t we meet this week. I have time tomorrow evening or Friday during the day.”

“I can do tomorrow. What time works for you,” I asked, pulling up my calendar.

“I have meetings until six. Let’s say seven at Stoneridge. I’ll send a car to pick you up from the house.”

“It’s okay. I know where it is, I can drive.”

“Nonsense, I’ve invited you out. I insist. The car will be there at six-thirty. See you tomorrow, Fawn. I look forward to our meeting,” Mr. Mikhailov said, hanging up just as Steph sat down.

“What…what’s wrong?” I shook my head.

“You’re never going to believe this,” I said and started in on what happened.

Titus had always told me not to trust his father, but he’d seemed polite, sincere even on the phone. Besides, I could admit that I was curious about this opportunity and to get to know the man who had helped create Titus.

Now the only question was, should I tell Titus? The answer was no. If I was really embarking on my own, then decisions like this needed to be one hundred percent mine from now on. Titus needed to trust that I could stand up for myself, even in the face of his family. If I didn’t like the deal, then all I had to do was say no.

Smiling, I scooped up a spoonful of the chocolatey goodness and moaned as the flavor touched my tongue.

Chapter

Thirty

TITUS

I hadn’t stepped foot in this church, or any church, for some time. But here I was standing in the vestibule and staring up at the massive stained glass that circled the whole second-floor gallery. Each image was a depiction of Jesus or some symbolism that spoke of faith.

When I was younger, I genuinely thought that I could be an honest man. One capable of separating my faith from what I did for my family, but the lines blurred and blended into one. Soon, it became too easy to walk through the doors and ask for forgiveness while knowing that we were committing sins daily.

“So, what do you think? It’s beautiful, isn’t it,” Vera asked, like I’d never been here before. I’d told there three times already that I came here until I turned eighteen, but she didn’t seem to listen or care.

She smiled and pointed out the murals painted on the ceiling that mimicked the Sistine Chapel, and the pews that held hundreds of people. None of this was me, even if I’d wanted to get married in a church. My vision was small, intimate, with only good friends and family. At one time, I would’ve said the gardens at my parents’ home—with Bella and Daisy as ring bearers—was the perfect locale.

“You don’t seem happy. Do you want to check out another venue?”

I glanced down at Vera and shook my head.