Page 23 of Avenging Azalea

“Don’t interfere, woman. Know your place.”

Nathaniel was on his feet in a blink.

“Don’t talk to my mother like that,” Nathaniel yelled as he pulled his gun.

This was getting out of hand.

“I will talk to my wife however I choose. She is my property.”

“She isn’t property!”

Nathaniel was volatile at the best of times. But riled up like this, someone was likely to die. The guards clearly agreed. They entered the dining room and took sides.

No one noticed when I wiped my mouth and stood. That was about to change. With a roar that could wake the dead, I slammed my fists on the table. The pretty vase fell over, spilling water and flowers onto the floor. All eyes turned to me.

“Shut up! All of you shut the fuck up! I’ll do it. I’ll marry Vera and keep the deal in place.”

“What?” Ronan looked at me and blinked, his face the epitome of shock. “You’d do that for me?”

“Yes, because I respect family and value loyalty. I’d rather marry her than have you all killing one another.”

With every word, I bricked up my heart behind an impenetrable wall. I would never be free to be with Fawn. It hurt far more than it should, but it was for the best. I loved Fawn and never wanted her kindness and beauty touched by the darkness of my family or this world. I had to keep her safe from the threats that came with the Mikhailov name. Now, the temptation to go against my better judgment was solved. I would take the hit. It was better and safer for everyone this way.

Father relaxed his posture and faced me.

“I’m proud of you, son. She’ll be here tomorrow. I’ve set up a meet and greet with her and her family the day after to give them time to get settled. Oh, and Valentine’s Day is in two weeks. We can do something special to celebrate your engagement then,” he said, smiling like his greatest plans were coming together while my world closed in on me.

“Great, just let me know the time and place,” I said and marched to the door.

“Where are you going? We have plans to discuss,” Father asked.

“I’ll sign and do whatever you want, but I need some fresh air and a day to myself,” I said and left without looking back.

Slipping into my car, I sat there staring out the windshield and tried to wrap my head around this new arrangement. What the hell had I done? Lacking any sort of answer to that question, I started the engine and drove home on autopilot.

“Boss, are you okay,” Naji asked when he greeted me at the front door.

“I will be…I think.” I gripped his shoulder and walked inside. I didn’t stop until I stood outside Fawn’s room.

The door was mostly closed, and I should’ve let her be. Instead, I knocked softly. There was no answer, but when I pushed it open, my dogs were lying on the bed, staring at me. My Little Bird was in the middle, surrounded like she was part of the pack. Fawn was sound asleep, her arm wrapped around Sheba while Bella was curled up behind her.

Day by day, she’d chipped away at my resolve until I woke up and realized that I loved her. I shouldn’t, but I did.

Bending over, I took off her shoes and set them aside.

“Off,” I whispered, and the dogs moved so I could fold back the blankets.

My eyes were locked on her sleeping face as I tucked her under the covers. Pain gripped my heart as I ran a piece of her soft hair through my fingers. For the first time since I was a child, I felt like crying. Caressing her cheek, I savored this fleeting moment.

Before I could pull away, Fawn grabbed my hand. She cuddled it as if it were one of the dogs. I held perfectly still and let the seconds tick by, but the longer I stayed, the harder it was going to be to let go forever. Gently prying my fingers from hers was like cutting my heart from my chest.

“I love you,” she mumbled groggily and then sighed in her sleep.

Brushing her temple with my lips, I whispered, “I love you too, Little Bird.”

Forcing myself to step back, I signaled to the dogs, and they happily jumped up to rejoin Fawn as I slipped out her door and closed it. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Marching down the hall, I changed into my workout clothes and then, at the last second, grabbed two bottles of whiskey to take with me. Why the fuck not?