Page 6 of Avenging Azalea

“Get going,” one of the guards said, pointing at the hotel. I quickly caught up to Titus to avoid pissing off his guards.

“Will they let you in with the dogs,” I asked.

“They better. My family owns this hotel.”

“Oh.”

The amount of money it took to own a place that looked like a palace, let alone the dog’s collars, was beyond my comprehension. We’d always lived wondering where our next meal was coming from and if the water and electricity would get turned off. I’d come home twice from school in the last year to find an eviction notice on the door.

My stepfather had a decent job, and if he hadn’t gotten himself into debt all the time, we wouldn’t be destitute. A few times, he seemed to get things turned around, but after weeks or even months of not gambling, he would fall off the wagon and binge. That was always the worst. He maxed out every credit card and leveraged anything he could—like the house, car, or me—for cash.

My jaw hit the floor as we walked into the hotel. It was truly incredible. Everything was polished to a sparkling shine. Men in suits and women in glittery dresses stood around chatting while priceless art, taller than I was, lined the walls. The fragrant scent of flowers filled the air.

“Wait here,” Titus ordered.

Assuming he meant me, I stopped. But he must have been talking to everyone, including Bella and Daisy. Every single person in the lobby turned to stare as Titus passed. Even the girl working the counter blushed as she talked to him.

I’d never understood jealousy, at least when it came to guys. Girls at school had lost their minds if someone so much as looked at their boyfriend. I’d always thought it was stupid and was just as happy never to have one of them speak to me. But as the woman at reception openly flirted with Titus, something inside of me stirred. I looked away. What the hell was wrong with me? This man owned me. Sexy or not, I was still just a captive.

What I really needed was a plan. I just didn’t know for what. Did I want to go back home? No, but there was George to consider. Who would keep my brother’s innocence intact if not me? Freedom was what I craved more than anything. Freedom to choose who to be, what classes to take in school, who to date or not. All of my freedoms had been stripped away one by one until there was no such thing, even when I roamed the streets late at night.

“This way,” Titus said, his deep voice making me jump.

I followed behind him, and it was easy to feel like one of his dogs. The funny thing was, I bet they were treated better than I had been by my stepfather my entire life.

The elevator ride was a tight fit, and I ended up squished into Titus’s side. The heat coming off of him was ridiculously comforting, but he never made a move to touch me. It was confusing. In the past, the men that I’d been given to were like octopi and groped me constantly.

The small screen read P when the elevator stopped. I’d never been in a penthouse before. The doors opened, and I was once more greeted with the most extravagant room I’d ever seen. I followed Titus, but my eyes bounced around. The massive television wouldn’t fit into any room in my old house. The fireplaces burned brightly, and there were enough chairs and couches for what seemed like dozens of people.

Titus walked down the hallway and into a room. When I spotted the bed, I froze. All the old terror came roaring back, but just like every other time, I beat it back. I kept my face neutral and head down in the demure position they all seemed to enjoy.

He wandered around and pointed out a small fridge, then turned on the lights in the bathroom. He walked up to me, and before he could order it…I dropped to my knees and grabbed his belt.

“What the hell are you doing?”

It felt like a bear had a hold of my wrists when he grabbed them and yanked my arms away.

“I…I…I thought this was what you wanted. I overheard the men talking and….”

“Enough. Stand up.”

Once I was on my feet, he let go of my wrists. I stared up at his angry expression and wanted to crawl into a hole. My body shook uncontrollably.

“Am I not desirable enough?”

“What?” His eyes went wide. “No…I mean, yes, but no…fuck, this is not happening. Don’t do that again.”

He turned to leave, and I lunged at him, grabbing his arm as my heart raced. His forearm was so muscled it was like a rock. I swallowed hard as he glared at me.

“Please don’t be mad. I’ll do whatever you want, just don’t kill my family.”

I dropped my hands as he turned to face me. My body trembled preparing for the hit.

“What exactly did Cesare and his men tell you about me and my family?” I licked my lips. “Tell me, Fawn.”

His eyes narrowed, and I couldn’t hold back under the weight of his scrutiny.

“They told me that I should be happy because I was going to be the toy of a powerful mafia leader. But they also said that if I didn’t please him, I would be thrown into a trafficking ring, and I’d never see my brother again if I lived at all.”