Page 60 of Avenging Azalea

I hadn’t heard their name since I graduated from Wayward Academy. It was widely known that they ran the school, but more than that, they were a secret assassin force. I looked around the room as if they might appear suddenly. You didn’t dare cross them. No one even knew who the hell they were. They were the ghosts that haunted the nightmares of crime families. But they didn’t normally get involved with issues outside of the school and the protection of its students.

“The less you know, the better. It was not our finest moment.”

I narrowed my eyes and scrutinized his face for any sign of a lie. He was good at hiding his feelings, but the only thing I detected was worry.

“Look, Titus, I wouldn’t force this if it wasn’t necessary. I do recognize what you’ve done for this family.”

“Why don’t I believe you?”

“You can believe what you want, but I’m telling you the truth.” He got up, went over to his desk, and pulled a letter from inside.

He held it out to me, and I was tempted to walk out. The Curators were no joke, and I didn’t have a death wish. I took the letter that looked like it had been transported through time from the Middle Ages. The aged paper and weathered sides were one thing, but there was also an official wax seal with a Trojan head.

Mr. Dimitri Mikhailov,

This is a courtesy letter to inform you of our investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident with Mr. Vilanova. If we find that you and Mr. Vilanova are responsible for the actions that resulted in a Curator casualty, then it is our recommendation that you alert your family. Retribution will be swift.

Curators

“You killed a Curator? How did you know who they were? Why would you do that? Are you insane?”

Horrified by the implications, I dropped the letter onto the desk.

“I will not confirm or deny anything, Titus, but I can tell you that if something did happen…the death was an accident. The only hope we have of this going away is if you marry Vera. We need to present a united front to show that we’re on the same side and hold no animosity toward each other.”

“Since when do we have issues with the Vilanovas?”

He waved his hand dismissively at me.

“Not the point. If the Curators come for us, they’ll come for everyone. So even if you don’t care about me anymore, think of your mother, sister, nephew.”

“Are you kidding me?” My calm demeanor slipped, and I stomped across the room. “You have a lot of nerve trying to guilt me with family after the shit you pulled with Savannah and Cutter.”

“I can’t change what I did. This is a serious threat against everyone you love. They won’t stop at our immediate family. They’ll go after Fawn as well.”

He was damn lucky that I was no longer in arms reach. My hands clenched, itching to wrap around his throat.

“Don’t you dare say her name. Not now, not ever.”

“I warned you that caring for her was dangerous. Is she why you want out of the engagement?”

“Why I want out is none of your business. I’m not surprised the rectifying of this situation with the Curators has fallen to me. Thank you for putting everyone’s life in danger and laying it on my shoulders to keep them safe.”

He didn’t respond as I turned to leave. I grabbed the handle but didn’t turn to look at him as I spoke.

“If I find out that you orchestrated the death of a Curator, you won’t have to worry about them killing you because I will,” I growled.

Walking out, I slammed the door behind me.

Son of a bitch. Well, that just answered my question…no, money, power, and standing weren’t worth everything sacrificed.

Chapter

Eighteen

FAWN

My brain was set on torturing me. No matter how many times I scolded myself and begged it to stop, last night played on a loop. Every humiliating moment flashed across my mind like a nightclub light show, as if I didn’t have enough trauma to deal with already.