Page 48 of Torch

I knew they probably wanted to give Regina a piece of their mind as well. Myron walked up to me with a fake smile plastered on his face. “Maybe we should all start over. You’re dating our daughter, so the least we can do is get along.” He extended his hand. “I’m Myron, Brittney’s father and Digital Marketing Manager of Elite Legacy Marketing. How about we let the girls catch up, and we talk a little business?”

He shrank back when my eyes turned into slits as I glared at him. This motherfucker was bold. He had a lot of audacity. Not once had he apologized to my woman for the way he’d treated her. He had only reached out a few times, trying to force her back with Julian. I guess since they realized Brittney wasn’t with a bum, everything was supposed to be all good now.

“You've got a lot of nerve. This is the first time you’ve laid eyes on Brittney in over a month, and you didn’t even speak to her.”

I felt Brittney tighten her hold on my hand. I looked down at her and saw her staring at me pleadingly. I kissed her forehead for reassurance. I would never mess up my mother’s event, no matter how much I really wanted to put my foot in his ass. I hadn’t forgotten how he put his hands on her.

Myron nodded his head as he turned to Brit apprehensively. “How have you been, baby girl?” He stepped forward for a hug, but Brit took a few steps back.

“I’ve been fine.” She looked into my eyes. “Can we go to our table? My feet are beginning to hurt in these shoes.”

I knew she was just searching for a reason to get away from her family, so I quickly ushered her away without another word. Before we turned away, I caught the look in Morgan’s eyes. She hated Brit. I didn’t understand it. From what I saw in Vegas, it was very much one-sided. Brit wanted to have a bond with Morgan, but her sister despised her for unknown reasons.

Once we reached our table, I introduced Brit to my father. After everyone settled into their own conversations, I leaned down to whisper in her ear, “Are you okay, beautiful?”

She smiled sweetly. “Yes, I’m fine. I promise.”

I nodded and let it go for now. She seemed back to her chipper self, which was more than enough for me. Tonight, I wanted to have a good time with her. We could deal with her family another day. Because eventually, I would have to get them in line. Brittney was my wife, and it was my job to deal with anyone who wanted to disturb her happiness. Parents or not. If you upset my queen in any way, then you would have to deal with me. Plain and simple.

Chapter Sixteen

BRITTNEY

At this point, I wasn’t even surprised by the antics of my mother and Myron. I was just truly ashamed and hurt. They showed me time and time again that I was their personal cash cow.

When we walked away from my family, I had to suppress the tears that were threatening to fall. On one hand, I had my parents who were uncaring about the fact that they continuously hurt me. And on the other hand, I had Morgan sending me a look that could kill. I had been the black sheep in my household for as long as I could remember.

I always held different values than them. That was mostly because I spent a lot of time with my grandparents. Love, honor, and loyalty were instilled in me at a young age. While my grandparents lived a modest life, they were undeniably happy. Meanwhile, my mother had everything she could wish for financially, yet there were many nights she cried herself to sleep.

I think what hurt me the most was how Myron had treated me throughout all of this. Yes, I tried to play tough and act like I was okay washing my hands with him, but I was human. He had been the only father I had known, despite his shortcomings. I guess in my mind I thought eventually he would come around and apologize for at least putting his hands on me.

But no. I got nothing from him.

Even after not seeing each other for over a month, he didn’t even acknowledge me. He went right into trying to politic his way into the Romano circle. I was glad Christian had my back in it all. I would have loved to see Christian rip into Myron for all his behavior, but I didn’t want to ruin his mother’s event.

I was starting to wonder why Christian even wanted to continue to be with me. Yes, we had a true connection. It was raw, authentic, and deep. Despite all of that, I was surrounded by the same money-hungry vultures that Christian said he tried to avoid.

As soon as Christian and I made it to the table, my phone started buzzing back-to-back in my clutch. Before I powered it down, I saw it was a plethora of texts from my mother. She demanded that I bring them over to sit at the table with us. It felt like things were coming to an end for my family and me. They were becoming the type of people I despised. I would never fully turn my back on them, but I would deal with them from a distance. It was clear they were stuck in their ways.

Once my phone was off, I placed everything on the back burner. I was here to have a good time with Christian and his family. As the night went on, the tension left, and I mingled around the table. Christian’s family was laid back and humble. After eating and a few rounds of champagne, the DJ started playing old-school R&B, creating a lively atmosphere.

The ball had somehow turned into a party as Christian ushered me to the dance floor with his family. He had passed me to his brother, his father, then his sisters and mother. I was really enjoying myself. For a moment, I forgot this was a charity event.

After dancing and mingling for what seemed like hours, the auction began. My mouth froze wide open at the amount of money they were raising. It really shouldn’t have been shocking because they had a hefty number of actors, athletes, and singers in the building.

Even Christian had donated a hundred thousand dollars during the auction. He paid for a five-day trip for two to the Maldives, staying at his father’s hotel. I’m sure he would pay less for the trip out of pocket, but I knew it was for the cause. The night was coming to an end, and I had to use the bathroom in the worst way. I was seated at the table with his mother and sisters. Christian was across the room with Blade, talking with some of their old friends.

“Hey, if Christian comes back, can you tell him I went to the bathroom?” I leaned over to whisper in Crystal’s ear.

She nodded and pulled back. “Do you need one of the guards to go with you?”

My brows rose to my hairline. “Oh, no. I’ll be fine.”

I got up and made my way out of the ballroom. Finding the bathroom was easy since I had been to the venue many times for events in the past with my family. After I finished using the bathroom, I washed my hands at the sink. I heard the door open and lifted my head.

My heart beat wildly in my chest when I spotted Julian standing in front of the door. He was breathing heavily. He was obviously dressed for the ball in his tailored suit. I was just wondering how the hell I hadn’t run into him until this moment. He took a menacing step toward me, prompting me to spin around to face him.

“W-what are you doing here?”