Page 58 of The Marriage Auction 2: Part 3

“You mean, like you did to me!” she screeched, and I winced at the piercing timbre. “You tried to fire me, Brenden! Can youeven imagine how that made me feel to have my own brother push me away, and right after our parents died!”

He held up his hands. “I will admit, that wasn’t one of my best moments.”

“Your best moments? Are you fucking kidding me right now? You screwed Giovanni’s fiancée on their rehearsal night. You then married her three weeks later. You tried to fire me and push me out of a job I loved, and out of your life. And now what…because your wife is in jail, and I now own full say in everything FM Enterprises, you come crawling back as though you all of a sudden have a fucking heart? I don’t think so big brother!” She picked up the beer he’d left on the counter and catapulted it at his head.

It barely missed as he hollered and ducked.

“Okay, okay, I get it! I’m an asshole. I fucked up. Royally. I want to make amends.”

Julianne burst into full belly laughter as tears scored down her pink cheeks.

“I mean it. I do want to apologize. I did you wrong.” He looked at me. “Both of you. And I’m sorry.”

I didn’t have to say a word, Julianne said it all on our behalf.

“You’re not forgiven. Don’t you see? The shit you pulled Brenden isunforgivable.”

His head dropped forward, and his shoulders sagged. “I’ll put in the work. Whatever it takes to win your favor back.”

Julianne closed her eyes and shook her head. “It’s not that simple, Brenden.” The tears kept falling, and I wouldn’t stand for that. I moved through the muck and pulled her into my arms.

“I think you need to leave—unless you want me to make you leave again,” I grated.

He shook his head and stood up. “You fractured two of my ribs last time,” Brenden muttered and cupped the side of his rib cage.

“Less than you deserved,” I warned.

He scowled as he pushed his chair back in. “I really do want to fix things between us. Mom and Dad would hate that we’re fighting.”

Julianne removed her face from my chest and glared at her brother. “Mom and Dad would be so disappointed in you. They wouldn’t be able to see straight through their fury. Whatever this is”—she waved her hand up and down, gesturing to his entire body—“it’s not the brother I was raised with. I don’t know where he went, but my guess is he was brainwashed by an evil bitch.”

“Bianca’s in jail. Exactly what you both wanted. My pregnant wife is rotting in jail because of you two, and here I thought we could try and work things out,” he huffed.

“You’re delusional. That woman assaulted my husband.”

“Oh, come on, like my tiny wife could overtake a man of Gio’s size and stature. He’s got what, a hundred pounds on her? Puh-leeze. Sexual assault? Really, Gio? No jury in their right mind is going to side with you.”

I could feel my wife tense, and her entire body trembled with anger. Thankfully, I had my arm wrapped around her waist, because she flung herself forward like a deranged cat that had just been sprayed with water and was going to scratch his eyes out. I locked her tight against my chest as she kicked and windmilled her arms.

“I’ll destroy you! Let me at him!” She wailed and screamed like a banshee ready to commit murder.

“Get ahold of yourself, Julianne. You really have lost it. I don’t know what I was thinking coming here, hoping to be forgiven. I genuinely thought maybe we could talk things out, and you’d drop the trumped-up charges against my wife,” Brenden spat. “She’s pregnant. She shouldn’t be in a jail cell.”

“No, she should be in the black hole for drugging and assaulting an unsuspecting man. I hope they throw the book at her!”

Brenden rolled his eyes as not one, but three phones started to ring. Brenden’s, mine inside my pocket, and Julianne’s, which was lying on the counter.

“Jesus, what now!” Julianne barked.

Brenden answered his phone while I ignored mine and kept Julianne from getting into trouble for attacking her sibling. Not that I wouldn’t love to see that show, because I truly believed she’d kick his ass.

“She what? When? Who?” Brenden asked the caller.

A huge, evil smile stretched across his face as he looked at us.

“I’ll be right there,” he spouted and then hung up. A smarmy expression flitted across his face. “Good news. Looks like I don’t need your help with Bianca after all.”

Julianne frowned.

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