Page 396 of Savage Bosses

Tatianna:I will. And thank you, Bryce, for always being there for me and for always protecting me.

Bryce smiled.

Bryce:You’re welcome, love.

He placed the phone on the nightstand. His woman was safe. His secret was safe. His father was proud of him. Bryce had everything he wanted. And it was all thanks to him giving in to his dark cravings. But that fear that he’d let the truth slip out in front of Tati still plagued him.

Perhaps it was his guilty conscience making him think that way. For now, it would be wise to keep his distance from her, just until this fear passed. Which was why when his dad asked him to take a trip to Italy with him to visit some of their relatives, he hadn’t hesitated to agree.

Usually, he turned down any trips that would last longer than a few days. He hated being away from her. But a month in Italy would be good for him. The time away would help him get his head on straight. And while he was away, he’d have Matthew watch over Tati for him. By the time he returned, he would’ve put this entire thing with Marco behind him.

And he’d be ready to continue his forever with the woman he’d kill to protect.

Tatianna

Two weeks later

Tatianna was slowly recovering from what Marco had done to her. After learning of his death on the news, her mother had convinced her to go to the cops and let them know she was the second woman he’d attacked that night. She’d described his clothing to them. Sure enough, they’d found that hoodie in his rundown apartment.

She’d never know how Marco had fallen onto hard times or why he’d ended up being a squatter in an abandoned apartment building. What she did know was that his toxicology report revealed he’d had all types of drugs in his system at his time of death. It was clear he’d been going through a rough time.

Despite what he’d done to her, she often felt sorry for him when she thought of him. But she told herself he didn’t deserve her pity. She’d never wish death on anyone, but karma was real. He’d hurt people, so he’d been hurt. Simple as that. Who knew how many women he’d hurt that no one knew about?

Now, he was no longer able to hurt anyone again. Tatianna forced herself to stop thinking about Marco as she stared in her rearview mirror, checking her makeup. Today was her off day, and she’d planned to spend it baking with Bryce’s mother at her bakery.

Bryce and his father had been in Italy for two weeks now, visiting family and looking at some vineyards Bryce’s dad wanted to purchase. Bryce’s mother was lonely. So, Tati was trying to spend more time with her. Tati was lonely also, but she was trying not to let it show. She wanted to be mad at Bryce for leaving for such a long time.

But she didn’t want to be one of those clingy girlfriends. Still, something about their abrupt trip felt off. And Bryce’s conversations felt off lately, too. They talked on the phone each night before bed. But he always seemed distracted, like he didn’t want to be on the phone with her. Tati sighed.

Maybe it was all in her head. Perhaps she was overreacting. Since the attack, she’d found herself overthinking almost everything. The only time her heart felt calm these days was when she was cooking. Today was going to be her day to chat and bake with Bryce’s mom, a day to relax and not let anything stress her out.

But someone unexpected messaged her on social media, asking her to meet up for lunch. That someone was Melinda Farrina, sister of Bryce’s friend, Matthew Farrina. Tatianna despised Melinda. She knew the chick had a crush on Bryce. Even if Bryce couldn’t see it, Tati could. She also knew that Melinda’s family had hoped Bryce would fall for their daughter.

Not happening. Because of all this, she was shocked when Melinda messaged her. She’d only driven to the location Melinda wanted to meet at because the woman claimed she had something to tell Tatianna, something that no one else could know. Something about Bryce.

Tatianna’s nosy ass had hurried up and gotten dressed to meet her. She wondered if Melinda knew why Bryce was acting distant lately. Though he claimed all was fine, she knew something was wrong. And she had a feeling Melinda knew what was bothering Bryceson. She was sure Bryceson hadn’t told Melinda anything.

But maybe Melinda had overheard a conversation between Bryce and her brother. Tatianna exited her car and strode up to her destination. She pulled open the door and stepped into the warmth of the coffee shop. The air was thick with the intoxicating aroma of freshly ground coffee beans and buttery croissants. She scanned the room for Melinda.

“Over here, Tatianna!” Melinda waved from a corner table, a devious sparkle in her emerald-green eyes. A cup of steaming chai latte sat before her as Melinda tapped her manicured nail impatiently against the table. Damn, she hated this chick. Tatianna hesitated for a moment, then walked over to join her.

“Hi, Melinda,” she said, taking a seat across from her. “How are you today?”

“No need to be polite. We’re not friends.”

Tati gritted her teeth as Melinda continued.

“Let’s cut to the chase, shall we?” Melinda leaned in, her eyes narrowing. “I know about Bryce’s...actions.”

Tatianna’s heart skipped a beat, and her breath caught in her throat. She swallowed hard, trying to regain her composure. Had Bryce done something bad? Had he cheated on her? Impossible. She wouldn’t believe it unless she saw proof, cold hard evidence. And she wasn’t about to let this heffa make her doubt her man.

“What are you talking about?” Tati asked, her voice barely above a whisper, not wanting any other patrons to hear her.

“Please, don’t play dumb with me.” Melinda rolled her eyes disdainfully. “My brother told me everything. He’s friends with Bryce. Remember?”

How could she forget? Since Bryce had been in Italy, she’d been seeing Matthew everywhere. Bryce finally admitted that he’d asked his friend to keep an eye on her. But what had Matthew told Melinda about Bryce that made this chick bold enough to contact Tatianna? She fought to steady her trembling hands as she reached for the menu. She was trying her best not to allow her anger to show.

“Matthew shouldn’t be spreading rumors about his friend,” Tatianna managed finally, her voice wavering only slightly.

---