Page 429 of Savage Bosses

Tatianna unlocked her door and slid behind the wheel of her vehicle. As she drove off, she forced herself not to look at Bryce, who'd just entered his car.Fuck it,she looked as she passed his car and found him looking at her.

Tati forced her gaze forward, blinking back tears. She was pretty sure love wasn’t supposed to hurt like this. When Tatianna made it home, she pushed open the door to her condo, the scent of fresh-baked bread still lingering on her clothes.

She paused, taking in the scene before her: her mother and Mrs. Cattaneo sat side by side on the sofa, engrossed in a crime show on television. The room smelled of buttery popcorn.

"Hey, Mom, Mrs. Cattaneo," she greeted them, tossing her keys onto the entryway table.

"Hi, dear," her mother responded absently, eyes glued to the TV screen.

"Hello, Tatianna," Mrs. Cattaneo added with a warm smile.

This was the third time she'd come home to find them like this. Her place was becoming the place to go to escape their husbands. Tatianna considered taking her mother's copy of the key to the condo.

It wasn't that she didn't appreciate their company, but the constant unannounced visits were starting to wear on her nerves. She sighed inwardly, deciding against it for now.

"What are you two doing here tonight?" she asked, eyeing them.

"We're here to talk to you," her mother answered, eyes never leaving the screen. To Lora, her mom said, "He's the real killer, the brother. He protected his younger brother just so he could pin the crime on him."

"I hope this isn't one of those unsolved crimes because I want him to go to prison," Lora said.

"What did you two want to talk about?" Tati asked on a yawn.

"Your day," her mother replied, her eyes narrowing. "How was work?"

"Fine," Tatianna answered evasively, not wanting to discuss Bryce's behavior. Instead, she focused on the television, hoping the conversation would veer away from him.

"Did you see Bryce today?" Mrs. Cattaneo asked. There was no escaping the subject now.

"Uh, yeah," Tatianna muttered, rubbing the back of her neck. "We crossed paths once or twice."Or all damn day.

"Did he say anything to you?" Her mother prodded, sensing her hesitation.

"Nothing important," Tatianna shrugged.

"Stop lying," her mother insisted. "What happened?"

It seemed there was no way around discussing Bryce's harsh words earlier.

"He just… complained about my cooking."

"Your cooking?!" Mrs. Cattaneo snapped, her anger evident. "That little—"

"It's okay," Tatianna interrupted, holding up a hand. "I can handle it."

"Can you, though?" her mother countered, her expression softening.

"Look," Tatianna began. "I know things are complicated with Bryce, but I can take care of it myself."

"Complicated? That's an understatement," Mrs. Cattaneo said, shaking her head. "He's a stubborn fool, and he's hurting you because he's hurting."

"Exactly," Tatianna agreed. "But that doesn't mean we can't figure this out. We just need some time and space to work through our issues."

"Time and space won't fix everything," her mother warned. "But for now, let's focus on getting that meddling Melinda out of the picture."

"Agreed," Tatianna nodded, feeling a small sense of relief. At least they were on the same page about something.

"Can you two give me a minute?" Tatianna asked, gesturing towards the bathroom. "I just need to shower, and then we can chat."

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