Page 430 of Savage Bosses

"Of course, dear," Mrs. Cattaneo replied with a nod, while Tatianna's mother merely waved her off.

Tatianna hurried into the bathroom. As she stood under the hot spray of water, she tried not to think about her frustrating ass day. She knew her mother and Mrs. Cattaneo were only concerned for her well-being, but it was exhausting to rehash every interaction with Bryce.

After a quick shower, Tatianna dried off and changed into her pajamas. Taking a deep breath, she braced herself for the conversation that awaited her in the living room. She found her mother and Mrs. Cattaneo sitting on the couch, their faces etched with worry. Her mom patted the space between them.

"Come have a seat."

"Okay," Tatianna began, settling between them. "Let me tell you about my day at work."

This reminded her of when she was a kid and would come home from school to find her mom and Lora watching soap operas. She'd climb on the couch between them and tell them about her day at school and how Bryce had protected her from a bully.

Who knew the day would come when he'd be the bully she complained to them about? She launched into a recap, describing how Bryce had rejected every dish she'd prepared for him, his scathing criticisms echoing in her mind as she spoke.

Her hands fidgeted in her lap, betraying her inner turmoil. He used to love her cooking. Now, he acted like her food was no better than dirt.

"Unbelievable," Mrs. Cattaneo muttered. "That boy really needs to get his act together." Mrs. Cattaneo's lips pursed in displeasure, her gaze hardening. "I can't believe Bryce has been treating you this way, Tatianna. It's simply unacceptable."

"I know, but I can handle it," she insisted, not wanting to appear weak in front of these two strong women.

"Sweetheart, it's one thing to be strong but another to let someone walk all over you," her mother cautioned, her voice gentle yet firm.

"I won't let him walk over me. Trust me, I know how to handle it."

Her mom and Lora nodded.

"Did Melinda show up today?" Lora asked.

Tati nodded. “She had lunch with Bryce today."

"That little snake! She's never going to let him go," Lora complained.

"Oh, and I heard something today that might be useful," Tatianna began. "Sybil mentioned something to me today. Apparently, there's a woman who lost her job all because of Melinda. Melinda caught her and Bryce talking at a sports event. A week later, the woman lost her job and her home."

"Damn," Tati's mom said. "Melinda is a bad bitch."

Tatianna chuckled. "She's seriously obsessed with Bryceson."

"This sounds like something she'd do," Mrs. Cattaneo muttered darkly. "She's always playing with other people's lives to get what she wants. Her parents have never told her, no, and it shows. She truly thinks she's supposed to have whatever she wants, and she'll do anything to get it."

Tatianna nodded. "I don't know the woman's name or anything, but I thought you should know. It's just another example of how far Melinda's willing to go."

"Thank you for telling us, Tati," Mrs. Cattaneo told her. "I'll look into this woman and see if there's any way we can help her."

"Good," Tatianna's mother agreed. "As for Melinda, I have one of our men keeping tabs on her phone calls. So far, she hasn't contacted anyone suspicious or made any moves against you, hon. But we're watching her closely."

Mrs. Cattaneo shifted in her seat, her eyes narrowing as she leaned in closer to Tatianna and her mother. "I've got someone keeping an eye on Melinda's father too. We need to make sure he isn't pulling any strings behind the scenes," she divulged. "He's desperate to get Bryce with Melinda. You know he's not the Cattaneo's consigliere anymore. Hasn't been for years. I don't know what happened, but the don fired him years ago, angering my husband. My husband remained friends with the Farrina family. But the don isn't close with them. Bryceson is still friends with their son, Matthew. But I don't trust him either. So, I have guys monitoring Matt, Melinda, and their father. I'm not really concerned with their mom. She's too busy sleeping with one of the security guards."

"Hey," Tati's mom exclaimed. "We may be able to blackmail that guard into getting us some info."

Lora smiled. "You are so right! I'll get right on that."

Tatianna glanced back and forth between her mother and Mrs. Cattaneo. Then it dawned on her. She was sitting between some classy ass thugs who would go to great lengths to protect their families.

She couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and awe at being in their presence. When she became a parent, she wanted to be just like her mother and Mrs. Cattaneo. Those two women would go up against the devil for their children.

And win.

Chapter Seven

---