Hers [Book #2]

Chapter 33

Oh shit. The absolute last thing Tristan needed, after the day he's had, was for his sister and Angel to confess their love for one another.

Tristan's eyes are fixated on their entwined hands. He doesn't say a word, which scares the shit out of me. He's no longer fiddling with my bathing suit, his eyes just as stoic as the rest of his facial features.

Angel's face is red, his hazel eyes full of fear. He's trembling so badly that he looks like he might piss himself.

For once, Katya also looks scared. As if just now realizing that this was a bad idea. "Before you do something crazy, please just listen." She squeezes Angel's hand, glancing at him in a way I've done Tristan many times.

There wasn't a doubt in my mind that they were deeply in love. I could see it so clearly in her eyes.

I didn't think Tristan was going to speak at all until he asked, "how long?" His attention shifts from Katya to Angel, his gaze heavy and icy.

"I love him, Tristan," Katy blurts out, tightening her hold on Angel.

"How long?" He barks again, his voice loud and angry. He completely ignores Katya, the rage burning in his eyes directed at Angel.

Angel nervously spews out an answer. "A-About four years."

Tristan clenched his jaw, his brows furrowed as his nose crinkled in anger. "I take you into my home, consider you a part of my family, and this is how you repay me?" He jolts to his feet, exploding with pure rage and hurt. "You go behind my back and fuck my sister!?"

"Tristan." I step in front of him, my palms on his chest. "Calm down, baby. Please."

His eyes snap down to me. "Why the fuck aren't you surprised?" Staring down at me, he scans my face. He quickly connects the dots before I can utter a response. "You knew? You knew and didn't fucking tell me?"

"It wasn't my place to tell," I try to explain.

The hurt in his eyes is evident as he roughly shoves me away from him. I stumble back a step or two, unable to stop him from lunging at Angel.

The two of them fall to the floor, Angel guarding his face as Tristan strikes him with a closed fist. Katya screams, trying to push and pull her brother off him.

She's screaming for him not to kill Angel. And that she would never forgive him if he did.

"Mama?" Mateo asks in concern, he and Gianni peeking their heads through the screen door.

I shove the two of them back inside, not wanting them to see what's happening. "Go to your room. Both of you."

"Why is fratello(brother) hurting Angel?" Gianni asked.

"Daddy's mad," Mateo realized. "Why is daddy mad?"

Cyrus and Franco rush outside to help Katya, while Sandrino swoops in to take the boys. "Don't tell them anything," I say before heading back outside.

Cyrus and Franco manage to pull Tristan off of Angel. "Betraying you wasn't my intention," he cried. "But I'm not going to apologize for falling in love with her."

Tristan snarled. "Get the fuck out of my house!"

Katya, who's rushed in to check on a bloodied and bruised Angel, whips her head in her brother's direction. "Tristan, no!"

Angel's face is swollen almost to the point of him being unrecognizable. He's got a nasty gash on the corner of his left brow, a trail of blood seeping into his eye. His lip is busted, and his right eye is nearly swollen shut.