Crisis Of Desire

< XXXIX >

I get up and walk over to him, hearing Rio chuckle from the other side of the room. 'Tame her a little, will you?' 

'You should be happy he's alive, otherwise, I would've killed you by now.' I grunt at the man sitting on the other side of the table. The man who basically fumes my anger every day of his life. 'You should be the one who should be happy because if Leonardo wouldn't be here right now, you would've been dead the moment I saw you in the club.' 

'Adriano, enough.' Tiago sneers at his cousin, before pulling me closer by wrapping his arm around my waist. 

Rio's threats don't scare me. Not anymore. I know that Tiago won't let him hurt me, so I have nothing to worry about as long as he's alive. 

'Take her out of my sight before I hurt her.' 'Try me.' His eyes shoot to mine, but I won't back down. Not again. 

Rio thinks he could get to me by looking at me, staring me down if you might, but it won't work. Not this time. Not ever again. 

I'm done hiding from him. I want him to own up to what happened, even though he keeps pushing his innocence. I know he had some part in Andrea's death. Meaning he had a part in my family's death, meaning he's my enemy as well. 

'I'm warning you North.' I feel Tiago tense behind me and keep my eyes on Rio, not allowing him to win. 'You don't-' Tiago presses his hand on my mouth and pulls me out of the house. 

I kick and hit him, but it's no use. He forces me down the path and stays close so that I'm unable to run around him. Back to Rio. 

'Why the fuck did you do that!?' He smirks and gently nudges me towards his house. 'Tiago why are you-' I'm unable to finish my sentence when he presses me against a tree next to his house. I look into his eyes and take a deep breath. 

I hate that he won't let me fight my battles with Rio, but I'm happy he's here. 

'He's not worth it.' He whispers stepping back just a little. I grab his shirt, trying to keep him close, and he smiles at my desperation.

He steps closer again and presses his head against mine, sending butterflies through my body like always. 'Don't waste your anger on him.' He mumbles against my lips. 

'I just-' 'I know you hate him for what happened with Andrea, but it's not his fault.' 

And he just had to ruin it didn't he... I groan out of annoyance and push him away, before walking away from him. 

'Where are you going?' He asks as he rushes after me. 'How can I not blame him?!' I turn back around, making him smash into me, and fold my arms in front of my chest. 

'He had nothing to do with it.' He sighs, annoying me all the more. Apparently, I'm the only one who sees that it's his fault. 

'It was Rafael who slept with other girls while he was dating her. It was Rafael who told her he would stay loyal, time and time again!' My words don't do shit to him, but they break me. They cut through me like a bunch of knives. 

Andrea was my family, she was like a sister to me. Even if we didn't see each other often, I loved her so much. And because of Rio, she's gone. 

It's not entirely his fault, I know that, but he has a big part to play. And since I'm unable to do something to Steel about it, I have to turn to the other criminal. 

'If he wouldn't have slept with that one girl, maybe she would've been here and maybe I wouldn't have left, and maybe, just maybe, all of this would be different!' 

I feel the tears forming in my eyes and try to blink them away, but it's no use. Tiago steps closer and wraps his arms around me, while I try to stop crying like a goddamn baby.