K I A R A ' S P.O.V
He looked exactly the same, yet completely different all at once.
His fair skin had tanned slightly, his once short cropped hair was now longer, brushing against the nape of his neck, and he was stronger. The muscles on his arms had grown, and there was no doubt in my mind, that his six pack, had grown to an eight. Tattoos coated every inch of his perfect body and I gasped as my eyes drunk in the beautiful ink.
It was his eyes though. It was his eyes that made me melt into a puddle and forget all the bad.
Those sparkling green orbs danced with excitement and his lips twitched up as he caught me staring.
"I missed you baby-girl, glad to see you missed me too."
That voice. That stupid fucking voice, reminded me of the voicemail I had heard countless times over the years. The phone number that never answered.
A crack resonated throughout the hallway. It was only when I felt a stinging pain in my plan did I register what had just happened.
I hit him. I actually hit him.
Tristan slowly turned his head back to me. Shock and hurt was written all over his face, which just made my hand itch for more.
"So you are real.What the fuck are you doing in my house?" I screeched, preparing to go full assassin on his sexy ass.
Damn it, I couldn't even threaten him without giving him a compliment. He did have a very sexy ass though.
"I work here." A humourless laugh left my mouth, as I pulled a gun out of my bra, and pointed it straight at him.
"Give me the real fucking reason, before I put a bullet between your eyes." It all happened in a blur.
One second I was standing there with all the power and the next he'd grabbed my gun, spun me around and wrapped an arm around my neck.
"Baby-girl, I thought you would have gotten better at this by now." I grinned.
"Oh I have." I whacked my head back, smashing it against his forehead and stamped on his foot. His grip loosened, so I went in with the final blow. Knee to the groin.
He keeled over and groaned, clutching his precious manhood.
"Okay I have to admit, that was good." He wheezed out and I snatched the gun back.
"Tell me what the fuck you're doing here?" I screamed just as the door behind me swung open.
Light poured out as my parents walked in. My mother was dressed in her usual satin night gown with her curls bunched up into a bun and my dad was wearing nothing but a shirt and boxers.
Ew.
"I found him here. He snuck in, want me to get Kieron so we can take him down the basement?" The one thing I would love to watch is Tristan being tortured by my most callous brother.
"Kia he's okay. He's allowed to be, it was a... misunderstanding." I dropped the pointed gun and stared at my father with angry eyes..
"A misunderstanding? He betrayed me..the gang, I mean the gang. He's a traitor and we put a bullet between a traitor's eyes daddy, you taught me that."
"I know sweetie, but not if they're valuable and can help us." I scoffed.
"Valuable? What the fuck can he give us?"
"Honey we'll explain tomorrow. It's late go to bed." My mum was leaving no room for debate, despite every cell in my body wanting me to stay.
Not just to find out the truth but to be closer to...him.
Walking forward, my mum gently pulled my gun away and gave me a sad smile.
Something was definitely wrong.
I stormed past Tristan as I went straight to my room, practically knocking him to the ground again. I slammed my door shut and fell to the floor as I began to cry.
He was back. Tristan was finally back.
I had begged and prayed to God for him to bring Tristan back, sometimes so I could punish him for how much he had hurt me and other times because I simply wanted him back.
Now though it was clear. He was back and although I felt this deep passionate desire to run into his arms, I wanted to murder him more. I wanted my revenge, no matter cost. For him to hurt, just as much as he hurt me, but right now though I would cry.
I would cry because Tristan Rose always knew how to break me down and once again, he'd broken me.
**
The birds were chirping and the sun was beaming when I awoke. A complete contrast to my sour mood that was already making me feel like hell.
Tristan was here. He was somewhere in this house right now and for some reason I felt this strange fluttering in my stomach. Nerves perhaps?
No, why the fuck do I need to be nervous? I need to be strong and confident and look sexy as hell. He fucked me over for the last time and I would show him exactly how over him I was.
Even though I wasn't. Nowhere near be over him in fact.
I grabbed my pleated skirt and crisp white shirt. Pulling them on, I reached for some new clothes I could change into.
Lace tights or fishnets?
Fishnets it was. He always loved the look of my legs in fishnets, especially that one time when he ripped them apart and fuc.....okay maybe that was a little too much information.
I would change in the car since it was definitely too warm to wear a jumper and I slipped on some flats, before making my way downstairs.
Laughter erupted from the dining room, a very strange occurrence in the Romano household. Shouting, screaming and swearing I would get, but laughing? Something was definitely wrong.
"Tristan that's too funny, you're killing me man!" I heard Kale exclaim just as I stepped into the room.
My dad was at the head of the table, his hand outstretched to hold my mum's, and my three brothers were all sat around the table, with Kieron in the other head seat.
Then there was Tristan. He was sat in the seat that I would usually sit next to, and he knew it.
That empty chair beside him was calling out my name, begging Me to sit down but I stayed put.
Just being near him would make me weak and cause me to crumble.
The laughter ceased as my presence was noticed, like I was the grim reaper or some shit.
"What the fuck's so funny?" I meant it to come out it a nice polite way but instead I snapped. "I mean why were you guys laughing? Come on, I feel left out of the fun."
Kale gulped noticeably. "Well, Tristan was telling us this funny story of when he accidentally bought some old mouldy cheese from this old Brazilian man for almost one thousand American dollars, thinking he was paying the rent on his apartment."
I reached over, grabbing a shiny red apple, absolutely and took a large bit out of it.
"Wow that is funny, but really it just makes you look like an idiot." Taking another bite, I stared him down but he matched my glare with an equal ferocity.
"I am an idiot. I've done a lot of stupid things, things I wish to fix." I almost dropped my apple . I knew what he was talking about, his eyes said it all, and my heart clenched.
No, you can't Kiara. Don't let him see you weak, don't let him walk all over you and most importantly never give him a second chance.
"Well unfortunately somethings can't be fixed. No matter how hard you try."
The atmosphere had grown tense and everyone around us shifted uncomfortably. My dad cleared his throat, breaking our intense stare and gaining our attention.
"Kiara, Tristan wants to try and salvage your friendship." Friendship, more like relationship. "You two were so close before, I don't understand why you can't just forgive him?"
"Daddy he betrayed us. He worked his way into our lives, all so he could just take what he wanted and go. I really don't understand why he's here right now and not downstairs locked up in chains!"
To be honest, the thought of Tristan being tortured made me want to die. He still had a strong hold on me and the more and more time he spent here, the stronger that hold got.
"Kiara I know what I did was wrong and I'm sorry for all the pain I've caused but I'm back now. I came back because I realised that this gang was I needed in my life, that this gang was my life and without it I couldn't survive. This gang means everything to me and I would never ever betray it again."
Me, he was talking about me.
It was his 'apology'. The one thing I've been waiting for.
I thought it would somehow simmer the boiling rage instead of me but it didn't. I still wanted more.
I wanted him to hurt, to cry, to beg.
Sorry, simply wasn't enough.
"I don't care." He winced and pain flashed across his face. A satisfied smirk crawled up on my lips as I turned back to my face father.
"Kia, I know this is hard but he's genuine about being loyal and coming back to us."
"No dad, I'm sorry but no. It's me or him?" My dad looked shocked and to be honest, I surprised myself too.
Never had I spoken to him with such authority and defiance. He knew once I called him dad that I was angry, pissed even.
"Out." He stated. To who? No-one knew.
"Everyone out!" He screamed, almost turning red in the face. My brothers scurried out, quickly followed by Tristan but my mother and I hesitated.
"Gabi, please leave. I need to speak with Kiara alone." My mum nodded, giving a small smile of encouragement, before walking out.
"Kiara, firstly never refer to me as dad again. I hate that, I've always been daddy to you and it reminds me that no matter what, you will always be my little girl." I nodded. I hated calling him dad too.
"Secondly, you can't make me choose between you and Tristan because there would be no choice. It would be you, always, but I've already made a deal with him."
"A deal with Tristan?" I was still trying to figure out what Tristan was trying to do and this 'deal' was just another piece to the puzzle.
"Yes. In exchange for giving us information on the Ghosts, he wants to be apart of our mafia. Normally I wouldn't do this but he has proved to be a great asset and a very skilled young man."
"So, what? He was like a double agent or something? First he leaked information about us to the Ghosts, now he's doing the same to them. Doesn't this all prove one thing? That he's not loyal and loyalty is the most important thing in the mafia dad."
"I know sweetie but he's passed the induction test and fits in perfectly with the other guys." He paused slightly, and eyed me nervously.
"There is one other thing."
"What?" I said through gritted teeth.
"I gave him a list of positions that needed to be filled. He chose one, perhaps the most important job of all.
"And? What did he choose?" I held my breath.
"Becoming your bodyguard." Fuck. My. Life.
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A/N: Thoughts on Tristan so far? Is he hot enough for you? 😉
Bring a smile to my face and please press that vote button. Also feel free to write a comment, I love hearing from you guys! ❤️