Chapter 28
Red.
That’s all he could see as he burst out the front door and into the yard. Katya had endured torture at the hands of Jorge Peru. Hands Matias intended to remove one at a time.
“Matty, what’s going on?” Bastian and Antonio emerged from the house. “Is something wrong with Katya?”
“Bastian.” Tears threatened to spill as Matias turned to look at his brother.
“What the fuck?” Bastian tugged his brother into his arms.
“Katya… she was—Jorge told her he would ruin her for anyone and that I wouldn’t want her anymore.”
“And your response when you heard this was to run out on her? Matias, I know it was hard to hear, but we knew it happened. Catarina told you what she found, and now…” he turned toward the house, “you’ve run out on her, confirming what that bastard filled her head with.”
“Fuck.” Matias breathed in a massive breath and blew it out. “It’s not what I meant. The anger was just too much. I didn’t want to scare her.”
“You need to go back up there and tell her you didn’t leave because of what you heard, or you may lose her forever. Let us work on forcing Jorge out of hiding. Then you can have your revenge. That woman up there needs you, Matty.”
Matias hugged his brother and headed back inside. Catarina was coming down the steps as he was heading up them.
“How is she?”
“Broken. And I don’t mean just her body.
What happened to her was beyond anything we can comprehend.
That monster took something from her that will take time to get back, but when you walked out that door, she crumbled into a thousand tiny pieces.
She may tell you to leave with her words, but her heart needs you, Matias. ”
“I know. I just needed a moment to control the anger.”
“Go to her. Tell her that, Matias. If you love her, you're going to have to break down the walls she has erected to protect herself. She had to go to a dark place to withstand the abuse. If anyone can help her, it’s you.”
“Thank you, Catarina. You’re a remarkable woman.”
He climbed the steps to Katya’s room. Matias pressed his hand to her door and sighed.
She deserved better than this. Katya deserved freedom from the hate and the memories.
As he stepped into the room, his heart splintered into a thousand shards.
Katya was lying on the bed with her knees drawn to her chest. Her soft cries drove daggers into his soul as he approached her bed.
“Katya.” He moved to side of the bed and crawled onto the mattress.
“Please don’t cry. I left because I was so angry at what he did to you.
It doesn’t change my feelings for you.” Matias pulled her back against his chest and pressed a kiss to the back of her head.
“My love for you doesn’t change because someone hurt you.
What Jorge did to you isn’t your fault, Katya. Do you hear me?”
“But I’m ruined. Why would you want me now?”
Matias held her close and breathed in her hair. “You're not ruined, Princesa. You’ll get through this and I won’t leave your side until you do.” Matias held her while she cried, his hands gently rubbing against her arm. “What do you need, Katya? What will make this better?”
“Just hold me.”
“I’ll hold you and never let go.”