SOUL TIES (The Sánchez Brothers Series, Book 1)

CHAPTER 2 : DEBBIE

"¡Estoy que exploto! Estoy muy furioso."

Even without him saying it verbatim, it was very obvious that Alejandro Rodriguez was on the brink of fury. His heavy panting, red eyes, veins popping out on every inch of his face and the volume of his voice all pointed that. It was the most terrifying sight and I couldn't help but shiver in my seat.

"Estás bromeando, ¿verdad?" The silence after his question told him that it wasn't a joke and he growled before banging his clenched fists on the expensive table in front of him. Diego had once told me the table was made of African Blackwood and I had gone online that same night to search for the value of the wood. Regardless of how angry I got, I knew I'd never be able to strike such a luxury with any kind of force.

Beside the fuming man was a quaking woman. She wasn't shaking in fear though, more of anxiety or maybe sadness. Sara Rodriguez. I couldn't help but feel a little pity for her, she seemed like the most affected by the news. Even more affected by me and that was saying something.

"Diego, why would you do this to yourself? Estoy deprimida. Do you want me to die? This was not what I planned for you, chiquito." She dabbed her tearstained face in delicate motions with a handkerchief. "This was not what we planned. Why did you have to do this, chiquito? ¿Por qué?"

In spite of myself, I wanted to walk across and pull the older woman in a tight hug. She looked like she needed something like that. However her husband, who still stood beside her raging like an erupting volcano, looked like he needed an icy bath. If I squinted my eyes in deep concentration, I was almost sure I'd see fumes and smokes coming out of his ears. I wondered if a fire extinguisher was close by, it might come in handy.

"Diego!" His voice thundered in the exquisite study and I flinched.

The man in front of me answered. Although his knees looked like they were seconds away from buckling in fear, his voice came out surprisingly stable and strong. "Padre."

"What did you come to tell me and your mother? Say it again, I want to hear you say it again, ¡la madre que te patio!"

He took a pause before answering. "I am going to be a father." He pointed at me and my eyes bulged in alarm. "My girlfriend is pregnant right now. She's 4 months gone."

Sara let out a pained cry and Alejandro paused his angry ministrations to tend to his heartbroken wife. Judging by how soft-spoken he was while doing that, it was obvious he loved the woman.

"Lo lamento, perdóname mama." I wasn't too proficient in spanish but I knew Diego was apologizing to his mother. The man holding her stopped his ministrations to his wife to glare at the source of those apologetic words. The icy stare almost made me run out of the house.

"¡Cállate!"

Diego gulped down his unsaid pleas and Sara's sniffles filled the room. I hated the fact that I was the cause for the woman's tears. I hated seeing people in pain and confusion, that was one of the reasons I chose psychology as my field of study. If it was a therapy session, I'd have given her a piece of candy but I couldn't offer her that at the moment. I was the reason she was in pain.

"So what are your plans, chiquito? What are you going to do about her?" Sara looked at me with so much hatred in her eyes, I felt my bones melt in the heated stare. "¡Puta!"

Diego stood before me protectively and defended me. "Don't you dare call her that, Madre. She's pregnant with my child and we're getting married as soon as possible." He ignored Sara's shocked gasp and continued. "I know this was not your plan for me and I'm deeply sorry about this but it has already happened. You'd have to deal with it because we're getting married, with or without your consent."