Page 75 of Explosive Union

“Bro,” Elio says quietly as he comes to stand beside me. I’m currently standing at the bay window that overlooks the Gallaghers’ back yard. “You need to calm down.”

“No, he fucking doesn’t,” Hayden snaps. “You have no idea what the fuck Jade’s been through. If you did, you wouldn’t be saying that.” He glares at my brother before he turns to me. “I heard she told you everything. Impressive. She doesn’t trust many people.”

I shrug, not giving a fuck what he thinks.

“What happened to her?” Elio asks, his gaze moving between Hayden and me.

“While Jade was in prison, the guards were bastards. They would beat her,” Hayden tells him, keeping the rape out of it. “The men that were killed are correction officers in the same prison.”

His eyes widen as he suddenly realizes what it means. “Fuck,” he hisses. “Do they have proof she’s the one that’s done this?”

Hayden shakes his head vehemently. “Not a fucking chance. My sister’s mind is a dangerous place to be in. The woman is meticulous at planning. There’s not a chance in hell that they’d know she’s the one that’s done this.”

I’m glad that he’s so adamant. I sure as fuck am not.

A cell phone rings, and everyone turns to see whose it is.

“Yeah?” Hayes answers. His body goes solid at whatever is being said to him. “Wanna repeat that?”

Liam moves closer to him, Edwina stands by the kitchen door, a rag in her hands that she’s been wringing since we arrived.

“Is she okay?” Hayes questions, his voice filled with rage. He’s not keeping it in check.

What the fuck happened to my wife?

“Caolán and Ros are outside. Once you’re finished, your asses are in the car. Call Leon with the details of that fucker.” He ends the call and turns to us, his jaw tight, his fists clenched, and his eyes swimming with anger. “That was Annemarie. When she arrived at the station, she was locked out of the interview room. When the door was open, Jade had been beaten.”

I’m moving before I even realize I am.

“She has instructed everyone to stay here. She’s fine. She wants us all to keep a level head,” he says.

“Level head?” I echo, wondering what the fuck is wrong with this family? “You’re telling me that some bastard has put his hands on my wife, and you think I’m going to stand around here?”

“Your wife,” he hisses, “doesn’t want anyone there. She knows if we’re around the fuck that hit her, we’d kill him. So right now, yes, we’re going to stay here and watch whatever the fuck she has planned next.”

Elio puts his hand on my shoulder, holding me in place.

“Trust your wife, bro,” he whispers so only I can hear. “Just as she has trusted you. She’s got this. Once she’s home, you make sure she’s okay.”

I nod. He’s right. I need to make sure she’s doing okay. This could have brought up a lot of memories for her. I swallow hard at the memories of her on her bathroom floor. How vulnerable she was that day and how much pain poured from her with her sobs.

“Once she’s home and I see for myself that she’s alive and breathing, I’m going to kill that motherfucker.”

He grins. “Wouldn’t expect anything less.”

The TV turns on, and I hear the news anchor speak.

“We’re here outside the Chicago Police Department waiting for the press conference of Miss Jade Gallagher. A woman who has been arrested, and while in police custody, has been beaten.”

A hush falls over the room. I turn around so that I’m facing the screen, and I’m shocked to see the amount of press that’s gathered outside of the police department. A podium set up no doubt where Jade will stand when she comes out.

“Right now, we’re waiting for Miss Gallagher to be released so she can speak to us,” June Austin from the News at Six says. How the fuck did they manage to get one of the biggest news reporters there so quickly?

The doors to the station open, and out walks my wife, her beautiful face covered in blood. Her lip is split open, there’s swelling, along with bruising along her cheek, and she’s holding her midriff. What the fuck did that animal do to her? She looks as though she’s just walked out of a horror movie.

“Fucking Christ,” Finn growls as he gets up from the sofa where he was seated with his wife, Destiny, and starts to pace.

“I’m gonna level that motherfucking station,” Hayden snarls, his head bowed.

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