Page 16 of Cherished Union

“Start talking,” Rocco demands, a tick in his jaw.

“I got a call from Dario this evening. What he said didn’t sit right with me. He was over at the house today and saw Ade. She had a black eye, bruised cheek, and a split lip. She was jumpy as fuck and said she fell down the stairs. Our mother backed her up and Dario left it at that.”

Jade takes a seat on the couch, her fists clenched. “What happened?”

I take the glass of whiskey that Rocco hands me and down it with one swallow. Christ, I’m fucking shaking.

“I arrived at the house, intent on checking on Ade, but when I got there…” I run my hands through my hair. “Our father was wailing on her. Fucking hell, he had beaten her so badly that she was in the fetal position, trying to ward him off.”

“You are fucking shitting me,” Rocco explodes.

“I was so fucking close to putting a bullet between his eyes. But it was our mother that makes me want to go back and gut her. She fucking knew and tried to make excuses for the cunt.”

Dario’s standing at the window, his back to us, his body bound tight. I know that he’s taking it hard. He’s not said a word since we entered the apartment. He’s reeling, no doubt feeling guilty that he didn’t foresee what was about to happen. But this isn’t on him; it’s on our fucking parents.

“What do you plan on doing?” Jade questions us.

“I say we kill him,” I throw out there, not giving a fuck about the consequences.

“Hayden should know,” she tells us. “I know that you all don’t like him, but think, if the tables were turned and this was me, Roc, wouldn’t you want to know?”

“Yes,” my brother growls. “If it were you, I’d fucking kill your father with my bare hands.”

She nods. “I’ll call him. He’s in town. He had a meeting with Da.” She gets to her feet and goes to make the call.

“Dario,” I say loud enough for him to hear me. “This isn’t your fault.”

He turns to us, and I see the tears in his eyes. “You didn’t hear her earlier. She’s fucking right,” he says, his eyes wild with pain.

“What did she say?” I question, wondering what she could have said that has affected him this deeply.

He swallows hard, his gaze going anywhere but on me or Rocco. “She told me that I’ve never given a shit about her before, so why am I starting now? She doesn’t think we care about her.”

“Why the hell would she think that?” Rocco questions, his brows knitted together.

“Because you don’t,” Vivi whispers as she steps into the room, her face puffy and red from crying. “You never show us that you care about us. It’s been really noticeable since Rocco and Jade were engaged. The Gallaghers all have a strong bond, they show that they care, they’re always there when needed. But with this family…“ She shrugs. “It’s fine, we’re used to it. For Addie and I, we both know we only have each other.”

Holy fuck. How the hell did this happen?

“Vivi—“ I begin.

She shakes her head. “It’s okay, Elio. We understand. To you, the famiglia is more important. We get it. Don’t be sorry for putting them first.” She wipes away the tears. “The doctor’s almost finished. He’s putting stitches in her mouth. I’m going to lie with her. Goodnight.” She turns on her heels and walks away.

“We’re bastards,” Dario hisses. “How the hell do they not think we care?”

Jade sighs as she joins Rocco’s side. “Because you never show them. How many times have you called either of them just to check in and talk to them?”

I glance at my brothers and see the realization hit them, as it does me. We’ve fucked up majorly.

“I understand that you’re brought up differently than what I was, but the coldness is unacceptable. It’s time to make things right with your sisters. Hayden will be here soon. I haven’t told him what’s happened. I thought it best to wait until he’s here to explain everything.”

Rocco nods. “I agree.”

The doctor walks out of the bedroom, his weathered face hard and his eyes narrowed. “I’m not sure what happened to Adelina, but I sure as hell hope whoever hurt her pays for what they’ve done.”

I grit my teeth. The doctor has been with our family for years. He works for our father, along with many of the made men in our ranks. If he truly knew who hurt Ade, he wouldn’t be speaking so casually.

“Don’t worry, Doc,” Rocco growls. “We’ll be taking care of it.”

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