Page 22 of Cherished Union

Pressing my hands down against the mattress, I try to push myself into a sitting position. The pain that hits me has me whimpering, but thankfully, I’m able to get up and comfortable.

“What the hell are you doing?” I hear snarled, and I grit my teeth. That hoarse, gravelly voice sends goosebumps throughout my body. That Irish lilt he has is smooth as honey. But damn the man and his glaring whiskey eyes.

“Relaxing,” I hiss at him, hating that snarly tone of his. “What does it look like?” I raise a brow as he continues to stare me down.

“You’re meant to be lying in bed.”

I shrug and instantly regret it as pain erupts from my ribs once again. I fight back the wince and grit my teeth. “Lying, sitting, the same thing.”

His lips twitch, but his eyes remain emotionless. They’re cold, calculating, and watchful. I hate that he’s so closed off. But then again, this life, it seems to pull everyone in. The men become jaded, damaged, or lack emotions. The shit they’ve seen and done is worse than anything I could ever imagine, and no matter how hard you try, that has to affect you.

“Ade,” Elio says as he pushes past Hayden and walks over to me. His normally masked expression is open, and I can see the worry, guilt, and love in his eyes. My throat closes at the sight. “How are you feeling?”

“Sore,” I reply honestly. “Thirsty.”

His gaze moves to Jade, who’s standing beside her brother, who instantly nods and moves away from the doorway.

“You fucking scared ten years off my life,” Rocco growls. “I thought you were dead, Ade.”

“It’ll take a lot more than that to kill me,” I rasp.

His eyes darken. “Not funny,” he grunts. “Why didn’t you tell us what was happening?”

I roll my eyes. “What was I supposed to say? It hasn’t been happening for very long.”

Dario snarls. “Shouldn’t have fucking happened at all, Ade.”

“Oh, I know that,” I respond angrily. “It shouldn’t have, but I’m telling you that it only started recently.”

That doesn’t seem to appease anyone in the room.

Jade returns, a bottle of water in her hands along with some painkillers. “Thank you,” I reply as I reach out to grab them. I instantly regret it when my ribs pull, and I can’t fight the wince this time.

“Easy, Ade,” Jade says softly. “It’s going to take some time for you to recover.”

I nod, knowing she’s right. There’s obviously something wrong with my ribs.

“The wedding is next week,” Vivi says. “Will she be able to walk?”

“Yes,” I say quickly, before they start arguing about whether or not it would be better to postpone. “I’ll be fine,” I say softer this time. “The wedding is all set, whether we like it or not.” Hayden and I seem to be in the minority. Everyone is excited for our upcoming nuptials. The women all think I should count my lucky stars as I’ve managed to land a man who isn’t just a freaking sexy God, but also one of the strongest leaders in the Mafia underworld. “If we postpone or cancel it, that will have both of our families Made Men wondering what the hell happened and could cause a war—something, I may add, is what you’re trying to avoid, hence why our father is still alive—so the only option is to continue on as normal.”

“But your face,” Vivi whispers. “Addie, what are you going to do?”

“Makeup, Vivi, it can do wonders,” I tell her with a gentle smile. “You look tired. Have you not been sleeping?”

She rolls her eyes. “Still always mothering me, huh?”

I laugh. There’s no way I’ll ever stop doing that. She’s my little sister, someone I love with everything that I am.

“She’s been adamant about staying by your side,” Jade tells me with a small smile. “Maybe now that you’re awake, she’ll eat, sleep, and drink properly.”

I hear the slight reprimand in her voice and love that she’s been trying to take care of her while I’ve been unable to. After all the bullshit with what’s happened, it has to be affecting her, and I hate the thought of her being alone to deal with it all.

“When did it start?” Rocco demands to know, his jaw clenched and his gaze firmly on me. “Adelina, I’m asking you a question.”

“The day Hayden gave me the engagement ring,” I tell him, keeping my gaze firmly on the bedspread. It’s black with white lines, very generic, and doesn’t add much warmth to the room. Elio really needs to make his house a home.

The energy in the room goes static.

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