Page 38 of Cherished Union

Breaking news flashes onto the TV screen. Frowning, I look at it and wonder what could have happened.

“Businessman Ethan Masters and his fiancé, Monica Llewelyn, have been pronounced dead. The private jet they were flying on crashed on its way to their wedding in Saint Lucia—"the news anchor says, and I stare at the screen, where the plane is currently in pieces, smoke billowing from the ashes. I swallow hard, blocking the news anchor out as she continues to speak about the two of them.

“Dove?” Hayden says as he comes to crouch in front of me.

I swipe my tongue across my bottom lip as I look at the man I’ve come to trust and wonder if I want to find out if he did this or not. But I need to know.

“Did you have something to do with what happened to their plane?” I whisper, terrified that he’ll say yes.

His hands slide into my hair, and he rests his forehead against mine. “Addie, baby, you have to realize that this is who I am. I’m not a man who will let people get away with disrespecting my family, and that includes you and Vivi. What happened last night at our wedding reception was disrespectful.”

I suck in a sharp breath, but nod. “I know. I’m not horrified, and yet I should be. That’s what I’m terrified about, Hayden. I should be shocked and appalled that two people have lost their lives, but I’m not.”

His smile is soft and beautiful. “You, my precious dove, do not need to worry about this shit. Not now, not ever. These cunts will never hurt you. They even try and I’ll take them down.”

I swallow hard at his vow. I believe him. He’s proven more than once that he has my back.

I’m falling so hard for this man. There’s no stopping it.

“Okay,” I whisper. “I’m not worried about me, but for you. What happens if they come for you, Hayden? I can’t lose you.”

His eyes soften in a way that makes my pussy quiver and butterflies swarm. “Don’t worry about me, Dove. I’m a hard man to kill. I promise you, we’ll be fine. You and I, we’re going to be together until we’re old and gray, unless we kill one another before that.”

I smile. “Nonna says that arguing is the best way to keep a marriage alive.”

He chuckles at my words. “Then Jade and Rocco should be sorted.”

I smile. Our siblings had a rocky start to their union. Neither one liked the other. Yes, they were attracted to the other—they just despised one another. “Tell me, Hayden, why do the Masters hate you so much?”

“Have you eaten?” he questions as he gets to his feet.

Disappointment hits me, but I mask it quickly. “Yes, I had dinner with Vivi. I made lasagna. I left some for you. I wasn’t sure what time you’d be home.”

“Thanks.” He walks into the kitchen, and I can hear him moving around, getting the dinner ready.

I get to my feet, needing to take a breather. I’m saddened, but I also understand why he doesn’t want to tell me. He doesn’t know me well enough for that yet. I make my way up the staircase and to Vivi’s bedroom. Opening the door slightly, I see she’s fast asleep, her cell phone pressed against her chest as she snores softly.

Smiling, I walk over to her and gently take the cell from her hands and put it on charge. Tomorrow, she begins homeschooling, and she’s looking forward to it. This past month has been a complete upheaval, and I’ve told her that if she’s okay with catching up with the work she’s missed while she’s not been at school, I’ll consider sending her to a normal school next year. Something that Hayden wasn’t happy about but ultimately agreed with.

Once I have her cell on charge, I pull the sheets over her body, and she sighs contently. It’s funny, never did I think I’d want to be in this position, having to take care of a thirteen-year-old girl. I had always known that I’d marry a mafia man. I expected it to be someone awful, and while everything I’ve heard about my husband says he’s a monster, that’s not the man I have come to know. I didn’t think my husband would be okay with having my young sister be a part of our lives, but then Hayden came along and here we are.

My entire life I’ve watched over Vivi. From the moment she came home from hospital, she was thrust into my hands, and I was made to look after her. Something I did without question. She is my sister, and my parents demanded it from me. But as the years went on, I began to loathe the burden that had been put on me, something I’m ashamed to admit. But for me, it wasn’t Vivi herself, but the fact that my life wasn’t anything I wanted. I was a woman who had to do as my family expected, whether or not I liked it. I was trapped with no way out. If I did try to escape the life I was born into, it was certain death. Something I couldn’t do.

Now, I don’t feel that burden. Instead, I feel the love I have for my sister. I’m not sure what our lives hold for us here in Indiana, but I’m praying it’s not the same shackles that held us while we were in Illinois.

“Dove,” I hear called from behind me. That deep voice sends shivers throughout my body. “Let her sleep.”

I turn and see him standing in the doorway, and I’m wondering just how long he’s been watching me. “I just wanted to ensure she was okay.”

He nods, his eyes soft as he watches me. “I know, Addie, but leave her to sleep.”

I brush my hand over her brown hair and move away. “Did you find the dinner?” I question.

“You’re my wife, Addie, not my maid. You don’t need to make dinner.”

I glance up at him. “I didn’t do it because I thought I had to. I enjoy cooking,” I explain. Nonna taught me, and it makes me smile—the memories I have with her. She taught me how to be the woman I am today. While my mom didn’t have time for me unless we were in the presence of others, my nonna did. She made my childhood amazing. I learned how to cook at a very young age, and she taught me with love, something I plan on teaching to my daughters—if we have any.

“That’s good, Addie, because that smells delicious, and if it tastes as good as it smells, then I’ll be going back for seconds.”

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