Page 44 of Cherished Union

I stare at him in disbelief. “Really?”

He nods. “Really.”

His cell rings, and he answers it. “Yeah?”

I laugh at his curtness. “You’re so getting lucky tonight,” I mouth to him.

He pulls me closer, taking his cell from his ear. “You’ll be screaming my name soon, my dove. I’ll have my head buried between your thighs as I eat that pretty pussy of yours. You’ll be begging me for me.”

I shake my head. “Promises, promises,” I whisper as I press against his chest. I throw him a wink as I move toward Vivi.

“Hayden’s going to find you a school.” I promise her, and I smile when she jumps up and down, squealing with laughter. She throws herself at me once more, but before she reaches me, a loud explosion sounds, the floor vibrates, and the force of the explosion knocks me off my feet. A scream is lodged in my throat as I watch as Vivi is thrown backward, her eyes wide with horror as she cries.

No. God no. Vivi.

I want to cry out for her, but I can’t. I’m tongue-tied right now, watching everything go on around me. I try to move my head to look for Hayden, but the heat of fire reaches me as I hit the ground with a jarring thud, debris falling on top of me. A brick hits my head, and the last thought I have is that I hope Hayden and Vivi are okay.

CHAPTER16

HAYDEN

There’s a buzzing in my ears. Groaning, I shake my head as I sit up. I stare at the house in disbelief. How the fuck did this happen? There’s smoke billowing from the fallen debris. The entire side of the house is completely gone.

Silence, that’s all I hear. My heart hammers against my chest as worry hits me. Where the fuck is my wife? Never has a debilitating fear hit me. I’m never one to be afraid of anything, but the thought of losing Addie makes my stomach drop and my body shake.

Getting to my feet, I move quickly, my thoughts on where I last saw Addie. She was with Viviana, the two of them smiling and laughing. I push the thoughts of what could have happened to her from my mind. There’s no fucking way I’m losing her.

“Boss?” Cody questions as he, Lewis, Francs, Ben, and Matty rush toward me. “What the fuck happened?”

“The house fucking exploded,” I hiss, wondering if he’s lost his sight. Fucking idiot asking stupid questions. “Where the fuck is my wife?”

My men stand taller at my words, their gazes scanning the mass of debris. I move away from them, hoping that I’ll find her. “Someone call Rocco,” I demand, remembering that I was on a call with him when the explosion hit.

“On it,” Cody assures me.

I hear a noise, a soft sound, and my feet are moving toward it. The fucking place is a mess. There’s not an inch of the back yard that’s not covered in rubble, dust, or ash. I see a flash of brunette hair and relief hits me. Addie.

“Dove,” I call out, my voice thick and harsh. Not at her, but at the thought of losing her.

She whips her head to me, and my fucking heart clenches at the sight. She’s covered in dust and blood. Her face is a mess. But she’s alive. We can deal with anything, as long as she’s alive.

“Vivi,” she cries as she sits up, and that’s when I see it.

In her lap is Vivi, her eyes open wide. They’re lifeless and cold. Her throat is covered in blood, and a shard of glass sticking out of it. She’s gone.

I fight back the tears at seeing a thirteen-year-old dead in the arms of my wife. A child she views as her own. She’s the one who raised her.

Addie rocks Vivi in her arms, crying softly as she stares down at her dead sister.

“Boss, there’s an ambulance on route,” Matty tells me. “Adelina needs medical attention. That laceration on her face is deep.”

I nod, unable to move from my spot. “Find out what the fuck happened. I want to know who did this and I want to know now,” I snarl, barely keeping my fucking shit.

“We’re on it, boss,” he tells me and moves away.

“She’s gone,” Addie whispers as I get nearer. “I couldn’t save her,” she cries. “I should have protected her.”

I sink to the ground and wrap my arms around her. “I’m going to find out who did this, Dove, and they’re going to pay.”

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