Page 56 of Cherished Union

Killing people doesn’t bother me. It never has, and I’m not in the least bit sorry about it either. Going against me in the ring always comes with the possibility of dying. Craig, well, there wasn’t a possibility. That fucker was always going to die.

“It’s time to go before the cops come,” Hayes says. He’s no longer teasing. He’s serious as he looks at the crowd of people. The rules of The Cage are no cell phones. Everyone is checked when they enter. There’s no recording allowed. Anyone seen doing so will be dealt with by the owner.

We make our way through the throngs of people, many of the women calling my name and the men cheering as I go past. I ignore them all.

“Mr. Gallagher,” a kid says to my left. “I’m not sure if you remember me.”

I narrow my eyes and nod. “Calvin Moore,” I say, and he gives me a small smile. He frequents our gym. He’s always there, hanging around, learning, practicing, watching. His father was a soldier. He was a good man, but he died several years ago.

“You knew my da,” he tells me, his Irish accent coming out when he says da. “I was wondering if you had a job for me?”

I glance at Hayes and give him a slight nod. Hayes turns to the kid. “Tomorrow at nine am, be at the gym. You’re not there, you’re done.”

The kid stands taller, his chest puffed out, pride filling his eyes. “I’ll be there. Thank you.”

I walk away, knowing the kid’s going to do whatever it takes to ensure he comes to work for me. I’ll be happy to take him on and have my men show him the way if this is what he wants.

Walking into the house, I hear a squeal of delight. Glancing at Hayes, I see him frowning. That’s a sound I hadn’t expected to hear. It sounds like a child’s squeal, and as far as we know, Annemarie didn’t bring the kids with her.

Stepping into the living room, I’m shocked to see Addie dressed in a navy-blue tight dress that hugs every curve of her body. She looks stunning. Annemarie and Jade are seated as they talk to Addie’s friend, Gabriella, while her son Anthony is standing beside Addie, looking at her like she’s hung from the moon. The three-year-old has a slight crush on my wife.

I make a beeline for her, pulling her into my arms. “You look beautiful, my dove,” I whisper so that only she can hear.

She rests her hand on my chest. “Thank you.” Her eyes are bright with happiness, but I see fear in them too. “You need to be quick and get changed.”

“Bossy,” I say, my lips twitching.

“Yeah, and we’ve got company that you completely ignored.”

“I saw them, but you’re my wife and my cock’s hard just looking at you.”

She shakes her head. “Hayden, your cock is always hard.”

I can’t deny that. “Of course I am. You’re my wife.”

Her giggle is something I love to hear. “Go, get changed before you make us all late. It’s Matty’s birthday, Hay,” she tells me, and I know that she’s going for him. He’s been her guard since Vivi died, and he treats her like she’s not a freak. He treats her with respect.

“I’m going.” I press a kiss against her cheek and move away. “Gabriella,” I say with a nod.

“Hayden, a pleasure as always,” the woman replies. Her accent is a mixture of English and Spanish.

“I’m going to be Hayden when I grow up,” Anthony says. The three-year-old is a riot, always happy and having fun.

The grown-ups in the room laugh at his words. “That, baby,” Gabriella says, “may not go down well with Pops.”

The little boy shrugs. “Pops will be fine.”

The pops in question is Gabriella’s father, Joe Ranieri—the snake. He’s the mafia boss of Denver. I’d say that the old man would not be happy that his grandson wants to be me when he grows up. Although, our relationship with Joe isn’t bad, thanks to Gabriella being friends with not only Addie, but also my cousin Malcolm’s wife, Raylee—who is best friends with Gabriella, has been since they were young girls. But Joe is very cautious about who he lets around his daughter and grandchild.

“Okay,” Jade says, looking at Hayes and I. “Annemarie brought your suit. You two need to get changed so we can get going.”

I say goodbye to Gabriella and Anthony and move to the bedroom to get changed. I had a shower at The Cage, so it won’t take me too long to get ready.

Twenty minutes later, I arrive back in the living room to see Addie and Jade talking low. “I’ll call you when it’s time,” Jade promises my wife.

“Ah, good,” Annemarie says, walking into the room with both Hayes and Rocco hot on her tail. “You’re ready. It’s time to go.”

“What was that about?” I ask my wife as we get into the limousine.

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