Page 18 of Cherished Union

“She’s awake,” she says, her bottom lip trembling as tears spring to her eyes. “She’s in so much pain.”

I frown. Who the fuck are they talking about?

Elio’s the first to move, his footsteps heavy as he rushes down the hall. “Ade? Ade, what’s wrong?”

My gut tightens at his words. What the fuck has happened to Adelina?

Hayes and I follow the rest of the Gallos into the master bedroom. The moment I step into the room, my blood runs cold. There’s blood everywhere.

“Addie?” Vivi cries as she runs into the bathroom. “Elio!”

“Fuck,” he growls as he looks into the room. “Dario, change the sheets. Someone get me a wet cloth, she’s burning up.”

Chaos ensues as Dario and Jade start to change the bedding. Hayes goes in search of a wet cloth, and I move to the bathroom. My world fucking tilts as I see a passed-out Adelina, her beautiful face covered in blood.

“Someone had better start fucking talking.” I snarl, unable to keep the anger out of my voice.

“Later,” Jade hisses, tears streaming down her face.

I watch silently as Hayes hands Elio a cloth and begins to clean her face off. The more I stand here watching, the angrier I become. What the fuck happened?

Twenty minutes later and I’m about ready to go hunting. I don’t give a fuck who it is; I’m taking their ass out and making sure they never breathe the same air as my dove again. I’ve watched as Hayes and Rocco tend to Adelina with gentle hands as they clean up her bruises, cuts, and ensure that her ribs are still wrapped.

I stare at the woman lying in the bed, her eyes closed. She looks so peaceful, the blood gone from her face, but the bruises remain. As someone who has thrown more punches than I can remember, I know what one looks like on the skin, and I fucking damn well know that someone punched her—more than once. Whoever did it is going to die, and I’m going to enjoy taking them out.

“Come on, Hay,” Jade whispers, her hand on my arm. “It’s best if we let her sleep.”

I nod, unable to speak right now. Viviana stays behind, lying down beside Adelina, her hands holding her big sister’s as she keeps watch like a sentry.

“Someone had better start fucking talking,” I demand the moment I step into the living area, my skin burning with the need for justice.

“Aldo,” Jade tells me. “He’s been hurting Ade. We’re not sure for how long, but tonight, Elio walked in on Aldo beating her.”

“Tell me he’s dead,” Hayes snarls. “That fucker had better be dead.” As a father and a brother, he’s feeling this just as I am.

No one fucking touches what’s mine. I’m going to enjoy gutting the Italian bastard. I’ll smile as the cunt bleeds out.

“No,” Dario growls. “He’s very much alive.”

“We need to do this right,” Rocco tells me. “We kill him now and then we face having the men revolting. That’s not something we can afford.”

I stare at him in disbelief. “I’m taking him out.”

“Hay—" Jade begins.

I cut her off. “Don’t,” I say, my voice vibrating with the anger I’m barely containing. “Do not fucking tell me to stand back and let this play out. This is the biggest fucking bullshit I have ever heard.”

“This is the only way,” Rocco says, his jaw grinding.

“For you,” I remind him. “The only person who’s set to lose anything, is you. So why don’t we stop the bullshit and try this again. You are not taking the cunt that put his hands on your sister out because you don’t want to lose the power that you’ll be given once your father dies. Especially if he dies at your hands.”

The silence in the room is deafening.

God, fucking bastards.

“You seriously think that this is okay?” Hayes questions Jade.

My sister stares us straight in the eye and doesn’t miss a beat. “Yes, Ade will be with you next week, Hayden. She’ll be staying here until then. He can’t hurt her anymore.”

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