Page 5 of Cherished Union

Thirty minutes later, I’m working the knots out of my neck, twisting my head from side to side as I wait in the wings while my opponent makes his way to the ring.

“Guys, get your women, because they’re about to go wild. It’s the one, the only, it’s the motherfuckingAssassin,” the MC yells through the microphone, and the crowd goes wild. The floor thumps with the rowdiness of the crowd. With each step I take toward the ring, the yells, claps, cheers, and screams ring out through the club.

As I near the ring, I see Lisa, one of the ring walkers. She’s got a grin on her face. She’s someone that I have fucked before, but she’s too damn clingy, and with me having to marry soon, I can’t deal with that bullshit.

“Hey, Hayden,” she purrs as I get close.

I don’t even spare her a glance as I climb into the ring, Hayes close behind. Whenever I come here to fight, it’s either Hayes or Cody who are with me. My right-hand man is currently in Indiana, taking care of something for me before I arrive back to Indiana after Jade’s wedding.

Tonight, I’m fighting against someone who’s never been here. The poor fuck, he’s in for a rude awakening. I’m the best. It’s why I’m undefeated. No one has had the balls to even get close to me.

The bell rings and the guy explodes, throwing jab after jab, all of them hitting air. I learned from the best how to fight, just as Jade and our cousins did, but with Jade, Makenna, and I, we went further, honing our skills, making them who we are. We don’t need guns, knives, or weapons to kill anyone. We’re more than capable of doing so by fighting.

The guy in front of me is smiling, his eyes filled with glee as he keeps throwing punches. He’s barely hitting me. He’s getting excited because I’ve not hit him? Well, he’d better enjoy this moment while it lasts.

My first punch is a direct hit to his ribs. By the way his eyes dilate, I’ve broken at least one. I follow it up with a punch to his jaw. He luckily moves out of the way, meaning my fist barely grazes his face.

There’s no longer laughter in his eyes. He’s switched to determination. He’s ready to fight and so am I. I prefer when my opponents give me a fight, rather than being knocked out in a few punches. I like to brawl, to hit hard and fast. Let my anger out on anyone stupid enough to go against me.

He circles me, watching, waiting, trying to anticipate what I’m going to do next. The first rule I learned when I began to fight was never make it easy for your opposition to know what is coming next. Others are taught techniques—jab, jab, jab, punch—rinse and repeat. It’s easy to spot and to counteract, whereas if there’s no pattern, there’s not a chance of them being able to counteract. You also get the element of surprise.

“Fucking end him,” Hayes yells. My brother has always been an impatient fuck. He doesn’t get the same thrill from fighting as I do.

I chuckle when the asshole in front of me throws a jab. God, he’s pathetic. He’s stiff with each punch, afraid to unwind, loosen up and let go. He’s not getting his full reach as he’s afraid that when he throws his punch, I’ll step out of the way and counteract, and he’ll end up sprawled on the canvas. He’s right, that’s exactly how it will go down. The thing about fighting is, you need the belief in yourself, otherwise you shouldn’t be stepping into the ring.

The next shot he throws is exactly the same, and I decide it’s time to take Hayes’ advice and end this farce.

I send a fist smashing into his stomach, quickly followed by one to his jaw. He’s sluggish and unable to dance away from it. I pile the pressure on, knowing that he’s done. My fist smashes into his temple, then his jaw, and right back to his temple again. I’ve got to give the man his dues; he’s able to take a hit.

He throws a punch, but I dodge it, watching how he dances side to side, not back to front. I wind my arm up, knowing that when I unleash this Haymaker, he’s going to end up on his back on the canvas.

I push all my power into my fist and smirk when it hits the fucker square in his jaw. There’s not a chance he can withstand it. His knees buckle, his body sways, and I take a step back, knowing the damage is done and he’s not getting up again. His body crashes against the canvas and the crowd jump to their feet.

I turn to Hayes and see him jumping into the ring with me, a smile on his face. “The Assassin does it again,” he says as he raises my hand in the air.

I hated the moniker they gave me when I first started out, but the more I fought, the less it irritated me. But I keep taking them out one by one.

“Fuck, Hay, he’s not breathing,” Hayes says.

I grit my teeth.

Fuck. Another one.

CHAPTER2

ADELINA

“Mama,” I begin as I look at her tear-stained face. “What’s wrong?”

Growing up in the life I have, I learned to not show emotion, that when my time comes to marry, I am to be the perfect docile wife. I’m to cook, clean, and have babies. My input into the marriage will be to listen and do whatever my husband tells me. I learned that from my nonna. She has always been poised and perfect, just as my mom is and to see her crying has my stomach flipping.

She quickly wipes at her cheeks and plasters a fake smile on her face. “Nothing,mia bellissima figlia. Everything is okay.”

I grit my teeth. My entire life is the same, never having any answers to the many questions I ask. I’m solely to look at and not speak. I’m the child that has been overlooked and pushed aside, something I have learned to live with.

“Mama,” I say sternly, and see her eyebrow raise in shock. “Tell me what’s wrong. I may be able to help.

She sighs heavily, her eyes filling with tears once again. “Mia bellissima figlia, I wish I didn’t have to tell you this, and I know that if your papa found out, he’d be angry, but you are my darling girl, and I know you’re able to handle what I am about to tell you.”

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