Page 16 of Explosive Union

There’s no way we’re going to make it out of this union alive.

One of us is going to off the other.

How the hell am I going to deal with her? She’s crazy.

I guess the rumors about this family are true. They’re all fucked up.

I guess she’ll fit right in.

She may be crazy, but she’s gorgeous, and I actually like that I piss her off. Enjoy the glint that comes into her magnificent blue eyes.

Either way, this marriage is going to be fun.

As she walks up the stairs, I call out, “Jade.” She stops and turns to face me, her brow raised with impatience. “Any man touches you, and I’ll kill them. You fuck anyone, and I’ll make you watch as I gut them.”

She smiles sweetly at me. “The same goes for you.” The threat is clear to hear in her words.

She disappears from sight, and I’m left wondering just how ruthless my soon-to-be wife truly is.

CHAPTER5

JADE

“Wanna tell me what happened between you and the Italian?” Hayes asks as he enters the study, where I’m currently sitting on an armchair, the laptop on my lap, and going over the information I had Leon dig around for. Finally, I have what I need to begin the vengeance I’ve been craving since those bastards laid their hands on me.

“Jade, I’m talking to you,” he says softly as he crouches down in front of me.

I shake my head. “Sorry, I was miles away. What did you say again?”

“I asked what happened between you and that asshole Gallo?”

Shrugging, I place the laptop onto the table beside me. “Nothing I can’t handle.”

His jaw clenches at my words, making him look so much like Da. They share so many similar features. Their button-shaped noses, their oval eyes, and not to mention their pinched expression when they’re contemplating something. Hayes takes after our da, whereas Hayden and I are a mix of both of our parents.

He rests his hand on my leg, giving it a slight squeeze, before he makes my heart melt. “Sis, I know you don’t want to talk about what happened inside, and I respect that, but you’re not alone anymore. You don’t have to fight anything without us. We’ve got your back. Always. Just let us know what you need, and we’ll be there.”

“Rocco wanted me to know that he expects a wife who’ll be more like Mam than what I truly am,” I explain to him, not wanting to tell him about the kiss.

God, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that since I made my escape from Rocco almost five hours ago. No one has managed to annoy me and turn me on as much as Rocco has, and I’ve only known the man for less than a day. What the hell is going on with me?

Hayes chuckles. “He’s sorely mistaken if he believes you’ll be his Stepford wife.” He shudders, and I smile. “You’ll show those Italians just who you are. They don’t like it. Tough. You don’t change for anyone,” he tells me as he gets to his feet.

“I missed you,” I whisper, feeling vulnerable. Hayes and I were never close. The age gap between us is probably the major reason, but also because of Annemarie. I didn’t like her when they first started dating, nor when they got married. She’s not changed my opinion on her, and I doubt she ever will. But even saying all that, Hayes is a good brother who has always been here if I needed him.

I watch as his eyes go glassy. His throat constricts as he swallows hard. “Fuck ya, Jade,” he says roughly. I turn away and wait for him to get his emotions together. If I see him struggling, I’m going to lose it. “I’ve missed you too, kid, but you’re home now and you’re not going anywhere again. I forbid it.”

I laugh at his attempt to put his foot down.

“You doing okay?” he questions.

I shrug once again. “I dunno,” I reply honestly. “It’s weird being home. I understand that Mam and Da need me here, but the constant hovering and looks are making me feel like a caged animal.”

He nods in understanding. “Then go home. Your apartment is still there, and the men are living in the building, so you won’t be alone.”

“I’ll be fine, but I do need to talk to you about something,” I tell him. I’m on edge, unsure of what his reaction is going to be. If it were me, I’d be beyond pissed that I was once again overlooked. Not to mention that every man knows it, especially as it’s a woman who’s being promoted ahead of him. No matter what Granda’s said about it, I want to know if he’s okay.

He raises a brow. “Oh, and what’s that?”