Page 52 of Explosive Union
“Don’t,” she hisses at me. “I don’t want to hear your disapproval. There’s nothing you can say that’ll change this. I am part of this family. Get used to it or fuck off and get out of the way.”
My anger is red hot, and I’m close to saying something I won’t be able to take back. This isn’t how it’s supposed to be.
“Fuck,” I snap when she walks away, moving toward the sound of bullets.
“Rocco,” my father’s voice is hard. “Stay with Jade. Take anyone out that tries to enter. Your mom wouldn’t go with the Gallagher women.” His words are harsh, and there’s a reprimand in them when he glances at my mom. “Stubborn women are going to be the death of me.”
“How long?” I hiss as I step up to him. “How long have you known just exactly who she is? That she’s the fucking boss?”
“I get that you’re upset about this news—"
“Upset?” I snarl. “Oh, that’s a fucking understatement. This life isn’t for women, Father. You of all people know that.”
“That may be what we think, the way of our life, but it’s not the same for the Clann. You, son, are going to have to deal with it.”
I stare at the man I have always admired, always been inspired by. The lies are finally unravelling, and I’m beginning to see the real Aldo Gallo. The man who makes deals with the Irish, unbeknownst to anyone else. This man is all about himself, not about the Famiglia.
I turn on my heel and stalk after the crazy woman that will become my wife. I knew about Makenna, have known for years. She’s talked about a lot within the Cosa Nostra. She’s one of a kind. The men aren’t happy; they don’t believe the Irish have treated their women right by allowing her to become the boss. It’s something I also agree with. Our women are to be revered, protected, cherished. Not put in the line of fire. Now I find out that my fiancée is in the same predicament. There’ll never be a time that I’ll be okay with it. It’s not who I am.
The door to the ballroom opens, and instantly I see Jade firing at the fuckers who are storming in. Her bullets sink into their intended targets. I see red when a bullet misses her head by an inch.
I raise my gun and start firing. My anger is palpable. No one touches my woman. Not fucking ever.
“You okay?” I ask her as I close the distance between us.
She briefly glances at me before looking back to the door even more bastards are coming through. “I’m grand. I’m a big girl, Rocco. I can take care of myself. It’s not the first time I’ve been in a shootout, and I doubt it’ll be my last.”
Hearing those words just pisses me off. She shouldn’t be in this position.
More bullets fire through the room. Watching how at ease she is, infuriates me. I like that she’s able to take care of herself—she was right about what she said earlier, women or girls should be able to defend themselves, but this… Firing guns and killing people—she shouldn’t have to live with that. I’ve killed more men than I can count. Each one has left its mark on me, and I never want that for her.
“Roc,” Elio shouts, rushing over to us. “They’ve breached all the perimeters. More men are on the way,” he informs me, his eyes hard and flinty, his breath hollow, and just like the rest of us, a gun in his hand, ready to take out anyone who comes near him.
Two men enter from my right, and I fire at them, just as I hear Jade yell.
“Elio, get down,” she snaps, and I watch from the corner of my eye as my brother moves without any hesitation. Three shots are fired consecutively, and I know they’ve come from her weapon.
“Thanks, convict. It’ll be good having you around.”
My throat tightens as Ian Masters walks in, his gun raised and pointed at Jade. I don’t even hesitate. I push her out of the way, just as the metal slams into the wall behind her.
My rage swirls around me like an inferno. I fire my gun, unloading my clip into the motherfucker. The smirk on his face falls when three of my bullets sink into him; one in his chest, another to his gut, and the third to his arm. The bastard is in a fuck of a lot of pain, and he deserves it.
If I hadn’t pushed her out of the way, it would have been her head that the bullet would have sunken into.
My strides are purposeful as I stalk over to the bastard currently lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood.
“You fucked up coming here, Masters,” I growl at him as I press my foot against the wound in his gut, gaining a pained snarl from him.
“Hand her over, Gallo. This doesn’t concern you,” he pants, trying to raise up to a sitting position, but with my foot on his stomach, he’s finding it difficult, especially with him bleeding like a stuck pig.
My anger is nowhere near diminished. He’s just making it worse with his stupid fucking words. “That’s where you’re wrong. It does fucking concern me.”
“She killed my brother,” he grunts.
Jade saunters up to us and presses up close. “Oh, and would you look at that, Rocco’s just about killed you. You Masters need to realize that you have no role here in Chicago. The sooner you come to terms with that, the better. If not, it’s okay. We’ll just keep taking you all out.”
“You’re a bitch, Jade. You always fucking were,” the asshole sneers at her.