Page 64 of Explosive Union
He gets off the bed and pulls me into his arms. “Shower first,Mia cara.” I wrap my legs around his waist and my arms around his shoulders. I could get used to this. He walks us into the bathroom and sets me on the ground. “Jade,” he says once the shower is turned on.
I tense at the seriousness in his voice. “What?”
He cups my cheek, his thumb caressing my skin. “When we get the last two bastards, I want you to do something,” he murmurs, his gaze on mine, his hand sliding to the back of my neck. “Think about seeing someone to help you.”
I jerk back in horror, but his grip on me is too tight.
“Rocco,” I whisper, unsure how to even react to this. I can’t go and see someone, get help for the nightmares that still plague me.
“Listen to me,Mia cara. You don’t have to talk about anything other than what happened. You need some help and, baby, while I fucking hate that I’m not the one who can do it, I know you need it.” His face gets impossibly close to mine. “Think about it,Principessa,” he says softly, pressing a kiss against my lips. “Shower time.”
“Shower time,” I whisper, so fucking grateful of the events that have happened since I was released. I couldn’t imagine being married to him without knowing the heart of him. I must admit, I like him, a hell of a lot.
I just pray that he doesn’t hurt me. I’d hate to kill him.
* * *
“You do realize you’ve been named, right?” Annemarie says with a grin.
I’m sitting across from her at a small diner. She wants us to be closer. For the sake of my brother, I’m here. I don’t trust her, and I doubt that’ll ever change. There’s too much water under the bridge.
I raise a brow. “Named?”
She nods as she puts a newspaper down in front of us. The headline reads:The Chicago Mangler. Who’s next?
“Hmm, yep. You’re the Chicago Mangler. Three dead bodies, three penises that have been butchered, not to mention all three men have been disemboweled.”
I stare at my sister-in-law, wondering just how much my brother has been talking. “What makes you think it was me?”
She shrugs. “Other than the fact these killings started once you were released, not to mention each of the men worked in the prison you were incarcerated in.”
I smirk. “I haven’t got a fucking clue what you’re talking about.”
She laughs. “I bet you don’t. I would offer some advice to the mangler, though. Try and have the next death occur when they’re in a room full of people.”
I blink. “Oh, and how the hell is someone meant to do that?” But she has a good point. If she can come to that conclusion then so could a lot of others.
“Surely there are ways of killing someone that takes a long time? Like bleeding out or something like that?”
I laugh at her naivety. “Oh, please, stick to your day job.”
She grins at me. “Whatever, but the fact remains the same.”
They do, and this time, I’ll call Finn and ask for tips. If I can, then tonight will be the night I finally kill Andrews. “Want to tell me why you’re so desperate for us to be closer?”
Her cheeks flush at my words and she glances away. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes, Jade. So many. Marrying Hayes isn’t one of them. I love my husband and my children. They’re my life. I will do anything to protect them and make them happy.’
That’s something I can understand. I’m the exact same for my family.
“Seeing the way Hayes was passed over for the position of Captain and then Underboss, it angered me. I was furious. He deserves those positions. He was born to be a boss. But the more I complained, the less he was respected by your family, and that angered me even more.”
“So, you became a bitch?” I question, wondering on what planet she thought that would have been a good idea.
She shrugs sheepishly. “Sort of. I never hurt anyone; I gave attitude back. Your family is so close, and you never let insiders in. I felt as though I was an outcast.”
Guilt sits heavily on my chest. She’s right, we never did let her in. If the tables were turned, I’d have reacted the same way she did.
“Fine,” I say, still unsure of what to make of her. “I don’t like what you did, but I can understand why you acted like that. But make no mistake, Annemarie, no more. You become a bitch again, you’ll be dealing with me.”