Chapter 5 Hayes
HAYES
I'm on edge, watching as Anne-Marie smiles and dances with her friend. They're surrounded by men and it pisses me off. Some are getting a little too fucking close for my liking. Her gaze finds mine and I see the happiness shining in her eyes. God, I fucking love that woman.
I fucking hate that she's alone in this world. That the only person she can rely on is me. If I ever find her mam, I'll happily put a bullet in her brain. That bitch has made my wife be so self-conscious and is the reason she has low self esteem.
My wife is happy, we got married at the weekend, the only people present were her friend, Camilla, and my closest man, Jay. I didn't inform my family, I know their stance on Anna and I won't have them treat her like she's beneath them.
Last week when I introduced her to them, I had promised her it would be okay and boy was I wrong.
Christ, never, not fucking ever had I seen my ma be so rude and disrespectful to someone.
Anna did nothing wrong, she was polite and sweet and ma shit all over her.
Not to mention granny did too and the rest of the family didn't help matters.
I'm beyond pissed at how they treated her, she's the woman I love and not one of them tried to get to know her. Fucking bullshit.
My cell buzzes in my pocket and I look at the screen. Da calling. I grit my teeth. "Da," I greet as I answer my cell.
"Son," he says sternly. "Where are you?"
"At our club, what's up? You need me?" He tends to only call when he has a job for me to do.
"No, your ma's worried, she's not heard from you all week. She's wondering if you're still with your lady friend."
Anger moves through me swiftly. "Anne-Marie is her name, Da, use it," I growl. "She's more than a lady friend, had you actually gotten to know her or even spoken to her you'd have known that."
"Son, you really like her?" he asks, his voice filled with surprise.
I don't answer him, my gaze firmly on the dance floor where a guy's getting too fucking close to my wife. I get to my feet and start to move toward them. "Get off me," I hear Anna say, her voice filled with fear.
"Hayes?" I hear da ask through the line, my cell still to my ear.
"I've gotta go," I tell him, ending the call as I move quickly to get to my wife.
"You're hurting me," Anna cries as she tries to wrench her arm from his grip.
"You heard her," I growl. "Get the fuck off her."
The fucker turns to me, his eyes filled with darkness and rage. "Yeah, what the fuck are you going to do about it?" he slurs, he's drunk as a fucking skunk.
"Take your hands off my fucking wife," I growl.
My wife, the love of my life is staring at me with big wide eyes that are filled with tears and pain. She's pregnant and this cunt is putting his hands on her.
"This whore is your wife?" he laughs. "Christ, man." He shakes his head. "I bet she's a fucking good fuck?"
"Take. Your. Hands. Off. Her," I growl, enunciating every fucking word.
"Fuck you," he shouts, as he lunges at me, his fists clenched and ready to strike.
I don't hesitate; I dive forward, grabbing him by the collar and slamming him into the nearest wall.
A violent crack fills the air as his nose shatters against the solid brick.
He crumples to the ground, blood pouring from his face.
"Anna," I say, my voice low. "Are you okay?"
She looks at me, her face contorted with pain and fear. "I'm fine, just shaken up," she manages to say.
"Fuck Hayes," I hear my da say, Christ, I had no idea he was at the club. "You good?"
"He's not to leave," I snap and watch da raise his brow in surprise. "Da, I'm fucking serious. I'm going to fucking kill him."
"Son," Da says low. "You sure this is the road you want to go down?"
I turn to him. "He put his hands on my wife. He called her a whore, what the fuck do you think?"
He blinks, shock evident on his face. "Wife?"
"Yes, Anna's my wife." I turn to the woman I love and pull her close. "Baby, are you okay?"
"Yes," she says, her body trembling. "I'm sorry."
Christ. She did nothing wrong. Not a fucking thing. "It's going to be okay," I promise her.
"We'll take him to the warehouse," Da says, there’s no missing the anger in his voice.
I have no doubt he's got a fucking hundred questions to ask me, but right now, I'm focused on Anna.
I give her my car keys. "Go straight home.
" I instruct. Every fucking instinct in me is telling me to take her home myself.
But I know she'll want to do it herself.
She's more than capable and she'll lose her mind if she thinks otherwise.
I walk her out of the club, Da right behind us, that asshole being helped out by two of da's men.
I help her into my car, knowing my da's watching my every fucking move.
She's shaken up, I should be with her, but I need to sort this shit first. Once it's done, I'll be home with her.
"Love you," she whispers as I close the door.
I wink at her, letting her know that I feel the same. Right now, I don't need da's bullshit. The second she drives off, I turn to my da. "Let's get this shit done."
The drive to the warehouse is quiet, I thought he'd have demanded answers, wanted some information, but no he's silent.
It doesn't take long to arrive at the warehouse. The moment da throws the fucker to the floor he starts running his mouth. "You fucking Gallaghers, you're all the same. All mouth no action."
He's goading the wrong motherfucker. I'm going to kill him and I'll enjoy every second of it.
"What were you planning on doing with my wife?" I growl, giving the cunt a swift kick to his midsection.
He releases a pained grunt and begins to cough. "I was going to fuck every fucking hole of hers."
Wrong fucking answer. The thought of this asshole touching her makes a murderous rage come over me. My family are all competent fighters, we can kill anyone with our bare hands and this cunt is going to be in for a world of hurt.
My knuckles pound his flesh over and over again. I don't tire, I'll never fucking tire. He set out to rape my wife. There's no fucking doubt that was what he planned on doing and had I not been there, he'd have succeeded. I unleash every fucking ounce of anger I have.
His screams pierce the silence, echoing through the derelict warehouse.
I pay no heed to the blood dripping from my fists, feeling the adrenaline surging through me.
I'll do whatever it takes to protect my family—especially my wife—and the ignorant, soulless piece of shit in front of me dared to hurt her.
Every hit I deliver is filled with every ounce of my anger, he’d have broken something in her had he had his way. That’s unacceptable. He’ll die for that.
He writhes on the filthy floor, blood pouring from his body, he’s breathing hard, his eyes swollen shut and he’s crying out for forgiveness. I reach for my knife. It’s time to end this shit.
I grip his collar and haul his body to mine. My knife pressing against his throat. “Forgiveness is for losers,” I snarl as I swipe my blade across his neck, severing the muscles and tendons. He’s dead within seconds. I drop him to the floor, my chest heaving.
"I'm sorry son," Da says from behind me. "I never saw this side, never knew you had it in you."
"You never wanted to see it," I say, flexing out my hands, loving the crack in my knuckles.
"You've fucked up by marrying Anne-Marie, that wasn't the plan. We were to have an alliance with the Gallos."
I grit my teeth. Fucking Italians. Da's a little too chummy with the fucking boss of the Italian Mafia.
"You've got another son," I say thickly.
"One that's going to take over. Use him.
Right now, I'm going home to my wife." I walk out of the warehouse, ignoring my da calling my name. Fuck him and fuck this bullshit.
Family is supposed to be put above all else. Well Anna is my family and this disrespect will no longer be tolerated. Marrying someone I wasn't supposed to was never going to go down well. But Anna is the woman I love and she's the only one I wanted to marry.
I'll take whatever comes my way for the decisions I've made. I know deep in my bones that marrying her was the best decision I'll ever make. Fuck what anyone else thinks.
Want to read more about the Gallagher Family? Why not start the Made Series from the beginning with Bloody Union?