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I had to talk to Cullen before anyone else got hurt, because my bet was the next person on the list was Bree.
“Come on, let’s go to bed. We can speak to your dad in the morning. He’ll know what to do.” I wrapped my arm around her and herded her towards the bedroom. It was late. We needed sleep and to sober up. Emotions were running too high and someone was going to get killed.
It turned out I didn’t have to wait long. Just a few hours later, the fire alarms from the building opposite us blared out.
With pounding hearts and the knowledge of why this was happening twisting in our stomachs, Bree and I raced downstairs, watching as the flames of revenge licked into the sky.
The war was officially on.
And stopping it was well outside of our control.
CHAPTER TEN
Aidan
My cab rolled to a stop just up the block from Brianna’s apartment.
“Jesus Christ,” the cabbie muttered as the whole row of buildings glowed orange with flames. “Second fire tonight,” he told me.
I slapped some money into his hand and leapt out of the car, immediately spotting my sister on the street. She was dressed in pajamas, her hair tangled around her face. But it wasn’t her building burning, thank God.
What the hell had happened?
I recognized a few of our men amongst the displaced residents.
“Bree!” I yelled out. She turned around at the sound of my voice, an odd mix of emotions on her face.
“Oh my god, Aidan!” she cried as I pulled her into a hug. She smelled like smoke and alcohol.
“What the fuck is going on? I take one vacation, and this is what I come back to?”
Alright, it was a bit more thanonevacation… I was pretty much always gone.
“I’m so glad you are home,” she gasped, tears glistening in her wide eyes. She grabbed at my jacket desperately like a kid.
It was the most pleased to see me she’d been in years.
“I just pulled up in the cab to see you and saw the fire engines. Where’s Dad?”
We both looked around at the burning buildings… had this been an accident?
A movement on my left drew my gaze and I spotted my dad. He was giving our men instructions, pointing to each group being separated on the street.
“This was the Italians, Aidan. I’m sure of it.”
What?
Why would the Italians have attacked our building? We’d had peace with them for years… ever since…
Suddenly, a haze of blonde hair and a sharp voice caught my attention over by the group of residents closest to us.
Cait.
My stomach dropped as I watched her, taking in every inch of the girl I’d once loved. She was yelling on the phone, dressed in pink fleece pajamas and an overcoat to stave off the cold. I was struck by how grown up she was now.
She’d finished filling out and was probably an inch or so taller now than when I’d last seen her. And it had been a long time since I had.
Whenever I’d been home for brief periods in the last few years, she’d conveniently had to be somewhere else for college or for work, so running into her in the hallways had thankfully not been an issue. It hadn’t been deliberate, but I think deep down I’d known it was for the best, so I hadn’t fought it. I hadn’t tried to seek her out…While she was still Bree’s best friend, I’d successfully kept my distance.
