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I squeeze her tightly. “There’s no other choice. If anyone found out it was us that brought the pedophile ring down, we’ll be dead.” I watch Cathal and his men emerge from the building. “It needs to look like a terrible accident.”
Her throat bobs as she swallows. “Do you think it will work?”
“It has to,” I say simply.
Cathal approaches me and places a hand on my shoulder. “Do you want to do the honors?” He’s holding two petrol bombs they’ve conjured together from wine bottles from the party.
“Together?” I suggest.
He smiles then and nods, handing me just one of the bottles. “Together, for Aiden.”
Bella reluctantly releases me as I walk toward the building where the window to the events hall, where the party was gathered, is open for us to throw the bombs in.
Cathal pulls a lighter out of his jacket and flicks it alight, placing it against the rag sticking out of my bottle first. And then he quickly lights his own.
“On three,” he says, and then he counts us down. We both release the bottles through the window together, and it goes up like a fucking tinder box.
Cathal bolts away, but I stand there for a moment, watching as the place sets alight. It’s a poignant moment as it marks the end of an era for me. Finally, I have got justice for Aiden and it makes me feel lighter than I’ve felt in too long.
“Isiah!” Cathal calls my name with a sense of urgency as I fail to move away from the inferno.
Despite his warning, I’m rooted to the spot as I savor this moment. Finally, after so long, justice has been done.
After a few more moments, I hear Bella’s panicked voice calling my name, “Isiah!” It’s as if she believes that I won’t get out of the way in time, but I know what I’m doing. She has to understand how long I’ve waited for this moment; fifteen long and torturous years.
With a deep breath, I turn away from the crackling fire and stride toward Bella, who rushes into my arms before I can even reach her.
“Don’t ever do that again,” she warns.
“What?” I ask, pulling back to look at her.
“Set a building ablaze and stand there as if you intend to go up in flames with it.”
I can’t help but feel shocked that she even cares whether I go up in flames or not, and then I remember her declaration tonight, more than once, of love. “I wasn’t intending to go up in flames, I just needed to see the place burn as closure.” I take her hand and look into her brilliant blue eyes. “However, it’s hard to believe that anyone cares what happens to me.”
There’s a pitiful look in her eyes as she shakes her head. “Of course I care what happens to you.” She takes my chin in her hands. “I told you, I love you.”
“I’m not sure why,” I murmur, honestly unsure why she’d love someone as broken as me.
She kisses me then, her soft lips gentle against my own. “Because you’re the most amazing man I’ve ever met, even if I hated you at first.”
I press my forehead against hers, knowing that she’s the most amazing human I’ve ever met. Somehow, she’s managed to bring me back from the brink of oblivion. For too long I’ve been drowning in my own hatred as it festered within me, revenge being my only purpose on earth. Bella is my new purpose.
“We had best get the fuck out of here before the police turn up,” Cathal says.
“Okay, we’ll be heading back to our place,” I say, knowing it wouldn’t be a good idea to go anywhere near Bella’s home until they learn the news.
Bella swallows hard. “And wait?”
I nod in response.
Cathal clears his throat. “Okay, I’ll be in touch soon.”
“Come on,” I say, grabbing Bella’s hand and pulling her toward my car.
We both get in as Cathal and his men also rush away, many of them jumping onto motorcycles and into vans as the engines rev.
As I slide the key into the ignition, I glance in the rearview mirror at the carnage behind me. It’s insane to believe that it’s finally over, but as I stare at the burning country club, I can’t deny that it looks beautiful in its destruction. The flames reach high into the sky, their bright oranges and yellows reflecting off of the black smoke that twists and turns from the chaos below. It’s a sight to behold, a sight that will never be forgotten.
