Page 176 of Iris
“Jesus Christ,finally!” Freya says, and Killian glare at her.
But I only laugh. “I…I love you two. Both of you.”
“Iris!” It’s Mom. My head whips to see her, Heath, and Penrith hurrying over to us. “Oh my god! There you are!”
There are tears in her eyes, and Killian steps back to let her sweep me up in a hug. She squeezes me tight.
“I’m so glad you’re okay!” she says. “I’ve been worried sick.”
“Heap!” Emmie’s head pops up from behind Freya, and she climbs over her to jump out of the truck. Squealing, she rushes to him and flinging her arms around his legs.
Heath strokes the top of her head and smiles down at her. “Hi, Emmie.”
Mom finally pulls back and looks me over. “What are you doing down here, at this part of town, anyway?”
I go stiff.
Pen glances at me.
“I…I wanted to help,” I say.
“You could’ve beenkilled,” Heath says. Emmie’s still clinging to his leg, so at least he can’t show his full wrath with her around.
“We had her,” Killian says, pulling his shoulders back. “We wouldn’t let anything happen to her.”
Heath eyes him.
Pen clears her throat to draw the attention back to her. It works. “Lucky for the Nightshades, wherever they are, the hooligans who were responsible for this have already been arrested.”
“It ended up being a group of Alphas from the Upper Side, can you believe it?” Mom says. “How reckless and irresponsible of them. So much damage…”
“They’re lucky no one’s dead,” Killian says.
Xavier signs, and Pen nods. “Yes, they were hoping to blame the Nightshades and make them the enemy.”
A firetruck pulls up in front of the Black Briar, and a horde of firefighters jump out. Giant hoses are pulled out and soon join the Nightshades in trying the control the blaze.
“But it looks like the Nightshades are really the unsung heroes to this tragedy,” Pen says.
“We take care of our community,” Killian says and looks at me, “and of each other.”
There’s a pause, and in the silence, Mom looks between Killian and Xavier and me. Then, she smiles. “I can see that.”
“Let’s get you home, Iris,” Heath says. Freya comes over and pries Emmie off him. “I think that’s enough excitement for one day. Violet’s freaking out, and we don’t need to give her another reason to go into early labor.”
I nod.
Mom places a gentle hand on my back and guides me forward. “The car is parked on the next street, away from all the commotion.”
As Heath, Pen, and Mom lead me away, I glance over my shoulder to see the flames in the bar finally giving way to black, curling smoke. Even when the fire is finally contained and fully snuffed out, it’s obvious there won’t be anything left of the Black Briar to salvage, and my chest aches.
Everything Killian and Xavier had worked for… Emmie’s home and my place of refuge… it’s all gone.
Silently, Killian, Xavier, Freya, and Emmie all watch me go, and I can’t help but think that this might be the last time I’ll be able to see any of them.
That really, I’m leaving half my heart behind in the Lower Side.
The next day, I stay close to my phone and mini tablet for any news of the fires. Phone and internet access had been restored during the night, and emergency personnel were able to get all the fires out before dawn, thanks to the help of the Nightshades and the people of the Lower Side.
