Page 157 of Vicious Hearts

“That’s to be debated,” Cillian murmurs grimly, yanking my hand back from Hades. “Now,ifwe’ve all kissed and made up…I think we’re all probably starving.”

* * *

It’s actuallymy first “family dinner” at the Drakos house. But despite my nerves, and maybe partly because of Hades clearing the air beforehand, the whole thing is perfectlylovely.

I laugh and drink wine with Neve, Eilish, and Callie. We crack up at a story Ares tells us about Hades keeping snacks under his pillow when they were kids. Dimitra, assuperintimidating as she is despite her small stature, makes a grand toast to Cillian and I, involving both a Greek proverb about wine and honey and something about “love and babies.”

Yeah, easy there, Dimitra.

She even comes over to hug me, and to tell me how glad she is that I’m part of this family now, which when I think about it is maybe the first time I’ve ever heard that in my life.

I lean my head against Cillian’s shoulder, our hands clasped together on his lap, and I smile at all the love and family around me.

Life is pretty fucking great.

* * *

All the siblings,and Castle—who really might as well be a Kildare sibling—ride the elevator down with us after dinner. We’re all still laughing about a joke Hades has cracked when we tumble out the front doors onto Central Park South.

Ares huffs, turning to glare up at the building across the side-street from the corner the Drakos’ building sits on. The other building has a huge crane on top of it, complete with a giant wrecking ball, as well as scaffolding and bare iron beams.

“All this shit was supposed to be finished three months ago,” he mutters, angrily gesturing at the construction. “I mean Ya-ya doesn’t need to hear this bullshit day in and day out.”

Neve’s freakinggorgeousAston Martin pulls up at the corner, and a valet driver leaps out with a quick nod.

Callie grins, whirling on Neve. “Okay, first, you can totally say no. But—”

“Yes, Callie,” Neve laughs. “You can drive it. Take it for a spin around the park or something.”

Ares groans as his little sister squeals and hugs Neve fiercely. “God help the pedestrians and other drivers.”

The rest of us are still talking and laughing as Callie bounces over to the car parked on the corner.

Everything after that happens in slow motion.

I hear a dull, farawaypop. I’m vaguely aware of Castle roaring and shoving past everyone, pelting toward where Callie is grinning and doing a little victory dance next to the open driver’s side door of the Aston Martin.

There are screams as he slams into her, grabbing her around the middle and yanking her off her feet as he rolls onto his back, slamming against the hood of a taxi that screeches to a stop.

…Just as the wrecking ball that was hanging from the crane above not forty seconds ago smashes Neve’s car into the street with the sound of a bomb going off.

37

CILLIAN

“New York Cityis reeling today from a mechanical failure at a midtown construction site that left bystanders shaken and one luxury sports car flattened under a wrecking ball. FBI New York City Regional Director Shane Dorsey has released a statement that, while the Bureau is looking into reports of an explosion that may have sent the nine-ton ball crashing down onto Central Park South, he does not believe this is an act of terrorism. Director Dorsey also mentioned in his statement that while the accident did occur in close proximity to the home of the notorious Drakos family, the Bureau is considering this an isolated event unconnected to that particular family or its alleged criminal connections. Director Dorsey went on to assure New Yorkers that the crane failure that caused the wrecking ball cable to sever was the result of poorly maintained machinery, and nothing more. No one and nothing, except the luxury car, was hurt during the event.”

I switch off the TV with a jab of my thumb on the remote, my jaw grinding. The important thing is, no one was hurt. Or at least, not badly. Castle’s going to find it difficult to bend down for a bit with the hit he took to his back against that cab. But he’ll be fine. Callie is fine, too. Everyone is.

Honestly, not to discount Castle’s fucking Captain America super-speed and situational hyper awareness, it’s a miracle no one got hurt.

Especially because there’s no goddamnwaythat was an accident.

The crane was far too over-extended, jutting all the way out over the street so it could be right over that corner. Therewasa popping sound, like a small explosion, that obviously severed the cable and the safeties.

And the ball wasmuchtoo precise in landing directly onto Neve’s car.

For all those reasons, I’m seeing fuckingred. Yes, everyone’s okay. But I’m done waiting around to see who gets hurt next.

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