10. Chapter Ten Tristan
Ileaned against the cool concrete wall of the pub, my arms folded across my chest, watching Killian toss back a shot of whiskey like it was water. The dim light from the overhead lamps cast shadows that danced across his face.
This was it. This was when I was going to find out who was feeding information to the Rossis, who was putting my future wife and my unborn children in danger.
I watched the three men I had grown up with mull around the pub. I didn’t think any one of them had it in them, but I was obviously wrong.
This had to be done.
I beckoned Killian over to me.
“Killian,” I said, keeping my voice low and even, “we’re hitting the Rossi’s pub stronghold tonight.”
He nodded, his eyes narrowing with a mix of excitement and tension. “Got it, boss. We’ll be ready.”
I didn’t miss the way his hand twitched toward the gun hidden under his jacket. It was a telltale sign—he was in deep, maybe too deep. I turned away, hoping my gut was wrong about him.
That was one down. The rest of the group had dispersed and I needed to make sure my brothers were doing their job. I put my hands in my coat pockets and made my way outside, hoping I could overhear my brothers.
Outside, the night air clung to my skin as I made my way to where Kieran stood, leaning against his black Audi, one that had been in the family for years. My father had owned it before he died.
Kieran was talking to Sean, his voice barely more than a murmur. I caught the tail end of their conversation.
“Remember, it’s the warehouse,” Kieran said, his dark eyes flicking to me as I approached. A silent nod from Sean, and he slipped into the shadows, disappearing as if he were part of them.
“That’s two down,” I said. “Ronan is lucky he’s away on vacation.”
“Yeah, I don’t think it can be him. Hope he’s enjoying Florida,” Kieran replied. “He’s going to come back to such a clusterfuck. Anyway, are you sure about bringing Liam in?”
I sighed. “No, but I have a feeling he’s going to insist no matter what I do. If it was up to me, he’d be at home playing video games. Let’s hope he does his part right.”
“Aye,” he replied, his tone not betraying a single emotion. “Wanna go spy on him?”
I nodded, walking closer to where Liam was standing. Liam was next, pacing like a caged animal near the street corner, his youthful energy making him stick out like a sore thumb. I grabbed his shoulder, stilling him.
He should have been in the pub, but he was trying to hype himself up.
“Ray needs to know we’re targeting the Rossi butcher shop,” I instructed, looking him straight in the eye. “Make sure he believes it’s crucial.”
“Understood,” Liam said with a grin that didn’t reach his eyes. “Thanks for trusting me with this.”
“It’s just telling someone something,” I said. “Don’t get too excited.”
Liam smirked, but it was done.
A few hours later, we were on the road to do exactly what we were set to do. We moved through the city streets like ghosts, our destination pulling us closer with each step. The warehouse loomed ahead, a hulking skeleton in the moonlit night. Inside, the darkness was thick, sliced only by thin shafts of light that cut through the broken windows high above.
We had taken Sean’s car, and he hadn’t questioned why all three of us were riding with him.
As soon as we got to the Northeast side of the city, we were to do reconnaissance on the warehouse. And then we’d plant the bomb.
“Everything ready?” I asked Kieran as Sean parked.
“Yeah,” he said. “All the cameras are offline, and I brought the explosives along.”
“Great.”
Once we were there, it was just a matter of jimmying the lock. Easy stuff. My brothers were behind me as I managed to pry the lock open and the door to the warehouse gave in.
“Where do you want this?” Tristan asked, showing me the small explosive device in his hand.
“Somewhere they won’t see it.”
Liam laughed. Kieran shook his head. “Okay. Thanks, Captain Obvious.”
Crate after crate lined the walls, some open and spilling their contents like the secrets we all kept. The place smelled of dust and old wood, and every sound was a whisper of danger.
“Where are Killian and Ray?” Sean’s voice cut through the silence as he appeared beside us, his footsteps nearly soundless on the concrete floor.
“Strategic positions,” I lied smoothly, letting the vagueness hang in the chilled air between us. “Are we clear?”
“For a bit, yes,” Sean said, then looked at his phone. “Nick and Gio are on their way here. We’ll make ourselves scarce before they arrive. I don’t know if anyone is coming with them. Are we ready?”
Kieran gave a slight nod, his expression unreadable. Liam shuffled beside me, the weight of the situation settling on his shoulders. I could almost see his carefree spirit battling with the grim reality of our world.
“Let’s get back to the car,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
Sean looked at us, his brow furrowed. He edged closer to me, dropping his voice to a whisper before he spoke. “Boss, all due respect, why is Liam here? This isn’t child’s play.”
“Because he’s a little asshole who wouldn’t let up,” I said under my breath, then finished my sentence in my normal voice. “Family business.”
My annoyance at Liam’s insistence simmered beneath the surface. But even then, there was a part of me that understood his need to prove himself, to be one of us.
“Be ready,” I told them, my eyes scanning the shadows. “The Rossis won’t go down without a fight.”
And neither would we. Not now, not ever. This was our life, our blood. And we’d spill theirs to protect it.
We went back to the car under the cover of night. We were just parked far enough away that I didn’t think there was a risk of the Rossis seeing us.
The heavy door to the warehouse creaked open. Even from where we were sitting, I could imagine a shadow stretched across the concrete floor as the Rossis made their entrance. Their silhouettes were unmistakable - Nick Rossi leading the way with his brother Gio just a step behind him. The tension in the air thickened like blood about to clot.
“Tristan,” Sean murmured from behind a stack of crates, his voice a low hiss. “When’s the bomb going off?”
“Patience, Sean,” I replied, keeping my eyes fixed on the advancing figures. “It’ll happen soon. Kieran?”
“Hands on the trigger,” my brother replied, waving his phone at me.
I could feel the unease radiating off Liam, his body rigid as he watched our rivals approach. Sean’s hand hovered near his concealed weapon, a silent promise of violence ready to be fulfilled.
I wanted to go in there and kick the shit out of Nick Rossi. I wanted to murder him with my bare hands for what he had almost done to Adriana. This was more than just territory—it was personal, down to the marrow.
They spoke to each other, and after a tense nod, they turned back toward the exit. My heart hammered against my ribs, every second stretching out as they moved crates outside, unknowingly carrying their fates in their hands. I had given Adriana my word—nothing would happen to me, and that meant not confronting this asshole, no matter how much I wanted to.
My brothers and I exchanged glances, a silent conversation passing through our looks. We were bound by blood, united by a purpose deeper than the ocean’s trenches.
“Okay,” I said to Kieran. “Do it.”
Kieran pressed a button on his phone.
And the world erupted into chaos.
A deafening roar shattered the stillness as flames leaped into the sky, consuming the warehouse’s entrance. The ground beneath the car shuddered, and for a moment, everything was noise and fire and smoke.
Through the billowing clouds, I saw Nick and Gio stumble clear of the blast, their outlines blurred but unmistakable. They were alive—shaken, but unharmed. My chest tightened with relief and frustration, conflict warring within me. This wasn’t how I planned it, yet here we were, dancing on a razor’s edge.
“Damn it,” I muttered under my breath, watching the orange glow paint shadows on the faces of my brothers. This was just the beginning. The Rossis would retaliate, and we’d be ready. For Adriana, for our unborn children, for the legacy of the Callahans, we’d stand firm.
But as the flames danced in the reflection of Liam’s wide eyes, I couldn’t help but wonder at what cost.
The warehouse was a graveyard of ashes and smoke, the fire’s red tongues licking the night sky as if savoring its destruction. I shoved the car into gear, the engine’s growl mixing with the cacophony of sirens in the distance. We needed to get out, fast.
“Tristan, watch out!” Liam’s voice cracked like a whip through my focus. I glanced up just in time to see Nick Rossi, his face twisted with rage beneath the streetlights’ sickly yellow glow. His arm raised, a glint of metal in his hand catching the flicker of the dying flames.
The sound of the gunshot boomed louder than the crackling fire. Sean’s car lurched to the side as one of the tires blew, the rubber shredded by the bullet’s kiss. The vehicle skidded, metal groaning against asphalt, and I fought to regain control.
“Out, now!” I barked at the three of them as we spilled from the car like a deck of cards scattered by an angry fist. My heart hammered against my ribs, adrenaline fueling my senses.
Nick had taken cover behind another car, but Gio was nowhere to be seen. We drew our guns, the weight familiar and cold in my hands. The standoff was brief; the Rossis were clearly frazzled, but the animosity between us burned hotter than the inferno we left behind.
“Come on, Callahans,” Nick taunted, his voice laced with venom. “Let’s dance.”
There was no chance to take him up on that offer. Gio was on me first, and somehow, I managed to wrestle his gun out of his hands. Kieran joined in, while Liam and Sean covered our backs, firing shots that sent echos ricocheting through the empty streets.
Kieran managed to pry Gio off my back, but only just barely–Gio landed a punch on his face hard enough to make Kieran dizzy, and then I was the one looking for where my gun was.
The sound of our breaths was harsh in my ears, a stark contrast to the silence that followed the ringing of gunshots. My heart pounded against my ribs like it was trying to escape the mayhem I had thrown us into. Every fiber of my being screamed to end this quickly, to rush back to Adriana, her and our unborn children becoming the drumbeat to which I fought.
Gio, now unconcerned with Kieran, had disappeared somewhere.
“Tristan, watch out!” Kieran’s warning cut through the fog of violence as Nick swung at me with a crowbar. Instinct took over, and I ducked, feeling the rush of air as the metal whistled above my head. My fist connected with his gut, a desperate reminder that I was not just fighting for my life but for the future of my family.
I could feel the weight of responsibility crushing down on me with every punch I threw. I was the shield for my brothers, for Adriana, for the tiny hearts that hadn’t even taken their first breaths. The thought fueled me, turned my blood into fire, and my moves into lethal strokes of defiance.
“Stay together,” I called out, pushing through the pain that threatened to overshadow my resolve. We moved back to back, a unit forged by blood and loyalty. Liam’s eyes met mine, young but fierce, and in that moment, I knew he understood the gravity of our legacy, the price of the crown we bore.
Our enemies were relentless, but so were we. Each step was calculated, each blow delivered with the precision of men who knew too well the stakes of this game. The Callahans didn’t falter; we couldn’t afford to. Not when every second could mean the difference between life and death, between victory and defeat.
Someone fired a shot.
Sean, I think.
Toward the warehouse, toward the car.
“I have another bomb, assholes!” Sean screamed. It was a lie, but we were all out of breath, and I didn’t love that Liam was here, so I appreciate it all the same.
The Rossis were scared, and in the midst of chaos, slipped away like shadows fleeing from the light. I cursed under my breath, anger boiling in my veins as I watched them disappear. This wasn’t how it was supposed to end. I kicked at the gravel, my movements brimming with fury, the bitter taste of unfinished business lingering on my tongue.
“Damn it!” I spat out as I made my way back to the car. The tires were flat, useless—much like how I felt in that instant. My hands trembled with a cocktail of adrenaline and rage as I grabbed the few crates the Rossis had been taking out of the warehouse, sure that they would lead us to something useful. I stacked them with more force than necessary as I looked at my brothers. “You two okay?”
“Just a scratch,” Kieran said, rubbing his face where Gio had punched him.
“My ears are ringing,” Liam replied, then gave me a toothy smile. “Great, other than that.”
Fuck. He was so young. I felt a pang of guilt as I looked at him.
Around me, my brothers nursed their wounds, weariness etched into their faces. We were all marked by battle, but it was the unseen scars that would haunt us—the knowledge of what could have been lost tonight.
My phone vibrated, jarring me from my thoughts. Killian’s voice was tense on the other end. “Tristan, something’s off. The Rossis are clearing out the pub.”
My heart dropped.
If this meant what I thought it meant…we’d found our rat.
And it just happened to be a man I loved.
I told myself to get a grip.
“Keep an eye on it,” I instructed, my voice steady, my mind already racing with possibilities. If Nick thought he could outsmart us, he had another thing coming. If he had one of my closest friends in his pocket, then they would both find out the hard way that you never double crossed the head of the Callahan family.
We were down, but far from out. And as long as there was breath in my lungs, I would fight for those I loved.
And whoever stood in my way would pay the price.