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Prologue

Smoke

“Siren!” I called out as I ran into the burnt-out building I’d seen her enter a few seconds before I did “Siobhan! Where the fuck are you?”

I knehy she’d run past the fire marshal and into the scorched shell of the for for the safe that was in the back storage room of the derelict place I also knehy she refused to answer me

“Siren!” I yelled again, staying low to the ground, hoping to get a glih the haze of smoke

As if it were a special effect, the cloud suddenly cleared, and in front of me stood the woman I’d hated and loved equally in the months I’d known her

“Get out of here, Smoke This is none of your concern,” she shouted

“Ita step in her direction “But you are Let me help you, Siobhan”

“I was never your concern, Broderick, except to play with” Her Irish brogue was thick, like when she was about to cry

“Please” I took another step closer and held out h for her to take it, I heard a crack above us I dove in her direction, covering her body withdown on us both

I

Two Months Earlier

1

Smoke

I held my breath when the doctor carim look on his face

“Siobhan Gallagher’s family,” the nurse with him called out I stood and walked toward them

“That’s me”

“Your name?”

“Broderick Torcher”