“What is it that you want me to do?” He has to want me to keep an eye out or something. Otherwise, I don’t know why he’d tell me.
“Oh, nothing. I was just notifying you of what’s been going around. If you hear anything, I am sure you will tell me.”
“I will.” I confirm.
Chapter Three
“To escape fear, you have to go through it, not around it.”
- Richie Norton
Caprice
“This is where we’re staying?” Sandra asks me, turning up her nose at the small studio apartment. It’s really not that bad, definitely a few levels down then what we’re used to but it’s quaint and more importantly, it’s safe.
I take a gander around our apartment seeing the cheap butcher block that lines our kitchen counters. It’s maybe two feet long, if we’re lucky. We have a small two person table sitting along the wall in the kitchen accompanied by a fridge-freezer combination and a stovetop. Unfortunately, we don’t have an oven here. Looking to the left and only a mere ten feet away is our living room which doubles as the bedroom. If you open the wardrobe doors it’s actually hiding our bed, much like a pull-out couch. Sandra turned her nose up at it a couple hours ago when I showed her how it worked, and when I explored the bathroom, I swore that I heard her gag. It’s not bad though, and I’m not just saying that. Sure, it may smell a little atrocious but it’s nothing a good clean won’t get out.
“Yeah. We’ll make it work, and more importantly we’ll make it ours.” I tell her, forcing a smile on my face. As I tell her I’m trying to convince myself that we will make it ours but already the fear sets in.
“How did you even find this place?” She asks, and for a moment I think about lying to her but what would be the point in doing that? Hiding things from Sandra won’t do her any good, especially now that all we have is each other.
“A friend of a friend knows someone who helps people in situations like our own.” I confess, waiting a moment to see if she’ll press me for more information but she doesn’t. She simply nods and walks over to the wardrobe hidden bed and yanks it down like I showed her a bit ago.
“You said you were going to rest but you’ve done no such thing, so are you about to run amuck and go job hunting?”
I laugh at how assertive she is. “I am. Will you be okay here by yourself?”
“I don’t have much of a choice now, do I?” She grumbles out, surveying our space.
“You have a good point. I’ll grab some food on the way back. In the meantime, try to get some rest. Hopefully I’ll have a job when you see me in a couple hours. Wish me luck!”
Sandra rolls her eyes. “Okay, Amber. Good luck!” She’s using the name on my fake passport and documentation. We’re the Brown’s, from a small no nothing town in Alabama. I’m Amber, and my little sister is Alexandra.
“I’ll be back now, ya hear?” I jokingly say to her in my best shot of a southern accent as I walk out of the front door. I may have spent most of my time in America over the years but where I haven’t spent a lot of time in is the southern United States. I think I’ve been to Atlanta a handful of times but nothing more than that.
I make my way down the stairwell, hearing the aged wood creak under my footsteps with every move I make. At the bottom of the stairwell is a door that leads out into an alley which will take me along the main drag of Dublin. It’s raining buckets today so I’m glad that I’d thought this out and made sure to have a rain jacket for both my sister and I in our duffel bags. I know where I’m headed to first, the one place where I know we will be protected no matter what, hidden right under everyone’s noses.
I chose Ireland for a reason – one that many may be shocked I know. Women aren’t privy to the dealings within the Mafia, however I always made it a point to be listening when most assumed that I wasn’t. My father may be cordial with Desmond Mackenzie but in no way, shape or form are they friendly. Desmond has even gone as far to tell my father that he is only welcome in Ireland by invitation. Knowing this information is what told me that we’d be the safest here. In a place where my father would never think to look, right under the Irish Mob’s nose, and with any luck… working for them.
I do not know the Mackenzie’s personally but all I have heard about them tells me that they’re upstanding people who protect their own, regardless if you are blood or an employee. They hold a code of honor, one that I hope will save us when the time arises. There’s no doubt in my mind that my father will track us down one day and when he does… I will make sure to be prepared.
Two and a half blocks away and I arrive to my destination, Maeve’s. Rumor has it that this is the bar Liam Mackenzie owns. Er, well… pub. In Ireland they don’t call them bars, they call them pubs. I need to start remembering these things. Liam is the only and eldest son that Desmond has. I don’t know anything about him but I do hope that he is like his father and holds his values.
I make my way to the front door and place my hand on the iron handle that covers the old wood. I’m not even inside and can already tell that this is a tasteful establishment where the old meets the new. Upon opening the door my thoughts are confirmed. Old, perfectly finished wooden tables and bar tops grace the space with iron chairs that are accented by plush pillows. Green, blue and white are thrown everywhere. Windows line the establishment and I’m sure that on a good day when it isn’t raining buckets, this is lit up from all of the natural light that can get in.
“Hey there lass, we don’t open for another hour. If you’d care to wait over here that’s just fine with me. Don’t want ya out in the pouring rain, especially in that jacket. You’ll freeze before ya can even get back in here.” A short man tells me. He’s got white blonde hair with baby blue eyes and a smile that tells you he’s the kindest man you’ll ever meet.
“Oh. I-I’m not here to eat. I’m sorry. My name is Amber and I’m here to see if you all need some additional help.”
He slants his eyes and gives me a good once over, “Help?”
“I’m looking for a job.” I spit it out, my nerves bugging the heck out of me already. I feel like a million tiny ants are running across my body. I’m so jittery!
“Ah! Well lass, lucky for you we’re down a bartender. Do you know how to pour an Irishmen whiskey?”
“You don’t stop,” I say with a straight face and then laugh at the end. I don’t know the answer to his question but hopefully he enjoys a good joke.
He busts out laughing. “Good god, where have you been all my life? The boys will love you! I’m Aemon. You are?”
“Amber, it’s so nice to meet you.” I extend my hand and just as I think he’s about to grab it for a shake he pulls me into a giant hug.
“I manage this here pub and can tell you that you’re a shoe in for the position. But as a formality you’re going to have to meet with the owner. Lucky for you, he’s upstairs.” Aemon turns his head towards the stairwell that leads to some sort of office. It’s oddly placed and the same windows that line the pub are spread across the office, giving an eagle view of the entire restaurant. “Oy! Liam, got a good one here for ya!” Aemon shouts.
The door comes flying open exposing a tall, lean red headed man. Good god… where has he been all my life?
“How many times do I have to tell you to stop screaming around like a bloody mule?” He snaps out, causing me to giggle.
Aemon chuckles lightly and looks to me, “His bark is worse then his bite. You’ll do fine. Go on up and charm the boss man. I’ll see you tonight!” Just like that Aemon disappears and I’m left staring up at a beautiful man whose eyes are trained on me like I’m his target.
I guess it’s now or never.
Chapter Four
“A woman is like a tea bag—you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.”
- Eleanor Roosevelt
Liam
Aemon should be called demon for sending up this beautiful looking creature to my office when I haven’t gotten laid in ages
. She’s drop dead gorgeous and I mean drop dead gorgeous. One of those women who doesn’t need a spec of makeup on her face. Her olive complexion compliments her sandy light brown hair and brown eyes. “Hi, I’m Amber. Aemon said I needed to come up and see you,” She mutters out, sounding nervous as can be. “But he kind of told me I need to show up tonight anyway, so…”
I laugh, shaking my head. “You meeting me is just a formality. If Aemon told you to be here tonight then you’d best make sure your ass is in the pub.”
Amber smiles, running her hand along her opposite arm. “So, I have the job?”
I nod, “Yes. We should go over the legal aspects. You don’t sound like you’re from here.”
“No, I’m not.” She admits, eyes darting around the room.
I wait for a moment to see if she’ll tell me where she is from but she doesn’t. “Care to tell me what you’re doing in Ireland, outsider?” I try to be humorous yet she goes sheet white, eyes almost bugging out of her head.
“I’m from Alabama.”
I run my hand across my face, “Why are you here, Amber from Alabama?”
She looks at me, tilts her head slightly and takes in a deep breath. “Because I needed a new beginning.” Something in the way she answers my question tells me that there’s more to the story then I know.
“I can understand that. Do you have all your documentation and visas?” I ask, walking away from her and approaching my desk. I need to get her to fill out an application and have Aemon process everything. We run a tight ship in making sure everything is on the book at Maeve’s. It’s one of our only legitimate businesses.
“That’s the thing…” Here we go. “I was wondering if there’s any way that you can pay me under the table. I’ll take a pay cut, do whatever I have to. I just really need a job…” She doesn’t even look me in the eye as she asks. There is so much more to this girl then just her needing a new beginning.
“Why would I do that for you, a stranger nonetheless?” I ask, taking a seat in my chair and crossing my arms over my chest.
She bites her bottom lip and stares me deadpan in the eyes. “Because I’m running from something and I’ll be the hardest worker that you’ve ever had, Sir. I just need you to give me a chance to show you.” I’m taken aback by the emotion in her voice. There is much more to her then meets the eye but she wants me to risk so much for her. I wonder if the government has sent her to ploy me into falling for a trap. There are so many possibilities yet I wouldn’t put it past them. They’ve been after us for years but have never been able to catch us in anything. It’s because we’re slick motherfuckers and like I said earlier, we run a tight ship.
“No,” I inform her, watching her face contort in confusion and maybe even a bit of shock.
She opens her mouth but before she can get a word out I’m already speaking.
“You may have charmed Aemon but there is only one way you work for me. You fill out the application like everyone else. You get checks like everyone else. You be just like everyone else. My pub is crispy clean, no one gets special treatment. Not anyone. Do you understand?”
Amber shuts her eyes firmly for a moment before opening them and looking back at me. “I do.”
“What is it that you’re running from?” The question slips out before I even have a moment to think about it. It surpasses what I’m legally allowed to ask anyone in a job interview, and if she does work for the government then either way, I’ll be getting a citation for this.
“I’m running from many things. From my past, from the future that I was almost forced into… I’m running from… people who want nothing good to come of my life, from those who only want to hold me back and with all due respect, Sir. It seems like you’re trying to hold me back as well.”
“I’m trying to do no such thing. However, I need you to fill out the application just like everyone else. So, again, I will not be hiring you.” I remind her, putting my foot down.
“I’m much more stubborn then you think.” She tells me, those eyes of hers burning right through me. It makes me want to give her a shot, something about those eyes tell me that she is running from a demon or two… but the words that come out of her mouth aren’t lining up.
There’s one thing I never do – hire liars.
If I find out someone isn’t being honest with me, they end up in one place – the ground.
Chapter Five
“Replace excuses with effort. Replace laziness with determination and everything will fall into place.”
- Anonymous
Caprice
“Didn’t I tell you to not show up?” His voice is grumbled out from behind me. All I can do is roll my eyes. I told him I was stubborn. Not my fault he didn’t believe me.
“No. In fact, you didn’t say that to me at all.” I tell him with a smile, sporting my Maeve’s apron. I’m in an emerald green scoop neck t-shirt that shows off the girls good enough to receive a decent set of tips for my first night here.
“I’m not having you on my payroll if you don’t fill out the paperwork, I need you to.” Liam strongly tells me.
“I understand that and you’d best understand that I’ll work here every day of the week for just the tips that come in. I’ve been here for six hours tonight and the place has been packed. Every customer I’ve waited on hasn’t complained a bit and you can’t tell me that you don’t need the experienced help.” What Liam doesn’t know is that I’ve never had any bar experience in my life. The only experience I have with making drinks is when my father would order me to make his associates some when they came to the house. What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him. I’ve been doing a great job and he’ll see it.
Aemon pops up from behind me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. “It’s true, boss. Boys fuckin’ love her!”
I smirk, finally feeling able to breathe a bit easier. I refuse to act like a nervous little rabbit like I was earlier today. “See, the boys love me!”
Liam huffs, grabs the stack of receipts from Aemon’s hands and heads down towards the end of the bar. It’s a little past two in the morning and we’ll be closing up shop in just a few minutes. The last of our patrons have left and I’m giving the bar a good wipe down before I head out.
I’ve only been out of my father’s grasps for a few days and it’s amazing how free I feel. I don’t feel like I have to watch over my shoulder, or like I can’t take a full breath and rest easy. I know that he’s a toxic person in my life but maybe I never really accepted how harmful he is. “Do you need any help?” I ask Liam, staring down at the receipts he has riddled across the bar top. He has a pen in his mouth, brows drawn sternly in a focused line. I love math, always have and always will.
“I’ll pass.” He mumbles out.
“If you’re so sure, then fine. I’m not too bad with numbers if you ever feel like giving me a shot.” At that his eyes peer up from the papers in front of him.
“I handle the books. It’s the way it is and what I don’t appreciate is someone telling me how to do my job.”
“You obviously aren’t listening because I didn’t tell you how to do your job. I was offering to help you, jackass.” I snap, taking my apron off in a rushed way. I toss it on the hanger with the others behind the bar and look back over to him. What I find is surprising. The man is smiling at me.
“What?” I ask,
His smirk grows larger, “What happened to the nervous girl I was speaking to just this morning?”
“She decided to grow a backbone.”
He nods, taking the receipts up in a bundle and placing them in a journal he had beside him. He picks it up from the bar and walks toward the front door. I’m heading in the same direction since Aemon had told me a bit ago to leave through the front door and never through the back. “Do you live close by?”
“Yeah, just a couple blocks away.”
“Alright.” Liam mutters, his expression looking like he’s thinking about something. Surprisingly enough he holds the front door
open for me as we leave and locks the door behind us. There’s a car parked outside, running with what seems to be like a bodyguard waiting outside. “I’ll walk you home.” Liam informs me, and before I have a moment to argue he’s speaking to the man. “We’re taking a detour, Luca.” The man nods at Liam and gets in the driver’s side of the car.
“How long have you been here, in Ireland I mean.” Liam asks as we walk down the streets. It’s not raining, which makes our trek a little easier.
“I arrived today actually.”
“I’d say that I’m shocked you took it upon yourself to go job hunting today, but you seem to be rather stubborn. Maybe even a bit bull headed.”
“Depends who you are,” I joke, but it’s the truth. I would have never had the courage to be stubborn back home. I trusted my gut in fighting the fact that Liam didn’t want to hire me. It felt so odd but somehow, I knew that it wouldn’t turn out bad, that it was something I needed to do.
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