Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 83994 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83994 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
They start discussing territories and payments. I gather Finbar is an important member of a street crew that’s been working with the Whelans for a while but hasn’t been happy with the deal as of late. Donnell acts as the go-between and negotiator, smoothing things over when Finbar gets agitated.
I keep looking around the bar as they talk. If I’m not taking notes, sometimes I get distracted. And this place feels strange. It’s not our usual meeting place, and parts of it seem almost familiar. Like that jukebox in the corner and the dirty Irish flag hanging over the bar. I frown to myself and vaguely remember my mother talking about a flag just like that, brought over from the old world, a flag used during the Easter Rising or something like that. But it can’t be the same one.
“It’s always money, Whelan.” Finbar shoves his way out of the booth with a sneer at the conclusion of their meeting. He shoves his hands into his pockets, his shoulders tense and rounded. “You just uphold your end of the bargain.”
“It’s only money.” Declan stands and offers his hand.
Finbar scowls and storms off without shaking.
“I’ll make sure everything’s settled.” Donnell nods to Declan and hurries to follow after Finbar.
Declan watches the men go with a stern look. He doesn’t speak for a moment until he turns and looks at me. His face relaxes slightly, and he sinks down beside me again.
“What do you think of our new friend?”
“It was hard to get a read on him. What’s his story?”
“Meth dealer. One of the biggest. But with great drugs comes huge fucking egos.” He sighs and stretches his back. He sips some whiskey and tugs me against him. “You don’t have to worry though. I’ve got it handled.”
“I know you do.” I lean my head on his shoulder. I like these moments after the meetings where he can be more himself again without worrying about anything else.
He wraps an arm around me and tugs me closer. He’s warm, and after a minute of quiet like that, he seems to calm down and get centered again. His lips brush my hair, and when I look up, he’s smiling.
“Can you guess why we’re meeting in here?”
“I assumed Finbar picked it out.”
He makes an amused face. “No, this was my choice. I picked it for you, actually.”
I frown a little and lean back to see him better. “Why for me?”
But before he answers, I get that feeling. The overwhelming sense of familiarity. The flag behind the bar. The teal seat covers. Even the dirty old floor.
Declan brushes his knuckles across my cheek. “This was your family place back before your parents died.”
It hits me like a wave. That’s actually the flag. It’s the same flag my father used to talk about.
“I’ve been here before,” I say as a wave washes over me. I can’t identify the emotion at first. It pounds me down and makes me feel flat and destroyed.
Slowly, I slip from the booth. Declan’s watching me carefully and stays very close. “I bet you grew up in this place. It was different all those years ago, but they kept the same stuff the same. I think it changed ownership a few times.”
I hurry to the bathrooms. Declan follows, and I don’t care if he thinks I’ve gone insane. I rush into the women’s room, heart racing into my throat, and practically run to the sinks. I kneel down at the far left and look underneath the counter.
There, scratched into the wood, are my initials.
Tears clog my throat and spill down my cheeks.
I run my fingers over those letters, and I can see my mother all over again. Her dark reddish hair, her enormous smile, and incredible laugh.
Declan kneels down beside me, a hand on my knee.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. I thought you’d like it.”
“No, I do. I love this, it’s just—” I guide his hand and make him touch the initials. “My mother did that when I was a little girl. I was so scandalized, but she told me it was okay. Sometimes breaking the rules is okay, so long as they’re small rules and nobody gets hurt. I can’t believe it’s still here.”
He smiles sadly and watches me. “Your parents loved you.”
“They did. I mean, I don’t fully understand what things were like, you know? I was a kid back then. I didn’t know about the crime and all that.”
“They were just your mom and dad. They tried to give you a normal life.”
“I guess so.”
“Aside from promising you to me.”
“Right, aside from that.”
“It’s a good thing. They cared enough to go out of their way to make you feel like you were just a regular person. My parents never did that for me. I was born into the Whelans, and there’s not a single moment of my life where I wasn’t reminded of that.”