Page 50 of Luca
“Shut it!” I told him and he laughed but said nothing. His chuckle lingering in the air as we made our way into London and our highly anticipated meeting with the O’Briens.
As we stepped into the bustling family bar and restaurant owned by Sean’s family, my eyes quickly scanned for threats as they always did, and I was glad when everything appeared normal. In fact, there was a cosy, welcoming feel to the place that brought a smile to my lips. I liked it immediately. The smell of food was strong, and banter of the clientele loud, reminding me of the strength and loudness I associated with Sean and Finn. I liked it immediately and the warm, friendly atmosphere boded well for this alliance being something beneficial for all concerned.
Miki smiled next to me, and the tension I’d hardly noticed he was carrying loosened. The scent of hearty Irish fare made my stomach rumble, and I looked forward to sampling some if everything went according to plan.
Sean greeted us at the door. “Great to have you here, come meet my da,” he said, hustling us over towards a large, formidable figure behind the bar.
“Da, our guests have arrived,” he said to the man before turning back to us. “This is my da, Cormac O’Brien,” he said, pride evident in his voice.
“Mr O’Brien, I’m Luca, this is Mikhail Rominov, his brother Ash and their cousin, Romi,” I introduced us all.
“Cormac, please,” he replied, a grin splitting his face as he stepped up to shake our hands.
“And this is my son Sean and nephew Finley,” he introduced the pair.
“Cormac, Sean, Finley, it’s good to meet you all,” Miki said, before turning his attention to Cormac.
“Luca has told me of how helpful your lads were to him when he was in need. He also suggested we might have a chat,” Miki said, obviously eager to get things moving on.
“A chat is just what I was hoping for. Shall we go to my office?” Cormac responded pleasantly.
“Sean, Finn, you two stay here and keep the other lads company while Mikhail and I have our chat,” he directed before quickly adding, “If that’s alright with you, Mikhail?”
“Of course, and it’s Miki to my friends,” he replied, a trace of challenge in his voice as he stared at the man who might become our newest.
“Well, Miki, a friendship is exactly what I seek,” Cormac said with a firm nod, the gleam of understanding and respect in his eyes as he returned Miki’s gaze a relief. Things were going well. “Let’s go talk, then we can all enjoy a good meal afterwards. The rest of you lads, take a seat, have a drink and get to know one another.”
He waved us toward a table at the back of the room and we sat down.
“I’ll get us some whiskey,” Finn said.
“Coke for me, I’m driving,” Romi shouted to him.
He nodded before hurrying around behind the bar, returning quickly with a bottle of whiskey, several glasses and a can of coke for Romi.
“Cheers,” Sean said as he poured us each a couple of fingers of the golden nectar the Irish loved so much.
Lifting the drinks, we replied, “Nostrovia!” as we downed took our first sips. The burn in my throat felt refreshing, I wasn’t usually a fan of whiskey but this was good stuff.
“It’s great to see you again, Luca,” Sean said.
“You, too, guys,” I replied.
“When’s your court case?” he asked.
“In a few weeks, but I’m hoping it might not get that far,” I told him.
“Good, court’s a fucking nuisance,” Finn said.
“It’s not something I’ve dealt with before, as you know, and I hope it isn’t something I need to deal with again once this is all over,” I told them, praying that would be the case.
“Here, here,” they both said, raising the glasses to me.
I smiled at the pair, both of whom looked a little rough around the edges, but had an undeniable spark of loyalty and fire. The sort of blokes you wanted in your corner. I liked them.
“Heard you guys had a bit of trouble of your own, how did that go?” Ash asked.
“Sorted,” Finn said, a hint of a smirk on his lips. “Just a couple of posh lads who thought they could play rough in our pub. Naturally, we had to teach them the error of their ways.”