Page 51 of Luca
“One of them ended up in hospital, which was how we ended up on remand. But hey, they started it. We just finished it,” Sean added.
Finn leaned in, a conspiratorial look on his face. “A bit of friendly persuasion from some of our lads and they dropped the charges,” he grinned.
“Glad to hear you both came out on top,” I replied, lifting my glass.
“Here’s to not letting anyone walk over us,” Ash said, before downing his drink.
“Sean, Finn, can you give me a wee bit help in the kitchen?” a woman called.
“Sure, Ma, I’ll be right there,” Sean shouted back.
“Duty calls. You two lads enjoy your drinks. We’ll be back soon,” Finn said before the pair disappeared.
I turned to Romi who’d been sitting quietly, observing the pair as we’d conversed. Keeping my voice low. “So, what doyou reckon? These O’Briens’ seem solid enough. I like them anyway.”
“Me, too,” Ash added.
Romi nodded, his brow furrowed as he considered. “They’re not afraid to get their hands dirty, and they’ve got connections. I think it’s a smart move.”
I glanced at Sean and Finn, who were currently delivering meals to a large table of customers who seemed to be celebrating a child’s birthday. They laughed and bantered with the party and the sight heartened me. “They seem like decent blokes. They’ll be good for us.”
Ash, sitting across from me, raised an eyebrow. “But can we trust them? No offense, but they’re Irish. You know how these things can go.”
“True,” I admitted, “but Miki’s discussed the O’Briens with Jim and he wouldn’t have accepted this meeting if he didn’t see potential. Besides, they’re not looking to muscle in on anyone’s turf right now, just looking to take over what we inherited and don’t want. So, it makes sense. These guys are here to stay, so it’s best we become allies, not enemies.”
Moments later, Miki returned, his expression serious but pleased. “We’ve struck a deal. The O’Briens are on board.”
A wave of relief washed over me. “That’s good to hear.” We were another step closer to getting rid of all the illegal shit we did, except the white collar stuff and it couldn’t come quick enough for me.
Cormac rejoined us, his smile wide and genuine. “You lads are now part of the O’Brien family. Come join me at the family table and we’ll have that meal I promised.”
Drinks were poured once again as we all settled down together in the O’Briens’ private dining area at the back of the restaurant.
Miki raised his glass once more. “To new alliances.”
“To new alliances!” echoed around the table, and for the first time in a while, I felt truly optimistic about what lay ahead.
As we settled into the meal, Cormac poured us his finest Irish whiskey, the smooth liquid gliding down my throat and easing the tension from earlier. Miki and Cormac excused themselves, disappearing into the back office for what I presumed were negotiations for our alliance.
“Now, what about that fight we were talking about?” Sean said.
“Alright, lads, let’s make it happen. Finn, you ready to take on Vlad?” I asked.
“Always ready. Just tell me when and where,” he replied with a cheeky grin.
“How about Glitz? It’s our family club, and we can set it up for one of our quiet nights, probably a Thursday, in a few weeks’ time. Plenty of space, and we can control the crowd.” Ash suggested.
“Glitz sounds perfect. We’ve been meaning to check the place out. We heard it’s stylish though, and a private club, are you sure you want to lower your standards and let us Irish in?” Sean teased.
“I’m sure we can do that for one night,” Ash teased in turn.
“Well, I will look forward to spraying its walls with your man’s blood.” Finn laughed and winked.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. Vlad’s been itching for a good fight, and he’s never lost. I’m afraid he’s liable to wipe the floor with you, Finn,” Romi said.
“Yeah, my money’s on him,” Ash said with a nod.
“Don’t bet on it!” Sean said with a chuckle.