Chapter 1

Darcy's POV

Darcy was Doc's daughter; they came from Ireland when she was a little baby, after her mother died in a car accident. The same accident left her already elder father stuttered. A few months later they came to Boston, where her father opened a bar McGinty's a tribute to his dead wife as McGinty was her last name.

Darcy was now eighteen years old. She lived by herself in an apartment at the building where McGinty's was and she recently took her mother's last name. It was her first day working at her father's bar, she was nervous, because she never worked before and now that she lived by herself, she needed it. It was near St. Patty's day of 1999, so she worked on a single shift and continued at the bar later, she was the one to close it up.

She knew almost everyone that used to go on her father's bar; she passed almost all her childhood behind that counter, so she was really dear to everyone there. One of her best friends was a mob man called Rocco. He was a shaggy funny guy, with a scruffy beard and long hair; he was called funny man by his mob friends and by some people that always went at her bar.

"What's up Darcy dear?" Rocco asked at her first day, she was crouched, picking up a bottle of Jack beneath the counter. "First day at work?" he asked, as she came back up, holding the bottle and immediately pouring a shot to her friend. He smiled at her as she said it was her treat to him.

"Hey Della! First day, aye! Haven't been a lot different from before" she said, smiling at him. The years before, she always helped her dad when she wasn't in school, now the only thing different now was that she had a salary and a shift. Rocco drank the shot at one swift gulp and she poured a bit more for him. Then she started to clean the counter, moving to the tables a bit later.

It was time to end her shift, and become a costumer, like all the others, so she sat at the vacant table and was accompanied by Rocco. She ordered a burger to her father and a Guinness. "This is your father's bar, you pay him?" Rocco asked, as she wrote what she ordered on a piece of paper and handled to her dad. "Dude, you don't need to pay!" he said.

She looked at him and chuckled. "Roc, I'm as much a costumer as ya! I gotta pay my Da, or he'll never make a profit." she said. She took the ice cold beer from her father's hands and drank a bit, her hands were cold then, so she touched Rocco at his neck, making the man shiver and laughed frantically at his reaction. "How's Donna?" she asked then.

Donna was Rocco's girl, they were dating for years and she was a drunken bitch. Darcy and she always ended up fighting when they talked with each other. Darcy believed her friend needed a better person to be with him, not a junkie that fucked everyone for a gram of meth. "She is fine, I guess." he said. "We got a cat" he added then, making her chuckle, because he hated cats.

She nodded at him, as the door of the bar opened. Two men entered, one with a lighter hair than his companion. They were with the exact same height and similar clothes; they were wearing some long black coats with jeans and boots. Darcy thought they might be brothers on how similar they were. Then the one with the bigger hair caught her eye. He was a really cute guy, and then he looked at her, his eyes were piercing blue, making the girl blush.

"Little blushed, Darcy?" Rocco teased her, he knew those guys. Connor and Murphy MacManus, the 24 year old twins worked at a meat factory and were really religious, he wondered if Darcy hadn't seen them in the Cathedral, since she was religious too. "Those are the MacManus brothers, I thought you knew them, they often come here." He said, before turning and waving his hand to the guys, bringing them to their table. It made Darcy blush even more, and kick Rocco beneath the table, which made him jump as the brothers arrived near them. "Hey Connor, Murph, this is Darcy." he said, introducing the girl

"Nice to meet ya." the one that looked older said, shaking her hand.

"Aye! I'm Murphy and he is Connor." the one that caught her eye said. He looked even better, close; he had a little mole that completed his face in the cutest way. He stretched his hand, so she could shake.

Darcy hesitated a bit but then shook his hand. "Nice to meet ya! What can I get to ya boys?" she said, getting up with Rocco, so the boys could sit at the table with them.

"Darcy, but your shift is over, why would do-" Rocco said, but before he could finish his sentence, Darcy stepped in his foot, making the grown man hiss in pain. "So what you guys want?" he asked then, as the boys didn't saw what happened.

"Guinness" both said at the same time, looking at her. Darcy smiled and turned, so she could get the beers for them, going back to the table a few minutes later, with two beers in hand. "Thank you." they said in unison again, that made her chuckle as she sat beside Connor.

"I see ya have a good taste." Connor said, seeing that the girl was drinking the same beer as them, but cold. "What is written in yer back?" he asked then, seeing some letters inked in her shoulder, coming out of her loose t-shirt.

"Aw, thank ya Connor. It's Latin 'Non Timebo Mala', means I shall fear no evil." she said, Darcy had other tattoos, she had a Celtic Cross at her left ribs to her hip and an fallen angel in her inner arm. He nodded at her, drinking a bit more of his Guinness. "I liked yers" she said then, pointing to his hands and his brother', making them look at their own hands at the same time, she laugh at them. "Do ya need to do everything at the same time?" she mocked them.

Murphy smiled at her, as Connor frowned. "See not everything is equal, we are twins! What ya expect." Murphy said.

That surprised her. "Twins? Connor ain't older?" she asked, Connor laughed and pointed to his brother, like he was proving something to him.

"See fucker, everyone knows I am older than ya!" he said, making Murphy mumbled some curses. Darcy got a little uncomfortable; she didn't know they had a feud over who was older. "So, Darcy, do ya have any siblings?" he asked then.

She thought the question unusual. "Yeah, I have one sister, she doesn't live here, she lives in Texas." she said, her father had an affair once and the woman got pregnant, she and her sister are best friends, but distance don't let them see each other much. "She is older than me." she added, looking at Murphy, trying to make him feel better for her comment, he smiled at her, looking in her eyes, with his piercing ones.

"It seems like you fucks want to talk to Darcy more than me; so I'm going." Rocco said, clearly intoxicated, he drank only two beers and was already changing feet. "See you later boys. Darcy dear, what do I have to pay?" he asked her, she shook her head, she charged him the other day or not even charge him at all, he never got a good paycheck from Papa Joe, he always needed cash, so she often 'forgot' to charge him.

"Della, do ya need help to go home?" she asked, seeing how he wasn't even able to walk without stumbling on his own feet. He shook his head, holding himself in the chair nearby. "Are ya sure?" she asked again.

Rocco often lost his mind over nothing. He took his hair off her face. "I'm fucking sure!" he said loudly. Darcy got her hands up in a victimized way and nodded at him. She got a bit offended but then remembered how drunk her pal was.

"Ya don't need to yell at the girl Roc" Connor said, Murphy agreed with him. "Say ya sorry now" he said in a stern way.

Darcy frowned at him; she didn't need anyone to protect her. "No need boys, I know this fucker for long to know he does this kind of things when he drinks a bit." she said and kissed Rocco's bearded cheeks, making the funny guy smile and blush. "Say hi to Donna for me." she added, as Rocco left the bar.

She continued to talk to Connor and Murphy for a while. They told about their creation, about their work at the factory, about the languages they knew, she surprised them as she told she was polyglot too, she knew German, Portuguese, Spanish, French and of course Gaelic. After a few minutes, her father called her. "D-D-D-Darcy, it's t-t-t-time to cl-close th-th-the bar." he said, she nodded to him.

"Buachaillí brón orainn am a dhúnadh suas" (Sorry boys, time to close up) she said, proving to them she knew Gaelic. They nodded at her with a grin. "See ya later?" she asked, wondering if they liked her company and if they were going to visit McGinty's often.

Doc left, waving goodbye at her daughter and at the twins. "Yer da doesn't wait ya to go home?" Murphy asked and she shook her head. "This is an Irish neighborhood, it's dangerous, we'll wait ya close." he added, she nodded.

All the sudden fear came to her, she was trusting two strangers blindly, she felt like the stupidest girl ever. "Hm, Ok" she answered to them, afraid that as she refused, they would do something to her. Her hands were now cold and trembling, how could she trust so easily in two guys that she never met.

The girl finished to close the bar and walked the front door with them. "Murphy, should we walk'er home? She seems scared at us!" Connor said, making his brother observe how nervous she seemed to be. "Don't ya worry, girl, yer Da knows us, and he knows we are the good boys." he added.

Was she over thinking again? She then realized that her father didn't seem to mind leaving her alone with them, so he was probably telling the truth. "I ain't afraid of ya!" she said, showing her jackknife, which was also the key ring to the front door of the bar and her apartment.

"See Connor, she is prepared to every situation." Murphy said. "I don't think she needs us to walk'er home." he added, blinking to his brother.

"If ya want so much, come on, me house is upstairs!" she said, annoyed by their talk. "Com'on now Irish" she said, going upstairs, the boys just stared at her. Then they looked at each other and started to go up the stairs together, she rolled her eyes, still a bit nervous. She jumped as they wrapped their arms on hers, like two perfect gentleman. They got to the fourth floor and Connor let her arm go so she could open the door. "Thank ya boys, it was a fun ride." she said. Murphy smiled at her. "Do ya want to come in, have a coffee?" she asked, calling herself stupid again, she just invited them to her home, what if they are serial killers?

Connor looked at Murphy, letting his brother to answer. "We can't it's late and we gotta work in the morning." Murphy said.

"Aye! But maybe someday we come by." Connor completed, smiling at her.

Darcy nodded. "So good bye, boys. Good work tomorrow aye" she said. She got surprised by their reaction, they kissed her cheek at the same time, one each side, making her giggle."See ya in St. Patty's?" she asked then, as they left.

"See ya tomorrow, dear." Connor replied, smiling at her. She entered in her apartment, closing the door slowly as she continued to watch them going downstairs, she smiled thinking her first day of work couldn't be better.

Murphy POV

Murphy and his brother just left Darcy in her home, they were heading to their apartment together, Connor trying to start a conversation with his brother, but Murphy seemed far away, lost in his thoughts. "I'm talking to ya, ass-fuck." Connor yelled at him, making his brother come back to reality. "What were you thinking?" he asked.

Murphy looked at his brother, and then to the sidewalk they were walking, he was embarrassed to say what he was passing through his mind. "Darcy is a nice lass, isn't she?" he asked. Connor let a laugh come out. Murphy was amazed by how Doc's daughter was cool, he often went there, but it was the first time he saw the girl there. Her skin was as white as snow, her eyes chocolate colored but what called his attention the most was her hair, a beautiful mix of dark copper and dark brown. "She seemed nice aye" he added then, as his brother didn't answer him.

"It seems like the girl bewitched ya brother" Connor chuckled. "But yeah, she's a really good lass, and good lookin'" he said, chuckling again as Murphy eyes widen and his eyebrows arched but nodded. "Why didn't she charge Roc?" Connor asked after they walked for a while quiet.

Murphy shook his head. "Don't know, he'll probably bankrupt them, if she continue to do that." he laughed, his brother agreed with him. They were near their apartment by then, they opened the door and entered, taking their rosaries off as Connor closed the door.

Their apartment wasn't fancy, by the contrary, was really humble studio apartment, small for them. They only had their mattresses and a little TV, which was soon turned on the news channel.

The brother took their clothes off as they listened to the journalist. "An 11 year old girl was found dead today just outside South Boston's notorious Irish Neighborhood; authorities believe this girl is the daughter of one soldier of the Russian Syndicate. Another death related to the mobs man of Boston." Murphy looked clued to the little screen; incredulous to what happened, thinking when would the police or someone do something to stop these killings of innocent people.

They woke up the other day really early; they had to go to the meat factory, changed their clothes quickly and left the house. They often grabbed a coffee in a bar nearby, so it was what they did. The factory was on the west side of the city, so they had to do almost a trip every day. It was already nine, when they passed in front of McGinty's. Murphy observed quietly the entrance of the bar and of the building where Darcy lived.

He really liked to meet her the day before. Then he looked up, as a The Doors song started to echo outside the building, he tried his best to look inside and try to see if Darcy was listening to it. By the way the next song was from the Dubliners, he was sure. She said the day before that she liked 60's music a lot and Irish tunes, her neighbors always complained about it.

"Hey, dreamer!" Connor yelled, tapping his brother's head. "Let's go!" he said.

Murphy shook his head lightly and headed to his brother's direction, which were already some steps in front of him. "Wait for me!" he shouted at his twin, as the man started to run. He ran to catch up with his brother, wondering why he was being such an ass, as he caught up with Connor then he gave him a pothole. His brother fell with his face on the floor, making Murphy laugh frantically. "Don't let me behind again, fucker." he said, as his brother cleaned the ashes from the street off his face. "Now let's go, our boss'll kill us!"he said, and ran in front of him.

They worked the whole day; the meat factory was packed, because of the Holiday just days ahead. They got out it was already night, Murphy just wanted to go home and crawl into his bed, he was exhausted. "Do ya want to go drink a beer at McGinty's?" Connor asked, he knew his brother too well. Murphy could only think if the girl with the coppery hair would be there. "Ya want or not?" he asked again, as his brother seemed lost in his thoughts.

"O'course!" he answered, putting his coat on and lighting his cigarette.

Connor's POV

They entered the bar, Murphy looked through the whole place, to see if he would find Doc's daughter. Connor knew his brother liked the girl, a lot, she was exactly his type, redhead, pale skin, although he liked light eyes better. Connor's type was totally different, blondes, blue eyes, true American, but he thought Darcy was cute too, maybe a twins shit.

"Hey Doc." he said, sitting in front of the bar, Doc immediately brought them their beer and a shot of gin. "How are ya in this lovely evening?" he asked then, making the bar owner chuckle. As he was going to answer, Murphy's crush got out of the other room, straight to the bar, cursing all possible curses. "Darcy, ya shouldn't curse so much, a girl is not supposed to do that." he said.

He didn't want to make her feel bad but she blushed so much that made him feel bad for saying anything. "Hello to ya too, Con. Murph" she said, her eyes to his brother were as lovely as his were towards her. "I see da did my work, good father!" she said, tapping the back of her old man. They smiled at her, so she went to help in the other tables. She took a while there, and Connor noticed his brother couldn't stop looking to the girl.

"Murphy, her da will kill ya in a few if ya don't stop looking at the girl like that." Connor chuckled, tapping his brother in the head lightly. Murphy blushed as much as Darcy had before. "I saw yer eyes at the lass, no need to blush little brother." He said.

"I ain't yer little brother yer piece o'shit." Murphy answered quickly and low, so no one else could hear them. He tried to hide from Connor his glimpses to Darcy the whole night, she didn't talk to them much, she had too much work that day. But, before it was closing time she sat beside them. "Hey, workin' a lot today aye." He said to her, trying to break the ice.

Connor couldn't do anything but chuckle to his brother. "Aye! Ya need to work less, lass, or in Saint. Patty's ya will be real tired!" he said, tapping the girl's back. "Now, I'm goin' to the bathroom, ya take good care o' my brother while I'm gone." He said, smiling at Murphy, who looked really embarrassed and uncomfortable.

Ten minutes later he was back, just to see Darcy and Murphy talking and laughing. "I took a good care o' yer brother while ya were gone." She laughed and looked at his brother. Connor smirked at the girl, he knew they were hitting well.

"Darcy, do ya wanna go to Church with us in Saint Patty's? I don't know your religion but-"his brother started to say, but before he could finish his sentence she answered.

"Of course, I'd love that!" she said, Connor knew what was about to come.