ii. new enemies
Author Note: Thank you guys so much for sticking around and giving this story a chance! My plan is to update this story about every Sunday until I reach certain chapter "milestones" where I have to begin writing on the next batch of chapters. Currently, I have three out of twenty-five chapters complete. Updates should continue to be pretty regular until I reach chapter five. Comments, faves, and follows are always appreciated!
After their brief, yet telling, introduction, the three of them moved to sit at their table. Katherine sat across from Tommy while Alfie placed himself at the head of the table; acting—in a sense—as a mediator between the two.
Katherine knew it was a small show of loyalty on Alfie's part. A gesture which she greatly appreciated given her current disadvantage in the situation. For no matter how friendly these men portrayed themselves to be. They were ruthless gangsters all the same.
Not much unlike herself, she noted somberly.
It was then that their waiter chose to make his debut, taking their beverage orders with a refined eagerness that Katherine found oddly endearing.
When their waiter finally left to retrieve their drinks, the three of them continued to pass light pleasantries to one another. None of them too keen to begin their business when their waiter was expected back at any given moment.
A few quiet minutes passed before their waiter returned; a platter balanced precariously on his palm. With surprising ease, he placed the drinks beside their respective owners. A tumbler of whiskey for Tommy, a fresh glass of water for Alfie, and a Soixante Quinze for Katherine.
The young waiter flipped the tray beneath his arm and addressed the table, "Is everyone ready to order?"
Katherine glanced at both Thomas and Alfie before responding, "Yes. In fact, I believe we are."
After the waiter had jotted down their orders, he scurried off to attend to the other patrons, leaving the three of them to begin their business in earnest.
Katherine sat back in her seat, a sigh playing dangerously at her lips as she debated her next move. She knew it was only a matter of time before they clued her into the real reason she was here, but she was sick of waiting. Sick of being at the mercy of their deceit. She wanted answers. And she was going to get them.
She took a light sip of her drink, steeling herself for the onslaught to come. "Alfie has told me a fair deal about you as well, Mister Shelby."
Tommy glanced over at their hulking companion before turning to regard her. A smirk playing deviously at his lips, "Has he now?"
"Why yes; he has told me you have big aspirations for your business," Katherine replied with a smile. "An expansion, if I remember correctly."
Thomas hummed. Neither confirming nor denying her statement. However, in her mind, it gave her all the ammunition she needed to pursue this line of questioning further.
The smile that Katherine had put in place remained, but her turquoise eyes shone with something different. Something far less friendly and inviting. It was a change that didn't go unnoticed by her current company.
"However, I'm not so sure I believe that, Mister Shelby. Cause the last time I checked; the Shelby's already owned a branch in Boston."
"Katherine," Alfie suddenly warned. His voice a deep rumble that all but demanded that she tread lightly. Whether it was with him or Mister Shelby, she wasn't sure.
Katherine looked to him out the corner of her eye, "Don't 'Katherine' me, Alfie. You lied to get me here. And I want to know why."
"She's certainly an astute young woman," Tommy commented as he lit the tip of his cigarette. He then shifted back into his seat, taking a deep drag of the nicotine; letting its fumes fill his lungs before speaking once more. "You're right, Miss Moran. Alfie did, in fact, lie to get you here. But he did so to keep you safe."
Katherine took another sip of her drink, not at all buying this so-called act of gallantry from Alfie. "Is that so?"
"Indeed."
"Hm, then what exactly was he protecting me from?"
Even though Alfie had remained quiet up until his earlier outburst, he had chosen to supply her with the answer. "The Mob."
Katherine notably flinched; the action unintentional, but instinctual. She gently placed her champagne glass atop the sheeted surface of the table. A thousand and one thoughts crossed her mind at once. However, all of them paled in comparison to the seething rage that was now building beneath the surface.
She rolled her bottom lip between her teeth, distressing the flesh for a moment, in an attempt to soothe her rage. She needed to remain calm. Releasing the abused flesh of her bottom lip, she asked a single question, her voice now holding a deathly edge. "Which one of you are they after?"
One of Tommy's brows quirked up, "How do ya know they aren't after you, eh?"
Katherine huffed out a laugh. "Because, if they were after me, I would've already of heard about it." Willing the tension from her shoulders, she added, "Alfie also wouldn't have let me anywhere near this continent if the mafia were on my case."
Alfie glared at her. "It's nice to know you think so fuckin' highly of me, mate."
Katherine smiled in return. It was a surprisingly cheerful smile considering her current displeasure with him. "It's a fact," She said turning back to Thomas. "So with that in mind. The only reason he would want me here is because they're after one of you. And you need my help to be rid of them."
Tommy chuckled, but the sound was empty. Devoid of all emotion as the last ounce of civility slipped from his demeanor. It was only then that Katherine noticed that his jawline was pulled taut. The sharpness of his features seeming almost painfully drawn as he leaned forward against the table. His eyes locked with her own, trapping her within their glassen depths. "You are a clever one, Miss Katherine. So I don't think you need my response to know the answer, eh?"
Another, more alluring smile tugged at Katherine's lips. It was a reactionary habit of hers. A tendency that she developed when she learned of it's disarming effect on the opposite sex. However, it wasn't serving her as she had hoped it would now. Instead of lulling the man into a false sense of ease, it caused his gaze to sharpen to the likeness of a dagger, piercing her being with such a fierce intensity that it rivaled the fires of hell.
Katherine wanted to fidget, to move, to do anything that would give way to her discomfort. But she knew she couldn't afford to do that. For if she did, it would be a blatant display of weakness on her part, and she wasn't weak. No. Years of enduring her father's tyranny had taught her much about the workings of this world. At least enough to know not to show weakness in the face of a man who fed upon it as if it were his favorite brand of liquor.
The faint impression of a smirk crossed Thomas' features. He knew he had her cornered. And she hated him for that. Hated him for the way that his gaze alone could leave her feeling so vulnerable and weak. He was every bit the man that the rumors had made him out to be.
A fact that left Katherine clenching her teeth in a vague attempt to withhold the sarcastic quips that resided at the tip of her tongue. She gave him a single glare before composing herself once more. Her gaze just as empty as his own had been. "Mister Shelby—"
Just as she had begun to formulate her next course of action, the distinct sound of a gun blast reverberated throughout the restaurant, casting an eerie silence upon the once bustling establishment. People—including themselves—began to rise from their seats as another shot rang out toward the back entrance. But unlike the others, Alfie, Katherine, and Tommy did not flee for the nearest exit. They instead waited a moment longer, their hands hovering above the location of their hidden pistols.
The three of them exchanged glances as they began to back away from the table, slowly inching their bodies closer to the front entrance. Katherine's eyes swept across the now nearly empty restaurant. In a desperate search for any nearby cover that could withstand the assault of a Tommy Gun.
However, her search was in vain. For higher class restaurants weren't necessarily designed to host shootouts between gangs. A fact which left Katherine more than a little irritated. Mister Shelby sure had picked a hell of a place to hold their meeting.
In her peripherals, Katherine caught a glimpse of the intruders as they barreled through the doors of the kitchen. With only seconds to react Katherine yelled for the others to get down while she ducked beneath a nearby booth.
Suddenly, a loud chorus of shots rang overhead, turning the once immaculate dining establishment into a chaotic war zone. Shattered glass and debris filled the air, obscuring the three of them from their assailant's view.
Gathering her wits, Katherine quickly tugged at the hem of her dress, pulling it up the side of her thigh, so she could withdraw the small twenty-five caliber that she had kept hidden in her stocking. And while it was nowhere near as powerful as the other guns currently present, it could still inflict quite a bit of damage if aimed correctly.
Katherine let out a breath, willing the tension from her shoulders, as she glanced to her left. She was relieved to find that Alfie and Thomas had managed to survive the initial onslaught. But her relief was shortlived. Their current position left them open on both sides, making it virtually impossible for them to move from that spot, unless under the protection of return fire. Katherine groaned. Of course, the one time she needed the forty-five, she packed the fucking twenty-five!
Shifting her weight to her knees, Katherine called over to the boys, though she was sure her voice would get lost amongst the ruckus surrounding them. "Got any ideas?"
Alfie continued to lounge leisurely against the slanted surface of the table, seemingly unaware of her question. While Tommy, on the other hand, tore his gaze from the firing squad long enough to brandish his revolver.
Great.
Katherine adjusted her grip on the pistol, fully prepared to piss-off their assailants with her puny little twenty-five caliber.
Just when Katherine thought there was going to be a break in gunfire, the room lit up with bullets once again, but this time the sound was accompanied by the screams of newly injured men.
Katherine furrowed her brow as she looked over at the other two. Tommy seemed just as confused as she was, but Alfie appeared almost—pleased?
By the time Katherine realized what was happening, the gunfire and shouts had already ceased their incessant racket. A few moments passed before a man called out, his voice familiar. "Boss! It's all clear!"
"It's 'bout fuckin time!" Alfie suddenly shouted; rising from his position as though they weren't just recently subject to a firing squad. He gestured for Katherine and Tommy to follow suit, his hand moving with an uncharacteristic amount of enthusiasm.
With his gun still in hand, Tommy stood up, his eyes boring a hole into the back Alfie's head. He briefly glanced over at Katherine who was busy crawling out from under the table and smirked.
The corner of Katherine's mouth twitched, her patience with these two growing thinner by the second. But before she could voice any form of complaint, Tommy's hand came into view. It was a silent offer that she reluctantly chose to accept.
Her weight settled heavily on his palm as she pulled herself to her feet. Once she had gained her bearings, she withdrew her hand and took a step back, allotting them the space she felt they needed. "Thank you, Mister Shelby."
"No need," Tommy replied with the lift of his hand, his voice warmer than it had been earlier. He then turned on his heel and walked over toward Alfie, who now stood with his men near the doors of the kitchen.
After brushing the splintered pieces of wood from her dress, she too made her way over towards the others, catching the tail end of an exchange she hadn't heard.
"Yes, well, we ran into a few more 'uninvited guests' outside."
Alfie grunted, "Leave one 'em alive?"
"Of course," the Irishman replied, his voice laced with an unsettling amount of cheer.
Katherine shifted uncomfortably. Nothing good will come of this.
The Irishman turned to lead them through the doors of the kitchen, gesturing briefly for two other men to step forward. Held between the two men was the limp and battered body of an Italian. His face was beaten and bruised with copious amounts of blood marring his overall visage. But some of the blood, Katherine had noted, seemed to originate from a single gunshot wound in his abdomen.
If the man were lucky, Alfie would show mercy and put him out of his misery, but the likeliness of that occurring was slim to none. To show mercy was to show weakness in Alfie's eyes. However, this logic only seemed to apply to those that actively threatened his own interests. Still, the Italian didn't have a prayer. Alfie needed information. Why else would he inquire about survivors?
Alfie stood before the battered man, his hand draped atop the curve of his cane, while Katherine and Tommy stood to either side of him. "Well, looks who's gotten himself caught in a snare."
The Italian lifted his head. His eyes gleamed with defiance as he spat a glob of blood at Alfie's feet. He was rewarded with a swift punch to the gut by the Irish Jew who had led them there.
Alfie raised his hand, "Now, now, Daniel. I can fight my own battles, right, yeah?"
Daniel took a step back, his body more rigid than it had been before. "Of course you can, sir."
With a pleased hum, Alfie stepped forward, his cane was no longer pressed into the tile, but held slightly aloft. Katherine wasn't sure what he was planning, but she soon got her answer, when he rammed the end his cane into the still bleeding wound of the Italian.
The man cried out, his lips moving to form words that Katherine had learned long ago to decipher. His words were a desperate plea for a painless death to Saint Joseph. Katherine, while subdued in her beliefs (or lack thereof), was saddened by the man's deference to his fate.
"Your Saint won't spare you from the pain I indent to inflict upon you, mate," Alfie spoke softly. "Want to die a quick death? Tell us all you know about Luca Changretta and his plan."
Changretta...
Katherine shifted from one foot to the other, her eyes zeroing in on the back of Alfie's skull. What the fuck?!
