Dani awoke several hours later. It was dark outside, so she knew she'd slept into the evening. Rubbing her eyes and blinking against the light pouring out of the dining area, she shuffled in to where the three men were sitting at the table. They'd cleaned the blood off and changed clothes. There were Chinese take-out boxes scattered about. "Save me any?" Dani asked, peering into one on the counter.

"Nope," David said, making Murphy chuckle and bat his friend's head.

"Here, darlin'," Connor said, handing her a box that was still closed and warm to the touch. She opened it and grinned to see sweet and sour chicken, her favorite.

"Get any sleep?" David said, looking up at her, worry evident on his face.

She swallowed the bite of chicken she'd taken and nodded. "Yeah, I did."

"I'm goin' out for a smoke," Connor announced, standing. "Come on, Murph." Murphy looked up at his brother, then stood, the two leaving without another word.

"What's up with them?" Dani asked around a mouthful of food, taking a seat in the chair Connor had just vacated.

"I told 'em I wanted to talk to you alone," David said, leaning against the table.

"'Bout what?"

David sighed. "Look...I don't know what you and Murphy got goin'--"

"Nothin'," Dani interrupted, slightly annoyed that David was bringing it up. "It's nothin'. He kissed me tonight. That's it. Fuckin' first base." She jabbed her fork at her food, appetite waning.

David paused for a moment. "I just want you to know that it's cool, okay?"

"Like I need your fuckin' permission," she scoffed.

"Murphy's not the type of guy you normally go out with, Dani," David insisted, his tone making her look up. "I mean, you know what we do, pretty much, right? He's probably one of the most dangerous motherfuckers you could have fallen for, but you know why I'm okay with it?" She stayed silent. "'Cause I know he can protect you. None of those other fucks ever could. I never trusted them with my baby sister. Murph...he's...well, as they'd put it, he's a good man." Dani smiled slightly, nodding. "When you were cryin' in there tonight, I knew not a fuckin' thing I coulda said woulda helped," David continued. "Only thing I could think of was telling Murph to go in and see if he could help. And I guess he did." David shrugged.

Dani looked at him in surprise. "You sent Murphy in to talk to me? But I heard you arguing with him."

He nodded, his finger picking at a scratch on the table. "Yeah. He wanted to go in right away, but I wouldn't let him. Thought I'd be able to do it better, ya know? I'm your big brother, Dani. I've always been able to make you feel better." The look he gave her send a jolt of sadness through her. "I guess I can't always do that, though, huh..."

"David..."

"No, it's okay, Dani," he said, smiling softly. "If you want to be with him, go ahead. I just want you to be happy." Dani smiled at him, but her smile slowly faded. "What?" he asked, frowning. "What's wrong?"

"Murphy said you'll be leaving soon..." she said, staring at the tabletop. "So how could I be with him even if I wanted to be?"

David sat silent for a moment, looking at her. "You really think I'd leave you in this shithole if we're getting out?" he asked. She slowly looked up at him. He leaned in closer to her and dropped his voice to just above a whisper. "Look, we're offing Poppa Joe this weekend. After that, we're movin' on to New York. You're coming with us." Dani's eyes widened. "Don't look so surprised. I'm not leaving my baby sister in a city where the last dregs of Poppa Joe's men will be lookin' everywhere for her."

Dani sat in shock for a moment, then shook her head. "But...I just got this job and--"

"Fuck the job, Dani, this is bigger than that!" David exclaimed. "We can take care of you until you get something in New York. Or better yet, don't get anything in New York."

"What, you want me to just cook and clean up after you guys or something?" she said, a sarcastic tone to her voice.

"Yes! After all, if you were a little housewife to Murphy, that's probably what you'd be doin' anyways, right?"

She blushed at the insinuation of her and Murphy being married. But her brother was right. Plus, she'd be able to be with Murphy and David, she'd get to know Connor better since he may be her brother-in-law someday... That thought creeping into her head uninvited made her blush deeper and a nervous giggle escaped her. "Okay. Okay, just give me a day's warning, and I'll get shit packed up." Her eyes met her brother's, and she only then realized how similar his were to her own.

"Friday," he said with a slow nod. "Get your shit together by Friday night. We're leaving Sunday morning."

xxxxxxxx

That was Tuesday. Dani was busy all week between her normal job and packing up necessities. Connor and David were constantly arguing with her over what was necessary to take and what wouldn't be. They were making sure she wasn't packing too heavily. Murphy just looked on, amused as they argued. He made it his business to smooth the feathers they'd ruffled on her after the argument was over. He was usually successful with pulling her into his lap for a quick snuggle break or taking her into his arms from behind. She was easily distracted when it came to him. He was also glad that Rocco had finally calmed down about his relationship with Dani. He felt a little honored that he'd been given Big Brother David's blessing.

Saturday rolled around, and the three men were gone when Dani woke up. That was normal as the MacManuses were adamant about going to church in the morning and taking David with them, even if he wasn't religious. Dani was like her brother, not religious in any sense; but she awoke that morning with a need to pray. She sat at the table in the dining room, her hands clasped under her chin. "God...I know I never talk to you, but...I really fuckin' need to be sure they're safe tonight. They're doing what you told them to, from what Murph told me. Just..." She sniffed, tears stinging her eyes and running down her cheeks as she looked up at the ceiling. "Just...please...keep them safe..."

Dani paced the floor in her living room, watching the clock tick past 10 PM, then 11 PM, then 12 AM. It was officially Sunday, and they weren't back yet. She realized she was crying again, as she had been most of the day. The boys hadn't been back after church, but she didn't know why. She figured they'd been scoping out Poppa Joe's place one last time. "Please don't let them have been caught," she whispered. She'd also been praying all day. It was the only way she could stay sane. She gasped and whirled around to face the front door when she heard a key in the lock. It was 1 AM.

Three men entered the apartment. Her heart jumped with joy. She took a step towards them, but stopped suddenly. Something wasn't right. That wasn't what David was wearing when he left.

It wasn't David.

The MacManus brothers were covered in blood, the stranger behind them clothed in black and smoking a cigar, his face mostly obscured by dark glasses and the hat he was wearing. "Where's David?" Dani tried to say, but her voice didn't come out any higher than a whisper.

Murphy looked up at her, blood still staining his chin and right cheek. His eyes were pained, but he didn't say anything. Connor's face was even more bloodied. Dani could tell they'd both tried to wipe the blood off, but hadn't been very successful. "Where's my brother?" she asked, her voice finally audible though shaking.

Murphy looked at Connor, then to the man behind them. The stranger slowly nodded towards Dani and gently pushed Murphy in her direction. "Dani," Murphy said, his voice catching. That break in his voice confirmed Dani's worst fears; and she collapsed to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. Murphy rushed to her, pulling her to him with one arm. "I'm so sorry, Dani, I'm so sorry," he repeated, his frame shaking with tears of his own.

"You fucks!" she yelled. "You were supposed to protect him! You were supposed to take care of him! You fucks!" Her fists hit Murphy's shoulders, but there was no strength to her blows. She could only lay her head on his shoulder and sob. She and Murphy sat on the floor together, crying; but it was only a few minutes before the stranger touched her head and made her look up at him.

"Come on, dear. We must be goin'," he said, his voice soft. She looked into his face and saw that he'd removed the glasses. His eyes had a familiar quality to them, but she wasn't sure why. She wanted to ask who he was, but Murphy was pulling her to her feet.

"No," Dani said, standing her ground. "I'm not leaving this city without killing the motherfucker who killed my brother."

"Don't worry," Connor said, picking up one of the bags she'd packed. "We'll be takin' care of that soon."

Murphy took her hand and tried to pull her to the door, but again she stood fast. "Who did it?" she asked.

"Dani, please," Murphy said, his eyes pleading with her to leave the apartment.

She looked him in the face, her eyes flashing. "Who. Did it."

Murphy looked at Connor, then back to Dani. "Poppa Joe pulled the trigger." Dani's lips pressed together in a thin, white line.

The stranger stepped forward again and took Dani's hand, putting his sunglasses on with the other hand in spite of the late hour. "Come now, we must leave." Dani let herself be pulled along, leaving Connor and Murphy to pick up their belongings. As the door closed behind them, Dani looked back, grinding her teeth at the last sight she saw of her apartment. David's bag was left behind.