My nose still throbbed the next morning as we drove out to the Amblin summer home. She'd succeeded in breaking it right across the bridge. I found myself rubbing it and then recoiling through the entire trip. Murph thought it was hilarious. I was less than amused. Erin didn't seem to notice or chose not to say anything about it. She spent most of the time looking out the window. The house was up on the coast. It would be our home until we had to run again.
"How far is the place?" I asked, after we'd been on the road for nearly three hours.
"Not much further," said Erin. "It's worth it."
"What's up there?" Murph asked.
"Our summer home. I haven't been there in a few years, but it should still be in good shape. Hardly anyone knows about it," she replied. "Even the men have no idea where it is."
"Why the secrets?" I asked.
"Everyone has to have somewhere to hide sometimes," she replied. I turned around to look at her. I thought I could see a hint of a smile.
"We lived there for a few years when I first married your mother," Dad said. "It's beautiful up there."
"When I was little, I would pretend I was a princess trapped up there and some prince charming would come to save me. My dad would play the dragon. It was great fun," she said.
"Did the prince ever come?" Murph asked. Erin shook her head.
"I'm still waiting," she answered. She picked up her head.
"We're close," she said. I turned forward. There was a long drive and what looked like a castle at the end of it.
"Are you fucking serious?" I asked.
"Gentlemen, welcome to Castle Amblin. It's been in the family for nearly nine centuries. There's no central heating or air. It's much more habitable in the summer, though. I hope you'll find it agreeable," she said.
"Agreeable? Hell, you'll have to drag me out of there," Murph said. She laughed.
"That can be arranged," she smiled. "They should be expecting us."
"They?" I asked.
"You think we maintain this house all by ourselves? There's a staff of ten in the castle alone. That doesn't include grounds crew," I replied. My head was spinning. I'd never seen anyone with that kind of money. I'd never seen anyone with an ancestral castle, either. Hanging around with her wasn't so bad after all.
"I phoned yesterday. They have our rooms ready and new wardrobes for the three of you," she said.
"New wardrobes?" we said.
"Not whole new ones, but a few outfits. If you're going to stay here you have to look the part. If they even suspect you aren't who I say you are, you're dead," she told us.
"Understood," Dad said. He stopped outside the gate.
"Tell them Erin Amblin and her guests are here," she said. I leaned out and pushed the speaker.
"Yes?" the voice on the other end said.
"Erin Amblin and her guests are here," I said.
"One moment," the voice replied. The gate buzzed open a few seconds later. We drove up to the doors. Three butlers stood outside.
"Told you," she said as she got out. We got out and took in the castle. It looked like it came straight out of a fairy tale. Fairy tales had probably been written about it, come to think of it.
"Sir," one of the butlers said. I saw everyone else walking inside. I caught up with them. It was more of the same inside. Erin seemed amused by our reactions.
"Anyone need a pinch?" she asked. I barely even registered her voice.
"How do you not get lost in here?" Murph asked.
"You'll get the lay of the land quickly. Then I'll show you the secret passages," she said.
"Secret passages?" I repeated. She nodded.
"This castle has been attacked many times. There are no less than half a dozen ways to get out of here without anyone knowing," she said. Suddenly, she dashed up the stairs and hugged a woman who had just appeared up there. She was older, maybe even Dad's age.
"Marie, these are my guests. This is Murphy and his brother, Connor. That's their father, Andrew, but I call him Patri," she said. "Marie was my nanny for years." We all shook her hand. She smiled.
"How did you meet Miss Erin?" she questioned. I saw Erin's eyes flash for a second.
"Business," she said, quickly recovering.
"Excellent. Everything is in order as you requested. Would you like me have them shown to their rooms?" she asked.
"I'll do it," said Erin. We followed her the rest of the way up the stairs. When we were well out of earshot, she started talking.
"Your cover story is that my father was looking to hire you. He was killed by the Irish mob before he could do so. I'm keeping you around as protection," she said.
"Killed by the mob?" I said. She opened the door to one of the rooms and looked at us.
"I'm going to tell you a story. It's the story of a girl who lost her mother and her father before she was even an adult. Now she's going to get her revenge," she said.
"I'm listening," Murph said. She closed the door behind her. She told us the story of how her mother was murdered. By the time she was finished, I felt like the biggest bastard in the world.
"I told you this story to tell you I have a job for you," she said.
"What might that be?" Murphy asked.
"Since you kill evil men for a living, I have a whole den of them. I was helping pick them off when you killed half our group. Anyway, we were about to move in on Andrew Sullivan. He's been the boss for over twenty years and he ordered the killing of my mother. However, you'll have to pick off about a dozen of his guys to even get in the building. He's more well guarded than the president," she said. We looked at each other and considered her proposition.
"Sounds worth it to me," Murphy said. I shrugged.
"I'm up for it," he said. She looked like a kid on Christmas.
"Really?" she said.
"It's what we do, isn't it?" I said. She hugged him and then me. It felt awkward hugging her.
"I have just one request," she said.
"What is that?" Dad asked.
"I want to be there when you kill Andrew Sullivan. I want to see him die," she said. I looked at Murph, disturbed. He seemed equally shocked.
"Wellâare youâmaybe you shouldn't" Murph stuttered.
"If that's what she wants, we cannot deny her," Dad spoke up.
"Then we'll be even. An eye for an eye, if you will," she said. "Now if you'll excuse me I have to unpack." She left us standing there, trying to figure out what we'd just heard. Erin Amblin would do that to us a lot in the coming months.