Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 126485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 632(@200wpm)___ 506(@250wpm)___ 422(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 632(@200wpm)___ 506(@250wpm)___ 422(@300wpm)
“Are you hungry?” I asked, steering the car toward ‘The Sassy Maiden’. I always got a big grin on my face when I saw the sign above the pub. It was a wooden sign with golden cursive lettering stenciled over red hair blowing in the wind.
I parked right in front and helped Finn out of the car before we made our way into the inside of the pub. It used to stink of old smoke and rancid fat, but was now filled with mouthwatering scent of buttery potatoes, sweet pie crust and slow-cooked meat filled the air. Aislinn, a few of my men and I had renovated the inside with a new lighter color for the walls, floors and furniture. Aislinn had picked white oak for the flooring because it reminded her of driftwood and the tables and chairs were rustic white. It reminded me of a small fish and chips shop near Kenmare I’d often visited as a child and teen. A new waitress waved at me from behind the bar then disappeared in the kitchen, probably to tell Aislinn we were here. Soon after, Aislinn emerged with her hair up in a bun, face shiny from the heat in the kitchen and her workload but happy, and as usual in a red apron. The napkins and tablecloths were red too. She beamed as she made her way over to our table. We always picked the same table every lunch. It was the only vacant table in the restaurant. In the two months of its existence, The Sassy Maiden had already become popular in our Irish community and beyond. Aislinn bent down and kissed Finn’s cheek before she kissed my lips.
“What’s the special today?” I asked like I did every day.
“A black pudding wrapped in a puff pastry with rhubarb chutney and a watercress salad. I recommend the hand-cut twice-cooked chips and the delicious beer-battered hake as well,” Aislinn said with a wink.
Finn almost always ordered the fish and chips so the latter was a must.
“Then I’ll have the special and a Scotch egg with extra pickled onions.”
Aislinn bit her lip with a happy nod then turned around and disappeared in the kitchen. Soon after, thanks to the new waitress, a cider appeared in front of me and a homemade rhubarb iced tea in front of Finn.
Aislinn joined us for lunch twenty minutes later. She only had the root vegetable soup.
“Stuffed?” I asked. Aislinn always tasted everything she cooked. That meant she was rarely hungry during lunchtime, but she wanted to join us with a full plate anyway.
“And shattered,” she said with a tired smile. “But the new cook is good and eager to learn. She’ll be a great help and will be ready to take over the cooking for a week or two.”
So far Aislinn had handled the cooking alone. After she dropped off Finn at daycare she headed for the restaurant and cooked like a madwoman for hours until Finn and I came for lunch. Then she usually worked a few more hours while Finn watched her or his favorite shows, and she closed the restaurant around 3:30, missing the evening business. Not that we needed the money but having evening service would have been of advantage for Aislinn’s dream of establishing a renowned Irish gastropub in the area. Once she handed over more responsibilities to other people, things would become easier.
As soon as I was done with my food, I glanced at my watch. Everyone knew I took two hours off during lunchtime but I couldn’t afford more than that. Our gun business with the Russians was still taking off. Sergej insisted he didn’t know what had happened to Imogen and my own investigations hadn’t resulted in any more information about Imogen’s whereabouts in the five weeks between the moment she left Maksim and when she washed ashore.
I got up and cupped Aislinn’s head for a goodbye kiss before I ruffled Finn’s hair. Then I left. Lunch with Aislinn and Finn always left me feeling refreshed. It was a routine that allowed us time together, apart from a brief dinner before Finn went to bed. Father, too, had often made time for a lunch break when we were younger and then later when we’d been at school, he made sure to be back for dinner. Despite his business, Mum had insisted on our family time. Some people believed you couldn’t be both, a loving family man and brutal leader, but they just didn’t have the right incentive. I knew things would be harder once Aislinn and I had a baby. Seamus was shattered all the time because of their little son. At the moment, his sleep-deprived state made him unavailable for the difficult contract murders.
When I returned to the docks, I found Seamus in my chair, his arms on the desk with his head resting atop, snoring loudly. I grabbed my laptop from the desk and headed back out. Another gun delivery was arriving tomorrow, and our clan and the Russians needed to make sure it was distributed widely.