Midnight Rider
Shanty
Murphy woke up to the sound of laughter. Something that didn’t always occur early in the morning at a bar. If you didn’t sleep late, then you would still be hung over. Murphy realized that the bottle of whiskey he hared with Connor last night was a bad idea. He had only let Connor have a drink to help the pain, and that left him with most of the bottle. And every time he thought about Paige, he took another swig, and now he couldn’t remember when he went to bed.
He stumbled downstairs to find that Romeo had managed to find his way to the bar,
“Don’t let him fool ya, he flirts with every girl that walks into the bar.” Murphy said as he walked in the back for a glass of water.
“Not true!” Romeo said, defending himself.
“So true! And ya use your injuries to get sympathy, the cry for poor little Romeo and all his bruises!” Murphy was teasing him now.
“Well at least they like me!” Romeo said crossing his arms over his chest.
“Oh is that so? What about the time your friend Margret had to fake sick so she could run away from ya, I’m sure she liked ya then.”
Paige giggled. She had only spent a short while talking to Romeo but she assumed that if he pestered her all night long she’d do something similar. But he was sweet, he didn’t seem to care where she came from or why she was here, Romeo just liked the new company.
Paige could see that Murphy was quite hung-over, what he had tried to drink away – she wasn’t sure. It seemed that ever since they had left the motel he had been distant. What had happened between him must not have been on his list of expectations for the day. She was thankful though, that he showed up when he did. If not she could only imagine what they would have resorted to after another day of her silence. She couldn’t help but think about how tender he’d been while taking care of her. But he knew she was a whore, and he probably just thought of her that way.
___________________________________________
Paige later found herself in the bathroom; she was washing the grime from her face. She felt that a proper shower would do her some good, but she started to feel like she was imposing on their home or hideout. Whatever they referred to it as.
She thought about slipping away why they weren’t paying attention, but her mother… she was afraid to explain all this to her mother. And her little sister… what would she think of her big sister then?
Her hands were cupped around the porcelain sink when she heard the door open.
Murphy had come to check on her.
“Ya alrigh’?” he asked in his deep Irish accent, she noted that she liked it a lot better than the Italian’s.
“Just fine.”
“They didn’t hurt you… well they didn’t touch you again did they?” Murphy asked her. She realized Connor must have told him all about the night he had helped her escape. Paige shook her head no.
“Not that I know of.”
“Ya did hit yer head pretty hard. Did ya have Collins take a look at that?”
She shook her head no again. “I’ll be fine, all I needs a bit of ice.”
Murphy walked over to her, “I wanted you to know… Mauricio, he doesn’t stand a chance. We won’t let him hurt ya again.”
“I’m sort of used to it by now. My line of work doesn’t involve friendly people. Mauricio, he was one of the worst.”
“How can you actually sleep with that sack of shit? He’s evil, all of ‘em.”
Paige looked at him in disgust, she had her reasons, her reasons.
“Why do you give a shit? Going to put a bullet in my brain because you think I’m a bad person? Then fucking do it and maybe things would be over with.” She said folding her arms and giving him nothing but a stare.
“Look we’re all protecting you here, so if you don’t want to be grateful then be my guest, I’ll just remember not ta’ stick my neck on the line fer ya’ next time.”
”Whoa whoa sugar, what is goin’ on in here?” Eunice Bloom had finally made her way back to Boston. “I got a call saying we had some Italian mother fuckers to kill, and Murphy’s in the women’s restroom arguin’ with a pretty girl? Now that’s not what I showed up for.”
“Eunice.” Murphy said backing away from Paige.
“Who the fuck are you?” Paige asked her, still angered from her heated conversation with Murphy.
“I’m Eunice, nice to make your acquaintance.” She said in her southern-bell accent. Her perfect hair and makeup wanted to make Paige hide her own face, after a day of being beaten, it wasn’t exactly fair anymore.
“When did you get here?” Murphy asked her.
“Well obviously no more than a few minutes ago silly, I arrived and the first thing I wanted to do was use the bathroom – and here a I find you quarreling with our new friend, like an old married couple.”
Murphy looked down at his feet, unsure of what to say to Eunice.
“Do you mind?” she asked again when he did nothing. Murphy seemed to snap back to reality and he quickly left the room shortly after.
Paige began to follow.
“Not so fast sweet cheeks, we’ve got all kinds of girl stuff to talk about!” Eunice proceeded to wrap her arm around Paige’s. Now to be honest Paul and I are a little confused about wherever it is you came from, but whether it's some shanty or whore house we don't really care.”
“You and… Paul? Who are all you people?”
“Well… if you haven’t figured it out yet honey, then we have a bigger problem than I thought.”
“No I mean-“
“Paul and I are ex-agents, Duffy and Dolly are our favorite Boston detectives, and Romeo is the boy’s favorite sidekick.”
“So… you’re all… in on this. The Killing?”
“Well sugar, don’t put it so gruesome like that, I tend to used the term ‘spring cleaning.’ Or…”
“But, Feds? Cops? Everyone knows about them.”
“Of course! lot’s a people know, and a lot of people are risking a lot just to do them a few favors. Don’t tell me you’re one of the… other people?”
“No. I don’t have an issue… I just had no Idea so many cops would be in on it.”
“Well usually cops will be the first ones to pick the side of the vigilantes, makes sense don’t it?” Eunice smiled. “And don’t mind Murphy, he’s just worried about his brother.”
“That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? Because Connor’s hurt.”
“You catch on real quick, I like another smart girl around.” Eunice said. “But first, and foremost… how did you come to be here?”
“Got mixed up with the Yakavetta’s. When they kicked me to the curb I sort of… rolled right to them.”
“Then let’s get one thing straight then, you want to see all those greasy Italian fuck’s fry, right?” Eunice asked.
Paige nodded her head; she needed little time to think about it.
“Then good. I don’t think we’ll have a problem.”
He stumbled downstairs to find that Romeo had managed to find his way to the bar,
“Don’t let him fool ya, he flirts with every girl that walks into the bar.” Murphy said as he walked in the back for a glass of water.
“Not true!” Romeo said, defending himself.
“So true! And ya use your injuries to get sympathy, the cry for poor little Romeo and all his bruises!” Murphy was teasing him now.
“Well at least they like me!” Romeo said crossing his arms over his chest.
“Oh is that so? What about the time your friend Margret had to fake sick so she could run away from ya, I’m sure she liked ya then.”
Paige giggled. She had only spent a short while talking to Romeo but she assumed that if he pestered her all night long she’d do something similar. But he was sweet, he didn’t seem to care where she came from or why she was here, Romeo just liked the new company.
Paige could see that Murphy was quite hung-over, what he had tried to drink away – she wasn’t sure. It seemed that ever since they had left the motel he had been distant. What had happened between him must not have been on his list of expectations for the day. She was thankful though, that he showed up when he did. If not she could only imagine what they would have resorted to after another day of her silence. She couldn’t help but think about how tender he’d been while taking care of her. But he knew she was a whore, and he probably just thought of her that way.
___________________________________________
Paige later found herself in the bathroom; she was washing the grime from her face. She felt that a proper shower would do her some good, but she started to feel like she was imposing on their home or hideout. Whatever they referred to it as.
She thought about slipping away why they weren’t paying attention, but her mother… she was afraid to explain all this to her mother. And her little sister… what would she think of her big sister then?
Her hands were cupped around the porcelain sink when she heard the door open.
Murphy had come to check on her.
“Ya alrigh’?” he asked in his deep Irish accent, she noted that she liked it a lot better than the Italian’s.
“Just fine.”
“They didn’t hurt you… well they didn’t touch you again did they?” Murphy asked her. She realized Connor must have told him all about the night he had helped her escape. Paige shook her head no.
“Not that I know of.”
“Ya did hit yer head pretty hard. Did ya have Collins take a look at that?”
She shook her head no again. “I’ll be fine, all I needs a bit of ice.”
Murphy walked over to her, “I wanted you to know… Mauricio, he doesn’t stand a chance. We won’t let him hurt ya again.”
“I’m sort of used to it by now. My line of work doesn’t involve friendly people. Mauricio, he was one of the worst.”
“How can you actually sleep with that sack of shit? He’s evil, all of ‘em.”
Paige looked at him in disgust, she had her reasons, her reasons.
“Why do you give a shit? Going to put a bullet in my brain because you think I’m a bad person? Then fucking do it and maybe things would be over with.” She said folding her arms and giving him nothing but a stare.
“Look we’re all protecting you here, so if you don’t want to be grateful then be my guest, I’ll just remember not ta’ stick my neck on the line fer ya’ next time.”
”Whoa whoa sugar, what is goin’ on in here?” Eunice Bloom had finally made her way back to Boston. “I got a call saying we had some Italian mother fuckers to kill, and Murphy’s in the women’s restroom arguin’ with a pretty girl? Now that’s not what I showed up for.”
“Eunice.” Murphy said backing away from Paige.
“Who the fuck are you?” Paige asked her, still angered from her heated conversation with Murphy.
“I’m Eunice, nice to make your acquaintance.” She said in her southern-bell accent. Her perfect hair and makeup wanted to make Paige hide her own face, after a day of being beaten, it wasn’t exactly fair anymore.
“When did you get here?” Murphy asked her.
“Well obviously no more than a few minutes ago silly, I arrived and the first thing I wanted to do was use the bathroom – and here a I find you quarreling with our new friend, like an old married couple.”
Murphy looked down at his feet, unsure of what to say to Eunice.
“Do you mind?” she asked again when he did nothing. Murphy seemed to snap back to reality and he quickly left the room shortly after.
Paige began to follow.
“Not so fast sweet cheeks, we’ve got all kinds of girl stuff to talk about!” Eunice proceeded to wrap her arm around Paige’s. Now to be honest Paul and I are a little confused about wherever it is you came from, but whether it's some shanty or whore house we don't really care.”
“You and… Paul? Who are all you people?”
“Well… if you haven’t figured it out yet honey, then we have a bigger problem than I thought.”
“No I mean-“
“Paul and I are ex-agents, Duffy and Dolly are our favorite Boston detectives, and Romeo is the boy’s favorite sidekick.”
“So… you’re all… in on this. The Killing?”
“Well sugar, don’t put it so gruesome like that, I tend to used the term ‘spring cleaning.’ Or…”
“But, Feds? Cops? Everyone knows about them.”
“Of course! lot’s a people know, and a lot of people are risking a lot just to do them a few favors. Don’t tell me you’re one of the… other people?”
“No. I don’t have an issue… I just had no Idea so many cops would be in on it.”
“Well usually cops will be the first ones to pick the side of the vigilantes, makes sense don’t it?” Eunice smiled. “And don’t mind Murphy, he’s just worried about his brother.”
“That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? Because Connor’s hurt.”
“You catch on real quick, I like another smart girl around.” Eunice said. “But first, and foremost… how did you come to be here?”
“Got mixed up with the Yakavetta’s. When they kicked me to the curb I sort of… rolled right to them.”
“Then let’s get one thing straight then, you want to see all those greasy Italian fuck’s fry, right?” Eunice asked.
Paige nodded her head; she needed little time to think about it.
“Then good. I don’t think we’ll have a problem.”