"They say we are asleep until we fall in love
We are children of dust and ashes
But when we fall in love we wake up
And we are a god and angels weep
But if I die here tonight
I die in my sleep"
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Matt was about to calm Zoe down when he suddenly focused on someone behind them, "Hey, Zoe. The guy at the bar looking this way, you know him?"
Zoe glanced over at him briefly and then focused on Matt, "No. Why? What's his deal?"
"Adrenaline's high." Matt answered her while drinking some of his beer, "His heart rate's out of control."
"Well, he's sitting next to Karen and Benny." Zoe said a little warily.
Matt was facing the man completely, "There's something in his coat."
"Coat? Hot room." Zoe murmured uncomfortably, "I don't need fancy senses to know he's probably packing." She noticed Matt moving forward, "Whoa, hold on. Most of the people in here are carrying guns."
Matt tilted his head to her, "Yeah, but none of them have their finger tapping the trigger." He walked around Zoe and heard Benicia thank Rhea at the bar for the drinks. He didn't react as she walked by him. He could tell she was looking at him funny since he was walking away. He stopped at the bar, "You, uh, new here, friend?"
"No, actually."
"Hey, it's all right." Matt said calmly, more to Rhea than to him but it worked both ways, "Look, I'm just-I'm just letting you know, this is a good place with good people. A lot of places a guy like you could drink. Just saying."
"It's not what you think. I got business here. With Nelson and Murdock. You must be the blind one."
***
Rhea had cleared out a table for them all before giving them all some drinks. She patted Foggy's back a bit before going back to her job.
"Fifteen men, tough Irish. Armed. All of them blown away. It was a massacre." Grotto explained to all of them, "We weren't hit by any rival family there. I'm telling you, we were... hit by an army."
Foggy raised his brows, "That's quite the story."
"It's a fact." Grotto pressed, "And believe me, you can go see for yourself. Burren Club, 47th and 10th. Can't miss it. It's the... part of New York that looks like a goddamn war zone."
Benicia tilted her head to the side, "What's your involvement in their organization?"
Grotto eyed Benicia, "Who's she? I'm here for the three lawyers."
Zoe gave him a dirty look, "Answer the question."
"Brannigan." Grotto huffed out, "I've run with them for a long time. I don't deny it. Pick-ups, drop-offs, sometimes doing things I shouldn't be. No question, I'm-I'm no choir boy. I'm tellin' ya, I just skirt the surface. Unlike the men I work for, and the guys that did this. I'm telling ya, I had nothing to do with that massacre."
Foggy and Zoe were actually watching Matt to see what he would do since he could tell whether or not Grotto was lying. Matt subtly nodded his head to them and continued, "Assuming you're correct and the Irish were hit by a powerful crime syndicate tonight if you're the only one who survived, your good fortune's gonna rub some dangerous people the wrong way."
