The Aishling Cafe

Part 3

After that revelation, Martha stayed quiet until they reached the restaurant. After they were seated, Lorcan started, "You seem startled."

"A woman runs the mafia?" Martha bit her lip. "I just, find it hard to believe."

"Maeve?" Lorcan asked, a teasing glint in his eyes. "You'd understand if you met her. She's pretty strong-headed, doesn't like when men try to put themselves above her."

"She's a feminist?" Martha questioned.

"Technically." Lorcan smirked. "But we do need to talk about last night."

"Which part? The stalking or the restaurant?" Martha tilted her head.

"The restaurant." Lorcan stated. "You obviously can't say anything, or you'd be killed."

Martha's face paled considerably. Lorcan chuckled at her expression and continued, "Maeve wanted me to threaten you with a gun, I couldn't bring myself to it though."

"Thank goodness you found a way to threaten me without a gun." Martha sarcastically said.

"Cara will like you." Lorcan shook his head, laughing slightly. Martha tensed thinking, he's bringing me into the mafia.

"I didn't do anything wrong!" She cried out in protest causing Lorcan's shoulders to shake in restrained laughter.

"Cara's my sister." Lorcan took a break from his quiet laughing to stop Martha's train of thought.

"But you said-"

"She's not in the business." He cut Martha off, "But she does like calling me stupid for staying with them. Constantly. She does it with Shae too..."

"Who's Shae?" Martha asked.

"The second in command." Lorcan answered.

"Oh." Martha sighed, overwhelmed.

"It's quite a lot to take in. You don't have to take it all in now." Lorcan gave Martha a wide smile. "How about we discuss something else?"

Martha nodded, thinking Lorcan was going to bring up something like the sports, possibly the weather but instead he starts off with: "Who was at your house?"

"What?" Martha asked, dumbfounded at his sudden questioning.

"Who was at your home?" His facial features had turned into neutral facade. His blue eyes had changed from warm to icy in under two seconds.

"Alfonso?" Martha asked, "Why do you need to know?"

"Stay away from him." Lorcan demanded.

"You can't just demand me around like that." Martha tried keeping her voice calm, this entire encounter was starting to aggravate her. Lorcan leaned forward and grabbed one of Martha's hands gently, his face going soft.

"Martha, Alfonso Cornello tried to murder Maeve once." Lorcan's voice dropped low, only for Martha to hear. She took note of how his Irish accent made this moment more enchanting. "He is not safe, besides- Maeve wants him dead. She will not let anything get in her way. Tell me you'll keep him away from your home."

"It's not proper to just ignore him because your boss has a feud-"

"No, you have to. If Maeve notices you lingering around him she might believe you are associating with him and the Italians." Lorcan's eyes were searching Martha's desperately now, looking to see if she understood the danger.

"Then you tell her that I am not becoming associated with any mafia. Especially yours." Martha's fury had reached it's peak. Lorcan suddenly silenced and drew his hand away from Martha's, his gaze focused on someone else. Martha didn't have time to turn around and prepare for anything because in that moment a chair was pulled up next to the table and a woman took a seat. Her gray eyes were unsettling as she looked Martha over.