Hellcat

Chapter Twenty-Four

Matt and I brought the man back to our group, the five of us snagging a table to talk at. "Fifteen men, tough Irish. Armed. All of them blown away. It was a massacre," the man told us. "We weren't hit by any rival family either. I'm telling you, we were... hit by an army," he continued to explain for us. His voice continued to shake.

"That's quite the story," Foggy said after a few seconds of tense silence. "It's a fact. 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," The man told him. "What's your involvement in their organization?" Karen questioned him. The man glanced at Karen skeptically. "Who's she?" he asked Foggy. I had been tense and silent the whole time we sat here. Now, it was my turn to speak.

"Answer the question," I growled at him, letting my voice show just how ready I was to attack. Fingers brushed against the back of my hand and I glanced over at Matt. He had a soft frown on his lips and I forced myself to take a deep breath, relaxing. "Branigan. 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," The man admitted freely. Admitting those things seemed to bring some relief to him because some of the tension left his shoulders.

"I'm telling you, 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," The man explained. I noticed Matt listening closely. When he nodded enough so that it was barely noticeable, I relaxed even more. "Assuming you're correct and the Irish were hit by a powerful crime syndicate tonight..." Matt paused, taking a deep breath. "...if you're the only one who survived, your good fortune's gonna rub some dangerous people the wrong way," he finished.

"No shit!" the man snapped. I tensed. "I got a pack of killers gunning for my men. My people think I'm a traitor or a rat," he said with a humorless chuckle. "So, what can Nelson & Murdock do for you, Mister..." Foggy trailed off. The man never gave us his name. "I'm Grotto," he muttered nervously. "Grotto what?" I asked a little harsher than I needed to. "Just Grotto," he explained before continuing on.

"Witness protection. You guys need to get me the hell out of here before I end up in the only place hotter than this... permanent," Grotto explained, fear clear in the way he held himself. "We're a private law firm," Matt informed him. "Yeah, a trustworthy one. Quite a reputation after you took out Wilson Fisk," Grotto admitted. "The DA's office is the only place that can make a deal," Foggy threw into the conversation.

"Yeah, I'm not walking to the DA without representation. I know a lot. I seen a lot. I'll give the cops anything to get me out of Hell's Kitchen," Grotto explained. I noticed Matt's shoulders slump slightly. "Well, we have a reputation for representing the good people of Hell's Kitchen, not for negotiating on behalf of career criminals," he informed the potential client.

"What if the criminal wants to change careers? A second chance, that's all I want. I know I'm only coming here with my word. I got nobody to vouch for me, but I can... barely cover your fee. But word is that Nelson & Murdock put their faith in people. And I need a little of that right now. Please," Grotto begged. Matt turned his attention towards Foggy, offering him a shrug. It was like the two could communicate telepathically since Matt couldn't see Foggy's resigned expression.

"Lie low. We'll look into it," Foggy informed him. "You have somewhere you can stay?" Matt asked. But before Grotto could answer, the man tipped out of his chair, falling to the ground with his beer bottle shattering beside him. "Jesus," Karen muttered, jumping to her feet. I did to, putting myself between her and Grotto. I knelt beside him before she could. Rolling Grotto onto his back, I pressed two fingers to his throat and checked his pulse. Catching a glimpse of something red under the edge of Grotto's jacket, I pushed it aside.