Caitlin sighed as she poured herself a cup of tea before sitting beside him at the counter. “Go on.”
“I want you to know that I’m a good man...at least, I think I am. I try to be. Which is why I want to talk to you about some things and stop keeping secrets from you.” He continued, his voice cracking slightly as he held back a strained sob.
Suddenly, Daniel’s footsteps emanated from the other end of the hallway. As he poked his head out into the kitchen, his eyes widened upon noticing Noah seated at the kitchen counter, confirming his suspicions. Caitlin smiled warmly up at him, waving him over to the kitchen.
“Hello, Daniel. I’m sorry that this is kind of an awkward situation to be seeing you two...I want to share some things with both of you, though, so I guess this actually kind of works out.” Noah rambled awkwardly, his face blushing slightly in discomfort.
Daniel plopped down in the chair next to Caitlin, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze before pouring himself a cup of tea. The three of them sat together, illuminated by the sunlight coming in from the kitchen window beside them.
“So, I suppose I ought to start by explaining my real ties to the Kelly family, particularly with Rory.” Noah took one last sip of his tea before continuing to explain himself. “The Kelly family has been in the Mafia for generations. They’ve lasted a long time for a lot of good reasons.”
Caitlin took a deep breath, her eyes widening at her father’s first bombshell revelation of the morning. She shook her head, knowing this had to only be the very tip of the iceberg of secrets her father had kept from her. “Jesus,” she whispered, glancing over at Daniel, who appeared equally distraught and nervous.
“Rory’s family has stayed afloat for so long by having each of the kids in the family in certain...professions that would benefit them and their survival. Kilian, for example, the oldest, went into law enforcement so he could protect the family by hiding evidence. He also functions as a sort of watchdog to tip anyone off if the police get suspicious.” Noah continued wearily, his voice serious and tinged with guilt.
“And Daniel, well...sending you off to business school was a smart move on your family’s part, too, as you’re the one intended to keep the front going. With your business knowledge, you could make the Kelly empire look legitimate while the real money-making goes on behind closed doors.” He stared down at his hands, unable to make eye contact with his daughter or Daniel. “I know this sounds like a sinister plan, but trust me, it’s all out of love and a desire for the family’s success. This has been going on for generations, so it truly isn’t anything personal.”
Daniel bit his lip, shaking his head while Caitlin sat stock still, trying to maintain her composure as she absorbed her father’s explanation.
“So the inventory for the festival...is that just a bullshit front to cover up the mob stuff?” Caitlin asked, her voice tense and shaky.
“Well, no, not exactly,” her father reasoned defensively. “We are actually ordering legitimate inventory for the festival. But...it’s also a great opportunity for a weapons shipment.” Caitlin huffed, her face slowly contorting into a disgusted expression as the realization sunk in. “I-I mean, because of all of the boxes that will be coming in and out anyway. It’s a good cover, and--”
“Weapons, Dad? Really? What else should I be worried about? Is there a secret room in the pub for human trafficking, too? Are there bricks of drugs hidden in the walls?” she asked incredulously, her bottom lip trembling in fear and betrayal.
“No. No to both of those suggestions,” Noah replied matter-of-factly. “I draw the line at things like that. So does the rest of the Kelly family; they won’t allow anything but--”
“So just deadly weapons-” Caitlin interrupted angrily, her eyes lighting up with rage.
Daniel put a hand on her back in an attempt to comfort her. “Hey, hey, just let him finish, yeah? I don’t like that you found out this way either, but you need to know the extent of everything that’s going on.”
“You can yell at me or throw me out or slap me after this,” Noah explained. “Just let me tell you everything I have to tell you first, okay? Then you can get angry. Get more pissed than you’ve ever been in your whole life, if you need to. Just let me finish. Please.”
Caitlin opened her mouth to speak for a moment but quickly closed it, taking a deep breath and a long sip of tea to calm herself. “Sorry for interrupting.”
Noah nodded and kept going. “So anyway, Liam, the middle son, is a lawyer. Criminal law, to be specific. He takes care of all of the legal issues the Kelly family encounters and helps keep the whole operation looking clean and legitimate. Things like this are why this family has been so successful for so long. Each person has a purpose, a role to play, or a certain specialization they provide.”
“So how did you meet Rory in the first place?” Caitlin piped up, pouring herself another cup of tea.
“That’s what I was about to get to. We’ve been friends for a long time, though I didn’t get involved in the mob at first. Hell, we’ve practically known each other our entire lives, so when he needed help, I offered right away.” Noah bit his lip and paused. “I had no idea what I was actually getting into when I agreed to help him. I swear that I meant well by it. It just enveloped me before I could back out. I get fifteen percent of any profits Rory pulls in, which at the time was huge because I wanted to provide for you and your mother.”
“What… did Mom know about all of this?” Caitlin asked, her voice trembling at the idea of her mother being pulled into the mob.
“Absolutely nothing. I kept Margaret in the dark about all of it because I couldn’t bear exposing her to the mess I had gotten myself into. As you know, she died when you were ten...from cancer. The treatments were expensive, and I was a nervous wreck preparing for the future knowing that she wouldn’t be a part of it. That year or so before she died was gut-wrenching. Even now, the day she died was the worst day of my life. I’d do anything to make things different.”
A tear began to fall down Caitlin’s cheek. At first, she didn’t realize she was crying; she was so taken aback by her dad’s revelations that she mostly sat in stunned silence. “I miss her,” were the only words she managed to choke out without sobbing.
“Having that support from Rory and Maryella, along with you, were the only things keeping me alive at that point. I was utterly heartbroken by the loss of your mother, and after that I just threw myself into the businesses: both the mafia and the pub. I did whatever I could to provide for you and keep you happy, and I knew I couldn’t tear myself away from the mob anytime soon, especially after everything Rory and Maryella did for us.” Noah wiped away a tear from his own face, frowning at the rush of horrible memories flooding his mind. He had tried for so many years to not think too much about the reasons why he had gotten involved with the mob, and having it all out on the table so suddenly was the emotional equivalent of being skinned alive.
“I knew all along that Daniel was coming, and I’m happy he’s here. I just...I know this is a lot to think about, but I hope you can someday find it in your heart to forgive me and the entire Kelly family. A lot of their story wasn’t really mine to tell, and I’m sorry for that, too, Daniel,” Noah rambled again, his voice strained and anxious. “I also wanted to assure you, Caitlin, that I would never deal in anything truly heinous like human trafficking or drugs. I know the weapons aren’t great, but the money was just too good to ignore. You don’t have to be a part of this, but if you ever want to help...” He trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.
Caitlin took another deep breath and walked over to the kitchen sink with her now-empty teacup in hand. She washed it under the faucet before placing it in the dish rack beside her. Finally, after several agonizing seconds, she nodded to herself and spoke up.
“I’m surprised you would want my help,” she whispered.
“Darling, taking over the pub means helping, that’s why I wanted the two of you together. If he was a legal owner with you, then I would know that the Kellys would always have the pub to help out- and you would remain blissfully in the dark.”
Caitlin pinched the bridge of her nose as she sat down at the table, “And what if he and I hadn’t gotten together?”
