Chapter Six
Looking around, Loraclasped her hands together.“You’ll stay with us of course, won’t you?”
Finn looked at her and said, “Lassie, we’re expecting more people tomorrow.Some from Boston and New York.Maybe even from New Orleans and Chicago.Your wee house cannot hold all of us.”
Colin smiled.“That’s true, our wee house with 5 bedrooms probably couldn’t hold everyone, but the brewery can.We built a small hotel behind the offices.More than a dozen rooms, all set up.Normally, we offer room and board to the new workers when they first come to work for us.But we’re full up on workers and most of them have found their own housing now.There should be enough rooms for everyone.”
Finn looked surprised then he shook his head.“Should have known that brother.You always gave more than you ever received.Aye, we’ll stay at the hotel.”Then he cleared his throat and told him, “We met some interesting people when we stepped off the plane.People you might know.”
Colin’s brows rose.“Oh, and who would that be?”
“You know a group of men that hang round with Timmy O’Rouke?”Liam asked.
Colin lay back in his bed and grinned.“Oh aye, I know Timmy and his boys.How’d you meet them so soon?”
Finn jerked his thumb over to where Arthur aka Robert Marsden, sat.“Seems our boy Arthur here knows them from years ago.”
Colin looked over at Arthur.“He does?Timmy has told me a lot about his past but he never mentioned anyone named Arthur.”
Arthur shook his head.“I changed my name a long time ago.He knew me as Robert Marsden back then.”
Colin stared at him.“Robert Marsden?Bobby Marsden?”
Arthur nodded.“That’s me.”
Colin looked shocked.“You’re Bobby?”
“Yes.”
“Holy hell son, you are a God damned hero,” he exclaimed.“Timmy told me a lot about you.”He held out his hand.
Looking surprised, Arthur reached out to shake his hand.“Good stuff, I hope?”
Colin chuckled.“It was all good.He told me about your last battle and the courageous or what could be called ‘stupid’ things you did that saved all their lives.”He looked at his brothers and his nephew.“This man stood his ground and took out a dozen of the enemy while protecting his men.He never gave them a chance after one of the enemies threw a stun grenade into their camp.He was off taking a leak when the enemy tossed the grenade so he missed the initial shock, he only caught the blowback.Then even being unsteady on his feet he never stopped shooting until they were laid out dead and bleeding.When his buddies woke up he was sitting there with blood running down his neck, not from a bullet mind you, but from the shock of the blowback.It broke his eardrum.They were all truly shocked to see enemy soldiers all laid out around them.They tried coming in from three directions and he just played the hero.”
Arthur shook his head.“Naw, I didn’t play the hero man, I just protected my friends.That’s all.But that broken ear drum got me and them sent home.We came here first then I stopped in New Orleans before I finally made it back home to Montana.I stayed there awhile then I moved around and finally ended up in Portland.That was where I met my wife and we had a good life for about three years.Then I suffered a tragedy and lost her and our baby son.I stayed around but I couldn’t stay in that house anymore.I ended up on the streets and that’s where I stayed.”
Colin was surprised and Lora gasped and held her husband’s hand even tighter as Arthur’s words faded into the silence.
“Well lad, you survived something most men wouldn’t,” Colin finally spoke again.He reached out and patted Arthur’s hand.“I’m very happy to welcome you to Miami and I’m grateful for help in all this.”
“Aye, that’s for sure and fer certain.”Finn reached into his pocket and pulled out a soft velvet bag.“He led us to find this and we finally got it back.
Colin reached for the bag and opened it.He then gasped as the family pendant spilled out into his hand.None of them had seen the pendant in forty years.He looked up at Finn and asked.“How the hell did you ever find it?”
Finn shook his head and replied, “You aren’t gonna believe me.Ria had it and we finally tracked her sorry ass down and by God, we took it back.”
