Sancturary[open]

Kate wasn't sure where her and her daughter had ended up, all she knew was that the man who she had bought an illegal gun from three days ago was helping her by bringing them to a man who owed him a favor. Looking at her little girl sleeping in her arms Kate smiled softly, for a moment she was able to pretend that nothing was wrong but the reality that the two of them were running away always came back for her. Kate was doing this for Claire to keep her safe, looking away from her daughter she looked out of the car window at the man who had come out of a very expensive looking apartment building to talk to David the man who was a questionable man with a heart of gold. This new man was such eye candy that Kate had a feeling that he would turn the two of them away, if that happened Kate was more than happy to take her daughter onto the streets and blend in with the homeless if it meant the two of them would be hidden from the one person they were running from. Taking her hair tie from her left wrist Kate shifted her daughter a little so she could tie her hair up into a ponytail so it would stay out of her face as she looked at the two men wondering what they were talking about.

David looked at the man as he walked out of the building and he tossed his almost burnt out cigarette off to the side, "I'm cashing in that favor you owe me" he said as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket. He knew the man in front of him was the best option to leave this woman and her kid with, after all the man was the head of a crime ring and could keep them safe. "See the woman and the kid in my car?" David questioned as he fixed him with a firm look "You take them in and the debt between us is done. You'll owe me nothing after this. Taken them in, give them food and look after them". Glancing over his shoulder at Kate and her daughter for a second he looked back at the man "She's running from something, don't know what all I know is that I sold her a gun a few days ago. Woman is scared enough to trust criminals thought I might as well bring her to the one criminal I know with the resources to look after her and her kid" he chuckled.

Kellen O'meara sighed as he ran a hand through his hair and lit another cigarette.
There had to be a kid, kids were always trouble.  Hell, kids were the reason he was standing outside his apartment at this ungodly hour.

A few years back Kellen had discovered someone within the family had plans to sell a group of kids into the sex trade overseas.  Now, human trafficking was just something you came across in this business. As far as Kellen was concerned, if you were an adult who'd fucked up hard enough to become property of the mob, you probably earned it.  But you didn't sell kids, that was a line he wasn't willing to cross.

Unfortunately for Kellen, it wasn't a clean hit, and David had to find a cleaner to get his neck off the chopping block for performing an unauthorized hit within the family.

In the years following, Kellen had managed to rise up within the O'Meara crime family.  So far he'd managed to keep the old world morals passed down to him from his grandfather intact, while keeping the family business strong.

While he hadn't forgotten about the favor David had done for him, it was a bit of a surprise when he called his personal phone so late.

As he leaned into the car, he spoke with a surprisingly soft voice, with an almost musical lilting Irish accent.  "So lass, I hear tell ye're running from something?  I'm gonna need a wee sight more information at some point if'n I'm te be keeping you and tha' precious cargo back there safe"

With this he leaned back out of the car to talk with David for a bit. "Ye know how I feel about kids David, I start making right piss decisions when kids are around."  David smiled a little at that, "That's exactly why you're the perfect man for this job, Kellen.  And after this the slate's clean between us."

"You're a right bastard sometimes, but I wouldn't be standin here today if ya weren't.  "I'll look after em like they were me own blood, but if this turns in to more trouble than I can handle, it'll be your spuds in the fire this time."

As Kellen walked back to the car, the blonde had made her way out of the door and was standing next to the vehicle, girl in her arms sound asleep.

A small smile softened Kellen's harsh features for a second, "Now, lass, I never caught yer name."  He said as he extended a hand towards the woman

Kate glanced at the man when he leaned into the car when he said that he would need more information if he was going to be keeping her around. Looking straight back out the windshield her back stiffened as she doubted she would ever be prepared to part with that information. Taking a deep breath she slowly got out of the car before she carefully took her sleeping daughter out as well, her small frame pressed against her and her tiny head resting on her mothers shoulder as she continued to sleep.

Looking at the man when he walked to her Kate fixed him with a firm gaze, the weight of the illegal gun tucked into her jeans and the weight of the single bag she had resting against her foot were a comforting feeling, looking at his extended hand Kate kept her arms wrapped securely around her daughter as if she was scared that he would take her sleeping babe from her.

"Kate. My name is Kate, my daughters name is Claire" she said softly so as not to disturb her little one, Kate knew better then to give out her surname. Even though she doubted it as far as Kate was concerned in that moment anyone and everyone might know the person she was running from.

Studying him for a moment Kate moved a little when the car she was brought in pulled away from the curb and left, "If you don't want to take us in that's fine; I'm happy to be on the streets" Kate stated as she adjusted her daughters weight a little trying to relieve some pressure from her shoulder.

Keleen folded his outstreched arm into a small bow

"Well met Kate, but I can't in good faith leave a wee lass like tha out on the streets with the drunks and the whores."  Kellen replied motioning to Claire.  Besides, I gave me word to keep you safe, and in this business, a man's word is worth his life."  With this he began to walk towards the metal doors of the apartment building.

Kellen wasn't sure what he was getting himself into, he noticed the large piece weighing down the waistband of Kate's jeans, and her cool silence was unnerving.  But he couldn't leave the young mother and her child out on the streets.

"I can assure you, there's no safer place on the East side than the penthouse here."  Kellen called back to the woman as he unlocked a small steel access panel and punched in a rapid series of number to unlock the doors. He sighed before turning back to Kate,  "I'll get more of your story in due time lass, for now, let's get you and the wee Claire up to your new rooms."  

Kellen turned and waved for Kate to follow with the air of a man used to having orders followed hastily and without question.  "And keep yer hands off that cannon till were inside, I don't want any of the boys to get jumpy."

Kate listened and watched Kellen closely, as if he was a wolf and her and her daughter were the prey. Bending down a little she grabbed her bag and swung it over her shoulder skillfully enough to no jostle her daughter too much.

Slowly following behind him she frowned when he stated that there was no safer place, when he said that he would get more of her story she shook her head at him "My story is none of your business" Kate stated even though she knew sooner or later he would figure out what was happening and why she of all people would trust a bunch of criminals to help her and her daughter.

Following after Kellen when he waved for her Kate adjusted Claire a little as she stepped into the building "I'll touch it and use it if you do something I don't like" she said firmly as Claire started to wake up making small unhappy noises making Kate automatically shush her small three year old daughter to try and get her back to sleep. "It's okay baby, mama's got you" Kate whispered as she kissed her daughters forehead. As she did that she glanced around a little taking note of a couple of men around that were eyeing the two of them as if they could be possible threats.

Everything that was happening right now felt so surreal to Kate, she was now on the other side of town with an obviously very high up criminal, as she continued to follow behind Kellen Kate cleared her throat a little "What's your name?". Claire had woken up enough that she sat up and looked at Kellen as she held onto Kate "Scawy" Claire mumbled before she hid her face in her mothers neck as she was frightened of his strange man.

The two men standing on either side of the inner door twitched for a second at Kate's outburst before Kellen waved them down with one hand.

"My apologies lass, it's Kellen, Kellen O'Maera, though ye've more likely heard of me grandad Sully O'Meara. I'm not tryin to take your weapon from ya, just letting ya know that my boys take my health and safety quite seriously." Kellen continued to walk across the well appointed lobby, the floors a deep gold-veined green marble with a plush gold carpet running from the doors to the elevator. The elevator doors themselves seemed to have been sheathed in gold and polished to a mirror finish, and were currently flanked by a pair of large men with full ruddy beards.

"Boys," Kellen called out as he approached the doors, "This here is miss Kate and her wee one Claire, you're to show the utmost respect towards them while they're staying here, understood?" he finished in a soft voice that made the two larger men swallow.
"Of course boss." They replied in unison

It was at that point he'd noticed young Claire had woken up and started to fuss, "Now now wee lass, I know those brutes are scary, but they're here to keep yeh safe, they'll be down here keeping any bad folks from coming up the stairs."

"Your carriage awaits lass." Kellen finished extending an arm towards the open elevator where a pair of dark wood benches were built into either side of the car

Kate of course noticed the slight twitch from the men and her back stiffened, as far as she was concerned her daughters safety came first and she could easily perceive these men as threats.

When he said what his name was she shook her head a little when he mentioned his grandfather, "No, I haven't" Kate said softly. She had grown up in an upper class suburban area where such people weren't talked about, at least not around children. Sensing the men at her back Kate tightened her arms a little more around her daughter as she glanced at them over her shoulder not trusting them.

Claire shifted her head a little and looked at Kellen a confused look coming over her little face before she looked at Kate "Dada?" Claire asked.

Kate shook her head a little at her daughter as she carried her into the elevator "His...somewhere else baby girl" she said her voice cracking a little before she cleared her throat. Glancing at Kellen she sat down on one of the benches and moved Claire so she could perch her on her knee so Claire could look around a little her fine blonde hair that matched her mothers falling into her little eyes.

"Thank you...for doing this" Kate said softly as she look at Kellen as Claire leaned against her mother sleepily.

"I gave you my word lass, and I intend to keep it." Kellen smiled as he looked down at Claire clutching on to her mother. "If you haven't heard of us, you surely had an easier childhood than meself, growing up to the sounds of gunfire and cursing and smells of whiskey and cigar smoke is no place for a wee angel like yours. I'll do my best to keep her away from the boys here but ya are where ya are lass, and I'm still curious as to what's landed a pretty thing like you and your little angel on my doorstep."

As Kellen finished speaking the elevator came to a halt and the doors opened to another pair of men. The pair here were wearing body armor and each carried a tactical shotgun.

They nodded to the boss, the man on the right smiled when he noticed the blonde in the elevator with him. "Finally getting back at it eh Kellen? You haven't brought a lass up to shag since ya took over fer the old man."

"Stifle your mouth Varney, there's a fucking kid here, I don't need her picking up your bloody foul mouth." Slapping the man gently on the back of the head. "And you'll be treating Miss Kate here with respect, you great drunken ox."

"Pardon me cousin Deaglan, few too many bar fights knocked something loose upstairs but he's got a heart of gold and a fossilized liver." Deaglan gave a chuckle at that "I only drink so much because I have to stare at your ugly face every day, that'd drive any man to the pub."

"We are really are family here lass, despite the rather unorthodox family business." Kellen turned back with a smile softening his normally grim features

"Raised in upper class suburbia. But there are bad things there as well, same kind of things just hidden behind different doors" Kate said with a shrug of her shoulders not going into the things she had seen or heard there, looking at the elevator doors when they opened she held Claire a little tighter to her body seeing the body armor and tactical shotguns. That had not been the kind of sight that she had expected to see on the other side of the elevator doors.

This had not been the kind of place Kate had thought she would end up in but here she was, she couldn't back out now since she highly doubted that Kellen would allow her to walk out onto the streets with Claire.

Noticing one of the men smile Kate quickly placed her hands over Claire's ears so she couldn't hear anything that the men said, once she was sure that there wasn't going to be anymore swearing she got to her feet and sat Claire comfortably on her hip her bag slung back over her shoulder as she listened to their banter it brought a small smile to her face that Kate couldn't stop as she stepped out of the elevator.

Once they were in the hall Claire began to wiggle and Kate instinctively put her little girl down who waddled over to Kellen and put her arms up in the air. "Up" Claire demanded in her little voice but before anyone else could pick her up Kate scooped her girl back up into her arms "No baby, mama will carry you" she said giving her girl a smile as Claire pouted at her seemingly unimpressed that she hadn't been allowed to see this new man properly as she naturally was very curious.

"Th' wee lass has taken a shine to you Kellen." Deaglan said with a nudge of his elbow towards his cousin.

Kellen leaned towards Claire and notice Kate tense up, "It's time for wee things like yerself to be in bed lass."  He said with a smile, Claire pouted and pushed out her lower lip, "Well, if you're a good lass and get to sleep quick we'll make you right proper Irish breakfast in the morn, and yeh can eat till yer fit to burst."  Little Claire's eyes went wide with the promise of the mountain of breakfast.

"Well, welcome to home sweet home."  Kellen said as he placed a hand on a pad near the door at the end of the hallway.  The door swung open to reveal walls nearly a foot thick.  "I wasn't spinnin tales when I said the penthouse was the safest place here on the east side lass."

He smiled as the pair stepped slowly into the plush 3-story penthouse apartment.  Kellen's father had died when he was young in a gunfight with Kishin Yakuza family from the south side of town.  Since then he'd been raised by hundreds of overprotective mobster uncles and cousins.  While entertaining, it wasn't really much of a childhood, as the new family heir learned self defense and business behind a protective ring of mob muscle.

He wanted to keep the new little angel that had been, quite literally, dumped on his doorstep, away from as much of that life as he could.

Something about Kate was still bothering him though, he just couldn't quite shake the feeling that he may be getting himself into something over his head.

(OOC, this is probably my last post for tonight, but thanks for making a slow night at work go by a million times faster =]

When Kellen promised her daughter a large breakfast in the morning Kate raised a brow unimpressed with that notion of her daughter being let loose on a whole heap of food. Before she could comment on the food she looked at the rather impressive room that she exposed when the doors opened.

Looking at him when he said that he hadn't been spinning tales about the place being safe Kate shook her head a little "Never said you were" she said before she stepped past him making sure to keep a slight distance between the two of them so she didn't accidentally touch Kellen.

Glancing at Kellen she moved further into the penthouse looked around in awe as she carefully put Claire down and held onto her tiny hand, letting him lead them to a room Kate looked at Kellen as she gently encouraged Claire to go into the room "Thank you...again" Kate said as she moved into the room. Scooping Claire up she placed her on the bed before she walked back over to the door and grasped the handle "I'm going to get her to sleep" she said as she carefully pushed the door closed so it was still ajar enough for Kellen to look in if he wished to make sure they were alright.

Setting about getting Claire changed Kate got her settled into bed before she got changed herself into a pair of pajama shorts and a tank top which showed off the horribly battered body Kate had been hiding, grabbing her satin robe she pulled it on so all of her bruises and cuts were hidden as she got Claire settled and asleep.

Walking out of the bedroom she pulled the door behind her a little as she walked through the penthouse looking for the kitchen so she could get a drink and a little something for herself to eat.

((ooc: anytime :3 hope you had a good time at work))

After getting the new arrivals settled into one of the nicer guest rooms in the penthouse, Kellen went up to his personal suite on the third floor. After changing into a monogrammed silk robe and house slippers, he lit up a cigarette and headed down to the kitchen to get a glass of whiskey before retiring for the evening.

While he had a VERY well stocked liquor cabinet in his private study, he was in a mood to walk with his thoughts. Kellen had taken notice of how the woman, Kate, seemed to avoid contact with anyone but her daughter, like a dog that had been kicked one too many times. That thought made Kellen's blood boil. Yes his family owned strip clubs and brothels, but all the women working there were there by choice, and if anyone roughed up one of the families girls they were given it back twofold and blackballed.

The O'Maera's may have been gangsters, but they followed the old ways and held themselves to a code of honor. Lost in thought, Kellen was surprised to find Kate going through one of the large commercial grade refrigerators in the kitchen.

"Care for a drink with your midnight snack lass?" Kellen called out as he pulled a bottle of 18 year old Irish whiskey and a pair of crystal glasses from one of the cabinets

Kate jumped and jerked away from the fridge when Kellen called out a look of pure terror flashing over her face before she quickly schooled her face back into a neutral expression, taking a deep breath as she looked at Kellen she carefully closed the fridge door not bothering to pull anything out to eat. "Why not" she said with a slight shrug of her shoulders, it had been a long time since she had drunk but hell with everything that was going on she felt as if she might as well get some alcohol into her to at least feel a little at ease.

She knew that he had seen the frightened expression on her face, Kate wanted to pretend that that look hadn't come over her face as she knew she would have to explain a little to him while she had looked so frightened at him seeing her looking in the fridge.

Reaching up she took her hair out of the ponytail and let it fall down, Kate felt like it was best to get comfortable as much as she could since she was now in a somewhat safe place. "Got a spare cigarette?" Kate asked tucking some hair away from her face as she took a few steps closer to Kellen so he wouldn't need to reach too far to hand her the glass, normally Kate wouldn't have asked for a cigarette since she had quit years before she had had Claire but she needed to let go.

Kellen raised an eyebrow as he pulled a gold cigarette case from robe pocket before deftly spinning a cigarette in his fingers to hold towards Kate. "Didn't take ya for a smoker, what with the wee child and all.  But i guess if you're knocking on my door for help yeh've probably had a right stressful time up to now."

He finished by flipping open and lighting a monogrammed Zippo that seemed to appear from nowhere.  As Kate took the first drag of her cigarette, Kellen dropped a pair of ice cube into each glass and poured both to about half full.

Kellen knew he'd have to wait for Kate to open up on her own, pushing someone this scared only led to you being locked out.

After pushing Kate's glass across the small island they'd sat down at, he raised his own glass in a toast  "To you and yours lass, may better days lie in wait."

Kate reached out and took the cigarette from Kellen when he held it out towards her, "Ex-smoker. Quit a long time before she was born. Same with drinking, haven't drunk in years" she said shrugging as she placed the butt between her lips and took a drag when he lit her cigarette for her. Taking a deep drag Kate slowly blew out the smoke as she glanced at Kellen a little knowing she would need to explain everything to him in due time.

Picking up the glass when he pushed it towards her she raised her glass and toasted him a little with an unimpressed laughed "That's doubtful" Kate stated. Moving the glass to her lips Kate glanced at him a little over the rim of the glass before she quickly tipped her head back downing the alcohol like an old pro.

Putting the glass down Kate crinkled her nose with a frown at the old familiar burn, once it had passed Kate picked the glass back up and tipped one of the ice cubes into her mouth and sucked on it. "So, how does a high up gangster get into the business of taking in stray women with kids?" she asked enjoying the warmth the Irish whiskey brought as it settled in her stomach.

Kellen gave a small smirk at how easily Kate downed her whiskey.

"Funny story that one, it was actually a bunch of kids that landed me with that favor to David." Kellen replied, tilting the bottle of whiskey towards Kate. At her nod he poured the glass back to half full before continuing his story. "Ya see Lass, we had an old enforcer, Kasey Finnegan, who decided on his own that he was goin tae expand into other areas of business besides breaking kneecaps and crackin' heads. Kasey was a right proper bastard, but not a soul could catch him in the act, and he was right good at crackin heads."

Kellen paused here to finish his own whiskey. "So one day a few years back, we send ole Kasey out to collect some overdue rent from one of our warehouses. Turns out our previous tenants had been, well, disposed of, and the scum who did it was using the warehouse to smuggle girls out of the country. Normally ole Kasey would have just gone in guns blazing, but the stacks of cash they had sittin on one of the tables led him to some poor decisions, namely, throwing his lot in with that scum selling kids."

Kellen had to stop and down another large shot of whiskey at this. "A few months of regular collections go by and all of a sudden I see our boy Casey heading to the warehouse in one of our moving trucks. I found this a bit odd since he was a lazy prick when he wasn't breakin heads, so i decided to follow him down. Turns out the truck was to move some "merchandise" down to the docks, women and girls locked in cages."

Kellen knocked back a nearly full glass at this. "Set my blood right to boilin that did, so I gave a whistle and put 5 in his chest, had to cap the gobshites he was workin for too once the shootin started .Where i fucked up was not noticin one o' his boys in the back of the truck saw me walk in. Now I weren't the boss yet back then, and there's process you need to go through to put a shitwhistle with connections like Kasey in the river. It's just," Kellen gave a long sigh at this and rubbed his temples. "There's a line ya don't cross, even in a business like ours, some of them girls couldn't have been more than ten. After seeing that, I couldn't let the sheep shagger walk out of there. I heard his boy peel out in the van after the shots stopped and I knew I'd fucked it, had to call your friend Dave to clean that up for me before he got back to my grand-da or whoever those Chinese pricks were working for. If they WERE Triad, I could have really kicked the shit pot over with my hot head."


With this Kellen lit up another cigarette and took a long drag, blowing a perfect smoke ring towards the ceiling. "Lucky for me, ole David managed to catch up to the boy as he pulled the truck back in to our maintenance building where they'd borrowed it from, and now here we are six years later."
Taking another drag of his cigarette he turned to Kate with a smile. "And now you're the fourth person still pulling in air who's heard my story lass."

Kate listened to Kellen's story, sipping her second glass of whiskey and taking the occasional drag on her cigarette as he spoke. When he finished his story Kate downed the rest that was in her glass and placed the glass down gently on the counter, "Well at least you saved those girls from a life of hell" she said softly as she finished off her cigarette. Thinking for a moment Kate sighed knowing that it would only be fair if she told Kellen the real reason she and her daughter had come to a criminal for help since he had shared his story with her.

"The reason Claire and I are here doesn't have anything to do with her" Kate said with a shrug of her shoulders before she paused and shook her head a little "Well, it does involve her a little. But this is more or less my problem". Crossing her arms on the counter Kate sighed as she looked away from Kellen and down at the counter as she thought over how she was going to explain everything to Kellen. Deciding showing him would be easiest Kate moved off of the stool she was standing on and she looked at Kellen "Don't....don't ask questions" she said softly.

Taking a deep breath she reached for the tie of her dressing gown and she undid it, holding it down a moment Kate straightened her back as she opened the front of it enough that Kellen could see the bruises, cuts and scars on the front of her body "This is why Claire and I have come to you for help" Kate said as she looked down at the floor not wanting to see any look Kellen might give her. After a moment she wrapped the dressing gown back closed and tied the sash closed.