Beautiful; Crazy

My heart dances in my chest as I shift gears. Nervously, I pull a cigarette from the pouch and strike a match. I can’t help but notice my hands are shaking uncontrollably. It’s not fear that consumes me, it’s anxiety. With each draw from the cigarette, I can feel myself starting to calm. I stare out the windshield, watching the beams graze the road. The hum of the engine, the rattle of the cargo I haul. It is intoxicating. I am alive and feel the anxiousness rise again. I know my life is forever changed……

A nice intro to the O’Connor brothers

“Cieran, are you coming?”

I look up and realize my brother Patrick is waiting on me. He’s holding bags of goods and has more sitting at his feet.

“I’ve been standing here watching you for at least a minute. You doin’ some modeling for the folks inside?” he asks with a smile that stretches across his face.

He appears amused and stares at me fondly. Patrick O’Connor is the second oldest behind my brother Sean. He’s a large man, not tall, but not short either. He has a barrel chest and huge arms. He always wears a white shirt and black vest that fits a little small, which I believe is to make him look even larger. He always stands out in a crowd. His hair is shaven up the side and a little longer on top that he keeps slicked back with grease. The facial hair is kept shaven, allowing him to flash a smile that melts hearts. His lip rises at first on the left side of his mouth, slowly exposing pearly white teeth and eventually opens wide enough to park a Buick.

A little backstory into the leader of the rival gang.

John “Dutch” Kelley is the leader of a gang in Joplin. He emigrated from Ireland and came out west with his brother, William. The two of them, using their natural gifts, developed a gang and strong armed their way into the mining industry where they made a fortune on zinc and lead. As the mines began to dry up and prohibition set in, they used their power and connections to solidify their position as bootleggers. Together, they took over and opened secret saloons, gambling houses, and brothels stretching through the entire county. The Kelley’s have their hands in everyone’s pocket and ours is no exception. They are protected by the Joplin Police and are rumored to have a judge and Prohibition Agent on their payroll.