The Devil's Song Bird

Day One

The next day, RoughCoin and his right-hand man was lounging in his villa, talking about their recent mission in Greenwich village.

"Your acting was brilliant yesterday, boss! And for once, I too believed you about that sister stuff! Ha.ha.ha" Max praised his boss as they sat over a bottle of whiskey.

One thing Max knew is that RoughCoin would never disrespect a woman in reality. Which was why he had been hiding his sister from the evil eyes of his fellow men of the underworld.

RoughCoin knew how coldhearted his colleagues are towards women, and couldn't bear to let them get anywhere close to his sister.

Not even an inch close.

"It was your idea.". RoughCoin said, with a smile. "And it was a good one too. No brother can risk his sister's life.". He added, appraising his second in command as well.

"Talking about sisters, boss. How is Elena doing?" Max asked, talking about RoughCoin's sister.

"She is good. Her demands though are just too impossible..". RoughCoin replied , shaking his head. "You won't believe this, Max. Elena, she wants me to get married!" RoughCoin laughed.

He couldn't imagine himself getting married. Not with his kind of business. Which woman will want to settle down with him, willingly? That thought made RoughCoin also remember that girl that had captured his heart. Will she agree to go out with him? Let alone, marry him?

"Elena is right, boss. You are about to turn 29 next month. And I think you should get married already, too.". Max said, and stole a glance at his boss.

He noticed RoughCoin smiling to himself, and knew that only one thing and one person had been able to make his boss smile like that.

That one person is no other than that woman they later met at the grocery shop.

Funny, though, they didn't even asked for her name.

"Do you want me to find about that girl, we saw.". Max said, breaking the silence that was building between them.

RoughCoin turned, and looked at Max. Max's intelligence still remained a mystery to RoughCoin. How Max could tell what is in his mind, and when to say the right thing also, was the reason why RoughCoin wasn't seeing himself putting Max away from him in the near future.

"I have already assigned that task to Bruno. He will be arriving soon." RoughCoin looked away, and answered.

Max twisted his brow a little in a frown. He had thought his boss would assign that duty to him, he had been doing well in it till now.

"I.I. I thought you would give that work to me! Boss. Don't you trust me on it?" He asked, looking worried.

Could it be that RoughCoin didn't trust him to get the girl for him?

"It is not like that, Max. I wanted the work to be done quietly, and without the girl noticing. You have been with me all along, and she already knows your face. Besides, Max. I also know how impatient you can be. You will probably scare her if her response is not favourable to you." RoughCoin said flashing a smile towards him.

Max chuckled a little, and smiled.

"You maybe right there, boss! So what are you planning to do? I mean how are you planning to win her heart. She seems to come from a modest family. What if she finds out who you are, and starts avoiding you!"

"She won't find that out now because I won't let her. Not until I am ready to tell her who I am. I have already talked about her with Elena and she is dying to meet her. So, now I definitely want to know about her." RoughCoin replied sternly.

"So...are you gonna...f.force her to be with you?" Max asked.

Knowing his boss for who he is, Max could swear that would be his next option.

"Not yet. First I will go soft with her, and try to court her. But, if she still disapproves of me, which I don't think she would. Then obviously I will have to force her.".

Max sighed, looking somehow worried. If there's anything he would wish for his boss now, it is for the relationship between the only woman he had seen him smile with to work.

"That means, you are going to tell her your real identity?" Max asked.

Despite the fear he was nurturing within him about this whole thing, he still manage to steady his voice as he spoke.

Maybe, that's what made him a hard man too.

"Yes!". RoughCoin answered straight. There's no point beating about the bush. "I don't want to keep her in dark. She should know me the way I am.". He added as he began to wonder what the woman he loved might be doing right now.

A soft knock at the door broke his trance, which left RoughCoin paranoid.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Sir, I have the information you asked for!" Bruno replied politely. "The information about Miss Ava McKenna. You asked for the findings to be done ASAP .". Bruno added, with fear in his voice.

The tone in RoughCoin's voice had given him the red alert, and Bruno knew better to be cautious. One thing RoughCoin hates more than anything is to be interrupted, and a loud or high-pitched voices. And, he was glad that the girl he is falling for had a soft voice.

A bulb seemed to glow in RoughCoin's head as he heard Bruno's words, and he became restless.

"Then what the f*ck are you waiting for? Come in!."

Bruno entered, and handed the file over to RoughCoin. He almost snatched the file from Bruno's hand with force. His curiosity got the best of him.

"What does it say?" Max asked.

He himself was also getting curious.

"Patience bro, patience." RoughCoin teased him. And he smiled broadly.

RoughCoin opened the chain of the file and smiled when he saw Ava's photograph on the first page.

She did look beautiful, he thought.

She was wearing a bikini in that photo, and was sitting out at the beach, looking at the vast sea.

"Where's this place, there is no sea around here?!" RoughCoin asked Bruno.

"It's actually her Social Media profile pic, boss! She once went to New York harbor on a trip. She also wrote a comment on that as, 'one of the best days of my life. I wish time would have stopped'. " Bruno replied thinking how cheesy it sounded.

"Hmm." RoughCoin turned the page, reluctantly. Her mere photograph seemed to arrest his mind.

He started reading aloud:

Name: Ava McKenna

Age: 21

D.O.B: 1 September 2003

Address: land 19, block C, Manhattan.

Father: Andrew McKenna

Mother: Ruth McKenna

Brother: Salem McKenna (16 )

Qualification: Bachelor in Arts.

Profession: Two jobs: Teacher of primary school and hotel employee.

Reading the latter, a frown came upon RoughCoin's face.

"Why is she having two jobs?" He asked.

"She is financially tight, sir. She is the breadwinner of her family and has to take care of all the bills". Bruno replied.

He had made sure to get all the information about Ava ready, knowing his boss would want to know everything.

And, whatever RoughCoin asked and Bruno couldn't provide the answer to, would attract a henious consequences upon him.

"She has a hard life! " RoughCoin thought and felt bad. "Well, that can be taken care of now that she has me!" He said proudly.

Then continued with the data reading.

"And what does this hotel employee mean? What kind of a job does she do in a hotel". He asked, his brow furrowed a little.

Having a lady work in a hotel doesn't seem to sound too decent to him.

"She sings in a hotel. At the VIP, and for the special guests." Bruno replied.

He was already proud of himself for a job well done.

"Hmm,..". RoughCoin grunted, and nodded. "What hotel is that, and what time?"

"The Plaza Hotel. 8pm to 9pm.Everyday."

"Hmm."

He continued:

Favorite cuisine: Cozy Italian Pasta dishes

Ambition: Riding horse, pet a dog, scuba dive

Miscellaneous: Pure vegetarian. Not very religious. Best friend being many, especially Liam Cain.

"This is great information, Bruno. Good job". He appraised Bruno.

Bruno smiled, and bowed politely.

"Thank you, boss..".

RoughCoin nodded, and dropped the file carefully on the table.

"Nothing went wrong in the process, right?". He asked, looking at Bruno.

The last thing he would want is for Ava to know someone like him was spying on her. Even though he wanted her information for good.

"No, Sir, nothing went wrong. Infact, this is from the best of my discreet and of course, from her social media account."

"Okay! You may go."

Bruno left.

RoughCoin was still reeling over the information he had finally gotten when Max pointed out a very important fact.

The estate, where Mr Ronnie and his family lives was in land 19, block F, Manhattan. And Ava's address said land 19, block C, Manhattan. That's a few blocks away from Mr Ronnie's apartment.

"s**t boss! She lived in the same estate...with,. Mr Ronnie..." Max was stuttering , and saying when RoughCoin cut him off mid-way.

".....that means, she lied to me!" RoughCoin finished the statement.

One of the things RoughCoin hated the most was lies. And she lied to him at their first meeting.

That was deep, and very grave to RoughCoin.

But, somehow, that didn't bother him. Unlike how Max was feeling about the whole matter. Max was more concerned with the fact that she may have seen them there harassing Ronnie and his family.

"What if... she saw us with the Ronnies?!" Max asked getting worried.

RoughCoin thought for a while and then concluded.

"Then it is better..". He said. "Explaining to her about our work would have been difficult. So it is good that she saw us. This way, she will be facing the real me, the next time we meet." He said.

A smile crept up RoughCoin's face at the mere thought of meeting Ava again. He just have to make it possible as fast as he can.

"I can't wait to meet her again!" He thought to himself.

"Max, make sure the streets are empty this night. I want to meet her alone, and tonight. If she talks politely, then that would be good. If she shouts or scream or whatever, I want to make sure nobody interrupts. And ask the men to block the other routes, so that she doesn't run away. Ask them to hide and show up when she tries to ignore me..". He ordered.

"Yes boss..". Max replied , and listened intently.

"As for you, make sure she goes through the road where I will be tonight. And lastly, Max...I do not want any failure. Understood?" RoughCoin asked seriously.

"Yes, boss! I will do this right away." Max said and left the room to get to the newly assigned work.

'Tonight is gonna be a long night. Just do not try to run away, my love!' RoughCoin mumbled to himself.