After too few hours of sleep Kenny was up and moving. As Cian was the only one of her guards up and moving he'd got tagged in for shopping. She knew better than to try and give them the slip. Men called it reprimanding and reminding but to her it was whining. Shit! Her guards in Chicago would hash times up from years before. When really it was bringing up their ineptitude. Like really, if they'd known how to do their jobs she'd never have been able to give them the slip.
" Do you even know anything about renovating?" Cian challenged as they pulled up outside a hardware store.
" Nope but I'm smart enough to learn and know that electrical and structural gets left to the professionals" she shot back before hoping out and heading for the main doors. It wasn't her job to make sure he followed. Kenny also wasn't going to point out that YouTube was where she planned to look crap up.
Inside Kenny grabbed a cart and headed for power tools first. Drill, palm and belt sander and reciprocating saw went in the cart. Next she hit paint and wall repair. In a short period of time she filled a second cart with cleaning supplies and cool wall sconces she found in the lighting department. Cian silently pushed the second cart then helped her load it in the truck.
After a quick run through McDick's drive thru for breakfast they headed for home. It was silent as Cian shovelled in his breakfast and Kenny made a mental to do list. First she needed to check on the Colly situation and hunt down her brother River. Sometime today she also needed to do an official meet the bikers thing.
"Aidan, Old Murph and I can start emptying the motel. Get a couple rooms livable for now." Cian offered as they unloaded her haul into the kitchen at the bar. " Finn will probably talk to you about the office too. He took one look yesterday and went a little pale" he chuckled out
" if you see him first tell him to have at it. I hate paperwork and accounting" Kenny internally cringed thinking about the little box Luther called an office.
" oh we've heard" Cian teased then slipped out the back door.
Being an only child it had been a monster translation for her getting use to the Mulligan families meddling. Every time she'd turned around there'd been one of Quincy's family around or checking in. And heaven help you if you missed a family dinner. They literally hunted your ass down because you'd clearly been kidnapped or were dead in a ditch to miss it. Then came the guilt trip.
Just thinking about the family back in Chicago had Kenny feeling a little homesick. So while putting new batteries into charge she dialled home to check in. Popping in her ear bud Kenny started unloading the bar area into storage or the kitchen.
" awe so finally deemed me important enough to call" her best friend answered and he wasn't wrong. She'd made four other calls before him and someone had clearly reported it. " How does Sloan beat your best friend?!" He shot out when she wasn't quick enough with a response.
" S before Q. It's not my fault your mum chose the name and you know that's how I make the phone list. And in my defence Sloan is the power here when it comes to able body muscle. Also she threatened to come meddle in my business if I didn't call at least twice a week." Kenny answered to stop his whining then jumped into giving him a full run down of the last 24 hours. Which she was surprised he didn't already know about.
"The Russian's tried to kill you?" He growled
" Yeppers! With wine. My favourite too" she grumbled more than a little pissed that they'd ruined six bottles of it. Bastards.
" What's been done about the women?" He questioned and Kenny stopped mid trek, arms loaded. Fuck she'd forgot to ask. Telling him that had Quincy hanging up on her. Asshat! But on the humorous side it probably meant he was at this moment calling Finn. And in true Quincy fashion becoming a huge pain in the man's arse instead of hers. Well done me she though setting aside the final load as a knock sounded on the back door. On the other side was a pretty blond women she slightly recalled seeing yesterday.
" Hi I'm Lacy" she introduced looking ready to run for the hills.
"Kennedy but call me Kenny. Come on in." She offered trying to soften her voice and be a little less in your face. " You attached to one of the guys?" She then opened up a line of conversation when Lacy hesitated.
" Not really. I do work for the club in exchange for a roof over head and protection. I've got daddy issues" Lacy offered then took a breath before continuing " Luther had me tending bar and waiting on tables as part of that deal. In exchange the club got a cut off rent." She said then stopped talking when Kenny raised her hand.
"Let me process before I respond okay. I'm told I'm not great at peopling. No filter. So ya just give me a second" she explained because right in that moment she wanted to read the girl the riot act then go kick some biker ass.
Given her experience with Candy as a child Kenny had made it a solid point to protect her female and male employees at the escort service. Even their staff at the club had set in stone rules when it came to their patrons. So the whole sweet butt thing really rubbed her wrong. It also didn't help that Lacy looked barely legal.
" Okay so we won't be doing that" Kenny ground out then motioned for the girl to follow her into the bar. Grabbing a coke she pulled a second and lead the way to one of the booths. Only when the girl was settled did she make the offer rolling around in her brain. " When I reopen I'll need staff. I'll employ you under the table if needed. But your wages will go to you and not the club. If needed that wage can include room and board at the motel." Kenny began than detailed the different areas of business that would be open and options she'd had. " No matter which option you choose comes with my personal protection" she assured and watched as Lacy was now the one to process things.
" Okay, thank you" Lacy finally answered but offered nothing else. And Kenny got it. Trust was earned and she hadn't proved herself yet to the girl.
" Can you paint?" Kenny questioned as the thought popped into her head. Then before Lacy could answer started explaining what she had planned for the bar walls.
" I'd like to help but fair warning I've never painted before" Lacy answered when Kenny ran out of steam. But her rambling had the girl looking more at easy.
" Neither have I, but how hard can it be? And anything we do will improve... this!" Kenny waved a hand towards the walls even as she did a YouTube search on painting. Two videos in she was cursing about washing walls first.
Lacy's nana would have called Kennedy Cole a quirky Turkey. One minute rambling on and the next silent and thinking. Raging bull to mother hen. The women wasn't like anyone she'd ever met before but somehow the women put her at ease.
They'd worked the rest of the morning then stopped for lunch when Old Murphy showed up with sub sandwiches. His timing had been perfect as Kenny had been just about to light a blow torch. When the man asked what she'd been planning to do he'd shaken his head and took the torch away. Simply saying he'd figure it out for her.
The other three Irishmen had also wandered through at points during the afternoon. Each time intercepting Kenny when she'd been about to do something not really safe.
" You need a keeper!" Finn had growled at Kenny when the women's stubborn streak came out and they'd argued. " No fire, no electrical and no taking down walls" he'd ordered then turned his intense gaze on her. His face softening when she couldn't completely hold his gaze.
Now heading back to the clubhouse Lacy couldn't help but smile. It had been one of the best days. Wasn't that a sad fact. But as Nana said. You can always change your stars Lacy. Which didn't really make sense but Lacy figured she'd meant you can always change your direction or path. And that's what Kenny now represented for her.
Just outside the club house Hoss and Chuckles sat having a smoke while River and Clipper shot hoops. Yesterday most of the club had lit out of here as soon as the Colly thing came to light. She hadn't been brave enough to ask what would happen to her. Or what would happen to River.
" Good day?" Hoss questioned but there was no judgment or anger to his words. He was one of the few good ones so she answered with a nod and smile.
She was about to pass when she caught River watching her.
" Come down with me in the morning?" She offered knowing how nervous he was to meet the sister his father once told him about.
"Maybe" he answered then shot on the net.
"I'll get dinner started" she offered before disappearing inside. For now this was her place and she still needed to earn her way. And if she wasn't willing to do it in her back then that meant cooking and cleaning. Hopefully that would be enough.
A/N
Okay so no Kenny is not crazy but...I am writing her as a chaotic character. Ups and downs, highs and lows. Stubborn, strong but also moments of doubt and vulnerability. If you've read my other stories you know I like strong female characters. This one just has self preservation issues when using power tools 😁