Violet preferred working as a bartender than as a waitress. Sometimes the guys in the bar would get drunk and handsy and they’d put their hands on her miniskirt. That never sat well with her, especially when Dylan was around, he would start a fight over it. But being the bartender, Violet felt a lot safer because she was always behind the bar. No one could touch her there. She’d make less money in tips, but the peace of mind was priceless.

Dylan was always around the bar a lot as he was now promoted as the bar manager by Danny. Working under Danny was great, but Dylan was always looking for ways to make more money. Violet noticed that Dylan would sometimes do shady deals in the VIP section. He’d find girls or drugs for the VIP customers. One time he even got a guy a gun. Dylan never wanted to talk about his backdoor activities with Violet, so whenever she asked about it, he always shrugged it off and told her it’s better if she doesn’t know.

“Why are you dressed so extra today? It’s like you're applying for a job at a bank,” Violet commented as she saw Dylan walking out of the manager’s office in a suit and tie. Normally, her brother would only wear jeans and a black t-shirt. His long dark hair was always messy and unkempt, but he made an effort to comb them today.

“Didn’t you hear? We got special guests coming tonight,” Dylan played with his eyebrows and leaned against the bar counter.

“Watch it, I just cleaned the bar,” Violet shoved him away.

“Sorry,” he muttered and took out a cigarette from his pocket.

“And what special guests? Those basketball guys? Or that rapper Ice-T?” Violet said as she wiped the bar again.

“Nope, not athletes and rappers.”

“Then what?”

“The mafi.,”

Violet’s eyes shot up instinctively. She thought Dylan must be joking, but his expression was dead serious. He took a long drag of his cigarette before blowing the smoke away, in the direction opposite of Violet.

“What mafia?” she asked.

“The Van Zandt family,” Dylan whispered lowly so that only she could hear him. “They’re coming tonight, and they’ve got the whole VIP section booked,”

Much like everyone who had grown up in New Jersey, Violet had heard about the Van Zandt clan like it was a folklore story. They were the biggest mobster group in New Jersey since the Luciano family. The leader, Damon Van Zandt, took over the leadership after Joe Luciano died five years ago.

Violet had heard many stories, most of them weren’t great, but she never saw these people in real life. She never had a reason to. Her life was mostly peaceful and idyllic. She spent all her days at school, working at the coffee shop, and she’d go to church on Sundays. It was only recently that she started working at The Union, and so far the only famous people that came here were rap stars or athletes.

Suddenly, as if on cue, the front door flew open and a group of men in black suits appeared. Violet turned her head instantly. She noticed the atmosphere in the air shifted as this group of guys entered the room. Dylan quickly put out his cigarette and started walking to the door to greet the men.

One of the men stood out from the rest. He was standing in the very middle. He was tall, tan-skinned, dark haired, and tattoos were peeking out of his expensive three-piece suit. Violet found herself gazing at this mysterious figure. His eyes were dark and unreadable, but his gaze was sharp, sharper than that killer jawline.

And that was the first time Violet saw him in person, the devil in the flesh, Damon Van Zandt.