Kiss The Ring

Frank fired the coup de grace a month later.
There had never been a headline or a hit that quite matched it. Mr.Alexander, deputy head of the FBI wakes up on a normal Tuesday morning to find his wife dead beside him with two bullets clean through the skull. No-one heard or saw a thing but the message was loud and clear - next time it’ll be you. Frank may have been $20 million lighter but fuck was it money well spent.
Within days the feds had called the IRS off and Frank had the satisfaction of a grudging apology. While he had no doubt he would have to bury the guy in future, for now it was one less problem on the list. The underworld immediately went quiet, paying Frank an agreed cut for the removal of the issue and even the Russians shut up for a while.
Which was just as well seeing that his problems nearer home seemed to be growing. Gerard was struggling physically and still seeing the shrink, James was polite but distant, Mikey surly and almost completely uncommunicative, in fact the only person who seemed to be happy was Ray.
Ray was in love. Hopelessly and completely which Frank found cute in the extreme. He had increased his workload to accommodate his friend, aware that it was only down to Ray that he had maintained a power base at all. It meant leaving the boys to their own devices a little more than he had liked but all seemed calm on the surface at least. Frank was enjoying his own downtime with Claire but tried to fit his boy in when he could. All in all things had become a difficult juggling act.
Which was why the snippet of conversation he heard on leaving his office one evening made him step back into the shadows to listen.
“I’m just saying we could have done it.”
“Sure we could, sneak past a security cordon, eight armed guards and then walked calmly out. Face it Mikes, that was class.”
“Yeah but he could have at least asked us.”
James sighed, knowing Mikey wouldn’t let is rest unless he ended up agreeing.
“Ok, yes Frank could have asked us but he didn’t.”
“He doesn’t trust us. Or Gee.”
There was a moment of silence, Frank a little more than interested so hear a response.
“He trusts us or he would kill us.”
“He wouldn’t touch Gerard though.”
Frank frowned, the tone in Mikey’s voice troubling him a little. He had backed off a little on letting the brothers hang out, feeding information about Mikey to various sources that would take the heat of his real occupation. Was there now a problem between them ?
“Jeez Mikey, shut the fuck up.”
Frank stepped out as James rounded the corner, the quick flash of shock on his face not unnoticed by the shorter man.
“Hiya James, you ok ?”
Mikey appeared behind him, a challenge clear on his face.
“You’re pissed because I didn’t ask you to do the FBI job ?”
James and Mikey exchanged a glance and then Mikey nodded.
“There is a reason for that.”
“Which is ?”
Frank smiled before running his fingers down Mikey’s cheek. Both boys were a little too pretty for their own good at times.
“A job like that is best left to an outsider. They take the risks not us. You think I would risk your lives on a suicide mission ?”
Mikey blinked, this was not the reaction he had expected.
“We could have done it…..”
“I know that but I like you both. I want you both around for my sake as well as Gerard‘s.”
Frank beckoned to them and led the way back to his office. He poured large glasses of whiskey for all three of them and settled back. Still wary, James and Mikey sat too. The plan to kill the man in front of them had matured over the weeks. While Gerard was still unsure, Mikey and James had begun to think they could pull it off.
This, now, was unexpected.
“Gerard been ok ?”
Mikey swallowed down the whiskey and nodded.
“Fine.”
Frank stared at him, noticing the resemblance to his sibling and wondering whether he was as good a fuck. A little more dominant maybe but still. He smiled at them both and raised his glass.
“To the family boys. Hopefully the worst of our problems are over and once Gerard is back to his best we can look forward to the good times.”
James licked his lips, wondering just how big a share of the good times might be coming there way. Mikey however had something else on his mind.
“What about Claire boss ?”
Frank grinned, he couldn’t help it.
“She’s great huh ?”
“Gerard feels a little…..left out.”
Frank frowned, a small feeling of guilt creeping in.
“He does ?”
Mikey smiled sensing a weakness and wondering how he could best exploit it.
“Yeah, that’s why he’s been hanging out with us more.”
“I’ve been busy you all know that.”
Frank re-filled their glasses, his shrewd mind now working overtime. Something was going on, he could feel it. A sixth sense if you like that had saved his life more than once. Disgruntled employees were a little more dangerous in this business than most but he couldn’t quite put a finger on what was going on.
“We should get away from here, take a break. A little vacation.”
“A vacation, what you and Gerard ?”
Frank nodded, draining the whiskey before looking back.
“Yeah and you two if you want. Be nice for us to get to know each other a little better. I know Gerard better than he does but you’re an enigma Mikey and I know nothing much about James at all.”
“Sounds great. Thanks boss.”
James and Mikey had both realised that they were being handed an opportunity to take action, a chance that might not come again. Frank had come to the conclusion that if there was something sinister going on he could take care of it better on his own terms. Neither side knew what the other was thinking but it all hinged on one person.
Gerard.

Notes