Kiss The Ring

Frank had found Mikey and James making out on the beach and not in the mood to be interrupted. It had taken the mention of a job, an important and lucrative one too, that had persuaded them to accompany Frank back to the beach house and along the long corridor to the office.
Gerard was curled into a chair in the corner, wearing a hoodie despite the heat and looking as pale as death. This couldn’t be happening, his mind couldn’t process it at all. He lit another smoke as he heard footsteps outside and tried to keep a calm expression on his face.
“Take a seat guys and lets get this sorted.”
Mikey and James glanced at Gerard and sat down in the big lounge chairs that sat pushed away from the walnut desk. They had been biding their time all week and now seemed to be it, both were armed and just waiting for the right second to act. James felt more nerves than he wanted to admit having come to like Frank a lot. He hoped Mikey was as sure about this as he had sounded. Mikey just smiled, whatever loyalty he felt for Frank, this was strictly business.
They settled down before Frank leant against the wood facing them both, a friendly smile on his face.
“Right lets cut the crap. You fuckers think you can take me out ?”
Guns appeared from nowhere as Gerard shut his eyes, opening them to see a Mexican standoff, Frankie with a gun in each hand as James and Mikey aimed straight at him. There was a tense moment, no-one daring to move.
“You’re a crazy fuck Mikey I’ll give you that but you should have known Gerard won’t lie to me.”
Mikey paled a little before smiling at Frank.
“Yeah but he’s my brother. Blood will out Frank.”
Frank raised an eyebrow before looking at James.
“What about you, what do you get out of this ? See Mikey here maybe many things but clever he ain’t. Without me, how long do you think it will be before one of the other families goes for you ?”
James swallowed hard, the same thought had occurred to him.
“We can do this, we don’t need you.”
Frankie laughed, standing up now.
“You’re gonna die either way boys unless you put them down.”
Mikey’s eyes blazed, his temper flaring.
“I’m gonna fucking kill you.”
“Mikey !”
They all stopped looking over at Gerard, his face a mask of fear.
“Stop this now. I don’t want either of you to die.”
Gerard held his breath as both Frank and Mikey turned to look at him, their expressions somehow mirroring each other. Frank shrugged.
“You always were too soft Gee, what do you want me to do ? He’s gonna do this anyway.”
Mikey snorted.
“He uses you Gerard, he always has.”
Gerard stared, things slotting into place in his mind. With a desperate glance at both of them he turned away, his voice bitter.
“So do what you have to do.”
James tried to figure it out after for a long time, the whole thing had turned so quickly. One second they were staring at each other the next he was lying on the ground, both hands jammed to his knee in shock and pain. Mikey lay beside him, doubled over as blood began to seep from the wound in his stomach. It didn’t seem like the sound of the gunfire had reached them before it was over. He looked up as a shadow stood over him.
“Why will none of you ever listen to me ?”
James stared. This was impossible. It couldn’t be. Looking over to his right, he saw Frank propped up against the desk, also bleeding and also looking absolutely stunned.
Gerard tucked the gun back into his hoodie and pouted at them.
“I really thought you dumb fucks would sort this out yourselves but no. Your fucking egos get in the way every time and I have to go along with it.”
“Gerard, what …….”
Gerard turned to his brother, pity mixing with the anger on his face.
“Shut up Mikey. I love you, you’re my brother but I am not your bitch and I am not going to let you ruin this family.”
He turned to Frank, his Frankie. It hurt to have done this but his days of being pushed around were over.
“I love you too Frankie but things have changed. I’ve changed. My future is with you and the boys not on Capitol Hill.”
Frank grunted at the pain from the bullet wound and pulled himself up a little.
“So you’re gonna throw it all away, everything we worked for ?”
They could hear Ray and the bodyguards hammering on the door now as Gerard went to open it, pausing before he did so.
“No, definitely not but I have found another way.”


******


January, 2 years later.


******


Gerard and Frank settled into their seats looking out over the crowds that had gathered to see the inauguration of the new president. Mikey and James were back at home, negotiating with the Chinese and Russians as a new arms race sprang up around them.
“You think he’ll handle it.”
Frank grinned.
“There is no-one like that man for getting shit done.”
Gerard giggled, glad to have withdrawn from public life. The official story of his injuries having been just too great had lent themselves well to his successor, the sympathy vote again coming into play to push Frank’s plan forward. They were partners in every sense now, Mikey and James their back up in a family that had become unstoppable.
Contracts came flowing in, legitimate as well as not. Frank was the face of corporate America and the most feared Don of his generation. Mikey and James ran the rackets, the extortion and rampant violence that they thrived on while Gerard was the businessman, smooth and trustworthy that tied people in before they realised the damnation beyond.
People would try to take them out, they always did but the fact that the man in the White House was theirs, had been the only one loyal to the end, meant that it would be virtually impossible to destroy the immaculate and bloody future mapped out in front of them.
They sat back to watch Ray Toro embrace his destiny.

Notes

So, you'll be glad to hear that work has started on the sequel, Im about three chapters in lol.
Thanks for reading and for all your kind words XXXX