To The End

Mikey paused outside the compound and lit a cigarette.
He had avoided coming home for a few months now, meeting up with Frank and Claire at other properties they owned or in the various bars and clubs he either ran or had a stake in. He didn’t want to be here, too many bad memories and too many ghosts. People considered Mikey poker faced and cold but the heart under the t-shirt had known both love and loss and was now scarred by it.
“Mikes, how are you gonna explain…..us ?”
“Relax, when they hear what you found out it isn’t going to matter.”
Johnny shifted uncomfortably, looking up at the taller man with some disbelief. He was the only survivor of the men that Angel had used to kidnap Frank Iero’s wife and now he was fucking the man that had nearly killed him. Made this first proper meeting somewhat awkward but he tried not to think about the last time he had been at this house. Mikey had beaten every single detail of that night out of him and he didn’t want to relive that experience.
Mikey left the cigarette dangling and opened the front door with a grin on his face, he had been wanting to share this information with Frank for a while but the necessary checks and financial outlay had been time consuming. Frank had managed to unknowingly help by keeping the supply of drug money running through his club and he now had a very powerful weapon to use against his brother.
Gerard.
Despite it all Mikey couldn’t hate his brother. He had tried, tried really hard in fact, but it just wasn’t going to happen. Rationally he knew that Frank was right and the bullet had done more than just open Gerard’s mind to possibilities. He could not forgive him for bringing Angel back into his life but James’ murder could be laid at her door and not Gerard’s. If he removed that problem then he would have big brother right back where he wanted him.
“Frankie ? God, I need to come back more often cos the fucking security here just sucks.”
Frank appeared at the top of the stairs in t-shirt and jeans, his hair slicked back and the widest of grins on his face. Mikey had forgotten just how innocent Frank could look when not on duty and it brought the rare smile to his face.
“That’s because my best killer is never here anymore. You look….blond Mikey.”
Frank surveyed his friend. The lean build never changed although the brighter colours suited him and Mikey now had his hair longer and a mixture of brown and blond. It made him look less threatening, almost angelic when he smiled and it reminded Frank painfully of Gerard.
“Hey isn’t that…?”
Frank trailed off, recognising the shorter man hiding slightly behind Mikey. He smiled slowly, last time he had seen Johnny had been when Mikey had dragged him from a burning building and tried to throttle him. The younger Way never failed to surprise him, in two years he had never mentioned that the man was even still alive.
“Johnny, meet Frank properly. Yes Frank, it’s Johnny and he is my lover.”
Frank started to chuckle, shaking Johnny’s hand and putting his arm around Mikey’s shoulder. It felt good to have his right hand man back under his roof and not spend time purely discussing business and what had happened to nearly destroy them. If Mikey could move on and let James go then maybe there was a chance.
“You’re a brave man Johnny.”
“Uhhh…thanks Mr.Iero.”
Frank felt Mikey’s hand slip down to his ass and knew that something else was going on. Mikey rarely initiated sex between them anymore. It had always been a shared experience with Gerard and neither of them had found that intimacy was needed when their relationship had gone back to a more formal brotherly state. He found that all of a sudden he wanted that more exciting option renewed. He winked at Johnny.
“Call me Frank.”
He led the way out to the patio at the back where Claire was sitting in the sunshine. If anything Johnny found this introduction even worse, he knew what his pal had done to her and hoped that she wouldn’t take the rape out on him or ask her husband to. Mikey too had watched her reaction but Claire had merely smiled and played the perfect hostess. Frank knew the truth, he could read his wife and she was not at all happy.
“So you said you had found some information for us. You never need an invite to come home Mikes, you know that.”
Mikey stretched and sipped his drink.
“I know but we have some issues out on the coast there and I don’t want any late shipments. Nothing worse than a pissed off Chinese man who won’t pay up.”
Frank nodded, there had been more and more union trouble popping up and it would need stepping on hard before the suits in Washington started pressing him. Mikey was a master at taking care of that and he had been able to concentrate on winning some larger new contracts in South America to compliment the Family’s growing hold over the drugs trade. Claire squinted again at Johnny, wondering what the little rat had done apart from sucking cock.
“Good point. We can’t afford to slip up now. Next year I want to expand further.”
“The information came during that operation. Johnny here happened to hear from an old friend that answered just why Angel came back to the States.”
Frank glanced at his wife before pouring another drink and dismissing the bodyguards. The fact that Mikey was still looking for Gee didn’t surprise him but he really didn’t want to have to have the conversation on the possible outcome. They all wanted Gerard to answer for what happened but the methods had differed. There had been enough blood shed between them all, he wanted to concentrate on wiping out the competition not his family.
“Does this help us find Gerard ?”
“It helps us kill Angel. Then we can talk some sense into my brother.”
Claire allowed herself a moment of hope and the sweetest thoughts of revenge. She had never completely forgiven Gerard in the way that Frank had but she had always believed that it was Angel that had turned him against them and forced his hand. Part of her still burned with the desire to kill the other woman with her bare hands and she half believed that Frank would enjoy watching her do it.
Mikey nudged Johnny and grinned at Frank. There was a renewed interest in his friends face and he liked it when the look of pure spite appeared there. Frank had never lost the ability to turn in an instant, smooth and kind family man one minute, hardened killer with a huge capacity for violence the next. Mikey loved it and considered the line of Frank’s bicep as Johnny started to speak.
“I got a call from Syn Gates. He’s just managed to get free from some Russian prison and he’s looking for Angel. Seems that he went with her when Gerard gave them all that money but she double crossed him and he ended up in debt to the Russian mob. He managed to buy his way out but he’s fucking pissed and you do not want that coming after you.”
Frank could see where this was leading and paused. It was risky, they could indeed enlist this man to help them find Gerard and Angel but there was no guarantee that Gerard would survive the encounter. Plus Gates was the man that had pulled the trigger on Ray. Hardly a person they could trust to remain on side.
“You intend to recruit him and find Gee ? He could end up killing them both.”
Mikey shrugged, pouring another round of drinks.
“Not if we pay him. He needs money to keep the Russian mob happy and off his back and we can also give him Angel. I’m sure for that deal we can keep Gerard out of it.”
Claire shook her head with a grin, all three men seemed to be missing one very obvious fact.
“Gerard thinks he’s in love with her. He’s hardly going to stand by and let her die.”
Frank swirled his drink, feeling all eyes on him and finding that finally having a chance to confront his former lover was making a plan form in his mind. He almost felt like playing devil’s advocate. It had been himself and Mikey double crossing Angel that had started all this and he almost found himself admitting that she had a right to her revenge.
“We find a way to separate them and get him back here. Gates can go and do his thing, I don’t care what method he uses as long as she dies. We can deal with Gee after that.”
Johnny watched these three former enemies and wondered how he had ever even thought that going up against them was a good idea. He had been a small time hood, nothing more but enough to make a good living until he had fallen in with Zacky who knew Matt and so on until he was mixing with hired killers like Synyster Gates and the truly insane like Angel. Not that Mikey was any better but there had been a method to the various tortures inflicted on his body and he had come to enjoy it, crave it even. That Mikey had begun to feel a measure of affection toward him had surprised Johnny but there were far worse ways to live.
“Johnny will contact Syn and suggest we meet to discuss a deal.”
Mikey paused, the next question was one he had been burning to ask Frank for a while.
“Any idea where they are ? Gee and Angel I mean.”
“He was hanging with some people up near the Canadian border. He’s not laying low but he’s not on the public’s radar either. I will get people on it.”
Claire looked out over the pool toward the outside world. She was not going to remain some bit player this time and neither would she allow Frank or Mikey to take ridiculous risks. This time Claire was going to take some control and turn the tables on the woman that had tried to take her husband from her. An idea was forming on how to do it too and it involved Mikey’s new toy. That was the weak link to be exploited.
“Whatever happens, Gee mustn’t be harmed until we have chance to talk to him.”
“He’s my brother. I never wanted to hurt him.”
Frank stood and pulled Mikey into an embrace. There had been times when he had never thought to hear those words and it gave him a sense of purpose. He caught Claire’s eye and she knew that the old Frank was back, fearless and confident.
“You didn’t ? Jesus Mikey, I really need to remind you of some things….”

Notes