To The End

Gerard wiped the steam from the mirror and stared at his reflection.
The house had proved to be more than adequate for their requirements and his lawyer had huffily arranged an interview with the local police for later in the morning. Of course as Gee was supposed to be somewhere near Canada it had all fed into the cover story that he would have to drive down to Kansas which would take several days so there had been time to settle in.
It had been almost domestic, something which both Gee and Angel had found slightly odd and almost comfortable. Gee had sealed the deal with his associates in the North, Angel had scouted the job they had come south for originally and now they were ready to clear up this final piece of business and move on.
“Quit admiring your hair and come in here.”
He turned, able to see the outline of her body through the frosted glass of the shower door. There had been no change in his lust to possess her; Gerard wanted to know how she controlled the demon under those curves when he found it so hard. All of Frank’s psychiatrists had not been to answer that one for him and that alone made it all the more difficult to reign it in.
“I told you I would make a fabulous redhead.”
“You’re fucking sassy, now get in here bitch.”
He giggled, enjoying the hot rain of water on his skin as he slid into the shower behind her. Angel had decided against a change from her usual black hair, simply cutting it shorter. Gee liked that it made her look younger, his fingers massaging along the curve of her neck and shoulder as she turned to smile at him.
“Is it actually true that you can’t fly because of that metal in your head ?”
Her fingers reached into his now bright red hair, feeling along the radiating scars that marked the path of the bullet. Gerard blinked, he could barely remember the man he had been before and no longer missed him. Angel noticed the flicker of pain in his eyes and kissed him gently as he pulled her more firmly into his arms.
“The pressure gives me a headache and I set off the alarms but I can fly.”
Angel had lost interest, his body pressed against hers felt too good, the warm water cascading down the firm muscle of his chest was distracting. The other bullet wound was less vivid and she knew he had counted the several matching ones she carried enough times not to notice. She remained contemptuous that Frank had not delivered a coup de grace all those years ago and knew there would be no mistakes made again.
Gerard found her lips again, she would yield to him now and then when the dominant mood overtook him, something that Mikey would never do although he had not told her just how close their relationship had been at times. He pressed her back against the wall so that the shower was directly over them, her hands around his neck as she quietly moaned into his mouth. Of course he had told her about Frank and she had been equally as candid about her past with both his lover and his brother.
“Say it Angel.”
“You know it’s true, I love you Gee.”
He smirked and she smiled back, his neediness was somehow endearing as if he really believed that he was too broken for anyone to love. She had her own theories about why he had taken the path he had when his life had been set fair but it was doubtful he would like them. For now all that mattered was that her legs were wrapped around his waist and he was taking her as if his life depended on it.
“I love you sugar, we’re gonna be rich.”
Angel smiled, kissing the water from his neck and biting back a moan at the heat building between them. They were already rich, it had nothing to do with money but the allure of power that both of them needed. If he wanted to call it love then that was fine and maybe that was all that love amounted to anyway. All that mattered now was that were able to hang onto it.
Gee was lost, his lips working down her body as she leant back further, creating space and friction between them. The new angle worked to add a further desperation to his movements, the tense, almost painful enjoyment on her face turned him on. He rolled a nipple on his tongue and felt her gasp again, teasing and tormenting until it was too much and he came inside her with a violent shout of her name.
Angel closed her eyes, her orgasm less powerful but deeper, the water cooling against her heated skin as the slid down the tiled wall and almost fell into a tangle of limbs and exhaustion on the shower floor. Gerard could feel the new sting of nails down his back and wanted so badly to sleep right there even if the water was now going cold. Angel played with the scarlet strands of his hair before kissing him awake.
“You gotta go, that slime bag lawyer will be at the cops place by now.”
He chuckled, pulling her up and reaching for the soft pale towels as he craned to see the time. He wouldn’t bother with a suit this time, casual clothes to go with the punkish new look would help his case of mistaken identity. There were no pictures of him like this, it would help his lawyer to claim that the dead sheriff had been mistaken. It would be useful if a dead car thief that looked somewhat like him was to turn up locally and Angel had opted for that route to help his cause.
They parted at the car, Gerard was going to use Angel’s to get into town while she went and hired a second. Angel had no criminal record under any of her current aliases and the car was registered to the fronted company they had set up in Winnipeg. Everything would point to his alibi as being solid.
“I reckon I’ll be back by six.”
Angel winked at him, appraising the tight jeans and black t-shirt that defined every muscle before deciding that he was possibly the prettiest man she had ever slept with. Considering the list now running that was quite an achievement. She painted on a mock severe pout.
“Make sure you are, dinner and a movie by demand Mr Way and no bloody pig or federal agent is allowed to interfere.”
Gerard felt a pang driving away, the feds were a minor inconvenience that were now preventing him from being naked with his woman and it made it harder to paint on the politicians smile. His lawyer, an uptight little prick called Harrington, was indeed waiting for him. Gerard didn’t like the man, Frank’s healthy contempt for weasels that were as bigger thieves as the mob had been burned well in. This was a necessary interview though so again the polite veneer was applied.
“I have the case lined out Mr Way. They have nothing to hold you on.”
Gerard shook the man’s limp hand and nodded.
“Let’s get this over with. I want to be back to business and make sure we sue them for leaking my name to the press.”
The lawyer visibly blanched at this statement and refrained from bringing it up as the interview progressed. Gerard found that the two men interviewing him were FBI rather than local law enforcement, killing a cop or two really did bring in the big guns. One he even recognised from Jersey, a snide man by the name of Wright who had spent months trying to make a case against Frank and had failed miserably.
“We have been at this for two hours. You either charge me or let me go.”
Gerard smiled across the table, they had been over his story and it held out well. His lawyer had repeatedly asked to see any evidence that Gerard was involved, the two feds laying out their case that although it looked like a murder/suicide the evidence didn’t fit.
“Why would someone pretend to be you Gerard ?”
“They had my car and my wallet, I’m a wealthy man as you know. Little did I think my carelessness would mean you trying to pin murder charges on me.”
Wright grinned, the man was too arrogant for his own good despite the cool demeanour. If he had been facing Iero it would have been a little different, Frank at least played the game with the knowledge that both sides were taking a gamble. Gerard had come in here on a half story but it would be hard to disprove given the intensity of the fire and the ambiguous evidence that the burned corpses were providing.
Except for one rather important detail.
“Do you recognise this Gerard ?”
The hairs on the back of his neck rose. Wright had pushed a handgun sealed in an evidence bag across the table toward him. Angel’s gun, the one she had used to blow the fat fuck away and the one that she had told him was still in her pocket. His lawyer took a breath in and tried not to look at his client.
“Has your prints on it and the bullets pulled out of the sheriff were fired from this gun.”
“That’s not mine. I don’t own a gun. You planting evidence now ?”
Wright leant back in the chair, Gerard looked a little paler although the calm expression hadn’t changed. It would feel good to nail the bastard and they certainly had enough evidence to put it in front of a judge and get bail refused while they investigated further. Way’s lawyer knew it too, shuffling papers before clearing his throat.
“Mr Way has a solid alibi.”
“Oh yes, the girlfriend. Lucy Jones ?”
Gerard nodded, Angel would back him up and would be furious at herself for dropping the gun. He clung to that, ignoring the cold voice in his head that was whispering something else, something he really didn’t want to think about.
“Call her, we’re staying nearby and she will come and back me up. I’m going to sue you fucks into the floor over this.”
Wright nodded at the lawyer and he left the room, anxious minutes ticking by slowly as the other agent went to fetch more coffee and cigarettes for Gee. They didn’t speak to each other, the two men were now locked in a battle and neither wanted to give an inch. The gun sat on the table between them, a silent accusation.
Ten minutes ticked by, then fifteen. Wright sent his partner to find the lawyer after half an hour, the large man in the tight fitting suit almost dragging the weasel back in. Gerard swallowed, the sweat on the lawyer’s brow was distinctly worrying.
“Can I have a private word with my client ?”
“Make it quick.”
Wright and Dickson left the room, closing the door quietly as Gerard grabbed the lawyer by the throat and shook him.
“What the fuck is going on ? Did you reach her ? Is she coming ?”
The man was scared, almost physically so and his voice was so quiet that Gerard could barely hear it.
“There is no answer on the phone and when I sent someone to the house it’s empty of everything. She’s gone.”

Notes