Still Life With Taylor

::FOURTEEN::

Matty and Sal are playing a fucking dangerous game with these two. The Novo brothers, Tony and Nick. A team of assassins. Not really tied to any particular family. Will work for whoever will pay them. It's too late to get Christine out now. Too late by far. Any attempt to run will just draw their attention all the more. The last thing you want is these two to notice you, to know that you're afraid of them. All that's left is to see this through.

Sal and Matty, talking to the hitmen. About the bikers who were in here before, about the dirty cops. Matty almost mentions Christine's name. One hard look is enough to see that he doesn't.

She doesn't say anything. Not even when asked. Looks to me, or Sal, who answer for her. Her hand is holding mine tightly, her knuckles white. I hate that anything I'm involved with has made her afraid. This will be the last.

A plan drawn up, the brothers leave. We sit around the table, nobody saying a word. I can't believe things have gone this far. Christine untangles her hand from mine, and makes her way back to the bathroom, breaking into a run before she gets there.

If I were to even start to tell Matty what I think about what he's done, there will be no coming back from it. Looking at him, he knows it.

I go back for Christine. Sound of water running. I don't bother knocking, she's rinsing her face. Sick. Turned from me, her heart racing. Trying to keep me from seeing how frightened she is. I can't hold her tight enough, without breaking her. Hold her face up to mine.

"I won't let anything happen to you, baby. I need you to believe me. To trust me."

I don't know how we're going to get through this day. We have to stay here. Like nothing is wrong. It's too late to run now. We've been sucked into it. We leave now, and we'll have fucked up a job, one planned by two professional killers that don't give a damn who they kill. Somehow we have to just get through this. All I can do is hold her.

She pulls herself back a little, looking up to me. If she were to turn and leave, and never come back, I wouldn't blame her.

"Tell me you won't get hurt, Taylor." Her hand reaches up, to where I've been shot already, before she lowers it, fidgeting with her other hand, her fingers in knots. "I don't want anything to happen to you." This last almost a whisper, looking down at her hands, hoarse, she's about to cry, and is fighting it. All this time, all I've been thinking about is her. It never occurred to me that she would be afraid for me, that she would care about me that much. Maybe that anyone would.

Hold her face in my hands, forcing her to look at me. She's blinking back tears. "I won't let anything happen to either one of us."


It's hard to surrender myself to the routine. I'm glad I'm here though. If I was anywhere else, just waiting somewhere for all of this to happen, to hear back from Taylor, my heart would burst. He's never more than two feet from me, the rest of the day. He stayed behind the bar with me, even when it got quiet. His hand held mine, reassuring, when the first of the bikers started to show up. The regulars start to leave. Send the waitresses home. A hard faced girl, someone Sal sent, is serving drinks to the bikers, who continue to show up, in one's and two's. Finally, there's no one left, but the bikers, and us. He kisses me, softly, before nodding to Matty, who slips into the back, opening the door to the alleyway.