Boston Blood

Forty

Two weeks later.

Frankie sat behind Bill's desk in the office, trying to distract herself with the mass of mail and receipts she had been neglecting. She was thankful for their distraction, really. She hadn't heard a word from Aidan or Cillian. And Tony? True to form, he was definitely making her sweat. She knew what he was doing but it didn't stop her nerves from bubbling to the surface.
The morning after Aidan had burst into Cillian's house, Frankie lay beside Lucy in her bed. She hadn't slept a wink and couldn't stop thinking of what Aidan had said. Was he telling the truth? Had Cillian really never killed anyone? She had both; found it so hard to believe and yet she wasn't really surprised. Sure, he was a criminal and had obviously beat people up to within an inch of their lives but she felt so relieved to learn that he wasn't a killer. He was still extremely dangerous and she didn't trust him one bit but knowing that there actually was a human, compassionate side to him made Frankie indescribably happy. Knowing that had made her face the harsh yet true reality that she in fact wasn't too dissimilar to him. She had also sold drugs and was about to start working for Tony Russo, again. That feeling made her feel sick. 
She sighed and turned to face Lucy, who was snoring sweetly. Frankie brushed the back of her hand across her pink, warm cheeks and whispered; "Happy Birthday, Lucy." She finally got out of bed and she wasn't surprised to see that Cillian wasn't in the house. Unfortunately, Aidan was. He was sitting on the couch in a fresh suit. drinking coffee and reading the paper. She tried to ignore him as she grabbed a glass of water from the kitchen. She wanted to confront him so badly but she just didn't have the energy. Eventually he sighed and threw the paper on the floor. 
"If you're waiting for some sort of an apology, I wouldn't hold your breath." 
Frankie dropped the glass in the sink, keeping her back to him. "Wouldn't dream of it." She spit back and took a deep breath before turning to face him. "Did you mean what you said last night? About Cillian never killing anyone?" Her voice sounded strange even to her. Shaky and eager. 
She noticed a grimace grace Aidan's lined, tired face and knew he had forgotten his drunken outburst. He sighed and took a sip of his coffee. "Aidan is a good worker. He's smart, fearless and a hell of a right hand man. He can be ruthless and has left many, many people fighting for their lives. But yes, he's technically never killed anyone." 
Before she could stop herself she heard the word slip from her mouth; "Why?" She sounded desperate and he knew it. 
"What? Has this changed your feelings towards him? don't think he's a monster, after all, no?" The sneer and teasing tone in Aidan's voice made Frankie enraged. 
"Fuck you." She hissed before stomping out of the kitchen. She had just reached the front door of the house only to be pulled back by the hood of her sweatshirt and spun around, roughly. Aidan was pressed up against her. The smell of his breath was revolting. She tried to look calm and unbothered but she found herself, inexplicably wishing Cillian was here.  
"Look, I know we got off on the wrong foot. I know you're a smart woman, Frankie, even if that fucking mouth of yours has a mind of its own but I now know that it wasn't you who went to the cops on Tony. It was you who started that fire and ultimately, albeit, unintentionally, helped me get to where I am today. I still don't fully trust you but at least I know you're smart and I'm reluctant to say, a bit of a badass. So how bout we try to move forward and just get this done. I'm ordering you a cab to take you back to the bar. Just keep your head down and don't contact me until Tony speaks to you. Once you start working for him, I want to know everything that fucker is doing. If he takes a fucking shit, I want to know about it, got it?" 
Frankie nodded. She just wanted this conversation to end and to get the fuck out of here. 
"Good girl" he whispered, taking a strand of her wild brown hair in his fingertips. She closed her eyes and balled her hands into fists before he sighed and turned on his heel to pick up the phone. He ordered the cab and clapped his hands making her jump, slightly.
"Right, I guess I'll speak to you when you have some news. Go wait outside, the car will be here soon." Frankie growled to herself and opened the door. 
"Oh and Frankie? Cillian is like a son to me. I'd appreciate it if you would stop fucking with his head. He's vicious, but like us all, has some demons and a troubling emotional side that only seem to rear their ugly head when you're around. Obviously neither of you are stupid enough to fuck this up, but do me a favour and stay the fuck away from him, got it? If you do anything to fuck this up or make Cillian doubt anything, I'll fucking gut you." 
Frankie whirled around to glare at Aidan's stone-y face. "What the fuck are you talking about? I wish I could stay away from him. I fucking hate him but unfortunately for me he always seems to turn up! If I had my way, I'd never lay eyes on any of you, again. How bout you tell him to leave me the fuck alone?"
Aidan's lips curled into a menacing smirk before turning cold and stone-like, once more, making Frankie feel uneasy and nervous. He sipped his coffee, again, staring deep into her bright green eyes before whispering; "Maybe I'm wrong, maybe you both are too fucking stupid." 
Frankie yanked the door open and walked down the driveway, clutching her stomach, Aidan's words still circling and clouding her mind. What is he talking about? Cillian was always watching and following me because Aidan told him to, because he doesn't trust me, right?
Frankie felt a huge knot in her stomach as the cab pulled up the drive. She told the driver the address and sat back, willing her mind to stop reeling but she couldn't focus. All she could think about was Cillian.