Boston Blood

Fifty eight

"Lucy, come on. We have to get back." Cillian hissed as he looked around the empty restaurant from under his baseball cap. He was probably just being paranoid but he was feeling so uneasy. He knew they had to be careful but there's no way they knew they were here. He was probably just on edge because of Frankie. He hated leaving her there like that. He felt awful and disgusted with himself that he had let it go that far. She was in shock and confused. She wasn't thinking straight. He couldn't deny that he wanted her. All he wanted to do was kiss her and hold her and feel her but when he looked at her scar. The scar that was the resulted of a gunshot because of him, he couldn't do it. That scar was a reminder that he had nearly gotten Frankie killed. He cared about her too much and as much as he wanted to be in that room with her, holding her and protecting her, he knew he couldn't. She needed to stay away from him. He was going to protect her from Aidan and Tommy. He was going to end this but once it was over he was going to leave. He needed to let Frankie get on her with her life and she needed to get as far away from him as she could. He was dangerous and as long as she was near him, she was always going to be in danger.

Lucy pulled on Cillian's arm as she pointed her long, delicate finger to a small carousel that was in the small garden they were walking through on their way back to the hotel. "Cillian, can I go on the horsey? Please, please, please. Just one go. pleeeeassseee!" Lucy whined but Cillian's anxiety was building within him. It was still very early and there were only a few people in the area. They were all minding their own business, hurrying to get to work but something didn't feel right. He kept looking behind his shoulder, convinced that someone was watching them. 

"Lucy, no. We have to get back. I'm not going to tell you again." Cillian barked so loudly that Lucy winced. Her bottom lip started to quiver and she was rubbing her increasingly wet eyes. Cillian dropped his head with shame and knelt down beside her. "Baby, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I shouted at you. It's just we need to hurry back. Aunty Bridge and Frankie will be waiting on their pancakes and we don't want them to turn all grumpy like me when I'm hungry, right?" 
Lucy continued to cry. Loud, heart-breaking hiccups rippled from her tiny chest as her big beautiful blues eyes stared up at him. "This is the worst vacation e-, ever." She moaned and Cillian felt his heart shatter in his chest. He held her face and rubbed her eyes, hating himself. 
"I know, baby. This hasn't been very fun but I promise I'll make it up to you, okay? Once we get back home, I'm going to take you out. We can do whatever you want to do. How does that sound?" 
Lucy sniffed and wiped her cheeks and snots. Cillian pulled a napkin from the bag her was holding and wiped it gently across her face. 
"An-, anything I want?"
"Absolutely anything you want to do. We'll do it. I promise. But right now we have to hurry back. Okay?" 
Lucy nodded and smiled as her little hand held Cillian's.
"Okay, uncle Cillian. But as long as Frankie comes with us too. I really like her."
Cillian frowned as he rubbed the back of Lucy's hand in his.
"Me too, baby. Me too. You know how much I love you, right?"
Lucy smiled a dazzling smile and held out her arms as wide as they could go.
"Thiisssss muuchhhhh!" 
Cillian leaned down and kissed the top of her hair, smiling a pained smile.
"Damn right."

They had just crossed the street and were walking through the quiet, secluded hotel car park when Cillian spotted a car that wasn't there the night before. It looked familiar. Lucy had ran ahead a few feet ahead to chase some pigeons and Cillian walked towards the car for a closer look. He peered in the window and saw someone slumped over the front seat. There was a small amount of blood speckling the windshield and he leaned in to get a closer look when his stomach dropped. Oh My God. Michael.
Then, he couldn't hear Lucy's laugh anymore and panic soared through him like wild fire. "Lucy!"
He sprinted towards the tree line at the edge of the hotel's grounds where a larges wooded area started and dropped to his knees when he saw him. Tommy Ryan.