The Girl Behind the Counter

Chapter 23

As quickly as she appeared Maxie left. Michael tried to run after her, but she had left her ignition running so by the time he made it out of the warehouse she was closing the car door. He had no hope of catching her. "What the FUCK?!" Tommy yelled after having chased Michael. "It was Maxie all along. She was the other shooter. The white roses were her Aunt's favorite. They reminded her of snow on Christmas morning." Michael explained. "Little flower shop princess went on a rampage?" John asked in shock. "She hadn't been dealing with it any other way, and she kept telling me to stop talking about the shooting. And earlier she tried to tell me, she said she had something to finish." Michael himself could hardly believe what he was saying. "How does she know how to shoot like that?" Arthur asked. "I don't bloody know!" Michael exclaimed. "Well c'mon mate, we have to get you to her!" Tommy said, rushing everyone into the car. They checked Michael's place, Maxie's, Arrow House, and even her Aunt's grave but couldn't find her anywhere. Finally Michael took to just wandering the streets of Small Heath, praying she would turn up. He then heard church bells and realized where she was. Hesitantly, Michael opened the cathedral door. He blinked to adjust to the substantially darker interior. In the back row he saw the back of a familiar head and sighed in relief. He walked up and sat down next to her. She was crying. This was the first time Michael had ever seen her properly cry. "I talked to a priest. I told him everything. It doesn't make it okay though." She said between sobs. "Hey, hey come here! He took all of your family, everything you knew, and left you with the likes of me." Michael brought her heaving frame to his chest. "The others didn't. Those three at the pub? They didn't even know what hit them. Or the two with Falco today. I'm a murderer and I'm so so sorry." She cried. "You know I am the absolute very last person who can judge you Maxie." Michael stroked her hair. "Are you sure?" She sniffed and looked up at him. "I'm positive. I keep getting you all wrong. I keep thinking that you need me to protect you, or to avenge you, but you prove me wrong every time. You don't need me." Michael soothed. "No, you're wrong. I do need you. I went insane Michael. I went crazy and didn't even tell you. I kept it from you, and I shouldn't have. I need you to help me from going mental." She pleaded with him. "I tell you what, you promise to marry me and I'll help you from going mental, as long as you help me from going mental." Michael brushed the tears from her cheeks. Maxie laughed despite her still falling tears. "You've got yourself a deal Michael Gray! We might need a different church though, I think I scared this priest away. Catholics no long condone murder, even the murder of gangsters." She giggled. "That's okay, we'll find a protestant church. They'll take anybody." Michael leaned down and gently kissed her. The girl behind the counter wasn't so different from Michael after all. Maxie made a much better gangster than himself, or even Tommy for that matter. She out smarted and out maneuvered all of them, and Maxie had done it without missing a single shot. She may have lost all of her blood relatives, but Maxie was a Shelby now. "One last thing." Michael said. "Yes?" Maxie looked at him with concern. "Will you give me a shooting lesson?" Michael asked, causing more laughter from Maxie. "We're going to be unstoppable together, aren't we?" She cooed. "You're damn right we will." Michael agreed.