The McEllis Boys

Chapter Forty-One

Chapter Forty-One

Leslie couldn't seem to stop screaming. She was screaming Ian's name. Screaming for help. Screaming the word no. Screaming unintelligible things that made no sense. Madeline was crying but Leslie was only faintly aware of someone scooping the girl up as Leslie fell to her knees and turned his body so she could stare down at Ian's face.

He was pale, his brown eyes still looking into hers only now they were dead and lifeless. She didn't know if she was crying or not as she clung to his body. She didn't care about the blood or the crowd that seemed to be gathering.

She threw herself on top of him and punched his shoulder. Cursing him for dying on her. Cursing him for throwing himself in front of Frank's bullet. Though she knew that if he hadn't that bullet would have hit her or Madeline. She cursed herself for ever thinking the man had truly meant that he wouldn't die for her or Madeline. She cursed God for taking away the first man she loved that truly loved her back. She cursed the sun for shining. The earth for still spinning and life or seeming to go on around her.

"Ma'am, let us through," She kicked and screamed but was pulled away from Ian's body by two officers. Another knelt beside Ian and checked his wrist for a pulse that Leslie knew he wouldn't find. There was a gaping hole in his back where his heart had been beating only minutes ago. Frank had only been seven feet away from Ian when he had pulled that trigger.....

Leslie heard her daughter crying and saw her in the arms of a female officer, sobbing and being led away, "Where are you taking her!?" Leslie screamed.

The officer pointed to a squad car, "Just over there, ma'am. Away from...." The woman's voice trailed off and Leslie looked back down at the bloody pavement around Ian's body. Strange that the front of his body was unmarked. He had blood on his shirt only from what had pooled out of his mouth. Strange that the bullet had stopped before exiting and hitting her and Madeline. Leslie wished that the bullet had managed to kill her too. She didn't want to live in a world without Ian.

"What's going on...." Nicole's voice trailed off and Leslie looked over to see she, Bethany, Cavanaugh and Andrew working their way through the crowd.

"Stay back!" an officer ordered.

Cavanaugh shoved him out of the way, "Ian!" he yelled. "That's my goddamn brother!" he added as he shoved the cop again when the man tried to grab his arm. The cop let him go and he ran to Ian with Andrew behind him.

"What happened?!" Andrew asked Leslie, tears filling his eyes and his voice cracking.
"It was Frank," Leslie replied robotically. She pointed down a short distance away to Frank who was moaning and bleeding from several gunshot wounds as he sat propped against a car with an officer standing next to him. Frank was finally cuffed, Leslie noticed. Still this all felt surreal. Her body was now numb. Her thoughts dulled were. Her feelings emotionless somehow.

"That bastard killed my brother?" Cavanaugh growled and Leslie nodded. Cavanaugh stood slowly. He turned and faced Frank.

"Not Ian! Ian can't be dead." Andrew exclaimed as he dropped to his knees beside his brother. "Ian is Ian. He's tough."

Bethany came forward and laid her hand on Andrew's back and then he stood and turned away from Ian, taking her into his arms and sobbing against her hair.

"Don't get any ideas, son," the officer that was standing next to Frank told Cavanaugh when Cavanaugh's hand inched closer to the .45 Colt on his hip.

"Why is he still breathing?" Cavanaugh growled as Nicole came to stand beside him. Cavanaugh could tell she was trying hard to fight back her tears but several has slipped free and run down her cheeks. He felt her hand on his back, trying to offer comfort, but right now all he wanted was blood. Frank's blood.