Just Like Old Times

The Bank

Bronte shouted in pain as he dropped the gun. Lilly grabbed his hand by her belly and broke his fingers getting the knife out of his hand. She turned, grabbed his neck, and shoved him into the wall while choking him. She neared his face and sneered at him. "You. I was willing to only kill you. Now? I think I'll torture you first."

Angelo grasped at his throat trying to breathe. When Lilly decided he'd had enough she dropped him and he slumped to the floor, coughing and wheezing. She went down and looked in his pockets for the key to her collar and found it. She unlocked it, took it off, and hit him in the face with it. Arthur let out an approving guffaw as Bronte wailed from the hit.

"Serves you right," Arthur said.

Lilly cracked her neck and pivoted at the waist. "What should I do with him?" she asked Arthur as she gazed at him lovingly.

Arthur neared her and kissed her softly. "It's your call, mo stór."

Lilly grinned. "Mo chompánaigh fiach?" [My hunting companions?]

"Yes, they're here."

"Who's here?" Bronte demanded.

Lilly looked at Angelo with a menacing smile before she whistled. The wolves came in snarling and licking their chops. Bronte tried to scoot under the bed but Lilly grabbed him with a chuckle. "No no no, you earned this, Papa. Just like I earned my beating, and just like my brother earned his death." Lilly tossed him to the floor. "Boys?" They looked up at her and Arthur walked behind Lilly to the door. "Kill him. Slowly."

Lilly didn't have to smell the blood. She didn't have to watch the carnage. All she had to do was listen as the wolves growled and ripped their teeth into the flesh of a screaming man who begged for mercy. Mercy was something she was not willing to give.

"C'mon, let's go outside," Arthur said as he kissed her cheek.

Arthur shut the door behind them as they walked into the hall with red carpet and the red and white walls. Lilly saw the rest of the men and smiled. "Thanks for comin' to get me," she said.

X===================X

Lilly quickly recovered from her ordeal on account of being fed properly. Now that Bronte was dead and gone, they could finally get on with their bank job. Lilly crossed the floor back and forth as she listened to the men talk the plan over.

"I'm tellin' ya, Dutch, this is the way to do this job," Hosea said. "The distraction'll buy you all the time you need."

Dutch sighed. "I...don't like it," he said.

"It's the right plan. I've done the work. I've been in town, looking, watching and...and waiting. I've, I've tested it as well as I can. It's the right plan."

"I know. I just...I'm still worried about this rat in the camp gunnin' for my daughter. Who can we trust?"

Lilly leaned against the door frame. "Me, Athair and Arthur, for starters."

Arthur chuckled. "You're still insistin' on goin'?"

"Of course. I told Athair and Lenny that they're gonna die in Saint Denis. What if it happens with this job? I need to be there to stop it."