Author's Note - Thank you to all my readers, wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't for you. You guys are amazing!
DeDe324 - Thank you so, so much for everything. It was party you that pulled me out of my little spiral, so thank you again. Thanks for reading every chapter I put up almost immediately and then giving such wonderful and thoughtful reviews on the material, it means the world to me. I can't say enough good things about you, an amazing writer (read her stuff), an amazing person and friend and your so humble about it! So, so glad I got to know and still getting to know you.
So chapter 9 - if you thought things in seven and eight were heavy, I just weighed them down a ton more. This part I did take from the movie (please note I do not own any part of the Boondock Saints 2), but I felt it was necessary since I built up to it. I tried not to parrot and gave the characters reactions between the three of them. Then all Hell breaks loose. I hope you all enjoy, please read and review!
Quinn sat mesmerized by the two strong male figures before her, completely breathless. Noah's eyes on her, just as intense if not more than the boys, boring a hole into her almost telling the red head she would be ok, even if he didn't make it.
"Noah," Louie said taking the needle off the Victrola and stopped the spinning record. The pause between them took forever. Quinn sat in the chair just shaking, eyes darting between Noah and Louie. It was almost like a stand off between ancient titans, Kronos and Zeus, the creator and the created. Breathing shallow she became lightheaded and gasped garnering the attention of the men.
"We haven't much time. You have me here, let the girl go."
"My garden. She is beautiful, no? Much like bella rosa," Louie paused, ignoring Noah's request, "Ah, but you, Noah, your eyes are blind to beauty. You are a destroyer," he closed his fist tightly.
The boy's father turned his gaze from the frightened girl back to his old friend, "You know my reasons. You know why I did what I did."
The old Italian nodded, "But do you? You think it was for your father? No. You were born a killer. Death, la morte, is in your blood."
The Irishman shook his head, "No."
"Then explain this," Louie tossed a picture to Noah. It was a picture of Annabelle and the twins when they were one. Quinn gasped at the photo, she had seen one similar in Connor's wallet back when they were dating. She used to tease the boys not believing they were once that adorable. The pause made her feel safe for a moment and laughed slightly. Louie turned to her his eyes hard and cold as stone and she quieted instantly, "You were not there to raise them. Not, one single day. Yet, how closely they follow in their father's footsteps. They have inherited your blood, Noah, your rabbia, your anger."
Noah looked at Quinn, then back at Louie, "And you? What are you?"
"I am a creator," he waves to the garden surrounding the three of them, "Our very natures stood in opposition," he brought his fists together, "just like the frog and the," he paused trying to think of the English word, "Come si dice, scorpione."
"Scorpion," Quinn found her voice but still trembling along with the rest of her.
"Grazie, bella rosa," he smiled.
"Louie, let her go," Noah said calmly, putting a strong hand on her knee, "There's no need to keep involving her."
"Ah, that is where you are wrong Noah," a smiled crossed the aged face, "The anger your boys felt when she was gone is strong enough for them to put their own father in harms way. I need her to make sure it all stops today."
There was dead silence. No one spoke, Quinn forced her breathing to become steady, Noah and Louie stared each other down for the longest time. The birds knew the fire fight was about to take place and had flew away. The sound of many wings beating took over the silence, then the quiet took over. Then as if on cue the fire in the torch popped and the elder MacManus brought his eyes from Quinn to the old man, "Why did you sell me out Louie?"
The Italian shook his head, "You can never understand."
A slight laugh came from Noah, "Twenty-five years…try me."
Louie sat up higher in the chair, "I wanted to join with them."
"Them?"
"They were building an empire. I was helping them! I used you, Noah, to eliminate their problems, cut out their cancers. I earned my place among them."
Noah looks at the house in disrepair, "Is this your place among them? Because all I see is an old man in a broke down palace sitting in a garden."
"The scorpion and the frog, both lose everything," Louie said ruefully, "See, without you I was no longer useful to them. They cast me out!"
"Why the priest Louie? Why Quinn? Why all this? Why now," Noah asked looking at the horrified red head, the story the old man told her yesterday was just another lie. Then the realization she wasn't getting out of this alive hit her. The ginger fell from the chair to her knees praying as the two former friends continued. Paying attention to Louie's answer, it might hold the key to her survival. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she thought of Rosie, her baby girl; never having left that child's side for more than 12 hours and now she was facing a reality where she would never see her again. Thankful for all the grace God has bestowed upon her to keep Rosie safe. But the three Irishmen and the Mexican had to know no one was leaving alive.
"Because I knew it would bring you and your sons. You would destroy the Yakavettas for me and clear my way. This time I will take what is mine. Just a little piece, piccolo pezzetto, for my old age. After all, I have never been a greedy man," he put the needle back on the record. Music filled the garden space again, but what followed would haunt Quinn for the rest of her life.
Two gunshots rang out from the house. Noah stood throwing off is trench coat revealing a full length vest with six guns down the length of it. He pulled two and started firing as gunshots came in from outside. All Quinn could hear was gunshots, glass breaking and screaming. Louie just sat there looking at Noah, he didn't even flinch when the gunfire started. Noah dropped his first two guns in the fountain and glass crashed from behind. The red head looked to see Connor and Murphy fall from the ceiling and pull two guns each and start shooting the ambush of mobsters coming in from outside. Another loud crash of glass and a shotgun blast was heard before Romeo joined the party. Quinn tried to keep her head down with everything crashing down around and the bullets whizzing by but the sounds of the boys screaming kept her from taking cover. It must have been a primal protective instinct she had straightening up trying to find the twins, it was then she felt a sharp and hot sensation pierce through her left shoulder blade. She saw blood on the fountain in front of her, cocking her head to the side looking at the bright red spots curiously. White, hot, blinding pain was the feeling she felt next and she let out a scream. Louie looked at her and the quarter sized hole in her chest smiling slightly. Quinn felt weak and her breathing was hard and uneven. Placing her hands down in front of her trying to hold herself upright, but failed the pain was too much. She fell to the ground and felt the warm and sticky liquid leave her wound as she tried to stay awake. She heard Connor scream.
"OH GOD! NO! QUINN!" His handsome face came into view and she smiled slightly then hard pressure on her chest, "STAY WITH ME, Q! COME ON, BABY," he screamed and she could see tears streaming down his face. Murphy had her head in his lap, he was crying too. Quinn's eyes fluttered, "NO, LOVE, STAY AWAKE! QUINN," Connor screamed at the red head and she opened her eyes again. Connor leaned down to her ear whispering, "You don't get to leave me or Duffy or Rosie, ya hear? You stay with me, stay awake, help'll be here soon."
"Connor," she whispered, her voice raspy and wet then she gasped in pain.
"Don't try to talk, just stay awake, you can do this. You're stronger than this," he begged her, but her eyes closed. The last thing she felt was Connor and Murphy's tears on her face. The last thing she heard was the lighter haired twin whispering, "I love you."
Author's Note 2 - Please do not freak out or hate me, the story is not over and that's all you're gonna get until 10 is posted.