The world is broken,
It is a dark gray void, it is cold and it is empty.
Still anytime he saw her face it was a reminder of a small light that exists,
a beautiful reminder of a better piece of himself.
Everyone saw the two of them enter the backroom of the restaurant, it had a window with a clear view, everyone would know after this, and nothing would ever be the same.
"Why am I here Red?"
A thin and even tired Liz asked.
"You know I will miss our adventures together, our dances, even our arguments, but I think I will miss being on the run with you and laughing with you the most."
Red said looking somehow older and more worn out.
"What are you talking about?"
Liz inquired.
"You know none of this will ever end until I am gone,
I thought I could protect you, I see now that all I am doing is hurting you."
Red replied.
"What are you saying!?"
She asked while Red walked up to her.
He placed his hands on the sides of her face, leans in and kisses each cheek and her forehead.
He then placed his hands over hers and she feels a gun slide in between them, it's pointed to Red himself.
"What are you doing?" She asked as fear runs across her face.
"Listen to me I need to do this,
and you'll have everything I have."
Liz looks at him and then down at the gun, realizing he is asking her to kill him.
"I've done things Liz, horrible things, things that I am not proud of, but it was always about protecting you."
She interrupts him.
"I can't.."
He interrupts her.
"You can, you can!"
"Please don't make me do this." She says while trying to pull away.
Red holds onto her hands tighter.
"Lizzie I love you more than
anything, I want you to know what I know and have what I have."
Just then he forces her hands to pull the trigger firing a fatal shot.
Liz screams.
Red falls to the floor as Liz tries to apply pressure on the wound.
The door is locked, everyone saw what happened, there is banging and yelling outside, yet all of it is drowned out by her crying.
"Why?
please tell me why?
please tell me who you are."
Liz begs the dying man.
"It doesn't matter Lizzie."
Red said while gasping for air.
"Of course it does, why do all of this for me?"
She asked.
"So you can be free,
really,
finally free."
Red said as he hands her a white envelope and closes his eyes for the very last time.
(Time passes.)
Liz had now taken Red's place not by choice but noone would dare cross her.
The letter contained all the information she needed to take over his criminal empire.
It was day one of a completely new life, while the life with a man named Red was over, his words stayed with her.
"It doesn't matter."