I just wanted to let you guys know that I have at this time up to Chapter 21 written. I got into a bit of an issue with this story because while I had an outline for this, as I wrote it, it seamed to vear away from that outline and I ended up with half an ouline that I couldn't use and I was just drawing a blank on what to do. Even now, I know how I want this to end, I just need to get it there. I am baseing a lot of this on actual historical events and certain events will eventually mark the end. The fact is that Loki is immortal while both Charlie and Arnold are human so there is a natural ending if nothing else.

Also, because I'm basically writing off the cuff, right now, please do not be surprised if I have to go back and rework older chapters in order to make them work with the story. I'll try not to do that but it is a possibility. Happy reading. :)

Part Thirteen

Arnold didn't have to look into the backseat of the car to know that Charlie had his arms around Tom and was trying to calm the all but catatonic man. What did turn his head was the sound of words whispered in a language he couldn't understand. The mob boss leaned closer to try and hear the words more clearly. It almost sounded Scandinavian but he couldn't be sure.

He was interrupted from his musings when the car came to a stop. Arnold wasted no time barking orders the driver. "Joe, get inside quickly and phone Meyer and coordinate clean up on this."

Joe nodded and hopped out of the vehicle and ran inside. Arnold got out himself and went around to the other side where Charlie was leading the now silent man from the car. Arnold gestured for Charlie to follow him and the three made their way inside and up the stairs past the servants hovering the foyer. They'd forget the blood stained hands and hurried movements of the boss's guests.

When they reached the second floor, Arnold went directly for a specific guest bedroom towards the back of the house. Charlie followed silently, his arms still holding Tom to him. When they arrived Charlie sat his companion on the bed and set about removing the blood stained clothing and Arnold filled a basin with water and grabbed a small hand cloth before bringing them over to the pair.

Tom sat there staring at his red stained hands. He'd stopped muttering the foreign words and just sat silently looking as if examining every drop that marred the pale delicate fingers. Charlie wordlessly took the basin and set it down on the blanket chest as the foot of the bed. Arnold handed him the hand cloth and stood silently as Charlie began wiping away the blood.

Arnold winced internally as tainted water dripped from the stained cloth onto the antique bed linens and sloshed a bit over the rim of the basin onto the hammered metal of the chest. He said nothing, however. He would have it replaced.

He was drawn from his musing when Charlie began pulling Tom from his clothing. The jacket and waistcoat were laid aside, probably with the hope that they could be cleaned and salvaged, but the dress shirt was beyond saving and would be thrown away. All that remained was a thin black undershirt. Arnold was a bit put out at not being able to see all of Tom's upper body but he was still able to get a good view of his rival.

Tom's arms were lightly muscled and his skin milk-pale. There wasn't a blemish or mole anywhere to to be seen. The mob boss also wasn't able to detect any sort of on the man's arms or chest. A glimmer of metal caught his attention. A small golden pendant hung from a gold chain and was nestled against his upper sternum. Arnold wasn't really able to make out exactly what it was from this distance but it looked almost tribal. Not something Charlie would have gifted the man.

Charlie finished wiping away the blood and dropped the hand cloth into the basin. Tom still continued to look down into his lap. The Sicilian man brought his hands up and buried his fingers into Tom's hair. He tiled the unresponsive man's head until their eyes met.

"Tom, I need to know that you're alright. Everything is going to be fine. Alright?"

The words were whispered so softly that Arnold had to strain his ear to make them out. But the comforting words seemed to be just what Tom needed to hear. He blinked a few times and Arnold watched as his expressionless face faded away and awareness took hold.

His voice was unsteady and all to quiet. "What did I do?"

Arnold didn't give Charlie a chance to downplay the incident. "You protected us all. You did a good thing. One or all of us could be dead if you hadn't done what you did."

Charlie grimaced but nodded and Tom seemed to find solace in the reinforcement of the words. "I didn't want them to hurt you."

Charlie's voice was gentle. "They didn't. I'm fine. But how did you do that? And where did you get the knives?"

Tom shook his head and his eyes became wet, his voice choked, "I don't know. There was a shot and everything seemed to slow down and become hazy. I don't know what happened. I pushed Mr. Rothstein down and then the daggers were in my hands. I had no idea what was going on until it was over. I don't want to hurt anyone, I swear."

Charlie brought the distraught man's head down to his shoulder before turning to AR. "Can we stay here tonight?"

He looked like he was sure Arnold would baulk if only because he didn't want his current what-ever-they-were shacking up with another man but Arnold merely smiled. "Yes, you two can stay in here for tonight. I need to go talk to Joe but I want to talk to you too. When you get done here, come to my office."

Charlie nodded and Arnold left the room, closing the door behind himself. The mob boss made he way back down the hall and entered his office. Joe was there and still on the phone. The man seemed to be agitated about whatever it was he was being told.

Arnold walked up and gestured for the other man to hand over the phone. Joe handed the gadget over and Arnold listened to what the man on the phone was saying.

"Tracy slow down. This is Arnold Rothstein, repeat all that but slower."

The words were noticeably slower with a stutter mixed in as Tracy explained the situation back at the supper club. Arnold nodded his head and added the obligatory 'mhmm's while getting the information from the gangster.

"Alright Tracy. Don't worry about it. You did well and I'm not mad. Wrap things up there and go home."

Arnold then hung up the phone and turned back to Joe. "You can head home too. I'll take care of the rest."

"But Tracy-"

"Won't breath a word about this and neither will you."

Joe took a breath. "Of course Mr. Rothstein."

Joe left and Arnold took his seat behind the desk and mulled over what had happened for a few minutes before Charlie made his entrance. His collar was undone and his tie was missing along with his jacket. Charlie had the look of a man on his way to the gallows and Arnold was hard pressed to correct him after what had happened that night.

"Charlie, I need you to tell me everything you know about Tom."

The Sicilian looked away. "I don't know much. Me and Meyer and Joe found him in the woods outside my estate about a month ago. He was unconscious so I brought him back to my place and then we found out he had no memory of what his life was before so I brought him to New York and I've been letting him stay with me while he gets his life back on track."

The mob boss looked over his underling. It was patently obvious that Charlie was leaving something out, not the least of which was his romantic inclination towards Marriston. But it was also obvious that Charlie wouldn't say anything else on the subject.

"Well then, you'll be happy to know that the cops are writing this off as random street violence." At Charlie's relieved look Arnold continued, "How did Tom get the knives?"

Charlie shifted and his words came out in something of a jumble. "That guy with the pipe must have had them and Tom must have taken them off him."

"Then they have very strange taste in weapons. Tracy was there to clean up the scene and he took both of the knives before the cops got there so he got a good look at them. One was a triple tipped blade with two fork-like points on one side and the other side had an almost claw-like curved blade. The other knife wasn't like anything Tracy had seen either. It too was double sided but it was curved on both sides. And then on top of that, they disappeared."

Charlie blinked and made no effort to feign his confusion. "Someone must have stolen them."

Arnold shook his head. "I don't know about that. Tracy had them both wrapped in napkins from the restaurant and had them in his pocket. But when he went to check them, they were both gone as if dissolved into thin air."

Arnold got up from his seat and came around the desk to stand in front of Charlie. "You're lying to me again. And if you won't answer my questions, then I may have to get them out myself."

The mob boss crowded his underling against the wood of the desk in a familiar dance that the two had participated in before. Charlie's breath caught as Arnold brought of his hands up to cup the Sicilian man's face. Their lips brushed against one another gently and one of his hands migrated south and cupped Charlie's lower regions.

Charlie tried to look away but the steely grip on his jaw stopped him. "If you want me to stop asking questions, then you'll do what I want."

The younger man's eyes slipped closed for a second before opening once more. He reached out and began undoing the buttons on the front of Arnold's pants. He slid his hand inside and drew out the already stiffening member. Arnold wasn't one to stand idle and he too unfastened Charlie's trouser fronts and began to stoke the other man in earnest. At Charlie's sharp breathy intake, the mob boss latched his mouth onto the younger man's ear. It was one of Charlie's sweet spots and Arnold had no problem taking advantage of it.

Charlie soon came with a choked moan and Arnold followed close behind with a quiet sigh. The older man was gratified when Charlie laid his head on Arnold's shoulder without thought or command. It was something that Arnold always liked.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief and the pair quickly cleaned themselves up before they buttoned their trousers once more. Arnold's hand came up around the back of Charlie's neck and he brought their lips together in a hard kiss.

Charlie's hands came up to rest on his chest, perhaps to push him away but the mob boss was gratified that the hands instead come up and wrap around his neck, pulling him closer. Arnold pushed his tongue further into the younger man's mouth and his other hand came up to wrap around Charlie's back.

A soft gasp destroyed the mood and Charlie was instantly pushing him away. The pair looked over towards the door but who ever it was had already gone. Charlie didn't even look at him as he pulled away from Arnold's embrace and left the room.