Under the Boardwalk
Nine.
The silence was deafening, Alessandra had gone for help, Benny paced anxiously rubbing his temples and running his hands through his hair, Charlie pushed on his friends wound trying to stem the bleeding that was seeping out and staining the flooring,
“It's all gonna be okay Meyer”
He repeated almost trying to will it as if repeating it would make it so, he could taste iron, the smell dense and his hands red, he felt his eyes brimming and a heat building behind them,
“The fuck? Charlie?”
Meyer muttered his eyes still closed, he coughed and winced clamping his hands over Charlies, his face screwing up and sweat beginning to bead on his forehead,
“Don't speak Meyer just rest”
His voice sounded calmer than he was a storm of anger sadness and anxiety was raging inside of him,
“Ally-”
“She's gone for help”
Within minutes Ally arrived with a doctor and a few men, Benny offered his jacket to place over the wound whilst they moved Meyer to his bed, Charlie stumbled away heading in to the bathroom, with the room spinning his legs buckled from below him sending him crashing to the ground, his body ached almost begging for relief, he pulled himself up shaking, his knuckles white as he gripped the edge of the sink, dry heaving violently, his head throbbed although he was unsure as to whether that was down to the multiple blows he had sustained or the situation he was in now, he turned on the spot slowly locking the bathroom door and sliding down the wall on to the floor, taking a few moments to process what had happened, what if he dies? What then? How would he function without his best friend, he rubbed his eyes a nauseating thought dawning on him suddenly, what if that had been Alessandra? He suddenly felt weak all colour draining from his face, he couldn't breath, he pulled himself from the floor only to heave once more in to the skin, he chest was aching now.
In time Charlie came out of the bathroom, his face and hands blood free, he pulls on a clean shirt, looking around the room was void of all unnecessary people, Meyer was bandaged and cleaned up, he looked so small and fragile under the comforter, Alessandra sat at the foot of his bed looking over him, just watching in silence, Benny sat next to him on a chair smeared with blood and his sleeves still rolled to his elbow, his waistcoat and holster thrown carelessly over the end post of the bed, his hand in Meyers, Charlie stood silently observing what was in front of him, the three people he cared about most torn apart in a matter of seconds, his heart was still hammering in his chest,
“It's a clean wound” Benny muttered not looking over at him “he's unconscious but alive” the younger boy used the back of his hand to wipe his eyes as his voice became thick “He's alive”
Al sat alone in his office, leaning back and staring vacantly in to the corner the events of the day weighing heavy on his mind, he nearly killed his baby sister, and with his own hands, he could still feel the pop from her windpipe in the tips of his fingers, haunting him, he took a swig from the glass in his hand, sighing loudly and rubbing his eyes, he missed her, a lot more than he'd ever care to admit, he chewed the inside of his lip silently praying she was being treated well.
With time and care Meyer recovered, he was sick for a long time fevers and infections racking his little body, Benny smiled at him as he walked slowly in to the office for the first time in months wearing a full suit and inhaling from a cigarette, he was almost normal again, Charlie hadn't recovered, he couldn't forget, the emptiness in Meyers eyes as he began to slip away, the anger flashing across Benny's face the panic Alessandra had flown in to upon realising her friend was hurt, the heavy footsteps of the Capones running away bounced around his mind taunting him at every given moment. Nightmares haunted him for months afterwards Alessandra holding him and comforting him in the silent dead of night to stop him lashing out in his sleep, his chest rose and fell quickly as he sat upright a cold sweat dampening his skin, she sat next to him hand on his shoulder,
“Charlie? It's okay”
She whispered in an attempt to comfort him, he shook her off almost aggressively, rubbing his eyes like a child, she sighed quietly and lay back down feeling the stresses of being Charlie Luciano's wife.
Frank and Ralph had long since given up on having Alessandra back with them, although they kept in close contact, every friday morning at eleven AM she called them spending twenty minutes at the very least catching up with each of her brothers, every week she asked to speak to Al, the man who raised her and kept her well, every week he refused still sore that she had left, still harbouring a hate towards Charlie Luciano for taking his sister from him, he sat in his office listening to cheerful muffled voices as they sat around the phone laughing and talking together, he wasn't jealous far from it, she had wanted to talk to him but as far as Al was concerned she was a traitor a title only just above rat.
He snatched his glass from his desk swigging the contents quickly and then moving across the room to refill, he sat back down pulling his top drawer open and taking out the white powder he had snatched, he had a second thought for a moment as he lined it neatly on the back of his hand, his head was already swimming with a mixture of whiskey and cocaine, did he need more?, he pushed the thoughts away and inhaled deeply taking the substance down at the same time, he lean back resting his head on the back of his chair and closing his eyes thinking of happier times, teaching her how to shoot, watching her smile laugh and dance with his brothers on her birthday, her laugh, loud and infectious echoed in his mind, it had been two years since he attacked her and it had been nearly a year since he saw her last, a fleeting glance as she tore past in the back seat of the Paige Larchmont that once belonged to Arnold Rothstein, his heart broke in that moment, she was smiling because of Luciano.
A quiet knock at the door roused him from his thoughts,
“What?!?”
He called out almost shocking himself with his tone, Ralph poked his head around the door,
“Snork” Al winced at the name “You need to speak to Alessandra, it's important”
His brothers voice was quiet, Al's stomach dropped he sighed and nodded rising slowly from his chair, his head rushing as he struggled to stay stable on his feet, he walked in to the hallway where Frank waited the phone resting on the table waiting for him, Ralph and Frank had matching unreadable expressions, Al cleared his throat his heart hammering in his ribcage as he picked the phone up,
“Hello?”
“Al it's me Ally”
Her voice was clear and cheerful, his stomach tied in to nauseating knot of happiness and bitterness,
“How you doin' Bella?”
He asked with a small smile, aware his brothers were shuffling nervously behind him,
“I'm good, I've got news for you”
“Okay good or bad?”
He semi joked his pulse raising again, his hands still shaking, he heard her laugh at the other end of the phone,
“It's good”
“Okay so what is it?”
He braced himself his nerves hanging by a thread,
“So Charlie and I got marri-”
“What?” he cut her off “Whats wrong with you? You know what you've signed up for don't you? Youre whole life looking over your shoulder all the time”
“AL stop! He's going straight!”
“Bullshit Ally, you know it I know it!”
“No Al listen. Theres more news it will make sense if you hear it!”
“What Alessandra? What is it?”
“Al I'm pregnant”
His blood boiled with rage, he slammed the phone down and threw it down the hall, Frank and Ralph stood in silence watching as their brother stormed back in to his office slamming the door behind him.
“It's all gonna be okay Meyer”
He repeated almost trying to will it as if repeating it would make it so, he could taste iron, the smell dense and his hands red, he felt his eyes brimming and a heat building behind them,
“The fuck? Charlie?”
Meyer muttered his eyes still closed, he coughed and winced clamping his hands over Charlies, his face screwing up and sweat beginning to bead on his forehead,
“Don't speak Meyer just rest”
His voice sounded calmer than he was a storm of anger sadness and anxiety was raging inside of him,
“Ally-”
“She's gone for help”
Within minutes Ally arrived with a doctor and a few men, Benny offered his jacket to place over the wound whilst they moved Meyer to his bed, Charlie stumbled away heading in to the bathroom, with the room spinning his legs buckled from below him sending him crashing to the ground, his body ached almost begging for relief, he pulled himself up shaking, his knuckles white as he gripped the edge of the sink, dry heaving violently, his head throbbed although he was unsure as to whether that was down to the multiple blows he had sustained or the situation he was in now, he turned on the spot slowly locking the bathroom door and sliding down the wall on to the floor, taking a few moments to process what had happened, what if he dies? What then? How would he function without his best friend, he rubbed his eyes a nauseating thought dawning on him suddenly, what if that had been Alessandra? He suddenly felt weak all colour draining from his face, he couldn't breath, he pulled himself from the floor only to heave once more in to the skin, he chest was aching now.
In time Charlie came out of the bathroom, his face and hands blood free, he pulls on a clean shirt, looking around the room was void of all unnecessary people, Meyer was bandaged and cleaned up, he looked so small and fragile under the comforter, Alessandra sat at the foot of his bed looking over him, just watching in silence, Benny sat next to him on a chair smeared with blood and his sleeves still rolled to his elbow, his waistcoat and holster thrown carelessly over the end post of the bed, his hand in Meyers, Charlie stood silently observing what was in front of him, the three people he cared about most torn apart in a matter of seconds, his heart was still hammering in his chest,
“It's a clean wound” Benny muttered not looking over at him “he's unconscious but alive” the younger boy used the back of his hand to wipe his eyes as his voice became thick “He's alive”
Al sat alone in his office, leaning back and staring vacantly in to the corner the events of the day weighing heavy on his mind, he nearly killed his baby sister, and with his own hands, he could still feel the pop from her windpipe in the tips of his fingers, haunting him, he took a swig from the glass in his hand, sighing loudly and rubbing his eyes, he missed her, a lot more than he'd ever care to admit, he chewed the inside of his lip silently praying she was being treated well.
With time and care Meyer recovered, he was sick for a long time fevers and infections racking his little body, Benny smiled at him as he walked slowly in to the office for the first time in months wearing a full suit and inhaling from a cigarette, he was almost normal again, Charlie hadn't recovered, he couldn't forget, the emptiness in Meyers eyes as he began to slip away, the anger flashing across Benny's face the panic Alessandra had flown in to upon realising her friend was hurt, the heavy footsteps of the Capones running away bounced around his mind taunting him at every given moment. Nightmares haunted him for months afterwards Alessandra holding him and comforting him in the silent dead of night to stop him lashing out in his sleep, his chest rose and fell quickly as he sat upright a cold sweat dampening his skin, she sat next to him hand on his shoulder,
“Charlie? It's okay”
She whispered in an attempt to comfort him, he shook her off almost aggressively, rubbing his eyes like a child, she sighed quietly and lay back down feeling the stresses of being Charlie Luciano's wife.
Frank and Ralph had long since given up on having Alessandra back with them, although they kept in close contact, every friday morning at eleven AM she called them spending twenty minutes at the very least catching up with each of her brothers, every week she asked to speak to Al, the man who raised her and kept her well, every week he refused still sore that she had left, still harbouring a hate towards Charlie Luciano for taking his sister from him, he sat in his office listening to cheerful muffled voices as they sat around the phone laughing and talking together, he wasn't jealous far from it, she had wanted to talk to him but as far as Al was concerned she was a traitor a title only just above rat.
He snatched his glass from his desk swigging the contents quickly and then moving across the room to refill, he sat back down pulling his top drawer open and taking out the white powder he had snatched, he had a second thought for a moment as he lined it neatly on the back of his hand, his head was already swimming with a mixture of whiskey and cocaine, did he need more?, he pushed the thoughts away and inhaled deeply taking the substance down at the same time, he lean back resting his head on the back of his chair and closing his eyes thinking of happier times, teaching her how to shoot, watching her smile laugh and dance with his brothers on her birthday, her laugh, loud and infectious echoed in his mind, it had been two years since he attacked her and it had been nearly a year since he saw her last, a fleeting glance as she tore past in the back seat of the Paige Larchmont that once belonged to Arnold Rothstein, his heart broke in that moment, she was smiling because of Luciano.
A quiet knock at the door roused him from his thoughts,
“What?!?”
He called out almost shocking himself with his tone, Ralph poked his head around the door,
“Snork” Al winced at the name “You need to speak to Alessandra, it's important”
His brothers voice was quiet, Al's stomach dropped he sighed and nodded rising slowly from his chair, his head rushing as he struggled to stay stable on his feet, he walked in to the hallway where Frank waited the phone resting on the table waiting for him, Ralph and Frank had matching unreadable expressions, Al cleared his throat his heart hammering in his ribcage as he picked the phone up,
“Hello?”
“Al it's me Ally”
Her voice was clear and cheerful, his stomach tied in to nauseating knot of happiness and bitterness,
“How you doin' Bella?”
He asked with a small smile, aware his brothers were shuffling nervously behind him,
“I'm good, I've got news for you”
“Okay good or bad?”
He semi joked his pulse raising again, his hands still shaking, he heard her laugh at the other end of the phone,
“It's good”
“Okay so what is it?”
He braced himself his nerves hanging by a thread,
“So Charlie and I got marri-”
“What?” he cut her off “Whats wrong with you? You know what you've signed up for don't you? Youre whole life looking over your shoulder all the time”
“AL stop! He's going straight!”
“Bullshit Ally, you know it I know it!”
“No Al listen. Theres more news it will make sense if you hear it!”
“What Alessandra? What is it?”
“Al I'm pregnant”
His blood boiled with rage, he slammed the phone down and threw it down the hall, Frank and Ralph stood in silence watching as their brother stormed back in to his office slamming the door behind him.